49newenglandstreet.co.uk

Welcome

Welcome to the community engagement website for Watkin Jones, New England St, Brighton.

Watkin Jones is bringing forward a full application for 336 co-living studios, co-working space and 2160m² of commercial space at 49-51 New England Street.

The site is currently occupied by Brewers Decorator Centre, Enterprise Car Hire, and Mind in Brighton and Hove.

This website will be updated as the application progresses. We will be working with local councillors and stakeholders to ensure the community is engaged as the plans progress.

Event Information

We held a public exhibition at the BMECP Centre on Thursday 17th July, 2pm-7pm where members of the team were on hand to answer your questions about the proposals.

Thank you to those that provided feedback. We are now reviewing this feedback and how it can be incorporated into the proposals.

You can contact us at 49newenglandstreet@secnewgate.co.uk if you have any further questions.

About Watkin Jones Group

Watkin Jones has been delivering for customers since 1791 and is the UK’s leading developer and manager of rental homes.

Our purpose-built Build to Rent (BtR), co-living, and student homes are designed sustainably and welcome people from all backgrounds. Today we successfully work across the UK, engaging with local authorities and stakeholders to invest in central brownfield sites, creating high-quality design-led spaces. Our end-to-end delivery model means that when we acquire, design and build places, we often stay to manage them as a valuable long-term member of the community.

Document Library

Welcome to our document library. This page includes the exhibition boards and detailed plans shown at the public event in July.

The site: 49-51 New England Street

49-51 New England Street is currently occupied by a low rise light industrial warehouse comprised of a Brewers Decorator Centre, a martial arts centre, and an Enterprise Rent-a-Car office.

The existing frontages lack activation resulting in an unfriendly pedestrian environment on the west side of New England Street.

The Site lies to the west of London Road high street and north-east of Brighton Railway Station. It is within the boundary of Brighton’s New England Quarter and London Road Development Area, and is allocated by Brighton and Hove City Council for comprehensive redevelopment including new workspace and homes. Nearby recent developments include the York & Elder mixed-use scheme opposite the Brewers site.

Our proposals seek to complement the new development in the New England Quarter and continue its successful regeneration.

To the rear (west) of the site is the Brighton Greenway link, running between Stroudley Road and New England Road, which we recognise as a key local attraction. The massing of the proposals is consistent with surrounding buildings and takes advantage of the site’s location next to the retaining wall of the Greenway, allowing for a greater height than is there currently.

Our proposals

Our development proposals would deliver:

336 furnished co-living studios (14 of which would be accessible) with 24-hour staff support
Shared residential amenity (kitchen, dining, gym) totalling 1,156 sqm across basement and top floor levels
2,160 sqm of commercial space including publicly accessible co-working space on the ground and first floor
Improved public realm and active street frontage, contributing to the redevelopment of the New England Quarter
Improved cycle and pedestrian connectivity to Brighton Railway Station
Support and investment for The Greenway, through enhancements to landscaping and improved lighting and surveillance

Co-Living

Co-Living is a form of managed residential accommodation aimed at single renters and couples without children who want a more sociable approach to living and may find it difficult to get on the housing ladder in expensive areas like Brighton.

Within the building, private studio flats with bathrooms and kitchenettes are combined with substantial communal social areas and shared facilities like gyms, larger kitchens and storage spaces. Access to co-working spaces on site reduces the need for travel for work.

The emerging co-living sector is driven by affordability pressures, urbanisation and poor choice of rental housing. All-inclusive rent (utilities, council tax, WiFi, gym membership, etc) typically represents a 20% saving compared to standard studio flats.

Housing in Brighton & Hove

41,470 residents aged 25–34, and around 15,000 non-students living in HMOs.
The private rental sector is large and growing, making up 32.9% of Brighton households — higher than London’s 30%.
8% population growth between 2017 and 2030 with a substantial shortfall in housing supply.
20.3% of the population (56,710 people) ‘Metro High-Flyers’ and ‘Central Pulse’ renters — young, career-focused
individuals living centrally or in well-connected areas and align well with co-living.

The co-living studios and shared facilities

Studios

Each Watkin Jones co-living studios is thoughtfully designed to incorporate:

Sleeping areas with double bed with built-in storage
Compact kitchenettes with hob, microwave,
fridge/freezer, dishwasher and sink
Private en-suite shower room
Storage solutions including wardrobe space
All-inclusive billing
High-speed WiFi
The New England Street location will allow for light and bright accommodation with natural ventilation, and wide-ranging views across Brighton and beyond

Shared facilities

The quality of shared facilities is a key reason people choose to live in managed properties and encourage residents to stay longer.

Watkin Jones co-living schemes provide internal and external amenity, with a 90-second journey time from studio to amenity. Spaces are sized on the basis of anticipated occupancy at peak times.

Provision would include:

Lounges and snugs on the ninth floor
Private dining rooms for hosting and shared kitchen and dining areas for socialisation
Comfortable seating and shaded areas on the roof terrace
Gym and sauna at basement level Podcast studios and music room at basement level

Scheme Benefits

Floorplans

Design

Our proposals seek to complement the character of New England Street. The building steps back from the pavement to create a wider pavement and a more welcoming public space. The height and shape of the building has been informed by the local context and discussions with council planning officers. Inspired by nearby historic buildings, red and brown brick is the primary external material, with pale stone detailing. This simple and consistent colour palette ensures a sympathetic non-obtrusive design providing variation to the New England Quarter. The top floor set back bays use bronzed standing seam metal panels, contrasting the red brick and breaking up the shape of the building.

Landscaping and servicing

Landscaping

At street level, co-working spaces, large windows and a double-height entrance create an active front on New England Street. Our design team is working with BD Landscape Architects to ensure that the redevelopment of the site provides improved landscaping compared to the current buildings. Opportunities have been identified to link the development with Brighton Greenway with green roofs and planting on the roof terraces.

Servicing

Servicing, deliveries and disabled parking are all located to the rear, accessed via Cross Street, minimising traffic stops on New England Street. Commercial waste storage is located at the rear of the site, accessed via the commercial service gate at the north of the site.