A new plan for redeveloping Brighton's long-derelict Preston Barracks site is being prepared by the council, SEEDA and the University of Brighton.

It foresees much-needed employment space and new homes alongside new education facilities, including innovation and business incubation space. This wider redevelopment would take in the Barracks site and University land on either side of the Lewes Road.

A council cabinet meeting on 17 September is expected to ratify working with the University on the vision. Councillors are set to endorse the principle of creating a sustainable mixed-use development to regenerate the area and create hundreds of jobs.


Last March, the council finally abandoned a plan, created with a developer and housing association, to regenerate the site with public and private homes plus offices. However, the property crash eventually made the scheme unviable.

Central to the University's needs is a business school building of about 8000 square metres. The development would include about 500 units of student accommodation. The latter would be expected to bring big environmental benefits – slashing the number of home-to-college trips by about 50,000 a year. It would also free-up homes for families and cut the impact of so-called 'studentification' on some residential areas.

Other elements are 10,000 square metres of employment space, new homes a small number of shops, public open space, plus other job-creating uses.

If agreed at a cabinet meeting the next move would be to set up a cross-party project board of councillors and officials to oversee progress. It is hoped to put out a tender for preparation of a masterplan in October and make an appointment by Christmas. An urban design study could be completed by February 2010.

(CD/KMcA)