Braybrooke Road, Hastings,

Proposed Development on former Hollingsworths Site - Braybrooke Road

Updated 26th May 2008	If you need Adobe Acrobat - click here to download

"Let's get this straight, we would rather the site remained undeveloped than the proposed massive overdevelopment went ahead". This was the actual quote expressed by a large number of residents when asked to expand on the notion that they wanted the site developed. They had come to the 'consultation' expecting to see a sympathetic plan for the site.
What's this web site all about?
click for copy of our original leaflet	We are worried that we are going to be saddled with an awful and massive overdevelopment of the old Hollingsworth site in Braybrooke Road. Our fears have not been allayed by a slick "consultation" where we naively thought that the developers may ask our opinions on what we'd like on the site, instead of which we were informed that they thought around a hundred units would be fine - never mind the impact on the area. Research showed that Exit Asset Management was an eight quid company company set up in November 2006 so no track record, and described as a 'Business & Management Consultancy' - you can check the Companies House entries for Exit Asset Management here and their annual return here. They imply that the Architect's track record was their track record this simply isn't true. My guess is that they're not interested in building on ther site, all they want to do is obtain planning consent for a vast number of housing units so that the site value will increase and the owner, Hovedean Properties (see below) can then sell it on. They have made much of the majority view that yes, the site shoud be developed but ignored the rider that what was proposed was totally unacceptable to the extent that many residents said that they would rather the site remained undeveloped. The sheer bulk of the proposed development would dwarf the Victorian terrace of Lower Park Road and would be clearly visible from the whole of St Helens Road from the roundabout to the Park cross roads - would that be a fitting backdrop for our beautiful Alexandra Park? - it would in fact be a running sore visible from most of the Victorian Hastings Valley from the Castle, West Hill, Lower Mount Pleasant Road, Quarry Road, Lower Park Road Priory Avenue, Priory Close not just Braybrooke Road where it would brood sullenly casting long shadows on the sunless chasm it had created and wow!! the flats would have north-facing balconies so that they could look out over the park they had just blighted!,
The "Consultation"
click here for detailed response	EXIT Asset Management treated us residents to a couple of "consultation" sessions where we were shown their vision of our future if we decided to continue living in the vicinity of Braybrooke Road. The process started with a glossy leaflet inviting residents to a couple of consultations and to then "report back" our impressions of the proposals. The 'REPORT OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACK' just published needs clarification and the many misleading statements must be corrected. Having attended both residents' consultation sessions it was overwhelmingly obvious that the mass, scale, height and bulk of the project was totally unacceptable with up to 12, yes TWELVE stories at the lower end of the site and a total of around a hundred housing units in a site of less than an acre. Despite many residents wanting the site redeveloped they expressed the view that leaving the site as it was would be preferable to the horrendous over-development that had been proposed. Local estate agents' pronouncements must be treated with extreme caution - they're just after the commission after all and don't actually have a stake in the development. A detailled response will follow, so please come back to this site
Who is "EXIT Asset Management"? - no track record and a total issued share capital of £8 - yes, eight quid!
	Exit Asset Management don't own the site. click here for details of the developers and click here for a copy of their last annual return. Strangely enough this company, incorporated 29/11/2006, is described on the official return as a "Business & Management Consultancy" The track record referred to on their web site is that of an architect's practice, NOT the property developer. You could check out their website www.exitassetmanagement.com - but, as at 28/4/08 they haven't bothered to put anything up there! - it just shows their web-site provider.
Who owns the site then?
	The site is owned by Michael John Hunt of Ansty House, Henfield Road, Small Dole, Henfield, West Sussex BN5 9XH, trading as Hovedean Properties. He paid £300,000 for the property 23rd March 2001 - title No ESX250174
Who is RH Partnership Architects
	They are the architects and their track record goes back to 1974, unfortunately they are not the owners nor developers of the site - their function is to provide whatever EXIT Asset Management asks them to. You could be forgiven for believing that EXIT were trying to kid you that Exit has been around since 1974 - they haven't - as the Companies House records show.
What's the site worth?
	The value of the site depends on the number of housing units that can be built on it - EXIT's function is to obtain planning consent for as many 'units' as possible and therefore enhance the site value - the site will then probably be sold on.
What can we do now?
	Write directly to the directors of EXIT Asset Management and let them know that we will vigorously oppose any overdevelopment on planning grounds because the scale, size proportion and density (all planning considerations) are inappropriate to the area. Increased traffic and loss of residents' parking are also a consideration. Lack of onsite amenity and miniscule size of the units will provide the slums of tomorrow.
	Rebecca Katharyn MILLER 68 Harbour Way Shoreham by Sea West Sussex BN43 5HG Rebecca owns three shares - that's a three quid stake	Eleanor May YURTSEVER Foxholes Lodge 36 Lesser Foxholes Shoreham by Sea West Sussex BN43 5NT Tel: (01273) 465504 Eleanor has a stake worth a fiver
	Contact your local councillor - tell him that you don't want this massive overdevelopment.
Planning History of the Braybrooke Road site
	1989 Outline planning application for around 100 residential units including starter home and warden care flats and 85 car park spaces above and below ground withdrawn July 1989. Full planning application for 83 Flats refused July 1989. 1993 Outline planning application for three-storey development of 60 flats in three separate blocks refused December 1992. Outline planning application for two and three storey development of 43 flats in three separate blocks granted subject to conditions December 1993. 1997 Renewal of planning permission for erection of a 2 and 3 storey development of 43 flats in 3 separate blocks. 1998 Full planning application for new car showroom and offices granted subject to conditions June 1998. 1999 Full planning application for new car showroom and workshop facility together with car display forecourt and parking areas granted November 1999. 2002 Full planning application for 56 apartments in four blocks including car-parking refused May 2002. 2003 Full planning application for 4 blocks of four storey flats, 56 in total with associated parking for 56 cars refused May 2003
What if we don't like the final application?
	Contact Ion Castro - 119 Braybrooke Road, TN34 1TQ - 01424 437468. He will co-ordinate a working party and we will need more volunteers to help with petitions, letters, for lobbying Hastings Borough Council.
	email Ion -
What do we want?
	Semis, but realistically, a terrace of town houses would not be unacceptable - so long as the height did not exceed the existing terrace and the design respected the contour of the land
Braybrooke Councillors	Contact Cllr.godfrey.daniel@hastings.gov.uk or cllr.dominic.sabetian@hastings.gov.uk

Braybrooke and Hastings deserves better - the current proposal just isn't good enough.

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