£150m housing project given the greenlight by Brighton & Hove City Council

Following two years worth of preparation, plans for four student housing blocks up to 15-storeys high have been approved by the local authority.

In December 2022 a development organisation – Cathedral (Moulsecoomb) Advisory LLP, submitted plans to build 566 student rooms behind an old manor house in Brighton and last week Brighton & Hove City Council gave the project the go-ahead.

The scheme, costing around £150m, involves knocking down existing 1990s student blocks which have room for 163 people at Brighton University. However, the four new proposed housing blocks are set to range from four to 15 storeys high, meaning they will be able to accommodate more students.

As well as providing new homes, the development company claimed the accommodation will be complete with a student gym, a wellbeing studio and a public café is planned for the ground floor of the tallest block.

Additionally, the organisation have also claimed the scheme will include a pub, restaurant, events space and 10 guest bedrooms.

However, despite the new plans to create brand new, modern student homes, Cathedral have pledged to keep some of the original side landmarks including the Moulsecoomb Social Club. Although, within the application, the organisation have said parts of the site will need to be demolished to make room to install a ground source heat pump, which will make the new homes cheaper to run and environmentally friendly.

Situated on Lewes Road in Brighton, Cathedral have outlined plans to build an extension linking the grade II listed manor house – Moulsecoomb Place – and tithe barn. The organisation said that the grounds of the five-acre site would become a public park.

In a statement published when the plans were submitted at the end of last year, Cathedral Chief Executive, Richard Upton, said: ‘After two years of careful design and consultation, I would like to thank the community groups, ward councillors and hundreds of people who participated in our consultations and meetings.

‘We have heard a lot of local support for our proposals which will open up the listed gardens and buildings for everyone to enjoy.

‘Brighton has a shortfall of over 4,000 student bedrooms which is taking too many affordable homes away from families.

‘These proposals will go some way to addressing that shortfall, putting student bedrooms in the heart of a university campus rather than taking land in residential and commercial areas. In turn this will lead to a release of affordable family homes in the city.’

Image: Martin Förster