Chiddingly House, Hove

Chiddingly House is a residential block of 27 modern flats within the Chatsworth Square development in Hove, owned and managed by leading housing provider, Sanctuary. 

The location enjoys close access to the popular seaside towns of Hove and Brighton.

The Challenge

Sanctuary had been working with SCCI to explore 4Fibre deployment — a neutral-hosted fixed-line fibre network — across its portfolio of multi-dwelling units. The focus was primarily on High-Risk Buildings, where the Building Safety Regime has introduced significant delays to infrastructure projects.

However, before rolling out 4Fibre in complex HRB sites, Sanctuary's Building Safety team needed to validate the approach. They needed a pilot that would allow them to test the full deployment process and governance procedures without the additional regulatory complexity of HRB classification.

Chiddingly House presented an ideal opportunity. Residents had been asking for faster broadband, and Brighton Fibre — a local provider — was available to serve the building. Crucially, the deployment methodology would be identical whether the building was classified as an HRB or not, making it a genuine test of the process Sanctuary would eventually use across its more challenging sites.

The Solution

Sanctuary deployed 4Fibre at Chiddingly House using the same stringent procedures it would apply to any High-Risk Building. This included wayleave agreements, surveys, planning and route approvals, followed by pre-installation checks from an independent consultant surveying engineer.

The installation itself was carried out with certified fire stopping, backed by a FIRAS certificate of conformity and a full operations manual. Following completion, the consultant surveying engineer returned to conduct post-installation inspection and recorded verification.

This comprehensive approach — combining competent fire sealing under FIRAS, independent pre- and post-checks, and Sanctuary's own governance framework — was designed to prove that 4Fibre deployment could meet the standards required for High-Risk Buildings.

The Outcome

The Chiddingly House pilot achieved what Sanctuary needed: clear evidence that 4Fibre can be deployed safely and proportionately in any MDU building, including those classified as High-Risk Buildings.

The neutral-hosted model proved its value. Because 4Fibre is installed once and shared across providers, it eliminates the duplication of work that occurs when multiple operators install separate infrastructure. This means fewer interventions in the building fabric, reduced disruption for residents, and improved safety outcomes over time.

The project also exposed a wider issue. The current HRB Building Safety Regime, while well-intentioned, has created unintended delays in essential infrastructure deployment. Sanctuary's experience suggests that a standardised process — combining stringent procedures with independent verification — could allow many Building Safety applications to be managed at local authority level rather than through the BSR, reducing delays while maintaining the same safety standards.