Benfield Valley house plans changed again – Brighton and Hove News

Plans for more than a hundred homes in Benfield Valley are set to be unveiled after further tweaks have been made.

Last year, Hollybrook Homes Ltd put forward two options to build in the northern half of the valley, north of Sainsbury’s.

The first option called for homes spread across the northern and southern parts of the site, and the second, a denser development using only the northern half.

Two other companies, Benfield Property Ltd and Benfield Investments Ltd, have already submitted plans to Brighton and Hove City Council based on the second option.

The southern half would be released as a community park.

It has also been proposed, in response to feedback from local wildlife groups, to move the residential area from the north to the east to double the size of the wildlife corridor.

The developer says these changes will strike the right balance between protecting the local environment – ​​90% of Benfield Valley will remain undeveloped – and providing much-needed housing to help solve the housing crisis. Four in ten homes will be affordable.

Benfield Barn would become a community hub with space for community events, wildlife interpretation, exhibitions, educational use and a community café.

The Brighton and Hove City Plan allocates space for approximately 100 homes in Benfield Valley, on sites south and north of Hangleton Lane.

David Godden, of Benfield Property Ltd, said: “We have listened to the local community and have adapted our proposals so that all the homes will be sited on an area north of Hangleton Lane on a private golf course, using the former car park and some of the Footgolf holes as the main development area, although Footgolf could also continue close to the site.

“We are proposing a community park to the south of Hangleton Lane, which has been allocated for housing in the city plan, and will invest in landscaping, protecting the BMX track, created by local young people, and improving footpaths, play areas and signage.

“We are committed to helping create a community Parkland Trust, with funding for its ongoing protection and maintenance.

“We have paid particular attention to feedback on local wildlife, including dormice, crested lizards, birds and butterflies, and are proposing to move the original northern housing allocation proposed in the city plan to the east, to double the size of the proposed wildlife corridor.

“We have submitted the design to the South East Design Review Panel for an independent audit and have taken into account their comments on providing Benfield Barn as a community hub and ensuring that important views from the barn remain unobstructed and that historic hedge lines are not affected.

“Our landscape architects included an orchard and working garden as part of the proposals, providing an attractive and productive buffer zone between the barn and the new homes.

“We have ensured there are sufficient parking spaces around the houses to prevent spillover into neighbouring streets and have proposed moving the central crossing island on Hangleton Lane to make pedestrian crossing between the public footpath and park areas safer.

“We have also engaged experts to carry out a traffic assessment, and this shows that the site will have minimal impact locally.

“We want to thank the many people who shared their feedback with us and helped us develop our proposals.

“It’s always difficult to come up with new developments, however our aim is to create a scheme that is better for the landscape and wildlife; and better for existing and new residents – a sustainable community living in harmony with nature.”