Decision on Hove hotel site is deferred

There were concerns by councillors over the number of affordable homes in the scheme, the amount of developer contributions, and how the figures had been calculated.

Plans by Hyde for the old Sackville Hotel site would be made up of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

The council’s preferred option for affordable housing was five homes for affordable rent, as housing officers said it was the ‘highest priority need’ in the city.

Conservative councillor Joe Miller was concerned about the figure, and how it had been reached, and said: “I can’t have a scheme where we have one rule for one developer and another for every other developer in the city, it’s simply not fair.”

The council aims for 40 per cent affordable housing in major developments.

There was also criticism of the north side of the building, with Conservative councillor Lynda Hyde calling the design ‘diabolical’.

Green councillor Leo Littman said: “What you’re looking at from the north is a bit of 1970s brutalism to me. It’s like they’ve forgotten to do the back.”

But there was praise for the front and side of the design.

Councillors voted to defer the decision, but legal officer Hilary Woodward pointed out the target decision date had already passed, meaning Hyde could appeal for non-determination.

A Hyde spokesperson said: “Further to the deferral of the application at today’s planning committee, we will be discussing member’s comments with officers, who had formally recommended approval of the application in its current form, to seek to bring forward development of this long term derelict site.”