Decision to be made soon on Royal Mail hub in Patcham

The application to build the 4,145sqm delivery office at Patcham Court Farm will be decided by councillors at a planning committee on Wednesday next week.

More than 1,000 objections have been raised to the application since it was submitted in July 2022.

Objections came from residents and representatives of Brighton and Hove Wildlife Forum, the Brighton Society, Patcham and Hollingbury Conservation Association and Patcham Local History Group.

Residents in Patcham have been campaigning fiercely against the scheme and have called for it to be scrapped.

They have warned of the impact the hub could have on the city’s water supply, the effect it would have on the environment and traffic in the village.

A report recommends that councillors are minded to grant planning permission, subject to conditions and a S106 agreement.

If approved, plans would see the demolition of the existing agricultural buildings and the clearance of scrub land to build a 4,145sqm storage and distribution facility to be used as a delivery office for Royal Mail.

The property was part of a wider agricultural holding that was separated from the main farm by the construction of the A27. Currently one building is used by a fencing company while the others been vacant for some years.

Due to the slope of the land, at its highest point the new building would be around 10.6m high when measured from ground level but would decrease significantly in height relative to the ground level as it extends further north.

The main building will be approximately 82m long and 52m wide at its widest part. Planned ancillary buildings include a wash bay and a vehicle light maintenance facility.

Road access would be to the south west of the site from Vale Avenue. An access road would lead to two main car parks providing 85 spaces for staff vehicles and 132 for Royal Mail fleet vehicles.

The building is planned to be in use 24 hours a day with most staff arriving for a 7.15am start. The busiest hour for fleet vehicles leaving the site would be between 10am and 11am and the busiest hour for their return would be between 3pm and 4pm. It is expected that the delivery centre would provide 360 jobs, with 246 staff on site on an average day.