Crest Nicholson, in partnership with the Starr Trust, has been selected by Brighton and Hove City Council for a £200 million redevelopment of the King Alfred site on Hove’s seafront.
The scheme will include a modern public sports centre costing around £40 million, a development of 560 flats – 20% of which will be affordable homes – as well as community facilities and commercial space.
Under the current plans, the existing 1930s sports centre will be demolished and replaced with modern public sports facilities including three swimming pools, eight badminton courts, a 120 piece gym, a gymnastics centre, café and crèche as well as a martial arts dojo.
Plans also include a development of around 560 flats in four main blocks, the highest of which will be 18 storeys. The sale of these flats will partially fund the development of the new leisure centre. Around 20% of these homes will be affordable, for either rent or shared ownership. The private units will comprise properties for sale and the private rented sector.
Duncan Innes, Regional Development Director at Crest Nicholson, said: “We’re delighted to have been selected by Brighton & Hove City Council, along with our partners the Starr Trust, to deliver the King Alfred Leisure Centre in Hove. Our proposals incorporate world-class leisure and community facilities set to benefit local residents, together with outstanding new mixed tenure residential properties in this enviable location on the Hove seafront. We look forward to working closely with the council and the wider local community to bring our proposals to life and deliver new investment and vitality to the local area.”
Rob Starr, Chairman & Founder of the Starr Trust, said: “We are looking forward to working with our partners Crest Nicolson to regenerate the seafront to the West of our City and bring about real community engagement, such as family and young people’s events, community activity, skills development and training, cultural activities and much more. I know that the coming months and years will bring many challenges, but we will do all we can to give the City the very best of us.”
A planning application is expected to be submitted, with architects Haworth Tompkins and LA Architects, in early 2017 following a planning consultation exercise in the second half of 2016. The first phase of the development, including the new public sports centre, could be open as early as 2020.
