Preston Barracks is a large, strategically significant site which has the potential to contribute towards many of the city’s development priorities. In the Submission City Plan the main site allocation policy for this site is in Policy DA3, which states that “the city council will work with the University of Brighton and other partners to provide a mixed use employment-led development comprising a new business school, 10,600sqm B1 employment floorspace, including an Innovation Centre; 750 rooms of student accommodation; 300 residential units and other ancillary supporting uses.” This is considered to be an appropriate mix of uses reflecting the site’s location adjacent to Brighton University Moulsecoomb Campus. The allocation for 300 residential units is consistent with the potential level of housing provision indicated in the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA). This will be a significant contribution towards the city’s unmet housing need, and will also provide a mix of tenure types and sizes to meet a range of housing requirements and improve housing choices.

Policy CP21 (Student accommodation houses in multiple occupation) specifically recognises the need for additional purpose built student accommodation accessible to the university campuses and allocates Preston Barracks for 750 student bedspaces to be incorporated into the wider mixed use redevelopment, consistent with Policy DA3.

The council acquired the former barracks site from the Ministry of Defence in 2002, and appointed a Preferred Development Partner in 2004. Five years of intensive work aimed at formulating an appropriate and financially viable scheme followed. Unfortunately, the developer was unable to provide a financially viable development proposal that would meet the requirements of the local plan or the Supplementary Planning Guidance in respect of the Preston Barracks site. Consequently, the council decided to consider afresh how its economic development-led aspirations for Preston Barracks might be realised.

Partnership with the University of Brighton, and the inclusion of adjacent University land on either side of the Lewes Road, was considered to have the potential for a more flexible approach, offering the greatest opportunity to bring about comprehensive redevelopment, and also offering wider benefits for this part of the city. The partners have worked together since 2009, and have completed a number of preparatory stages, including masterplanning across the wider area, options appraisals and viability testing. Disposal of the Preston Barracks site to the University and its preferred partner will address the previous financial viability issues and is considered to be an appropriate route by which to deliver a successful scheme. More information is available in the July 2013 and December 2013 reports to the council’s Policy & Resources Committee.