Last updated: 8 October 2026, 2:55pm BST
In short
- Initial demolition notices are due to be served this month for eight council tower blocks in Kemp Town, Hollingdean and north Whitehawk.
- The notices do not mean demolition or rehousing is imminent; they can remain in force for up to seven years.
- They formally record the council’s intention to demolish and suspend completion of Right to Buy claims while in force.
- The programme covers 558 homes and more than 1,000 residents, with rehousing planned in phases.
- Residents with questions can contact the council’s LPS engagement team at LPS.engagement@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
Brighton tower block demolition notices are due to be issued this month for eight large-panel-system buildings containing 558 homes across Kemp Town, Hollingdean and north Whitehawk.
The move is significant, but it does not set an immediate demolition date and residents are not being told to leave now. An initial notice is an administrative and legal step that records the council’s intention to demolish in future. A separate final demolition notice and further decisions would be needed later.
Which Brighton tower blocks are affected?
The eight council-owned buildings are:
- Kemp Town: St James’s House.
- Hollingdean: Dudeney Lodge and Nettleton Court.
- North Whitehawk: Falcon Court, Heron Court, Kestrel Court, Kingfisher Court and Swallow Court, collectively known as the Bird Blocks.
Brighton & Hove City Council approved demolition and replacement of the buildings in March 2026 after structural surveys found that they did not meet current standards for resisting a disproportionate collapse following an explosion or large fire. The council says additional safety measures remain in place and the blocks will continue to be maintained while occupied.
The formal Cabinet decision authorised initial demolition notices under Schedule 5A of the Housing Act 1985. Brighton and Hove News reported on 8 October that the council now intends to serve them during October.
What an initial demolition notice means
The notice is not a timetable for bulldozers. It can remain valid for up to seven years while the council plans the replacement schemes, rehousing, purchases leasehold interests and completes later legal and planning stages.
While an initial notice is in force, the council is not required to complete a tenant’s Right to Buy purchase. The notice should identify the premises, explain why demolition is intended and state the period in which the council expects the demolition to happen.
The council’s March report anticipated that the blocks would be fully vacated and demolished over a five-to-seven-year period. It also said each redevelopment scheme would return to Cabinet at the appropriate stage. A final demolition notice would come later and would provide a firmer legal timetable.
That distinction matters. Residents receiving a letter this month should treat it as confirmation that the regeneration programme is moving forward, not as an instruction to move immediately.
What the rehousing policy promises
The council’s approved rehousing policy says permanent moves for secure and introductory tenants will be planned and supported. It provides for a named single point of contact for each household, assessment of individual needs and practical and financial assistance.
The council has said secure tenants will be offered like-for-like homes within Brighton and Hove and will have a right to return to new homes on the redeveloped sites. A Local Lettings Plan gives affected secure tenants greater priority when suitable council homes become available.
Eligible secure tenants may also qualify for statutory Home Loss Payments and reasonable disturbance costs connected with moving. Eligibility and amounts depend on individual circumstances, so residents should get a written assessment rather than rely on a general figure.
The arrangements are different for people in temporary accommodation, private tenants and leaseholders. The policy includes support for temporary-accommodation and private-rented households, while the Cabinet decision instructed officers to negotiate acquisition of leaseholders’ interests and develop property-swap help for resident leaseholders facing financial hardship.
Which building moves first?
The published sequence starts with St James’s House, followed by Nettleton Court and Dudeney Lodge, then the five Whitehawk blocks. That sequence does not give every household a moving date: availability of suitable homes and individual needs will shape the pace.
Current Homemove listings already show some properties carrying priority for St James’s House secure tenants. That is evidence that rehousing has begun, but it does not mean every resident will receive an offer at the same time.
What residents should do now
- Keep the notice and envelope. Check the building, tenancy address, service date and expiry period stated in the letter.
- Do not assume you must leave now. Ask the council for a written explanation if the wording appears to conflict with the published phased programme.
- Record your household’s needs early. Tell your named officer about disability access, medical care, schools, caring responsibilities, pets, work travel and the number and size of bedrooms required.
- Keep Homemove information current. Secure tenants should check that contact details and household circumstances are accurate before suitable homes are advertised.
- Ask for costs in writing. Request a written explanation of Home Loss and disturbance-payment eligibility before committing to removal, storage or replacement expenses.
- Leaseholders should seek independent advice. Ask the council for its valuation and acquisition process in writing and consider independent legal and valuation advice before accepting an offer.
For questions about the eight blocks, contact the council’s Large Panel System engagement team at LPS.engagement@brighton-hove.gov.uk. Housing Customer Services can also be reached on 01273 29 30 30 or at housing.customerservices@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
Brighton Locals’ view
Issuing the notices is a necessary step once the council has concluded that refurbishment cannot deliver a durable, affordable safety solution. The concern is the length of uncertainty residents may face: seven years is a long time to live between an announced demolition and a settled new home.
The council should publish a building-by-building dashboard showing when each notice was served, how many households have moved, the number still waiting, suitable homes offered, maintenance and safety work completed, and the next design or planning milestone. That would let residents judge progress without piecing it together from letters and committee papers.
What to watch next
The next evidence will be the precise service and expiry dates on each building’s notice, followed by rehousing progress at St James’s House. Residents should also watch for individual redevelopment plans returning to Cabinet, planning applications, leaseholder purchase progress and the later final demolition notices.
Bottom line: the eight blocks are still occupied and demolition is not imminent, but the legal process is advancing. Residents should keep the notice, update their rehousing information and get their individual rights and costs confirmed in writing.
Sources: Brighton & Hove City Council Cabinet decision and March 2026 report; council Rehousing Policy and LPS resident guidance; Brighton and Hove News, 8 October 2026.
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