Europa and St Congar appeal after delay on 100-acre Hove scheme

Europa Capital and St Congar are appealing Brighton & Hove City Council’s non-determination of their plans for a 100-acre development at Toads Hole Valley. The partners lodged plans for 880 homes and 270,000 sq ft of office space in November 2018, after acquiring a 50% stake in the project from the owners the Cook family and Pecla Investments, a year earlier. The application for development near King George VI Avenue includes a school and community space. Local councillors have fought the scheme, which has also received a large number of objections in some 450 comments. National Highways and council transport officers raised issues around the transport plan, forcing the developers to reassess the case. In a statement, the council said: “This has taken some time and is reaching its conclusion.” Due to lack of information, the council said it had been impossible to decide the permission. As a result, the developers told the council they intended to lodge an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate, with a public inquiry expected in late September. At the same time, they are pursuing a “twin-track” approach with a duplicate application submitted to the council, allowing the scheme to be determined at the local level. The council expects to discuss the scheme at a special meeting of the planning committee, which could result in the appeal being withdrawn, if consent is granted.   To send feedback, e-mail emma.rosser@eg.co.uk or tweet @EmmaARosser or @EGPropertyNews