222 New Council Homes and a Community Hub Take Shape in Moulsecoomb
Construction under way on the Moulsecoomb housing and community hub development
Brighton News
New buildings are rising on one of the biggest council housing projects Brighton and Hove has seen in years, with 222 new council homes for rent and a community hub taking shape in Moulsecoomb.
The Moulsecoomb housing and community hub development is being delivered by Wates Residential for Brighton and Hove City Council. It will provide 222 homes that will be owned by the council and let for rent, alongside a community hub bringing a range of services together under one roof.
Three new streets have already been named through a resident poll last autumn: Flintfield Drive, Thorncroft Close and Chalkvale Mews. The names were chosen to reflect the local history, landscape and geology of the area.
This development is something myself, our team and residents have been talking about, thinking about, dreaming about for so many years. I can't quite believe I'm seeing it all coming together
Councillor Gill Williams, Cabinet Member for Housing
An architect's image looking towards the community hub and housing on Flintfield Drive
Homes the city desperately needs
The residential scheme is made up of eight blocks, each with a mix of flat types, plus four pairs of four-bedroom semi-detached townhouses. There will be a mixture of one, two, three and four-bed homes across the site, all owned by the council and let for rent through the Homemove register. With around 7,000 households on the council's housing waiting list, the new homes are aimed squarely at a need the city has struggled to meet.
Every home will have access to private outdoor space, whether a garden, balcony or patio. Fifteen homes will be fully wheelchair accessible, and a further 20 will be built as "Mobility 2" homes for residents who do not need fully adapted accommodation but require some assistance.
Sustainability runs through the design. The homes are being built to high environmental standards, with solar panels, ground source heat pumps for heating and hot water, and electric vehicle charging points. The whole-life carbon of the homes is being assessed to keep their impact as low as possible across their entire lifespan, from construction through to everyday use.
Councillor Gill Williams at the Moulsecoomb construction site
A community hub under one roof
At the heart of the scheme is a new community hub, designed to reflect the area's industrial heritage and drawing on local landmarks including Moulsecoomb Hall and the railway viaduct. It will bring a range of services together in one building, including a GP surgery and additional health services, a pharmacy, Moulsecoomb Library, youth services currently based at the 67 Centre, and a community café. The council says having these under one roof will let them work better together and give residents a single place to reach several services at once.
Outside, the plans follow a "green street" approach, a pedestrian and cycle-friendly layout with street trees, rain gardens and raised, greened routes that give people priority over traffic. There will be a street plaza with skate elements, small-sided 3G football pitches, pocket parks, doorstep play areas and space for outdoor fitness. The scheme will provide around 110 car parking spaces alongside cycle storage, and makes the most of nearby bus routes on Lewes Road and Hodshrove Road.
Residents of the new homes will have safe pedestrian routes to the neighbouring primary school, and easy access to the Brighton BikeShare pickup point, Moulsecoomb train station, and bus stops leading to the city centre, the nearby football stadium and the university sites. More detail is on the council's Moulsecoomb housing and community hub pages.
Councillor Gill Williams with the Wates Residential team at the Moulsecoomb development
Shaped by the people who live there
The development has been shaped by residents from the very start. Through a series of "Planning for Real" sessions, people were able to register their views on a 3D model of the neighbourhood, suggest the facilities and services they wanted, and then work together to rank them in order of priority.
The turnout was significant. Across eight suggestion sessions held at venues including The Bevy, the 67 Centre, Moulsecoomb Primary School and St Georges Hall, 224 people recorded their attendance and around 1,700 individual suggestions were logged. The services topping residents' wish lists, a GP surgery, a youth centre, a library, a community café, a skate park and 3G football pitches, are the very things now being built into the scheme. Resident feedback even reshaped the plans, moving the community hub to a more central spot with better access.
The project has been years in the making. Planning permission was granted in January 2023, Wates Residential was appointed as main contractor in January 2025, and demolition began that spring. Construction started in 2026, with the first homes due for completion in early 2028 and the wider scheme, split into two phases with the hub in the first, expected to finish in 2029.
The scheme is also creating opportunities for local people. So far, 11 work experience placements have been delivered and 43 local roles created. Wates has been working with local organisations, including the 67 Centre, to support initiatives that benefit the wider community, and construction continues alongside piling, groundworks and the demolition of the 67 Centre and Good News Centre. The full planning application, reference BH2022/01063, can be viewed on the council's online planning register.
Residents shared their ideas on a 3D model of the neighbourhood during the Planning for Real sessions
A long-held dream taking shape
Councillor Gill Williams, Cabinet Member for Housing, said the moment had been a long time coming.
There's a little way to go but the new 222 council homes are homes the city desperately needs. This is going to help hundreds of people to find a place where they will live and thrive. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to see it under way
Councillor Gill Williams, Cabinet Member for Housing
Footage of the development is courtesy of Brighton and Hove City Council. More detail on the scheme is available on the council's Moulsecoomb housing and community hub pages.
A first look at the finished hub
Architect's images give a sense of how the completed community hub building will look, set among the new homes with a landscaped skate and play area at its heart.
An architect's image of the proposed Moulsecoomb community hub building, courtesy of Brighton and Hove City Council
Councillor Williams thanked everyone involved in reaching this stage, from the residents who helped shape the plans to the council team and the builders working through the summer heat.
Barry Williams, Regional Operations Director at Wates Residential, said the impact of the regeneration was already being felt even at this early stage.
Hearing from young local people on site about the confidence and experience they're gaining through work placements was a powerful reminder of the opportunities a development like this can create. That's exactly the kind of impact we hope to have while delivering much-needed council homes and community facilities for Moulsecoomb
Barry Williams, Regional Operations Director, Wates Residential
Footage and images of the development are courtesy of Brighton and Hove City Council. More detail on the scheme is available on the council's Moulsecoomb housing and community hub pages.