Controversial extension for Brighton arms factory rejected

It follows protests at the firm - which has been linked to the Israeli military

Author: Sarah Booker-Lewis, Local Democracy ReporterPublished 6th Jun 2024

Plans to retain a temporary extension to a controversial factory in Brighton have been turned down unanimously by councillors.

They voted against retaining the shed at the L3 Harris factory, Emblem House, in Home Farm Road, Moulsecoomb, even though it was granted planning permission nearly six years ago,

The decision on Wednesday (June 5th) was taken by Brighton and Hove City Council Planning Committee at Hove Town Hall to cheers from the public gallery while a protest took place outside.

The reasons for refusing to renew planning permission for the extension included concerns about “community cohesion”.

Councillors raised concerns about the effect of the factory on members of the Jewish and Islamic communities in Brighton and Hove, with protests, heightened tensions and a rise in “hate crimes”.

The protesters outside the town hall strung the names of Palestinian children who have died in the conflict in Gaza around the building’s entrance.

Demonstrators gathered outside Hove Town Hall prior to the decision

Objectors sent more than 600 emails, letters and comments to the council, with councillors and MPs adding their voices.

Labour councillor Theresa Fowler, who represents Hollingdean and Fiveways ward, addressed the planning Committee, raising concerns about the design, poor-quality building materials and the temporary permission having expired last September.

Councillor Fowler said: “Watching the suffering on the news, I find it abhorrent that component parts for weapons produced in my home town are used to harm innocent lives including babies and children in other counties and, understandably, my residents find this upsetting and are anxious to stop this.

“I was pleased that as Labour councillors we called for a ceasefire in November 2023.

“I urge you today to consider voting against this proposal on equality grounds. There has been an increase in hate-related crimes across the city.

“I have heard from many residents about the continual protests and occasional skirmishes over the years – and now more recently (about) a peace camp which I understand has had an impact on the highway and policing and heightened tensions which has impacted my community.

“It has caused pain and hurt in relations between ethnic and religious groups and I completely condemn any acts of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia or racism that take place in our city.”

Peace activist Maude Casey also addressed the Planning Committee to object to the application. She read statements from Palestinians whose family members had died in the Gaza conflict.

She said that “Herbie”, a Jewish Palestinian activist and Moulsecoomb resident, had said: “I can see the L3 Harris factory in Home Farm Road from my house.

“Living across the road from a factory that’s profiting from the killing of innocent civilians in Gaza has contributed to my declining mental health over the last eight months.

“It haunts me knowing that my Gazan friends’ families could be killed at any moment by weapons made in a factory in eyesight from my kitchen.

“I feel powerless and hopeless and have had to go on anti-depressants to cope with my plummeting mental health. Please, shut it down.”

Ms Casey said that the Brighton and Hove Muslim Forum had refused to break its Ramadan fast with the council and that the Jewish community had also been affected by the conflict.

She added: “Community members are feeling increasingly upset. It is clear that granting a planning application for an arms factory will polarise our community.”

Green councillor Sue Shanks said that it was not a difficult decision to refuse the application.

Councillor Shanks said: “It’s a blot on the landscape of our city. I don’t agree with having an arms factory there. With the amount of disruption it has caused to the city, I don’t think we can support it.”

Labour councillor Jacob Allen said that the council had just voted in a new constitution which required all decision to be made with respect to human rights – and that applied to planning.

Councillor Allen said: “I am very concerned about the impact on community cohesion in the city. Our role as councillors can only be to support the community in terms of co-existence and being good neighbours. When there is injustice, we need to fall on the right side of that.”

Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Mark Earthey said that he had become a councillor to boost social harmony not to sow discord among minorities.

Conservative councillor Carol Theobald said: “On planning grounds, it’s a temporary permission that’s lapsed. It’s poor design and impacts on the South Downs National Park. It has upset a lot of people.”

Labour councillor Liz Loughran, who chairs the Planning Committee, said: “The police are there 24/7 and this is taking up police resources. This feeds into anti-Semitism and Islamaphobia which is a significant concern for me.”

The committee unanimously voted to refuse the extension on the grounds that the benefits of keeping it would be outweighed by the harm caused to community cohesion and the disproportionate effect on those with protected characteristics.

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