[Albion] Bennetts Field

[ac gull]

It also says lease was terminated on 30th June 2021 ... which was announced by the club on ...

Application has been in a few weeks - would assume the Universities will support it and the trade off is they lend us their car parking whilst we do not object to the application

 

[Hugo Rune]

Actually think the Unis would be pleased as means less student houses in town which have a real bad rep and students close to campus so less pressure on buses and trains. Both Unis have increased student numbers over the past 10 years and those students need more accommodation.

Sussex certainly has increased student numbers from around 12.5k to 15k but has a net increase of 1,500 halls rooms this academic year on campus. That’s actually enough. They now have over 6,000 rooms on campus now in their halls.

Brighton has gone down from around 22k students half a dozen years ago to about 19k now.

So in terms of net figures together, there is really no change, I think it’s an urban myth that there are more students in Brighton.

What has changed is the vast increase in student halls and private halls. You are looking at around 6,000 new rooms in the last few years. The Bennett’s field halls are not needed, especially in that location. As I have said before, the target market of 2nd & 3rd year students will want to live closer to the centre of the city, not isolated behind the Amex adjacent to the awful neighbour that is the A27.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Brighton Uni's recent decision to close its Eastbourne Campus and move c.4,000 student places to Falmer will create extra demand for accommodation.

This is not the case.

Student numbers in Eastbourne for UoB are at around 1,500 now. The halls there (350 rooms) are under subscribed. A good percentage of students at Eastbourne are mature students doing health related courses such as nursing and The University could build some more halls on their Falmer campus to accommodate a couple of hundred more students but I suspect they’ll simply contract one of the dozen private halls providers in the Lewes rd corridor to help with any extra demand.

As I said before, I don’t think UoB will be enthusiastic about Bennett’s money making scheme.

 

[Lower West Stander]

This is not the case.

Student numbers in Eastbourne for UoB are at around 1,500 now. The halls there (350 rooms) are under subscribed. A good percentage of students at Eastbourne are mature students doing health related courses such as nursing and The University could build some more halls on their Falmer campus to accommodate a couple of hundred more students but I suspect they’ll simply contract one of the dozen private halls providers in the Lewes rd corridor to help with any extra demand.

As I said before, I don’t think UoB will be enthusiastic about Bennett’s money making scheme.

It depends on how much involvement they have had.

As I said earlier in the thread, Bennett will almost certainly have done work on demand, this may have been with the unis or the accommodation provider.

If it’s the latter and they think they can fill the rooms on direct let then the unis won’t have a lot of say. Alternatively, if he has gone through the unis, then the build will be done on a turnkey contract with a servicer and equity provider who would only underwrite if there was a sufficient tolerance in the occupation numbers. Sussex uni have done this with Park Slope.

It may be Bennett is just chancing his arm - but I doubt it. He would be pretty daft to have gone this far without having spoken to equity underwriters for the build.


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[redoubtable seagull]

It depends on how much involvement they have had.

As I said earlier in the thread, Bennett will almost certainly have done work on demand, this may have been with the unis or the accommodation provider.

If it’s the latter and they think they can fill the rooms on direct let then the unis won’t have a lot of say. Alternatively, if he has gone through the unis, then the build will be done on a turnkey contract with a servicer and equity provider who would only underwrite if there was a sufficient tolerance in the occupation numbers. Sussex uni have done this with Park Slope.

It may be Bennett is just chancing his arm - but I doubt it. He would be pretty daft to have gone this far without having spoken to equity underwriters for the build.


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The article posted earlier is incorrect. The application’s cover letter states the application is submitted by Downing (Brighton) and the two Bennett brothers. I know nothing about the Bennett’s but assume they are not developers or builders. Downing is a development firm who build and manage property sites including student accommodation. Downing I assume are fronting the capital costs for the development, have their own construction firm who will oversee the build and will then manage the letting out of the units in the blocks. They’ll have done all the leg work for the application and the Bennett’s will realise a return of some sorts for the sale or otherwise of their land to Downing. (My supposition)

https://www.downing.com/

 

[Acker79]

This is not the case.

Student numbers in Eastbourne for UoB are at around 1,500 now. The halls there (350 rooms) are under subscribed. A good percentage of students at Eastbourne are mature students doing health related courses such as nursing and The University could build some more halls on their Falmer campus to accommodate a couple of hundred more students but I suspect they’ll simply contract one of the dozen private halls providers in the Lewes rd corridor to help with any extra demand.

As I said before, I don’t think UoB will be enthusiastic about Bennett’s money making scheme.

It's kind of musical chairs, I think. With the Eastbourne Campus closing by 2024, and the sport and health students moving to Falmer. The applied social sciences will be moving to Moulsecoomb, so there won't actually be much of an increase in students at falmer.

(Having said that, I'm under the impression students don't always live in the residences of the campus they study on, i.e. some students live at falmer by study at moulsecoomb or grand parade, and given the new builds at Moulsecoomb I'm not sure there would be a need to increase residences at Falmer under this policy).

 

[Hugo Rune]

It's kind of musical chairs, I think. With the Eastbourne Campus closing by 2024, and the sport and health students moving to Falmer. The applied social sciences will be moving to Moulsecoomb, so there won't actually be much of an increase in students at falmer.

(Having said that, I'm under the impression students don't always live in the residences of the campus they study on, i.e. some students live at falmer by study at moulsecoomb or grand parade, and given the new builds at Moulsecoomb I'm not sure there would be a need to increase residences at Falmer under this policy).

Correct.

In addition, there is a lot of space (and potential space) on the Falmer campus for more halls. If the University want them, the planning process would seemingly be easier (with Brighton & Hove council) than the Bennett’s field plan. I just can see Lewes & EB council agreeing to it.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Correct.

In addition, there is a lot of space (and potential space) on the Falmer campus for more halls. If the University want them, the planning process would seemingly be easier (with Brighton & Hove council) than the Bennett’s field plan. I just can see Lewes & EB council agreeing to it.

Can or can't?

 

[Hugo Rune]

Can or can't?

Can’t.

 

[b.w.2.]

I really hope Bennett gets nowhere with this. He has been, errr, less than cooperative since the Amex was built. If it get’s turned down maybe he will be a little more amenable to our beloved club’s negotiating


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[amexer]

It will be interesting to see Albions and Falmer Parish Council comments on this that will be made public on the planning site. Only place to park for visitors will be in the village so assume they will be against.

 

[British Bulldog]

It will be interesting to see Albions and Falmer Parish Council comments on this that will be made public on the planning site. Only place to park for visitors will be in the village so assume they will be against.

Should be simple for the Albion? it will spoil the view of the village?

 

[Bry Nylon]

That was my first thought....bet they have drawings for buildings half the height ready to go.

Or, given the way the development has been configured, simply build one block instead of two. I'm guessing this is why it has been proposed as two units rather than a single building, which would be cheaper to build.

 

[amexer]

Should be simple for the Albion? it will spoil the view of the village?

May seem simple but they will want to keep a decent relationship with owner. Dont know if Bennett was an objector to Albions Hotel plans.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Didn't the Hotel get turned down because it was a plug ugly box? If so, I'm surprised the club didn't just knock up a more sympathetic design and resubmit. This latest planning application just looks like more of the same mistake by a different applicant

 

[Weststander]

The article posted earlier is incorrect. The application’s cover letter states the application is submitted by Downing (Brighton) and the two Bennett brothers. I know nothing about the Bennett’s but assume they are not developers or builders. Downing is a development firm who build and manage property sites including student accommodation. Downing I assume are fronting the capital costs for the development, have their own construction firm who will oversee the build and will then manage the letting out of the units in the blocks. They’ll have done all the leg work for the application and the Bennett’s will realise a return of some sorts for the sale or otherwise of their land to Downing. (My supposition)

https://www.downing.com/

Exactly.

That how it works, that’s how it’s financed.

Bennett won’t be funding the planning application and would’ve had next to no knowledge of the process or the niche market of private student accommodation.

Because Downing have invested time and serious money, that will reduce the sum to Bennett. ‘Just’ a few £m.