Royal Mail wants to make changes to plans for new depot

Royal Mail is waiting to learn whether it can make a series of changes to its plans for a new depot.

It wants to move the loading bays for lorries from the northern end of the proposed distribution centre in Patcham to the southern end – nearer to neighbours’ homes, in Vale Avenue.

But the postal business has included a proposed “green wall” to screen the loading bays and minimise any nuisance to people living closest to the site.

Royal Mail also wants to reconfigure the parking area, lower the site, put in retaining walls, realign pedestrian access and relocate a substation from the western side of the building to the eastern side.

The proposed changes would mean the height of the distribution building would be lower and it would have a simpler design with a pitched roof.

The roof lights and an external staircase would go. The internal layout would also change so that all operations would be on the ground floor.

The amendments – to the planning permission that was granted in September last year – are due to be decided by Brighton and Hove City Council’s planning committee next week.

More than 1,100 people objected to the original scheme. This time, neighbours have sent seven objections, citing concerns about moving the lorry loading bay closer to homes in Vale Avenue and the Village Barn.

Objectors have also criticised the revised design, saying it had been stripped back and would be more visible from Vale Avenue.

One anonymous objector, whose details were redacted by the council, said: “Shifting operations towards the southern boundary makes the depot highly visible from Vale Avenue and increases harm to the setting of the adjacent area of outstanding natural beauty.

“The removal of the green roof and other mitigation measures represents a clear regression in design quality and environmental performance.

“The ‘design and access statement’ depicts an unapproved painted crossing at the top of Church Hill, where sight lines are poor and vehicle speeds are high.

“This creates a misleading impression of pedestrian safety and does not reflect actual highway conditions.”

Conservative councillors Alistair McNair and Anne Meadows, who represent Patcham and Hollingbury ward, have also objected to the amendments in a joint letter.

They said: “Residents will be disappointed in the HGV operational yard being relocated to the south of the site, significantly closer to the resident in 133 Vale Avenue and the residents in the Village Barn and along Vale Avenue.

“With at least 28 movements of large HGVs per day, this is likely to cause significant disturbance through noise and air pollution.

“It is also disappointing to see the removal of the green roof and two of the swales and wildflower meadows along the eastern boundary and along the eastern side of the building itself.

“Why can’t the swales and wildflower meadows be retained? And why can’t the whole roof be designed to be green? The roof as it is will not be an attractive feature viewed from the South Downs.”

Royal Mail submitted a planning statement prepared by the company’s agent Stantec. It said: “Overall, the proposed alterations are considered necessary to ensure the efficient operation of the site to meet Royal Mail’s operational needs and requirements.

“The proposed alterations do not compromise any of the benefits of the permitted scheme.”

The redesign is described as making Royal Mail’s operation more efficient.

The planning committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 2pm next Wednesday (December 3). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast.