DEVELOPERS are proposing to demolish one of Brighton’s oldest shops to complete their vision of a new £8 million addition to the city’s famed Lanes.

The Royal Bank of Scotland has “regrettably” applied for permission to demolish a grade II listed shop in North Street, Brighton, to clear the way to a newly created shopping square.

Developers said the demolition is necessary to realise the aims of the project and open up access to the “more historically and architecturally important” Puget’s Cottage behind which dates from the 17th century and has been hidden away for 140 years.

But conservationists have criticised the proposals to remove a building of “national importance”.

Planning permission to create the first new Brighton lane in 30 years was granted in March 2014 with a service yard revamped into a public square surrounded by shops, offices, town houses and a 26-room boutique hotel creating up to 115 new jobs.

But the project had to be amended following the last-minute listing of the Timpson store in North Street and Puget’s Cottage to its rear.

Work by Brighton and Hove Heritage Commission members Roger Amerena and Duncan Cameron established the North Street store as potentially the oldest commercial building still operating in the city while Puget’s Cottage is reckoned to be the oldest building in central Brighton after St Nicholas Church in Dyke Road.

Following the granting of permission last year without the access through to North Street, an “options appraisal” was carried out into alternatives for the link lane. But developers have said it will only be possible through the existing Timpson store.

The Argus:

The proposed site of the shopping square

Developers said the Timpson shop has been extensively altered over the years and is suffering from “severe damp and structural deterioration”.

The demolished shop would be replaced with a modern ground floor shop with a flat above which would act as a “gateway” into the Lanes with improvements to its neighbouring shop unit.

The plans also involve the expansion of the alley to Puget's Cottage and the restoration of its exterior.

Developers said that allowing the scheme would act as the “catalyst” for further regeneration projects in North Street including extensive changes to the road layout restoration of other properties.

Mr Amerena said developers had failed to explore the possibility of rerouting the Lane through the shop next to Timpson which was less historically significant.

He said: “This is a building with very interesting features and a wooden frame and it would be a wasted opportunity if it was demolished.”