Council will now discuss its own planning applications in public after Hove Library controversy

Conservative and Green councillors with campaigners outside Hove Library

All planning applications involving council-owned buildings will be decided by councillors in future after a long-running row over controversial changes to Hove Library.

Brighton and Hove City Council’s planning committee will discuss any planning applications for the council’s own properties in public.

The change in policy was prompted by the handling of plans to change elements of the historic Carnegie Library in Church Road, Hove, with the basement being converted into a nursery.

Residents and councillors alike were angered by the way in which the planning process was handled.

Criticism centred on the timing of the applications and its associated consultation period – over Christmas and the new year – and a perceived lack of communication with councillors, neighbours and other interested people such as library hours.

The application was open for public comments from Friday, December 8 to Friday, December 29, but was not subsequently discussed by the planning committee.

During the consultation period only four letters of objection were received, with five objections required to trigger a decision by the planning committee rather than officials.