Brighton & Hove City Council will be issuing Initial Demolition Notices to secure tenants of its 8 large panel system (LPS) housing buildings this month – the next stage in the plans to redevelop the buildings.
Residents at the impacted buildings - Falcon Court, Heron Court, Kestrel Court, Kingfisher Court and Swallow Court in north Whitehawk; Dudeney Lodge and Nettleton Court in Hollingdean; and St James's House in Kemp Town – have been given a further update as the council moves towards the next stage of the redevelopment process.
Issuing the notices is a necessary legal step and doesn’t mean the buildings will be demolished imminently. Instead, they are a formal way of providing notice to secure tenants that the council intends to demolish the buildings in the future.
Earlier this year, the council took the decision to redevelop the buildings and replace them with new energy efficient homes, following an options appraisal and consultation with residents and detailed structural surveys.
The Initial Demolition Notices stay in place for up to 7 years and suspend mutual exchanges and any Right to Buy applications.
During the 7-year period – and once proposals for the redevelopment of the buildings have been finalised – a second notice, the Final Demolition Notice, will be served. This will provide the timeline for the demolition of the buildings.
The council has kept up regular communication with residents living in the LPS buildings about what this means for them, and is continuing to support them through the process of rehousing in suitable alternative homes.
Councillor Gill Williams, Cabinet Member for Housing at Brighton & Hove City Council, said:
“We do appreciate this is an unsettling situation for residents of the buildings.
“It is important to reassure them that serving these notices does not mean that demolition is imminent. Redevelopment is a lengthy process and it’ll take us some time to get to that stage.
“As we have been throughout, we’ve been in touch with residents directly to fully explain the process, discuss what it means for them, and to reassure them that this next stage – the Initial Demolition Notice – is very much administrative.
“Recognising that these are people’s homes remains at the top of our agenda. It is our highest priority to support residents through every step of the journey.
“We will continue to support people through the process, including finding them suitable housing in alternative homes.”
