Decision - Lewes Road (Preston Barracks and University of Brighton) Planning Brief

To approve the draft planning brief.

(1)         That the Cabinet Member approves the draft planning brief as forming the basis of a public consultation exercise.

Public consultation in respect of planning documents is an integral element in ensuring that wide ranging views are taken into account and inform the council’s decision-making process.

The council and university have had two clear options to consider in the development of these sites. The first of these options was to consider accommodating university-related development wholly or largely on the university’s landholdings, with employment, residential and other development being focussed on the Preston Barracks site.  From a logistical perspective, this approach would be easier achieve and would not necessitate the need for a partnership.

The alternative approach that the council and university have chosen to adopt is to work together to provide a far more mixed development across the three sites that more physically integrates the university into the wider community, to provide a strong and identifiable city quarter for the benefit of all.  This will better help to achieve the aspirations of the LR2 strategy, referred to earlier in this report.

An alternative to preparing a planning brief would have been to prepare a supplementary planning document (SPD).  Although they do not carry the same statutory weight as SPDs, planning briefs can be prepared more rapidly in response to development pressures and changes in situation, The fact that this planning brief will be the subject of widespread community and stakeholder consultation should afford it status as a valid material consideration in the planning process.  It takes due account of national planning guidance, adopted and emerging development plan policies and applies them to the development aspirations of the council and the university with regard to the Preston Barracks, Moulsecoomb Campus and Mithras House sites.