Preston Barracks, Brighton

In February 2018, Brighton and Hove Council sold its derelict Preston Barracks site to the developer U+I Group; clearing the way for a significant mixed-use regeneration project. U+I simultaneously exchanged contracts to partner with Scape Student Living to deliver 534 student beds.

The scheme is part of a wider regeneration initiative to transform an area of Brighton, establish the University at the centre of Brighton’s economic life, attract enterprising and high-growth companies, and attract international investment.

Designed by award-winning architects HASSELL, Studio Egret West, TP Bennett and Stride Treglown, the proposals for the 2.2 hectare plot include the development of the Preston Barracks site (which has been derelict for more than 20 years), the University’s Moulsecoomb campus and adjoining University land comprising:

369 new homes.
1,338 student beds.
New academic buildings.
25,000 sq. ft. of retail space.
A 55,000 sq. ft. commercial building for start-ups and SMEs in high-tech manufacturing.

The project was granted planning approval in September 2017. It is hoped that the £300 million public private partnership project will create more than 1,500 jobs, and attract more than £500 million into the city over the next ten years.

Richard Upton, Deputy Chief Executive of U+I, said:

"The Preston Barracks project is one of the largest and most ambitious regeneration projects to have been brought forward in Brighton for a number of years. We will deliver world class, imaginative urban design, leaving a lasting legacy that befits such an inspirational city".