UK Housing Secretary Overrules Brighton Council To Approve 495-Home Gasworks Development

The new housing secretary, Steve Reed, has overruled Brighton and Hove Council's rejection of the Brighton Gasworks housing scheme proposed by developer St William, a Berkeley Homes subsidiary. The plan involves building 495 homes across nine buildings ranging from three to twelve storeys on a 2-hectare derelict gasworks site, alongside 2,791 square meters of commercial space. Despite council concerns about the development being too tall, dense, and not providing enough large housing units, Reed approved the scheme, citing the need for efficient land use on brownfield sites and the site's history of large structures. The project, valued at £280 million, is expected to regenerate an underused contaminated site, add commercial floorspace potentially creating up to 195 jobs, and enhance public areas and biodiversity. Critics raised objections about the scheme's scale, its fit with the local area, and fears over holiday lets, but Reed noted that views of the South Downs and the sea would remain intact and that living conditions for neighbors would not be adversely affected. St William welcomed the decision, which aligns with the government's policy to support significant development on previously developed land.