This picture shows one of the buildings proposed for the site. This tower, earmarked to be the centrepiece of the station car park development, would stand 42 stories or 403ft tall and contain a sky-garden café, a 200-room hotel and 160 homes. The tower would be easily the tallest structure in the area, being a lot taller than nearby Sussex Heights (330ft), which is currently the tallest building in the city. Site developers Beetham had hoped that the tower, if accepted for development, will have been opened in 2007.

 

Given that the station is built on an artificial plateau quite a height above sea level, the tower will totally dominate the skyline and would be visible for at least 20 miles in any direction. Such a structure would cast an enormous shadow across central Brighton and met with opposition from the ever-present local conservation groups.

 

The tower and its surrounding area would have provided an important link between Brighton station and the rest of the site, which now goes under the name of New England Quarter.

 

The New England Quarter will also include a public square, bars, cafes, shops, a community centre and a nature park along the route of the old goods track. A large area has been put aside for a Sainsburys superstore.

 

The site was originally intended to be virtually self-sufficient. A self contained heat and power station was planned for a corner of the site behind the Cobblers Thumb public house, but was scrapped amid fears of a drastic increase in traffic on nearby roads.