Development will include more than 140 new homes and a dance centre

West London firm Henry Construction has begun work on a £130m project to transform the site of an old fruit and vegetable market in Brighton.

Located on the south coast city’s Circus Street, the scheme for developer U+I will see the construction of 142 new homes, 450 student bedrooms, 30,000 sq ft of business space and a new dance centre.

Designed by architect Shedkm, the project is described as a major milestone in creating a new urban quarter in the city.

Most of the project’s buildings will be between six and eight storeys tall, although the tower housing the student accommodation will reach 13 storeys.

Richard Upton, deputy chief executive of U+I, said: “This truly mixed-use project will transform a long-overlooked site, creating a vibrant new place and bringing substantial cultural and socioeconomic benefits to this creative and energetic city.”

Completion of the scheme is expected by spring 2020.