For too long, the redevelopment of this site has been stalled – much to the frustration of patients, staff, residents and pretty much everyone in Brighton.
My priority on this is clear: the land at Brighton General was historically gifted to the people of Brighton, and it must remain in public ownership.
The site has enormous potential to help solve two major local challenges.
First, the severe shortage of genuinely affordable and key-worker housing in the city.
And second, the need for modern, community-based, and accessible NHS care.
To take those in turn, the housing crisis is undoubtedly the biggest issue facing Brighton. Families are too often being priced out, key-workers struggle to live in the communities they serve, and too many people are living in crowded and unsuitable accommodation. This fuels so many wider problems – from falling school rolls to widening inequality. The General Hospital site offers a real opportunity to help tackle this with significant new affordable homes and by prioritising this for key workers and local families. That means development led by public benefit, not lost to private companies.
The staff working at Brighton General do incredible work day in, day out. But it is clear that parts of the estate are ageing and no longer fit for purpose. I remember visiting my grandparents in Brighton General when I was a kid, and it’s extraordinary that the site hasn’t really modernised since. If it can now be transformed to include a modern community health hub, accessible for patients, rewarding for staff, and helping tackle the huge demand for NHS care in our community, this would be huge progress. So, we need to end the inertia on Brighton General, and help solve these two major challenges.
That’s why I’ve been working with the Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton and Hove Council, and local community groups to find a way forward on the site regeneration. Last week, I met with the Trust, Brighton and Hove Citizens, local students, residents, and teachers to discuss the potential of this site and hear a wide range of views on how we best make use of it. After years of drift, there is now genuine momentum building. I will continue working closely with the local community to unlock this site and move discussions forward. It’s a complex task, but I think progress can finally be made, and there is a shared recognition and spirit that it’s now or never for this site.
I’ll be keeping residents updated with conversations and progress. This week, my team has been delivering to residents in surrounding areas. We are only a small team and cannot reach everyone door-to-door, so I will also continue sharing updates through social media posts and in future articles.
Another key issue that I’m working on has been holding Morrisons to account and ensuring they build a new supermarket at the Meridian Centre in Peacehaven. This would transform the area and finally give Peacehaven a proper town centre. An ongoing issue has been a lack of communication from Morrisons surrounding the project, which led to unforeseen and unacceptable delays. So, I was pleased to receive an update last week that Morrisons remains committed and on track to submit a revised planning application for the new supermarket in March. The intention will then be to bring the revised application before Lewes District Council’s Planning Committee in June.
There’s still a long way to go, and I and the local community won’t be happy until the site is finally restored and reopened. But this progress is thanks to the remarkable community-led campaign, which I was proud to support. Peacehaven’s incredible community spirit really shone through, and I am pleased we are getting closer to delivering the regeneration that Peacehaven deserves.
Big news also for Whitehawk’s £20 million Pride in Place fund. Applications are now open for a Chair who can help guide the programme with fairness, openness and strong leadership. The Chair will be responsible for managing a local community board who will decide how the £20 million of government funding will be spent in Whitehawk – so it’s a really important role!
We need an independent chair who’s rooted in the local community, understands its strength and potential and can help take forward this really exciting regeneration. If you think that’s you, please apply here https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/news/2026/it-could-be-you-chair-needed-ps20-million-pride-place-programme-whitehawk?utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=facebook
Finally, Albion predictions. What a time to have started doing these!
Our form of course is, to put it mildly, not great at present, and we face Brentford away this weekend – a game we don’t have a brilliant record in. I’ll pray for a point, an upturn in form, and us at least finally scoring! 1-1.
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