A DEVELOPER plans to build a £67 million high-rise block of rental flats near a train station.

Watkin Jones Group has applied to build 216 apartments in a building up to 18 storeys high in Ellen Street, just west of Hove railway station.

Three warehouse units at the site, two of which are currently vacant, would be demolished to make way for the Hove Gardens development.

The proposal also includes plans for modern office space and commercial floor space within the building, as well as a basement car park with space for bikes and new trees and planting.

A mixture of 31 open plan studios, 101 one-bedroom flats, 48 two-bedroom flats and 11 three-bedroom apartments would be provided within the block.

Although no affordable housing plans are currently listed within the planning application, the developer said an assessment is being carried out by the District Valuer to determine the proportion of affordable housing which will be provided within the block.

Kenny Oke, development director at Watkin Jones said: “As highlighted throughout the consultation on this application Watkin Jones remains absolutely committed to providing on-site affordable housing and we will be entering into discussions with council officers once the District Valuer has produced a response.”

Watkin Jones said the scheme would “provide a wide range of key planning and regeneration benefits for the site”, and they have recognised its “potential as a catalyst to kickstart future development within the area”, which the council has defined as a potential regeneration spot close to Hove station.

Economic benefits would include the creation of “up to 192 jobs during construction” of the site and “more than 190 jobs” once the building is completed, as well as a “boost to the economy through the introduction of new residents”.

The plans for a large proportion of communal amenity space for future residents and visitors will “foster social interactions and create a strong sense of community”, according to the application.

Environmental benefits are defined as “enhancements to the public realm along Ellen Street, Ethel Street, Conway Street and Fonthill Road, including pavement widening, new surfacing, new pedestrian crossings, new street trees and new seating, and a net increase in biodiversity, including new trees and shrubs, bird and bat boxes and habitats for invertebrates”.

In July 2017 Brighton and Hove City Council rejected an application by Matsim Properties Ltd to build a 17 storey apartment block at the site on the grounds there was not enough affordable housing included.

After Matsim appealed, planning permission was granted in January, but it has not been implemented.

If planning permission is granted for the Hove Gardens application, two years of construction work would begin in the autumn, with tenants able to move in to the block at the end of 2022.

The council is due to make a decision on the plans by the start of July.