The Council has remained in active dialogue with the owners of Churchill Square (Standard Life Investments) regarding ongoing opportunities for re-provision of a new conference centre for the city and an extended Churchill Square.
American Express completed its new headquarters near Edward Street in 2012. The further wholesale redevelopment of the rest of the site is the subject of a planning brief, prepared by the council in partnership with American Express. This will help to bring forward new development providing additional employment opportunities and homes.
The new stadium at Falmer opened for business in summer 2011 as the American Express Community Stadium. It has been a great success and has since been expanded from its initial 22,500 seats to its maximum capacity of 32,500 seats
A new development agreement for the Circus Street former municipal market site was agreed in 2012 with our development partners, The Cathedral Group and the University of Brighton. Shed KM has been selected as the architects to take the design forward and the scheme has been consulted upon and worked up to planning application stage. The final scheme will deliver a new university building, a professional and community dance studio for South East Dance, 142 homes, offices and ground floor uses to bring vibrancy to the area.
Plans to redevelop the Open Market site at London Road are nearing completion. Programmed to open in 2014, the new covered market will provide 45 permanent stalls, a central square for temporary and visiting markets and 12 arts/crafts workshops. The redevelopment also includes 87 affordable homes provided by Hyde Housing Association.
Other projects are underway to regenerate London Road including the commencement of demolition and construction work on the former Co-op department store, following the granting of planning permission in 2012 to provide new retail units and student housing; a successful pilot project to regenerate the Providence Place area, the opening of the Fusebox in New England House (an entrepreneurial resource for the digital, creative and media sector) and a successful bid for Portas Pilot funding to help improve the shopping experience and find new uses for empty premises.
The aspiration remains to achieve a development at the Black Rock site, based upon a multipurpose venue.
During 2012, the council restarted work to secure the long-term replacement of the outdated facilities currently on offer at the King Alfred Leisure Centre, a project that includes the wider regeneration of the entire site. With Policy & Resources agreement in July 2013, more detailed work is now underway and it is hoped that the procurement exercise will commence in 2014.
Progress towards delivery of a revised scheme on the former Preston Barracks site was reported to the council’s Policy & Resources Committee in July 2013. That report emphasised the successful partnership working with the University of Brighton, a partnership formed in 2009. The aspiration remains to deliver a high quality mixed-use scheme that will benefit the surrounding communities, contribute to the wider regeneration of Lewes Road, and accommodate local resident and student demands. With committee support secured, detailed negotiations are underway. It is hoped that this will lead to a successful outcome that will enable this comprehensive redevelopment to commence.
Work is nearing completion on the regeneration of the Brighton Station site / New England quarter, our biggest brown-field site. Work has commenced on Site J, which will provide a mixture of housing, offices and a hotel and also complete the pedestrian route from London road to the rear of the mainline train station. Working with the developers has led to agreement on sustainable practices such as:
- 40% carbon emission savings
- 30% of homes to be affordable
- A "greenway" and funding to maintain it
- Provision of a new community facility
- Landscaping
- A strategy to improve local people's skills and employability
Also a development brief with Adur District Council to guide new development and regeneration in Shoreham Harbour has been completed.