34 Fernwood Rise Brighton BN1 5EP Data via plota.co.uk

Proposal

Conversion and change of use of existing domestic garage to ancillary acupuncture studio with associated alterations. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
26 May 2026
✓
Consultation
15 Jun 2026
✓
Approved
7 Aug 2026

Approved on 7 Aug 2026 · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

Site constraints 5

Local nature reserve about 158 m away: Withdean & Westdene Woods
Work nearby can need a habitats assessment.
Harm to a protected site is only accepted where there is no alternative and an overriding public interest.
Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Radon affected area, class 5
An estimated 10 to 30% of homes reach the radon action level. Indicative for the 1 km square, which takes the highest class found in it; a radon test gives the answer for a building.
From the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency indicative atlas. Under building regulations, as the BRE guide BR 211 (2023) sets out, new buildings and extensions need basic radon protection from class 3 in England and Wales and from class 2 in Scotland, and full protection from class 5. The class at the site itself, from the detailed BGS map, decides which.
UKHSA radon ↗
Also on the record
National park about 173 m away: South Downs; Inside the Brighton and Hove built-up area.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No scheduled monument at the site

Checked on 6 October 2026. The pin for this application is the centre of its postcode rather than the building, so distances to nearby designations are measured from the postcode and can be out by the width of the postcode area. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency (radon, contains BGS materials © UKRI) and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

Sales history 3

Last sold for £445,000 in November 2017. Detached house, freehold.

7 November 2017£445,000
26 July 1996£93,000
28 April 1995£90,000

Sale prices from HM Land Registry's price paid record, matched to this application by its address.

Building

Floor area55 m² (592 sq ft)
Energy ratingD (62 out of 100), could reach B
PropertyDetached bungalow, 5 habitable rooms
Built1930 to 1949
HeatingBoiler and radiators, mains gas
WallsCavity wall, filled cavity

From the energy performance certificate lodged in November 2012, the latest held for this property, matched to this application by its address. The building may have changed since. View the certificate

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Important details

Postcode
BN1 5EP
Received
26 May 2026
Validated
26 May 2026
Target decision
21 Jul 2026
Decision
Approved
Decision date
7 Aug 2026

How this decision compares

Decided in 73 days from validation, 7 days slower than Brighton and Hove's median of 66 for changes of use. Approved, as 87% of changes of use here are.

43%decided within 8 weeks
87%approved
12%go to committee

Plota live figures for changes of use decided by Brighton and Hove in the last twelve months, from validation. Brighton and Hove decision record →

Consultation & key dates

Neighbours
16 Jun 2026
Consultation
15 Jun 2026
Comments by
20 Jul 2026
Site or press notice
22 Jun 2026
Statutory expiry
21 Jul 2026
Brighton and Hove
Planning Authority Score
4.3/10
Below average
#185 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Change of use

Brighton and Hove is slower than most councils at deciding householder applications, ranking #238 out of 296. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (95%) than the national average (90%).

Slower than most councils
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Brighton and Hove decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
90%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #107 of 296
95%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #70 of 296
50%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #238 of 296
46%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #200 of 296
71%
Minor dwellings approved
189 decided (1-9 homes)
100%
Major dwellings approved
4 decided (10+ homes)
70%
Change of use approved
63 decided
1,719
Total decisions
176 refused in the year to March 2026

Sale prices: Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Energy performance: Energy performance certificates from the Energy Performance of Buildings Register, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright 2026.