Tenants in eight Brighton tower blocks due for demolition would lose the 'Right to Return' wording under plans going to Cabinet on 12 November.

Council tenants in eight Brighton tower blocks due for demolition would no longer have a promised “Right to Return”. Officers want to change it to an “Interest in Returning”, with a longer list of conditions.

Cabinet will decide on Thursday 12 November (agenda). The officers’ report says there is “no legal requirement or statutory duty” to offer tenants a return to the rebuilt sites. It adds that expressing a wish to return “does not confer a legal duty to the council or give the tenant any rights”.

The eight blocks are St James’s House, Nettleton Court, Dudeney Lodge, Falcon Court, Heron Court, Kestrel Court, Kingfisher Court and Swallow Court. Cabinet approved demolition in principle in March.

The proposed conditions

The council says it would still “endeavor to support” tenants who want to come back. Under the proposals:

  • no extra compensation would be paid for a second move back to the site
  • tenants not yet rehoused would get first call on new homes in a phased scheme
  • arrears must be cleared, or on a repayment plan kept for six months
  • there must be no substantiated anti-social behaviour breach or live enforcement case in the six months before bidding
  • the offer would be like for like on bedrooms, though larger homes depend on availability
  • rent may be higher, and tenants must show the new home is affordable
  • residents in temporary accommodation in the blocks would not be offered a return

Discretion may be used in exceptional circumstances, the report says.

Where the programme has got to

The council served Initial Demolition Notices on all secure tenants on 8 October. The notices last up to seven years. The report repeats that demolition is not imminent.

Serving them suspended Right to Buy and mutual exchanges. One Right to Buy application was live at the time. Cabinet would also:

  • approve £1.46 million more for staff, land assembly, compensation and legal costs
  • appoint an independent adviser for tenants and leaseholders
  • allow the redevelopment site at Dudeney Lodge and Nettleton Court in Hollingdean to grow beyond the blocks themselves, which could mean buying nearby property
  • delegate the timing of possession notices to officers

Leaseholders and the car park

The “lease swap” that Cabinet asked officers to develop has been replaced. It would become a case-by-case “leaseholder assistance” offer with a £0.1 million budget. It is for those in exceptional hardship or who are vulnerable, confirmed by an independent financial assessment.

Eight resident leaseholders have not yet moved to conveyancing. Two had expressed interest in a swap, though none has yet had the assessment.

The Chapel Street public car park beneath St James’s House is set to close for good. It has been shut since 14 July 2024 on safety grounds. Designs will go ahead without a replacement, subject to a traffic order. St James’ Court residents’ parking is not affected.

What happens next

A further Cabinet report in early 2027 will cover how the sites are to be rebuilt and the updated finances. This report notes “challenging external industry conditions”, and talks of an “optimised” housing and bedroom mix.

What it means for you

If you are a secure tenant in one of the blocks, you do not have to move yet, but the council is encouraging everyone to register on Homemove. The return conditions matter if you plan to come back. Rent arrears or a tenancy breach could rule you out, so raise anything that worries you with your housing officer before you move.

You can see all of this in the report itself.