Cllr. Milla Gauge

BH2025/00264 – Brighton College

Stance: Customer objects to the Planning Application

Comment Reasons:

- Because of the Additional Traffic

- Noise

- Residential Amenity

Comment: As a councillor in Queen's Park ward many residents have voiced their strong concerns to me about Brighton College's behaviour toward and relations with the community over a significant period of time.

Residents do not feel that their concerns about expansion/use of facilities, noise or traffic have been addressed or remediated with adequate seriousness or speed in the past and they have no confidence that if these proposals were accepted the situation would improve. They have a justified fear, instead, that a further expansion of the College would put additional strain on community relations.

Specifically, these proposals undermine the National Planning Policy Framework's aim of promoting balanced neighbourhoods. They increase traffic congestion and carbon emissions and will create additional congestion in the immediate area of A&E services at the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

These proposals do not contribute to reducing car dependency, nor do they support public transport or promote safe pedestrian and cycle access. Conversely they will increase traffic pressure due to increased drop offs and pick ups at St Mary's Hall causing disruption in narrow, residential areas.

These proposals do not sufficiently mitigate potential increased volume of noise from a greater number of boarding pupils in a residential neighbourhood, and they sacrifice a significant proportion of limited green space in the area.

Along with many residents I recognise Brighton College as a valuable member of the community and important contributor both to the character of its environs and to the economic life of the area.

However I also agree with residents that these proposals will exacerbate community tensions, further unbalance the neighbourhood, increase congestion around an emergency services site and in narrow residential roads, they will not promote public transport nor reduce car dependency, and do not sufficiently mitigate increased noise nor protect green spaces.