#Brighton Bits

Bond Street La(i)ne ePetition response

2012-01-30T16:10:00.000+01:00

This petition closed with a respectable tally of 50 signatories. Many thanks to all who added their names. The response from the Environment Dept. of the Council was as follows:-

"Brighton & Hove City Council has a statutory duty to carry out the street naming and numbering function for properties within the city. Section 17-19 of the Public Health Act 1925 applies.
In accordance with the above legislation the council has the power to rename an existing street or part of a street if requested to do so.
In order to implement a change of street name the council is required to carry out a consultation process which requires notices to be displayed on the street under Section 18 of the Public Health Act 1925.
The notices are to remain in place for at least 1 month before a change of name can be implemented.
Any person or persons objecting to the name change has the right of appeal to the magistrate's court within 21 days of posting of the notice.
If an appeal is made to the magistrate's court, the local authority must wait until that appeal is heard before a name change can take place
If no appeal is made the name can be officially changed and a new nameplate erected.
In order to begin the consultation process an application must be made to the Street Naming and Numbering (SNN) Officer either in writing to:

Street Naming and Numbering,
ICT SmartSpace,
Hove Town Hall,
Norton Road,
Hove
BN3 4AH
or by email to snn@brighton-hove.gov.uk or by completing an on line application form at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/snn."

That is how the matter stands at the moment. Follow this blog for further developments. In the meantime I notice that the "i" of the offending SNP remains neatly blanked out.

The Greenway bridge 'locomotive'- update

2012-01-30T14:27:00.000+01:00

The life-sized metal silhouette of an early steam locomotive to be installed on the Greenway bridge seems to be nearing realisation. See earlier posts:- 'Ghost' train chugging closer . . . & 'Locomotive' art-work for the Greenway bridge.

The piece is now complete in Jon Mill's workshop and is expected to be installed later this year at a date to be confirmed.

A final stage in the project will be the council entering a licence agreement with landowners Network Rail.

Cabinet councillor for culture Geoffrey Bowden said: “This is a fitting memorial to the railway works – a huge and often unknown aspect of the city’s history.

“It’s also an achievement to have put this stretch of railway back into use - replacing one eco-friendly form of transport with another and providing some intriguing new views of the city."

A report on the final steps of the project will go to the next of Councillor Bowden’s regular decision-making meetings on February 7.

New RSC Hospital gets planning go-ahead

2012-01-28T00:29:00.000+01:00

Brighton & Hove City Council’s planning committee has today unanimously approved a £420m redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Eastern Road, Brighton.

Main components of the scheme are a central block shaped like a letter ‘W’ rising to 12 storeys, plus a five-storey building to the west, mainly housing a new cancer centre.

The existing Thomas Kemp Tower will have a helicopter pad added. An unusual feature will be the dismantling and re-siting of a grade 2 listed hospital chapel.

The old main hospital buildings dating from 1826 will be demolished as they have become unsuitable for delivering modern medicine.

The development will bring £550,000 worth of public transport improvements plus a roof garden on the lower new building, open to patients and the public. The development will provide modern wards, expand the neurosciences centre and create a Major Trauma Centre for the region. There will be 100 additional beds, the Sussex Cancer Centre will be rebuilt and there will be an expansion of teaching facilities. It will provide the cutting edge health facilities that our city deserves.

Some 390 parking spaces will be available to patients and visitors. Currently limited parking on site is mostly taken up by staff, leaving a shortage.

New buildings will reach national ‘excellent’ environmental standards. The entire project will take around 10 years to complete. Work will be undertaken in phases to ensure continuity of service.

From a Council press release

Brighton's successful bid for Turner watercolour

2012-01-27T16:57:00.000+01:00

The Chain Pier by J M W Turner

The Royal Pavilion & Museums have successfully bid for the watercolour, The Chain Pier at Brighton, at an auction at Christie's in New York.

The painting was purchased for $352,500 (£225,000). A significant grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) helped secure the picture for the city and the nation; along with an award from the Art Fund, the national fundraising charity for art, and a donation from the Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation, a registered charity that raises funds to support the Royal Pavilion & Museums.

Once the painting is brought back to Brighton, it will be placed on display in the Royal Pavilion for a short period. Following this, in 2013, the watercolour will be the centrepiece in a new temporary exhibition at the Royal Pavilion. The exhibition will explore the town’s development in the early 19th century and the important relationship played by the Pavilion in Brighton’s development. It will also explore the changing relationship Brighton has had with the sea: from its humble beginnings as a fishing town to its fashionable status under George IV as a seaside resort and latterly as a tourist attraction.

Council press release.

B&H Museums win £2m (Council press release)

2012-01-25T15:42:00.000+01:00

The city council is expecting to receive at least £2m from the Arts Council for radical improvements and apprenticeships within Brighton & Hove’s museums service.

The authority has actually bid for £2.7m from the Art’s Council’s Renaissance programme for the period 2012-2015. However the final sum awarded will be subject to negotiation.

The successful bid had to meet strict Arts Council criteria encouraging excellence; audiences; resilience; leadership and children and young people.

Among improvements will be better access to exhibits via digital technology - the internet, wifi, smartphone apps and gaming technology.

The funding will pay for more exhibitions and collaborations – including universities. Skills training will be made available for artists – especially those from under-represented groups.

Apprenticeships will be created and efforts made to involve more diverse groups in museum work.

Better marketing of museum services to tourists and improved fundraising methods are also on the cards.

There would be a programme aimed at children and young people – especially in deprived groups.

Council leader Bill Randall said: “A key skill in running museums these days is bidding for funding in this way. We keep a very keen eye on potential sources of money and have become very expert at securing it.

“We’re already a regional leader in museums provision and this money will help us go from strength to strength and create apprenticeships.

“This is all about getting away from the image of museums as dusty places for the few but making them dynamic, fascinating places children will be tugging their parents to.”

See also yesterday's post.

Royal Pavilion & Museums win Arts Council backing

2012-01-24T18:22:00.001+01:00

The Royal Pavilion and Museums has won recognition as one of the 16 'Renaissance Major' partner museums announced by the Arts Council today. These 16 Renaissance Major partners will together receive approximately £20 million a year in funding for the next three years as part of its Renaissance programme for regional museums.

To read the full Arts Council press release which includes further details of the Museum Development Fund go to:- http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/news/arts-council-news/we-announce-renaissance-major-partner-museums-and-/

The Royal Alexandra Hospital redevelopment

2012-01-20T20:49:00.000+01:00

Graham Towers, the chairman of the Montpelier & Clifton Hill Association, was interviewed on the BBC1 "Britain's Empty Homes" programme this morning when it featured a tour of the Royal Alexandra Hospital redevelopment. The relevant section of the programme can be viewed here.

Preston Park parking proposals

2012-01-17T22:35:00.000+01:00

Following a public consultation the council has produced proposals for controlling parking within the park and for increasing usage of pay & display in Preston Park Avenue. Parking within the park will also become pay & display and will be confined to the Gallops and the southern section of the Ride, both shown in red. The section in blue will be restricted to pedestrians with the exception of 3 spaces for disabled drivers.

Parking within the park will be limited to a maximum period of 6 hours at a charge of £3 but in the southern section of Preston Park Avenue the maximum period allowed will be increased from 4 hours to 11 hours at a charge of £5.

The proposals are intended to discourage commuters and other non park-users from using the Park as a free car park at the same time providing pay & display alternatives in Preston Park Avenue. There will be more spaces within the park for park users as a result. The changes are intended to be self-funding with any surplus being ring-fenced for use in the park itself.

A report containing these proposals will be considered by the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Cabinet Member Meeting on January 24.

Video tour of the Royal Pavilion tunnel.

2012-01-17T19:39:00.000+01:00

The tunnel is not very deep and probably constructed by cut & cover. It used to be lit, at least in daylight hours, by skylights into the Pavilion gardens. These are now covered over externally but the remains of one can be seen from within the tunnel at the end of the video.

(Uploaded by BrightonMuseums 12/01/2012)

The Clock Tower "time ball" rises again . . .

2012-01-17T13:36:00.000+01:00

The gilded copper time ball was originally designed to rise up the mast as every hour approached and then, on a telegraph signal from Greenwich, drop down again as the hour was struck. It was turned off soon after the tower was inaugurated in 1888. Nearby residents had complained about the noise created by the wind whistling in the longitudinal slots up which the ball rose, and to cure the problem the slots were covered in.

During the Clock Tower's extensive renovation in 2002 attempts were made to re-activate the ball mechanism, and although it worked for a while problems soon arose. It would be interesting to know details of the endeavours that have finally been crowned with success. Someone surely deserves a medal for dogged persistence!

I don't know if they've cured the noise problem but a friend who lives directly opposite isn't complaining so far. Maybe modern flats are better insulated or we have become accustomed to a higher level of background noise in which mere wind-whistling is lost.

The Clock Tower was commissioned by a local advertiser James Willing to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. It was designed by a London architect John Johnson and, although it has come in for much criticism in the past, even threats of demolition, the Brighton Pevsner now describes it as "supremely confident and showy". It is Grade II listed.

The Chain Pier by J M W Turner

2012-01-13T20:50:00.001+01:00

The Chain Pier, Brighton by J M W Turner RA, 1775 -1851

This wonderful watercolour, painted shortly after the Pier was completed in 1823, has only recently surfaced after many years in a private collection. Apart from being a spirited seascape, in the background can be made out many fascinating details of the early 19th century town; the Royal Pavilion and the Royal Albion Hotel both, at that time, only recently completed, and on the hill behind, St. Nicholas Church and Vine's mill. On the seafront to the left can be seen Lamprell's circular baths, later Brill's baths, demolished in 1870 when grander premises were built between East Street and Pool Valley.

The painting is being auctioned by Christie's, New York on January 26th. Estimated price $300,000 -$500,000.

It really belongs in Brighton Museum . . .

Bond Street La(i)ne ePetition update

2012-01-11T19:41:00.001+01:00

This petition is now ended with 50 signatories and a response has been received from the Council. This informs that to implement a change of street name the council has to carry out a consultation process which requires notices to be displayed on the street under Section 18 of the Public Health Act 1925. The notices are to remain in place for at least 1 month before a change of name can be implemented.

Any person or persons objecting to the name change has the right of appeal to the magistrate's court within 21 days of posting of the notice.

If an appeal is made to the magistrate's court, the local authority must wait until that appeal is heard before a name change can take place.

If no appeal is made the name can be officially changed and a new nameplate erected.

In order to begin the consultation process an application must be made by a member of the public to the Street Naming and Numbering (SNN) Officer, ICT SmartSpace, Hove Town Hall.

The petition was not, of course, about a renaming but the correction of a spelling error. The Complete Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, 1989, makes this point quite clear. It gives the following definitions:-

laine: A name given to certain tracts of arable land at the foot of the Sussex Downs.

Whereas:-

lane: is "a narrow way between hedges or banks, a narrow road or street between houses or walls, a bye-way."

It is an open-and-shut case that an appropriate name for this passage-way leading off Bond Street, and lying within the area known as North Laine is "Bond Street Lane". The presence or absence of an "i" may seem to some people a minor matter but it is also regrettable that the misuse and consequent devaluation of a word should be perpetuated in permanent official street signs. Unfortunately there are legal ramifications which require the Council to follow the set procedure even in this case. In other words the Council cannot correct its own mistakes unless formally requested to do so by a member of the public.

Latest TV - "The Vote"

2012-01-07T03:42:00.018+01:00

"The Vote: Brighton & Hove is Latest TV’s answer to Question Time!

Three heavyweight politicians – Lord Bassam of Brighton, Council
Leader Bill Randall, and Mike Weatherley MP – look out over the city
and debate the big political issues in Brighton and Hove. Your referee
for the event is Frank le Duc and as you might expect it makes
exciting viewing.

We also feature a film on Occupy Brighton, and Green Party Leader Caroline Lucas MP is interviewed about new local energy from wind farms and the launch of The Eco Technology Show 2012 in Brighton and Hove.

The Treason Show’s Mark Brailsford adds the essential government
information."

Open Market - redevelopment begins

2012-01-06T20:48:00.000+01:00

The transformation of Brighton’s historic Open Market starts next week – beginning with the relocation of market traders to a specially-built, temporary home in nearby Francis Street.

A variety of stallholders will trade from the new base between Ditchling Road and London Road, starting on Monday July 9. They will be selling a range of goods including flowers, eggs and bacon, pet food and supplies, haberdashery, fish, fruit, veg and groceries alongside the market café.

Housing association, The Hyde Group, will then begin work on the £18m major transformation of the old market – beginning with demolition scheduled to start mid January.

Full Council press release.

A new Rottingdean website

2012-01-04T20:28:00.000+01:00

Go to:- http://www.rottingdeanvillage.org.uk/

A camera obscura for the Tarner Tower

2012-01-04T16:53:00.000+01:00

Click on image to read

A good start for the New Year.

Click on image to read

For further details: An Eye in the Tower.

Earlier posts:-

Spot the tower.

The Tarner Tower.

Sir Simon Jenkins & the Brighton Centre

2012-01-03T16:02:00.000+01:00

Sir Simon Jenkins, the new President of the Regency Society, in an interview in today's Argus vociferously condemns the design of the Brighton Centre on Kings Road describing it as an "outrage".

The Brighton Centre

Some people may consider this judgement a little harsh and even wonder if he is confusing it with the Kingswest Centre next door. . . .

The Kingswest Centre

Timothy Carder in the Encylcopaedia of Brighton describes Kingswest as 'probably the most heavily criticised in the town for its appearance in such a prime location.' The Brighton & Hove 'Pevsner' calls it 'intrusively aggressive'. Perversly for such a prime location it once had no windows at all. The one shown here, added later, does provide some relief to the starkness.

Horsdean traveller site

2011-12-28T18:55:00.001+01:00

This piece of land, formerly part of the Brighton Rugby Club playing field, was quickly colonised by travellers when the A27 Brighton bypass was opened in 1996. Over the following two years the number of caravans rose to over 180 and the situation became quite chaotic. In 1998 the Council sent in the bailiffs and the travellers scattered throughout the City leaving behind an indescribable mess. The Council then drew up proposals for a legal transit site, and opposition of local residents crumbled when the Government refused a public enquiry in December that year.

A permanent site, with drainage and toilet facilities and hard-standing for 23 caravans, was opened in September 1999. Occupants had to prove a need to stay in the area, were charged £40 per week and limited to 6 months stay at any one time.

In 2002 the travellers received a £2000 grant from the Scarman trust for play equipment. In 2005 the Council was awarded £159,000 from a Government grant to help towards an upgrade of the site including provision of an electricity supply. In 2009 the rent was increased to £60 per week and occupants were limited to 1 months stay with a possible extension to 3 months if their plot wasn't needed.

The site was vandalised in 2008 and again in 2009 and had to be closed for repairs. In 2011, 24 hour security was provided at a cost to the taxpayer of £85,000 per year.

There are now proposals to extend the site northwards by adding a further 16 pitches dedicated to long-stay "travellers" who will have to supply evidence of close ties with the neighbourhood. The whole site is now in the South Downs National Park, the Authority for which will have to give planning permission. They have asked for two other sites to be reported on for comparison: Waterhall Farm and Hangleton Bottom.

Brighton has long operated a somewhat tolerant attitude towards travellers, reinforced in recent years by the Human Rights Act, but all efforts will only scratch at the problem unless other councils in the South East make similar efforts.

Comment on the City Council's 'New Traveller Commissioning Strategy 2012' here.

The Queen Square hotel (cont.)

2011-12-23T10:56:00.000+01:00

It is disappointing that, at a recent meeting, the Conservation Advisory Group recommended refusal of application BH2011/03227, chiefly on the grounds of the proposed hotel's height & bulk. A site at the end of a 'square' such as this surely requires completion with a moderately imposing building. It may be that the design can be criticised on matters of style or detail but it is difficult to conceive how any lower edifice could fill the gap in an aesthetically satisfactory manner.

The existing no.10 Queen Square rises to five storeys including a semi-basement. No.11 is to be rebuilt as part of the hotel, but, following the roofline trend of the street, will be 1 metre higher than no.10, again only with five storeys. The hotel accomodation shown in section will also be five storeys with the lower ground floor slightly above the basement level of no.10.

Superimposed on the 5th floor is a "lantern" storey housing service equipment. The hotel is therefore one storey higher than those in Queen Square, not "two or three" as some claim. Furthermore the sixth storey does not extend to the full plan area of the hotel but is set back from its outside wall on all sides so becoming inconspicuous.

The total height of the hotel is a little more than 18 metres. Concern has been expressed over the overshadowing of the churchyard, but it seems inevitable that any economic use of the site will involve a building higher than the existing. Any practicable reduction in height would have only marginal effects on the churchyard but could critically compromise the appearance of the development in Queen Square.

At the rear the upper ground floor is separated from the churchyard wall by a passage way. If this passage way were to be widened, at the expense of the internal accommodation, the shadow cast by the building on the churchyard would be mitigated somewhat, but only on a little frequented part of the churchyard. (Hence an earlier suggestion for the creation of a permissive foot path through the hotel). The hotel would, in effect, be gaining an extra outside area it cannot use, at the expense of providing an extra piece of unshadowed churchyard that the public doesn't use.

Turning to consider effects on Wykeham Terrace, the hotel will rise approximately 7.5 metres above Wykeham Terrace as shown below but because of the geometry will not be in the line of sight of a pedestrian in Dyke Road over 40 metres away.

It is true that as one climbs into St. Nicholas churchyard or up Dyke Road the new hotel will come into view behind the end properties in Wykeham Terrace. The applicant has supplied the visualisation below in which the viewer is on eye level with the Wykeham Terrace rooftops. This is a puzzling picture and not doing the applicant any favours. It is surely showing at least one floor too many of the hotel according to the geometry suggested by the sectional drawing. Whatever, there seems to be no area in the neighbourhood where the houses of Wykeham Terrace, viewed from the front at ground level, will be over-topped by the proposed hotel.

Higher still in the churchyard one gets a fine view towards St. Pauls and the sea as shown in the photo below. In this view the west end of the hotel would be visible between the two trees on the left. The view of St. Pauls, centre, will not be obscured.

Burning the Clocks - 2011

2011-12-22T14:40:00.000+01:00

A few photos:-

The mild dry evening produced what seemed a record turnout of spectators. By 7pm not a spare vantage point along Madeira Drive or Marine parade was to be had. The last photo would have been much better if I could have found a space to erect a tripod (and had bothered to take one along :) ).

All Brighton people (and other pagans) can help to keep "Burning the Clocks" going. Just donate £1 by texting 'sameskyclocks' to 70100.

http://www.samesky.co.uk/

Season's greetings

2011-12-21T09:47:00.000+01:00

Patcham Village: showing the 17th century, 250 ft. long, tithe barn of the former Patcham Court Farm, and a section of the probably older churchyard wall, viewed across what was the village pond. The pond was filled-in in the 1930's. The barn was converted to dwellings and a church hall in 1987.

Matt Whistler's Christmas Single - 2011

2011-12-20T06:22:00.000+01:00

Last year's jollies in HD with music!

The Latest.TV - Brighton Lights, Episode 34

2011-12-20T06:10:00.001+01:00

Including: Christmas No 1, Spamalot, Cinecity, Protest, Made 11 and Brighton Photo Fringe

"Fairy tale of Brighton & Hove" from 23 minutes

£2.2M grant success for the Level

2011-12-18T09:29:00.001+01:00

It is announced today that the £2.2M grant application to the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery "Parks for People" project has been successful.

Heartiest congratulations and thanks are due to the Council's dedicated Parks Project team who, overcoming many difficulties, have been working hard on this scheme for the past 2 or 3 years.

To access past posts on this subject go to:-

The Level Enhancement Project - latest

North Laine lights

2011-12-16T13:50:00.000+01:00

It is a relief to see the correct spelling of "Laine": not "Lanes" or Laines". Please note those Estate Agents who can't seem to get it right: you know who you are!

Council turns down Co-op proposals

2011-12-15T04:44:00.000+01:00

The proposal to demolish the former Co-op department store on Brighton's London Road to create 407 units of student accommodation was refused by the city council's planning committee yesterday afternoon.

After considering the application, the committee decided that the proposal did not justify the loss of the existing 1930s building which is valued by the local community due to its architectural and historic interest.

It was also clear after viewing the proposed design of the building that it would relate poorly to other buildings in the surrounding area and would be an overdevelopment of the site. The building appeared out of scale with neighbouring properties and affected views from Preston Circus and the New England Quarter.

A full assessment of the proposed building’s affect on the neighbourhood and its impact on sunlight levels on the rest of the area could not be made as insufficient information was submitted.

Possible noise disturbance to the area also played a role in the planning committee’s decision. There was not enough information on how the proposed roof terraces and open service yard would affect noise levels in the area. The applicant also did not address the need for disabled parking.

The former Co-operative department store

Theatre in the Lanes

2011-12-13T17:52:00.000+01:00

Brighton's unique Treason Show left the Komedia in 2009, after 9 years, following a disagreement with management over the number of shows it was allowed. It has been at the Pavilion Theatre ever since, apart from a New Year show at the Old Ship and a 10 year celebration performance at the Theatre Royal.

As it is essentially suited to a cabaret-style venue the Pavilion Theatre was not ideal and it is therefore excellent news that Mark Brailsford, founder, director, performer (and streaker), has been granted a license to operate from the basement of 25 North Street as "The Theatre in the Lanes".

25 North Street, adjacent to Meeting House Lane and directly opposite the end of New Road, is appropriately situated close to The Theatre Royal and the Pavilion Theatre. The site is now occupied by Chandos House, a 1960's development which replaced part of Vokins, the drapers, and the Countess of Huntingdon's Church

The Countess of Huntingdon's Church, North Street

Further details: Council grants new theatre application

Rex Whistler - The Christmas stocking

2011-12-13T09:54:00.000+01:00

The Christmas Stocking

A painting, by Reginald John (Rex) Whistler, aged 16. Six years later, in 1927, he completed perhaps his most famous work, the murals in the restaurant of Tate Britain.

In Brighton he is famous for "HRH the Prince Regent Awakening the Spirit of Brighton", 1944. This hangs upstairs in the Royal Pavilion and was the centre piece of a major exhibition in Brighton Art Gallery in 2006, "Rex Whistler: The Triumph of Fancy". It was originally painted on the wall of a house in Preston Park Avenue where Rex Whistler was stationed during WW2.

Interestingly this painting has become seriously darkened with age and perhaps, being on wallpaper, the possibilites for restoration are limited. Only the techniques of digital photography allow it to be appreciated in anything like its original state.

Self portrait 1940

Rex Whistler was subsequently killed in Normandy in 1944 and, according to his wishes, expressed only hours before, was buried where he fell.

Wheel view

2011-12-09T10:57:00.000+01:00

For earlier posts:- Wheel progress 3

The Mitre House Hotel development

2011-12-06T17:06:00.111+01:00

Planning application BH2011/034343 details the proposed conversion of the north block of Mitre House into a 3 storey, 134 bed hotel. The principle of a hotel on this site was established last year by application BH2010/01966. On the Western Road frontage of Mitre House a separate entrance to the hotel will be created, alongside the existing entrance, by utilising the existing shop at no.150.

From this entrance a passageway leads to the north block and the hotel, (see below).

The work includes adding an extra storey to the north block by means of a mansard roof with dormer windows, executed with a zinc cladding. The deteriorating exterior brickwork will be pale rendered. (See below).

Proposed elevation on Hampton Street

The improvement to Hampton Street should be considerable, although it is only fair to note that in the visualisation above the artist has somehow forgotten the rubbish bins.

Hampton Street at present.

New Queen Square hotel - planning application

2011-12-05T22:00:00.000+01:00

A planning application (BH2011/03227) has been submitted to replace the old skating rink at the end of Queen Square and no.11, the last house on the LH side, with a five storey, serviced apartment hotel with a restaurant/café at ground floor level. The hotel will be known as "The Light".

The designs have been prepared by Conran & Partners, and the application impresses with the amount of research and effort that has gone into ensuring that the building harmonises seamlessly with adjacent period properties, and enhances the immediate neighbourhood without dominating it. The front of the hotel is mainly rendered, and has balconies and windows disposed and proportioned to echo patterns established in the adjacent frontages. The 'lantern' top storey is stepped back from the front to minimise height. The rear is in grey brick to harmonise with the colours predominant in and around St. Nicholas churchyard. To the west end of the site, behind the west side of Queen Square, the upper floors are stepped back from the rear walls of Wykeham Terrace to minimise overshadowing, and the balconies so formed screened to maintain privacy.

A not insignificant planning gain will be the improvement of Queen Square itself. The developer's aspirations for this, shown below, require a levelling of the approach to the hotel to provide an outside eating area and a public art work to attract people into the Square:-

The Square however, being a cul-de-sac, will still struggle to increase footfall. The suggestion for a pedestrian 'cut-through' from Queen Square to the St. Nicholas open space was considered but, unfortunately, failed to receive persuasive backing. The factors said to weigh against it are the 3 metre change in gradient and the need to demolish a section of the churchyard wall. These points are valid to some extent but not insuperable. What seems to have been the main concern is the unknown consequences of a new link between a quiet area and the busy city centre, notwithstanding that any conceivable problem could surely have been obviated by the provision of gates. There was never any suggestion of establishing a permanent right-of-way. As things stand, due to timidity, a unique opportunity to improve the City's pedestrian links will be lost forever.

Earlier posts:-

A new footpath to St. Nicholas?

New hotel for Queen Square 2

New hotel for Queen Square

Charles Burleigh, Hove artist

2011-12-04T21:32:00.002+01:00

The Burleigh family taking tea in Wilbury Crescent, Hove. c.1940

This painting by Charles H.H. Burleigh is in the collection of the Geffrye Museum, Shoreditch. Burleigh, 1875-1956, studied at Brighton School of Art and in Paris, and painted a variety of subject matter in both oil and watercolour. The artist was married to Averil Burleigh, another artist, and they had 7 Wilbury Crescent built in the 1920s. One of their daughters, Veronica, was also a painter.

Brighton Art Gallery has 22 paintings by Charles in its collection, including "Brighton Front", below, the painting for which he is best known locally.

Brighton Front 1920

Other well-known paintings are his interiors of the Royal Pavilion when it was in use as an Indian hospital and the interior of the Brighton Arts Club c.1930, which portrays many local artists of that period. The latter is currently on display in Brighton Art Gallery.

The Gallery also has seven paintings by Averil and two by his daughter, including a portrait of her father at his easel. Not all the paintings are on display. The family were discussed in an article by Hilary Chapman in the Antique Dealer and Collector's Guide of March 1998.

Charles Burleigh was a member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI) and the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours (RI). He exhibited quite widely at their exhibitions and at such venues as the Royal Academy and the Fine Art Society. He seems to have been a prolific painter throughout his life and, perhaps because of this, many of his works fetch only of the order of £100-£200 at auction.

Duncan Grant in Brighton

2011-11-29T20:00:00.000+01:00

Duncan Grant, 1885 - 1987, painted "Brighton Pier & boats" in 1938. It seems to be his only work with a Brighton subject, notwithstanding that he lived not too far away at Charleston, East Sussex. The painting is interesting in that it shows two of the old wooden windlasses which adorned the beach and were still in occasional use, until the mid 20th century. They were gradually supplanted by manual iron winches. Eventually a powered winch under a green painted steel cover was supplied by the Council and the wooden windlasses disappeared. The large wooden hog boats, such as the one shown in the background, fitted with inboard motors, remained in use somewhat longer, fishing in the winter and providing tourist trips in the summer.

Duncan Grant

The painting is believed to have been originally in the collection of Edward Le Bas who bequeathed it to Eardley Knolleys owner of the Storran Gallery, London. From Eardley it would have passed to the picture framer and lover of EM Forster, Mattei Radev and thus become part of the important Radev Collection.

Council checks Saltdean Lido

2011-11-28T22:16:00.000+01:00

Officers from the council’s conservation team recently visited the Saltdean Lido, which is on English Heritage's "At Risk" register, to assess its condition. They are now considering next steps forward. Options include serving a notice on the operator requiring repairs to be made. Non-compliance with such a notice could lead to compulsory purchase of the leasehold interest.

A new Brighton & Hove City Council report also signals that the authority, which owns the building, would be willing to take back the lease if suitable terms could be agreed.

The authority as landlord has already served a legal notice on the leaseholder in May 2010 requiring a list of repairs to be made. There is currently a dispute between the council, which owns the freehold of the building, and the leaseholder about the extent to which this has been done and the quality of repairs.

The council is also set to introduce a new monitoring regime to ensure the leaseholder regularly opens the pool to the public.

Alleged infrequent opening and the condition of the building have been the focus of a local campaign and a petition which prompted a council debate last month.

Cabinet councillor for culture Geoffrey Bowden said: “At the same time as pursuing the legal route over the state of the building, we’re now seeking an official view from our conservation experts. I’m expecting this will strengthen our hand.”

While campaigners have been demanding the council withdraws the lease, council lawyers say a court is unlikely to support such a move unless and until negotiations with the lessee have broken down.

Councillor Bowden added: “I completely share campaigners’ frustration but for now we must pursue other ways of keeping the pressure on the leaseholder to repair the building and open it regularly. We want a vibrant, accessible Lido that plays a full part in the life of the local community and city as a whole.”

A report updating the position is expected to go to the next of Councillor Bowden’s regular decision-making meetings on December 6.

See also:- Save the Saltdean Lido Campaign - latest

Save the Saltdean Lido Campaign- latest

2011-11-28T15:32:00.000+01:00

The Save Saltdean Lido Campaign today announced a series of emergency community meetings to take place on Sunday 4 December at St Nicholas Church Hall, Saltdean Vale at 2.15pm, 3.30pm, 5.00pm & 6.15pm.

Hundreds of people are expected to attend the meetings which will give local residents and other interested people a chance to discuss a report about the lido site which Brighton and Hove Council are issuing on Monday 28 November.

This report, which will outline the key issues and options available to the Council, will be discussed by the Culture, Recreational and Tourism Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 6 December. Ms Crook, the Chair of the Lido campaign, has been invited to speak for three meetings at this meeting as have the Saltdean Residents’ Association, the Saltdean Community Association and Dennis Audley, the leaseholder of the site.

On December 4 the Save Saltdean Lido campaign will discuss the options which council officials have laid out in the report and raise a number of other urgent issues regarding the site. It is intended to continue its policy of fully involving the community to secure a clear mandate for action.

Last month, at the Full Council Meeting of Brighton and Hove Council, the Save Saltdean Lido campaign group presented a petition signed by almost 3,000 people which asked the Council to commence urgent proceedings and pro-active action against the current lease-holder of Saltdean Lido to maintain the building and comply fully with the terms and conditions of the lease. The petition went on to state that if there is failure of compliance, signatories immediately expect the Council to revoke the lease with forfeiture.

The Campaign group have stated that the pool was not open daily this Summer as the lease states and neither has the building been maintained to a satisfactory standard to provide sufficient community facilities.
See also:- http://www.saltdeanlidocampaign.org/

Last previous post:- Saltdean Lido put on "At Risk" register

The Level Enhancement Project - latest

2011-11-24T21:58:00.000+01:00

Plans to demolish the gardeners mess room, shown above, and build a new café and toilet facilities on The Level have been given the go-ahead as the council waits to hear whether its Heritage Lottery Funding Bid has been approved.

The proposed café development, shown below, also includes cycle parking and facilities for parks staff and rangers.

The modern, environmentally friendly building has been designed to enhance the park with glass on three sides, solar panels and a grass roof. It has plenty of space for wheelchairs and buggies and kitchens big enough to cook fresh meals. Toilets will include wheelchair accessible units along with changing facilities for adults with disabilities and an attendant’s room. The café and toilets would be open all year round.

Earlier this year the council bid for funding for The Level proposals from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund through their ‘Parks for People’ grant scheme. News of whether funding has been granted is expected to be announced in January. The £2.1 million scheme would see the Level totally transformed into a welcoming, safe and attractive open space. (From a Council press release.)

Earlier posts:-
Heritage Fund bid submitted for the Level
The Brighton Society & the Level Enhancement Project
View of the Level

The Level row rumbles on. . .

Council approves Option 2 for the Level
The Level consultation
Public consultation on the Level plans
The Level enhancement project
The Regency Society supports the "Keep the Level Green Campaign"

The New England Quarter playground - latest.

2011-11-23T17:37:00.000+01:00

In April this year developer McAleer and Rushe Group and landowners Albion Inns Ltd and Cookstown Developments Ltd, after withdrawing their appeal, were given six months to provide the much needed playground on Block K of the station site, see previous post.

The playground has failed to materialise within the allotted time and the City Council has instigated legal action which will be heard in Brighton Magistrates Court on December 8th.

Councillor Phelim MacCafferty says “We are extremely disappointed that the developers have continued to ignore requests to provide this much needed facility for families living in the area. . . Failing to comply with the enforcement notice has left us with no alternative but to take legal action.”

It will be interesting to hear the developer's excuses . . . .

The full press release may be read here.

Breakfast in Brighton

2011-11-22T05:44:00.000+01:00

This large oil painting measuring 5 ft high was the undoubted hit of the 1995 'Brighton Revealed' exhibition where it dominated one wall of Brighton Art Gallery and later became the part inspiration for a quirky book of the same name by Nigel Richardson. It was painted c.1950 by Edward Le Bas who had travelled and painted a lot on the continent and, because of this, an imaginative art dealer originally named the painting 'Breakfast in Majorca'. In fact it shows a scene in the front room of a house in Clifton Terrace, Brighton, looking out over the private gardens towards the since decapitated Metropole Hotel and the sea. The way Le Bas has captured the light flooding over the table is genius, although from the direction of the shadows it appears to have been a rather late breakfast.

Another painting c.1952 by Le Bas entitled "Brighton from Clifton Terrace" appears to be from an upper room situated towards the Dyke Road, eastern end, of the terrace, as it shows the corner of the italianate villa, 43 Dyke Rd, then occupied by Clark's Secretarial College. A possible candidate for the viewpoint of this painting is 6 Clifton Terrace, a guest house at that time. Both the above paintings are in private ownership.

Le Bas was born in 1904, educated at Harrow, Cambridge University and the Royal College of Art and started to exhibit at the Royal Academy from about 1930. He met Duncan Grant and the Bloomsbury Group in the 1940's and was elected to the London Group in 1942. By 1955 he had become a Royal Academician and in 1957 was awarded a CBE. By this time he had amassed an extensive collection of 20th century paintings which were the subject of a special exhibition at the RA in 1963. His relative early death in 1966 was attributed to heavy drinking.

The only Edward Le Bas in the Brighton Museum collections is the delightful "The Bedside Table", c.1940, which is currently on display in the Art Gallery.

Today some of Le Bas' paintings have values in the order of £20,000.

The Victoria Fountain - now & then

2011-11-20T16:24:00.000+01:00

The Victoria Fountain is pure 'Brighton'. It was financed partly by Sir John Cordy Burrows, Brighton's first Mayor and partly by local public subscription; it was designed by Brighton's regency architect Amon Henry Wilds, modelled by Brighton sculptor William Pepper, cast in the Eagle Foundry in Gloucester Road, and the Brighton dolphins forming its base were mounted on a collection of sarsen stones dug up in the Old Steine in 1823. It has rightfully been grade II listed along with the Royal Pavilion since the listing scheme was first introduced in 1952.

It was inaugurated in 1846, to mark Queen Victoria's 27th. birthday, with a ceremony at which a band played the "The Fountain Quadrilles", specially composed by local musician Charles Coote. In 1990 the top part was removed for restoration and, on completion in 1995, was inaugurated by Prince Charles. The whole fountain was given a further makeover for the Millenium celebrations and it seems to have been getting regular maintenance ever since.

The circular cascades between the basins, which form such an attractive feature, especially viewed against the light, appear to have been a recent innovation. Early photos show individual jets arcing down from the rims of the upper basins and others arcing up from the bottom one.

Some more about the fountain & comments about William Pepper here:- My Brighton & Hove: the Victoria Fountain

Medina House, Hove, reprieved again

2011-11-18T11:28:00.000+01:00

A little piece of old Hove seafront lives on. Globe Homes' December 2009 application to demolish was refused in December 2010 and their appeal against this decision was refused by the Council earlier this month.

Go to amyfrankiesmith's blog for an excellent article and photos on the history of Medina House.

Protecting quiet spaces in the City

2011-11-16T22:40:00.000+01:00

Environmental Protection UK ( a Brighton-based charity for local environmental quality issues - http://www.environmental-protection.org.uk/) and Brighton and Hove City Council are working towards finding open space that can be identified and designated as 'quiet areas' in terms of absence of noise from road traffic, railways, aircraft and industry etc. (This is to meet the requirements of ongoing national and European obligations to identify and protect quiet open spaces).

To achieve this it is intended to involve users of the City's open spaces by face-to-face surveys in selected parks during October/November, and also by means of an online survey. If you enjoy our parks and open spaces, and would like to help to identify and retain peaceful areas for relaxation in Brighton & Hove you are invited to complete the survey at:- http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/quietspacebrightonhove (It only takes about 5 minutes)

The National Planning Policy Framework

2011-11-12T09:40:00.000+01:00

The Brighton Society has responded in detail to the Draft National Planning Policy Framework circulated by the Government and its conclusions are summarised below:-

Remove the presumption in favour of development. This will address the majority of our reservations.
Remove the misleading expression ‘sustainable development’ Just call it development. Or come up with another description for the definition set out in paragraph 9.
Set out a reasonable and realistic timetable within which Local Authorities can prepare and finalise their Local Plans in conjunction with their local community before ANY of the policies contained in the NPPF become mandatory.
Provide a failsafe mechanism if deficiencies in the Local Plan lead to patently detrimental consequences to the local environment and the wishes of the local community.
Give the local community a greater say in the formulation of Local Plans free from development targets – because that is what they are.
Ensure that there are procedures and safeguards so that local communities are given the time and facilities to make a real contribution to planning policies in their local areas.
Issue guidance to local authorities on how to resolve the problem of finding accommodation for travellers.
Remove the requirement for a 20% additional allowance for development.
Specifically encourage the use of brownfield sites for new housing development.
Confirm that equal weight will be given in the NPPF to the categories of planning for prosperity, planning for people, and planning for places (para 10) but acknowledge in para 11 that there will be many circumstances, particularly within existing built environments, where planning for spaces will outweigh the others because of a need to protect the existing environment.
Create a presumption against development which would detrimentally affect the historic environment in our villages, towns, cities and countryside.
Create protection for open spaces used by the public within built up areas.
Recognise the value of open countryside and include policies to preserve, enhance and protect the character of the countryside from inappropriate development.
Encourage local authorities to review the boundaries of Green Belt land where these run along main roads to ensure a buffer of open space along those roads.
Encourage local authorities to put in place strong policies to control the proliferation and detrimental environmental effects of advertisements and signage.
Incentives should be created for Housing Associations to allow them to expand their ability to provide more affordable housing, and to make a greater contribution towards the aim of increasing the number of new dwellings built annually.
Create a monitoring system on a national basis to keep track of the amount of housing developments approved, built and completed, and issue updated guidance on a regular basis to local authorities so that they can see how their own allocations, planning applications, approvals and built provision are affected by the national picture.
Provide national guidelines for future development to address the imbalance between the increasingly depopulated north and the increasingly overpopulated south and issue guidance to local authorities where this is likely to affect the provision within their local plans.
Make VAT zero-rated where existing buildings are converted and/or refurbished to new uses.

The full response may be read here: http://www.brighton-society.org.uk/?page_id=1902

G F Watts in Brighton

2011-11-10T16:53:00.001+01:00

31 Sussex Square

The artist George Frederick Watts, 1817 to 1904, was a frequent winter visitor to Brighton in the 1880's, where he worked on his famous painting "The Court of Death" (see earlier post).

His wife Mary, designer & potter, 33 years his junior, wrote; "‘After much consideration we settled the question where to spend the winter by taking a house at Brighton. There was the advantage of a well-lighted studio, built for a picture-gallery, large enough to take in his big painting of the " Court of Death," and as many others as he wished to have there. His doctor knew and recommended this house, and to 31 Sussex Square we went on November 1. A big platform was built up in this studio to make it possible for him to work upon the " Court of Death." When he went into that room to find that these preparations had been made, his feeling seemed to be a sort of despair at the amount of work that still remained undone."

G F Watts' reputation, like that of other Victorian artists underwent something of decline through much of the 20th Century but now seems to be in the ascendant. 31 Sussex Square would seem to be a prime candidate for a blue plaque.

With thanks to Mark Bills, Curator, Watts Gallery

The joys of refuse collections in Hanover

2011-11-08T17:37:00.000+01:00

The lower promenade shelter hall

2011-11-05T20:20:00.000+01:00

This photo shows the semi-circular hall at the bottom of West Street shortly after it was opened in 1887. The interior was beautifully decorated and comfortably furnished to enable up to 500 visitors enjoy views of the beach and sea in relative comfort in bad weather.

The photo below shows it as it is today, still largely intact. It is decorated on the outside with some fine heads of Neptune just below the railings. It is interesting to note the change in character of the beach clutter.

However the octagonal kiosk above is showing the effects of 125 years of exposure to salt-laden gales. It still has the original decorative cast-iron work, probably cast in one of Brighton's several Victorian foundries but, by its condition, it looks as if it will not be around for much longer. I would like to see the ironwork removed and conserved, new moulds taken, re-castings made and re-erected on the kiosk.

No harm in wishing I suppose . . . .

The new Amex building topping-out

2011-11-01T18:57:00.000+01:00

Some are concerned that its elevations on Carlton Hill may prove to be somewhat forbidding, but from the Pavilion Gardens it looks quite good.

White Night '11

2011-10-30T10:02:00.000+01:00

A few pictures:

'Dollytopia'- New Road

'Return to Eden' - Victoria Gardens

'Polyester Festival' - Jubilee Library

'Metahub' - Jubilee Square

A revamp of Lewes Road

2011-10-28T20:19:00.000+02:00

Development of Lewes Road began northwards from the Level in the 1860's and to begin with, judging by St. Martin's Church and imposing Gladstone Terrace opposite, there were some aspirations to cater for the Victorian middle-class. The entire east side of the road, up to the extra-mural cemetery was closely planted with trees that, by the coming of the trams in 1901, had grown to near maturity. Sadly, these trees were deemed to inconvenience tram passengers on the top deck and, instead of being carefully pruned, were completely removed. The trams & trolley-buses came and went but, although a few trees have now been planted, the road has remained generally rather sad & shabby ever since. Nowadays, it also suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the City. I said 'generally rather sad & shabby' because it is only fair to mention the notable exception of the 'Franklin Arms' which, having a deep forecourt planted with two fine semi-mature trees, provides a welcome oasis.

The city council now has nearly £8M to spend on a scheme to improve the transport flows, street scene and air quality along Lewes Road and surrounding streets and will be staging exhibitions of their broad proposals for the area in November & December. This will provide an opportunity for residents and businesses to feed-in their own suggestions which will then be used to help draw up more detailed plans before more consultation next year.

It will not be easy. Making the road more pedestrian-friendly, and reducing air-pollution are mutually incompatible targets. The first requires widening the pavements and providing more crossings. The second requires speeding-up and smoothing the traffic flow.

Venues and dates for the exhibitions are:- Hollingdean Community Centre, November 11 and 12; Coldean’s Larchwood Community Café, November 15 and 19; Hanover Community Centre, November 21, 23, 26; Moulsecoomb Leisure Centre bar, December 2, 3; Bevendean’s Norwich Drive Church Hall, December 8, 9, 10.

Times vary – for details see www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/lewesroad or call 01273 290487.

'Vitrine' on White Night

2011-10-27T10:11:00.000+02:00

If you intend to be out & about on Saturday evening don't forget to do some window-gazing in Bond Street & Gardner Street.

Film Co Lab has announced the list of moving image art works that will be screened in Brighton for the public art exhibition Vitrine, 11 Colourful Outside Jobs as part of White Night Brighton 2011:-

 AL and AL, "I killed thousands of people last night and these are all the weapons I used" – 3D, (2009). Gresham Blake, 20 Bond Street. www.greshamblake.com/
 Greta Alfaro, "In Ictu Oculi", (2009).
Fruity, 8 Gardner Street.
 John Baldessari, "Six Colorful Inside Jobs", (1977).
artrepublic, 13 Bond Street. http://www.artrepublic.com/showrooms/4-brighton.html
 Dara Birnbaum, "Mirroring" (1975).
Manor Cafe, 52 Gardner Street. themanorbrighton.co.uk
 Herz Frank, "Ten Minutes Older" (Par Desmit Minutem Vecaks), (1978).
Wildcat, 6 Gardner Street. wildcat.co.uk
 Ian Helliwell, "Coloured Light District", (2002).
Infinity Foods Shop and Bakery, 25 North Road. infinityfoods.co.uk
 Olga Koroleva, "Dialogues: White Chocolate and Jesus, part 1", (2011).
Infinity Foods Cafe, 50 Gardner Street. http://www.infinityfoodscafe.co.uk/
 Jess MacNeil, "The Swimmers", (2009).
Temptation Cafe, 56 Gardner Street. brightontemptation.com
 Jorge Santos, "(untitled)", (2011).
Badger Clothing, 25-26 Bond Street. badgerclothing.co.uk
 Richard Serra, "Hand Catching Lead", (1968).
Laste, 6 Bond Street. laste.co.uk
 Gillian Wearing, "Dancing In Peckham", (1994).
Capers, 27 Gardner Street. capers-brighton

36 Church Street

2011-10-25T17:02:00.000+02:00

Rosen's, father & son, secondhand clothiers at the top of Church Street, satisfied a need in Brighton for nearly 100 years. Both the building and the trade plied there seemed to hark back to a different, almost Dickensian age. Certainly the packed rails outside and its stuffed interior always called to mind some of the Victorian shops minutely described in Dickens' novels.

In considering redevelopment, the Council planning department was originally keen to keep as much of the original structure as possible, but when work started it was found that the Church Street facade was in a dangerous condition and had to be demolished. So now it is gone.

The latest approved planning application BH2010/02604 covers partial demolition of the building and rebuilding and replication of the front façade; the retention of the rear façade with a two storey rear extension, and between the facades the erection of new structure comprising shop with ancillary office storage at ground floor level and 2 two bedroom flats above.

The drawings show that the front parapet will be preserved but the dramatic effect of the former variation in roofline will be diluted by the addition of a dormer storey.

It is interesting that 36 Church Street was, and will remain a 'semi-detached' property. There is a small gap between its west wall and that of the property on the corner of Queens Road, formerly the Windsor Castle inn.

From Queens Road

Persephone Books

2011-10-24T17:26:00.000+02:00

In their latest biannual newsletter Persephone Books have chosen to illuminate their pages with two images drawn from Brighton & Hove's art collection. On the cover is the locally well-known "Alice in Wonderland", c.1879, by George Leslie Dunlop, and depicting his daughter Alice. GLD was part of the St. John's Wood (London) clique of painters who favoured light-hearted, domestic genre paintings. He became an RA in 1876. The popularity of GLD's work has survived to this day, his "Daughters of Eve" fetching £170,000 in 2000.

On the inside pages is "The Coat of Many Colours" c.1926, by local artist Louis Ginnett. Louis was a member of the famous circus family, he attended Brighton, Hove & Sussex Grammar School, became a teacher at Brighton College of Art and in 1913 was commissioned to produce an extraordinary series of murals for the Grammar School hall. These he worked on, on and off, until their completion in 1939, and they are still to be seen to this day.

School Hall, BHASVIC

Persephone Books, of Lambs Conduit Street, London, prints mainly neglected fiction and non-fiction by women, for women and about women. With their distinctive plain grey jackets and cream 'labels' for the title wording, all their books look the same from the outside. Inside, each is different, with the endpapers chosen especially to match the date and mood of the book.

Saltdean Lido put on "At Risk" register

2011-10-19T18:39:00.000+02:00

Earthshaking news is reported today that the Saltdean Lido and its art-deco buildings have been placed on English Heritage’s Heritage 'At Risk Register' for 2011.

The only Grade II* lido in England, Saltdean Lido appears on the listing for the first time after years of neglect have led to parts of the building becoming derelict. Only 10 buildings have been added from across the South East to the 'At Risk Register' and Saltdean Lido is the only building owned by a local authority to appear this year. The freehold of the Saltdean lido site is owned by Brighton and Hove Council and it is highly unusual for council-owned sites to appear on the Register.

This news has come extremely opportunely, as tomorrow, the Saltdean Lido Campaign will present an e-petition to the full Brighton and Hove Council meeting. This petition calls upon the Council to take action to recover the lease. It is the petition with most signatures in the Council’s history.

Modernist style buildings of this period can pose particular difficulties of maintenance and restoration due to the construction techniques employed and it is entirely inappropriate that such an iconic, architecturally important building should be at the mercy of a long leaseholder whose prime motivations lie in developing the site for profit. Despite being repeatedly told by Brighton & Hove Council that residential development will never be allowed on the site, the leaseholder continues to talk publicly about his ambitions, recently telling the BBC that he intends to restore the building 'in the future', but only when residential development has been approved. Rebecca Crook, chair of the Saltdean Lido Campaign, said: “It is clear to all that the leaseholder has deliberately run-down this building so he can say that the only option is development. It is equally clear that Brighton and Hove Council is at fault for letting this happen and needs to start legal proceedings immediately to regain the lease”.

Some examples of the decay & neglect already present are illustrated below:-

Rotunda walls

Damp penetration to Rotunda

Rotunda flooring

English Heritage states in its Heritage at Risk Register that local authorities have a primary role in protecting the historic environment and tackling the issue of neglected buildings. It says that local authorities can take action to secure the preservation of historic buildings through the use of statutory notices. To help local authorities make more frequent and timely use of their statutory powers, English Heritage runs a grant scheme to underwrite a significant proportion of the irrecoverable costs involved in serving Urgent Works and Repairs Notices.

The Save Saltdean Lido campaign has ambitious plans for the site and high-profile supporters include English Heritage and the 20th Century Society. Conran & Partners, Sir Terence Conran’s architecture and design practice, has backed the Campaign by drawing up viable alternative plans for the entire site with no residential element.

The Campaign has developed a business plan – described as ‘robust’ by an independent consultant which lays out how the site could be financially self-sufficient if operated by a Community Interest Company (not-for-profit organisation) which means that all the profits would go back into the building.

More details about the Campaign can be found at www.saltdeanlidocampaign.org
The Council meeting at which the petition will be presented starts at 4.30 pm on 20th October.

Earlier posts:-
The City Council pledges to save Saltdean Lido
Saltdean Lido petition

Down with seafront & other signs!

2011-10-17T03:46:00.000+02:00

The Western Esplanade, Hove has its own special appeal to many residents which is entirely different from the razzmatazz of Brighton's lower promenade. Its informal atmosphere with fewer distractions from the sea, shingle and sky provides an ideal environment on a fine day for a leisurely stroll or jog.

Anticipatory pleasure was also provided by the approach to the seafront walk from Kingsway where on several of the paths, the sea, horizon, and sky is framed by tamarisk with the simple picture often completed by a passing boat. That was how it use to be before, a few years ago, the Council stuck up this obtrusive sign, blotting out a big chunk of the view.

Of course one NEVER sees anyone reading the sign, which is no surprise, since the amount of useful information provided is negligible. Most of it is in the tone of a bossy nanny. "Do not jump. Do not dive". The sea can be rough, the beach can be steep, don't go into deep water if you can't swim. - And does anyone really not know to dial 999 in an emergency, or to stay out of the sun if they don't want to get sunburned?

The Council has recently gone to some efforts to reduce the number of estate agents' signs in sensitive areas producing a vast improvement in the appearance of some historic neighbourhoods. It should also look to put its own house in order. There is surely a vast excess of unnecessary visual clutter in our urban environment, including traffic signs, that nobody takes any notice of whatsoever. I sometime think it should all be swept away so that we can start again with the really essential ones which, because of the lack of visual competition, would be all the more effective.

The Royal Escape continued

2011-10-15T07:30:00.000+02:00

Continued from: The Royal Escape.

The mate of the Surprise was one Dick Carver who, on October 15th, 1651 had carried the King through the surf to the boat. Dick was a life-long Quaker and a descendent of the protestant martyr Deryk Carver who lived in the Black Lion Brewery the site of which, in Black Lion Street, is marked with a plaque.

After the King's restoration Dick Carver also sought recognition of his services and, when being asked what he wanted, he simply requested the release of imprisoned Quakers. Thousands were in prison at this time either for failing to attend church, blasphemy or unlawful assembly. In the event only six were released but they included John Bunyan who had been in and out of prison for years for his nonconformism. Although Bunyan was not a Quaker, the Society of Friends had interests in common with him and had taken up his cause. He was never rearrested.

The Royal Escape

2011-10-15T07:05:00.000+02:00

360 years today Charles II landed safely in Fecamp, Normandy, having purportedly spent the previous night in the George Inn, West Street, Brighton, shown here in 1878. It seems that the name of this inn may have changed several times since 1651(perhaps according to the politics of the landlord). An old print dated two years after the restoration in 1660, is said to show it as the King's Head and sometime after 1878 it again reverted to that name which it retained up until its demolition in the 1930's.

The King had been ferried to France by Captain Nicholas Tattersall of Shoreham in his 60 ton collier The Surprise. The dowty Captain presumably laid low after that episode but, after the King was restored, he became somewhat peeved at not receiving due recognition and sailed his boat round to the Thames to picket Whitehall Palace. The King promptly entered the boat into the Navy lists as The Royal Escape and granted the Captain an annuity of £100. The gallant Captain eventually purchased the Old Ship Inn (now hotel) in Brighton where no doubt, embroidered accounts of his exploit greatly assisted trade. Relics of The Royal Escape are displayed in the lobby of the Old Ship to this day. Captain Tattersall died in 1674 and his tomb, with a florid tribute, may be seen in St. Nicholas churchyard.

See also: West Street: then & now (2)

Pavilion ice-skating for next 5 years

2011-10-13T22:22:00.000+02:00

From a Council press release:-

A real ice rink in the grounds of Brighton’s Royal Pavilion is set to return for another five consecutive winters.
The council’s planning committee has given permission for the attraction to return between early November and the end of January until 2016.
It would include temporary buildings housing a restaurant, toilets and skate hire room.
All structures have to be removed by February 9 each year.
The first ice rink was installed between late October and late January last year.
There are small changes to details of the attraction. The ice surface is slightly larger – 800 sq m rather than 700. There will be a bigger public viewing area in front of the café, plus a special photographic deck to the south of it.
Opening hours will be 10am to 10.30pm, with 250 people allowed on the ice at any one time. Floodlighting has to be switched off by 11pm.
Planning officers advised councillors that the attraction should be permitted as it would be a boost to tourism and recreation without any long-term harm to the Pavilion.
Chair of the planning committee Cllr Phelim MacCafferty said: “Against the backdrop of our city's famous and historic Pavilion, councillors have given the go-ahead for ice skating in the open air over the holiday season.
“We clearly feel this is a good thing to have when outdoor recreation opportunities are otherwise limited in the winter.
“It should boost the local economy by providing another reason for visitors to come to the city during these quieter months. We’ve imposed strict conditions to make sure the grounds are reinstated so there’s no long-term harm.”

See also: Ice-skating to return to the Pavilion?

Work on the London Road Viaduct

2011-10-11T07:17:00.001+02:00

In planning application BH2011/02884, Network Rail describes a number of defects on the London Road viaduct on the section between the Preston Road and Beaconsfield Road. The condition of the viaduct is said to present a safety hazard to the retail premises and members of the public below.

The businesses below are to be relocated while the remedial work is carried out. The work proposed seems quite extensive and includes; removal of vegetation and treatment of the roots, the replacement of missing, spalled or loose bricks and pier corbels, stitching of fractures, repointing, repair of cornices and the installation of lead flashings.

The arches involved stretch from the east side of Preston Road to the west side of Beaconsfield Road. Presumably Network Rail has to prioritise its maintenance programme. The crop of greenery seen here is just outside the zone and will evidently survive for the time being . . .

See also: The London Road Viaduct

A Tower of Dreams

2011-10-10T17:31:00.000+02:00

The scaffolding is due to be removed from the Pepperpot in the 3rd week of October which means that, all being well, it will be down in time for the fantastic Shared Space and Light 'Tower of Dreams' postponed from September. This free event is taking place 7.30pm - 10.30pm on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 October (the latter being 'White Nights').

Local people, ranging from a 5 year old to an 86 year old, who has lived next door to the Pepperpot for 60 years, have been filmed while answering the question "What could the Pepper pot be?" These images will be projected on to the door of the building whilst their visons of its future use will materialise around them. These visions include; a climbing wall, a cafe, a camera obscura, an artist's studio, an audio-mixing workshop and a lighthouse - all providing Shared Space & Light ample opportunity to create an unforgettable collective experience.
Shared Space & Light is a Brighton-based organisation dedicated to the use of video-mapping to create large scale public projection events within the built environment.

Earlier posts about the Pepperpot:
More Pepperpot news
News from the Pepperpot
Winter warmer at the Pepperpot
Plans for the Pepperpot
The Pepperpot

Final adjustments . .

2011-10-10T12:40:00.000+02:00

Earlier posts:
Wheel progress 3
Wheel progress 2
Wheel progress . .
Wheel row rumbles on
Giant ferris wheel approved
The Brighton "O"

Plans submitted for London Road Coop

2011-10-07T23:21:00.000+02:00

A planning application BH2011/02417 has been submitted to demolish the London Road Coop and to erect 3 to 6 storeys providing 407 units of student accommodation and 4 retail units (A1) at ground floor level with new service area vehicular access from Baker Street and landscaping works.

It is proposed that the student accommodation should be managed by Fresh Student Living, a specialist Student Accommodation company, who have provided a 16 page management plan which is included with the application.

The proposed design is uninspiring. The jumble of random rectangles presented by the London Road elevation seems devoid of any aesthetic message, the architect being determined to deny the eye any sense of rhythm or continuity of line.

It is difficult to see that this is a suitable area for student accommodation and that such an influx will do anything to assist the regeneration of the London Road shopping area.

RSCH Planning Exhibitions

2011-10-07T11:10:00.001+02:00

During October the hospital redevelopment team will be running exhibitions at three locations across Brighton and Hove. These exhibitions are open to all and will show the plans for the redevelopment of the RSCH that were formally submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council at the end of September. With professional staff on hand to answer any questions the exhibitions will give the people of Brighton and Hove a chance to see the future of acute and specialised healthcare in their city.

Any queries about the exhibitions contact the redevelopment team:-
Website: www.bsuh.nhs.uk/3ts
Facebook: search for 'RSCH redevelopment'
E-mail: hospital-redevelopment@bsuh.nhs.uk
Post: 3Ts Engagement, Sussex House, Abbey Road, Brighton, BN2 1ES
Phone: (01273) 523375

Previous posts on this topic:-
Plans for new RSCH submitted
RSCH planning exhibitions
Redeveloping the RSCH
The RSC Hospital redevelopment
Plans for the Royal Sussex Hospital
The Royal Sussex County Hospital redevelopment

Goodbye "Indian summer"

2011-10-07T10:51:00.000+02:00

West

East

Work starts on the Keep

2011-10-07T10:00:00.001+02:00

The start of work on a new historical resource centre for East Sussex and Brighton and Hove, "The Keep" will be celebrated this week at a ‘turf cutting’ at the Woollards Field site.
East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council and the University of Sussex are working in partnership to provide The Keep, at a cost of £19m. The new centre is due to open to the public in 2013.
Councillor Bill Randall, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “We’re really excited that The Keep is underway. It will be a wonderful resource for residents across Sussex bringing so many archives together for the first time. It will provide an outstanding facility for people of all ages to enjoy and learn about our rich and colourful history.”
Councillor Tony Freebody, Lead Member for Community Services at the County Council said: “The Keep will be the new home for over 900 years of historical resources and collections of local, national and international importance. It will house over six miles of archives and when completed will be a wonderful resource for the people of East Sussex and Brighton & Hove.”
University of Sussex Vice-Chancellor Professor Farthing said: “The Keep is an excellent collaboration - a purpose-built facility that will house the county’s valuable collections and the University’s own extraordinary archives and the combined expertise of county and university archivists, for the benefit of the whole community.”
(From a City Council press release.)

The question of what will happen to Brighton's centrally located History Centre has still to be decided.

Related post: "The Keep gets a go-ahead"

Wheel progress 3

2011-10-06T22:37:00.001+02:00

The Brighton wheel now has its gondolas.

Earlier posts:

Wheel progress 2

Wheel progress . .

Wheel row rumbles on

Giant ferris wheel approved

The Brighton "O"

Wheel progress 2

2011-10-04T15:39:00.001+02:00

Rapidly taking shape.

I am more than ever convinced that this particular location between the Palace Pier and the Aquarium terraces could not have been bettered. It seems far more appropriate aesthetically than that proposed for the i360 at the end of Regency Square.

Exciting times in Patcham Village

2011-10-03T17:04:00.000+02:00

Early Sunday morning (2nd Oct) the driver of a Seat Alhambra travelling north on the A23 in a 30mph zone, lost control on the gentle, left-hand, downhill bend coming into Patcham Village, veered across the south-bound carriageway, took out a Pelican-crossing control cabinet, careered down a grassy bank, hit a parked Renault Megane, and then a Multipla, which it sent careering into the wall of the Grade II listed, Elizabethan Cottage Tandoori. It was finally bought to a halt by a parked Ford Mondeo. The bang of at least one of the collisions could be heard all over the village.

The impact of the Multipla with the wall which is solid and about 18 inches thick shattered the window and pushed in a section of the wall by about an inch.

The driver was stretchered off to hospital in a neck brace but according to the Argus was believed to be not seriously hurt. It is a matter of extreme good fortune that there were not any pedestrians in the area since they are not protected with seatbelts or air bags.

I await with interest the court case and police report, in particular the driver's age . . . .

Premier Inn, North Street

2011-09-30T14:01:00.000+02:00

I have long been promising myself a rant about this building and just the other fine morning remembered to take a photo. Speaking as a purely amateur architectural critic, from the first floor upwards the array of vertical elements is not displeasing. There is something rather ad hoc going on on the roof but at least it is mainly out of sight to the casual passer-by. The same can not be said about the seriously gross design of the canopy, a feature which no one using North Street can avoid seeing and, it follows, has had the potential to offend the eye of the vast majority of Brightonians and countless visitors.

One wonders why it had to be so deep and thus obscure part of the view of the first floor windows. What did it need to cover, apart from its own structural members and a few electricity cables? Or did the architect simply have in mind making some strong horizontal statement as counterpoint to the facade above? If so he surely failed badly. For such a prominent feature to stand any chance of success it needed the highest quality materials and utmost attention to detailed design. Instead the whole idea is trashed by the shabby cladding and the shoddy arrangement chosen to finish off the roofing of the canopy. The latter looks more suited to a garden shed than a prominent building in a busy City street.

To pile on the visual offence, many years ago the roof of a lorry came into contact with the edge of the canopy and took a chunk out. This draws the eye even more certainly to the canopy and away from the better features of the building. It appears no one cares enough to have it repaired.

The Premier Inn stands on the site of one of the many Prudential Insurance Offices designed by famous victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse in his characteristic red-brick victorian gothic style. It was demolished in 1967 when my back was turned.

Wheel progress . .

2011-09-29T15:07:00.000+02:00

Work is now well under way on the Brighton Wheel but it seems unlikely that the target opening date of early autumn will be met. Three additional applications for the site have been filed but not yet registered. They presumably deal with the shortcomings of those rejected earlier this month which failed to provide sufficient information about the lighting proposals and the travel plans.

A condition of the approval of the main application was that the details of the lighting and travel plans were to be approved before the Wheel started operating. The 'opposition', (one hestitates to label them "nimbys" because by no stretch of the imagination can the wheel be considered to be in anyone's back yard), are taking heart from this hiccup as evidenced by the posts on Brighton's Mad Wheel. As would be expected for an attraction of this sort, it is intended that the Wheel should be illuminated in some way, and the proposals are for programmed “displays” in varying colours. These displays will be turned off when the Wheel is closed to the public but it will remain partially lit 24-hours a day. In an effort to convey its concern about the effect of the lighting on the neighbourhood Brighton's Mad Wheel has published a rather nice night-time visualisation of the Wheel seen from Madeira Place.

Madeira Place is the only street along the entire seafront that will be privileged with this particular view and to me it looks rather fine. True I am speaking as an outsider, yet even if I lived in this street I would be hard put to rationalise any objection. Surely any hotels or guest-houses along the street will be rather more pleased to have it than not. I can even imagine, in 5 years time, a campaign being mounted to extend the Wheel's stay, especially if the i360 fails to materialise,

Author Peter James makes a promise . . .

2011-09-27T22:03:00.000+02:00

"The surprise I promised is if I win the Crime Thriller Awards I’ll buy any fans that show up on Brighton Pier fish & chips to celebrate!"

See: @peterjamesuk .

On Friday 7th October The Crime Thriller Awards will take place in London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. The event, now into its fourth year, will be hosted by Marcus Brigstocke and broadcast on ITV3 on Tuesday 11th October.

The awards, called daggers, are for the best actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, best TV, best international TV and best film alongside the CWA book awards, The Gold Dagger, Steel Dagger and New Blood Dagger.

This year ITV3 viewers can vote for their favourite Crime Thriller authors in the ITV3 People's Bestseller Dagger.

Voting opens Saturday 23rd July and closes Wednesday 5th October, and terms and conditions can be found here.

See ITV Crime Thriller Awards to learn more about the nominated authors and to vote.

Could be the biggest fish & chip party ever!

Plans for new RSCH submitted

2011-09-25T11:17:00.001+02:00

Designs for the £420m redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital will be registered by 30th September and will appear in the press during the week ending 7 October, followed by a 3 week consultation period. The hospital authorities hope to get planning permission by Christmas. The government has agreed to approve funding for the scheme, but this will only happen formally once planning permission has been given by Brighton & Hove City Council.

From: http://www.brighton-society.org.uk/?p=950

Autumn sunshine

2011-09-24T20:24:00.000+02:00

Astoria to be demolished

2011-09-23T20:26:00.000+02:00

The Astoria cinema opened in 1933 with a showing of Alexander Korda's "The Private lives of Henry VIII" and closed in 1977 after a showing of "A Star is Born". It then became the Coral Social Club and then Gala Bingo until its final closure in 1997. It has remained boarded up and unused since and, although Grade II listed in 2000 as being of special interest on account of its art deco design, it has been allowed to badly deteriorate both inside and out. The best chance of saving it came in 2001when it was bought by the founders of "Stomp", but plans for refurbishment as a concert, cabaret, and film venue foundered when projected restoration costs reached £6M.

Coming to the present, a recent report to the planning committee said no organisation had been able to demonstrate viable plans for renovating the Astoria and Councillors yesterday agreed to allow demolition on the grounds that it has become genuinely redundant.

The replacement six to two storey building is planned to provide the most energy-efficient offices in the city so far, scoring a national ‘excellent’ eco-rating. Rather like Brighton’s Jubilee Library it will maximise use of passive solar heating, plus natural ventilation through a ‘chimney’ effect. An ‘earth duct’ in the basement will circulate either hot or cold air according to need, and rain and waste water from hand basins will be used to flush loos.

New buildings to the rear will drop to two storeys to ensure improvements in outlook from the nearby North Laine conservation area and to better blend with adjacent historic streets. The development will also include a courtyard garden, a café and a community meeting room. As well as the main office space, there will be about a dozen starter units, aimed mainly at creative industries, small digital media and IT companies. It is expected to bring almost 200 jobs and substantially improve the surrounding area.

See Council press release.

Other information from the New Encyclopaedia of Brighton by Rose Collis.

The Rampion Wind Farm

2011-09-21T20:59:00.000+02:00

The energy firm E.ON is moving to the next stage of its planned 665MW Rampion wind farm in what has been designated as Zone 6, a 27 hectare area of sea, 13km off the Sussex coast.

They have previously applied for permission to put a 100m mast on the proposed Rampion site and are on the verge of carrying out detailed environmental studies. The met mast will collect wind speed data and measure wave heights and sea currents. The data will then help E.ON to design the best possible layout for the location. Formal consultation with local communities will begin later this year but on Wednesday, 28th Sept. E.ON plans to have a public information stall at the Farmers' Market event in Churchill Square. The planning application is expected to be submitted in January 2012.

Rampion, which was named after the County flower of Sussex by students at Davison High School in Worthing, has the potential to supply around 430,0001 homes with renewable electricity. Underwater cables will bring the electricity ashore at Shoreham.

If built, the turbines should be just visible on a good day from the promenade and clearly visible from the hilly areas of Brighton.

Brighton v. Liverpool tonight

2011-09-21T17:56:00.000+02:00

The match is being shown on Sky Sports 2 tonight at 19.45. If you don't have Sky you can watch a live stream at: http://mypremium.tv/

Bond Street La(i)ne again . . .

2011-09-20T15:27:00.000+02:00

Now somebody has painted out* the "I" which, although it must have been satisfying, doesn't do anything to further the argument for official amendment. On the other hand it is a lot cheaper than a replacement nameplate. Perhaps the next step should be for someone to start a petition calling for the Council to leave the nameplate with the "I" painted out. I can see it quickly becoming a feature of the tourist trail.

Last post on this topic:- Epetition to amend Bond Street La(i)ne nameplate

*Correction; for "painted out" substitute "applied masking tape to".

Medina House repairs ordered

2011-09-19T16:24:00.003+02:00

Medina House in 2003

The owners of Medina House on Kings Esplanade, originally built in the 19th century as Turkish baths, have been served with a Section 215 enforcement notice after they failed to respond to requests from council enforcement officers to clean up the property. The site is in a prominent seafront location and is part of the Cliftonville Conservation Area.

The owners have six months from 1 November to wash down and repaint the southern and western elevations; remove the breeze blocks from the window openings and reinstate windows and glazing; repair and make good all the windows and doors including re-glazing as required; repaint all external timberwork including window frames, doorframes and soffits and re-render the eastern elevation of the property.

From a Council press release.

Epetition to amend Bond Street La(i)ne nameplate

2011-09-14T14:22:00.000+02:00

There is now an epetition available on the City Council website. It reads:-

"We the undersigned petition the council to revisit the 1981 decision of the Highways and Transport Committee from which this misapplication of "laine" originated and rectify the situation without delay. The use of "laine" in this nameplate is incorrect and misleading."

"The word "laine" is of anglo-saxon origin meaning "loan" or "lease" and was the Sussex dialect term for the open arable fields of the feudal system of agriculture. Its use has survived uniquely in Brighton to the present day and its correct application should be jealously guarded as part of Brighton's history and unique character."

This petition will be presented to Environment, Transport & Sustainability Cabinet Members Meeting on 24 January 2012.

The petition can be signed at: http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=261

Earlier posts:-
The strange case of the reappearing "i".
The strange case of the reappearing"i" continued.

Autumn Ghost Vigil at Preston Manor

2011-09-13T15:20:00.000+02:00

Autumn Ghost Vigil
Saturday 17 September
Preston Manor

"Spend the night investigating the active paranormal. Explore the Manor and discover it's ghostly history, entering reputedly haunted rooms and taking part in ghost vigils led by a guest medium. For serious enthusiasts and the curiously brave. Tea, coffee & cake provided."

If you don't mind losing a night's sleep this might be fun and I'm sure I'm as fond of a good ghost story or film fright as anyone; but I wish the museum had been slightly more careful with its wording. A museum, whatever avenues it explores to attract funds and footfall, is at heart an institution of learning. It should take care not to give credence accidentally or otherwise to the reality-challenged of this world.

Police! Action! . . . museum

2011-09-13T14:54:00.000+02:00

Making an arrest; . . . . there were also two police cars out of shot. Shortly afterwards a bleary-eyed miscreant was marched to one of the cars and his carrier bag and beer can were confiscated. . . . That'll larn him!

The strange case of the reappearing "i" continued

2011-09-12T17:07:00.001+02:00

Continued from: The strange case of the reappearing "i".

The name "Bond Street Laine" arises from a report, dated 27th July 1981, to the Highways & Transport Committee, by the then Borough Engineer, M.E Kearns. The developers of nos.12 & 13 Bond Street had laid out this footpath which gives access to the maisonettes above 12 & 13, as well as the Church Street car park. The suggestion to name it "Bond Street Laine" came from the developers and, in his report, the Borough Engineer simply endorses the name without question.

The Borough Engineer's report was considered by the Highways and Transport Committee meeting on 17th August 1981 who accepted it without debate. Evidently no one on the committee was sufficiently well-versed in Brighton's history to challenge the spelling of "laine" or to have an inkling that further advice should be sought.

Living with . . . sash windows.

2011-09-09T15:17:00.000+02:00

This is the latest title in the series of fact sheets "Maintaining period buildings" issued by the Regency Society. The previous titles were "Living with . . . bungaroush" and "Living with . . . lath & plaster". All three pdf's provide expert advice & tips and should be priority reading for the city's many owners of Georgian & Victorian buildings.

"Living with sash windows ends" with some notable "don'ts".

DON'T:

• Replace a cill with green (new) oak or pine.

• Glue joints with internal grade PVA glue – use marine PVA glue

instead, as it will withstand the weather better.

• Use lubricating oil to ease the sashes.

• Use large nails to fit stop beads, or any nails at all on the parting

rails.

• Use any other type of rope than waxed cord.

• Fit modern pulleys, which are usually made of tin plate and are

brass plated and not cast. As a result they may rot or break within

a few years.

• Even think about UPVC replacement windows.

Kill List

2011-09-09T10:27:00.000+02:00

A new film by Brighton director Ben Wheatley (Down Terrace) is now showing at the Duke of Yorks.

"When British soldier Jay (Maskell, GHOSTED) returns home from a covert operation in Kiev, he reunites with an old acquaintance and takes on a job as a contract killer.
But things go awry when his inner demons surface and his new reality becomes haunted by ghosts of the past. The most anticipated British horror of the year, KILL LIST is a bombshell of a movie with a high-impact ending that will leave you speechless."

Sounds and looks good.

Stanmer farm buildings to be redeveloped

2011-09-08T08:09:00.001+02:00

The City Council owns a number of disused farm buildings in Stanmer Park including the Grade II listed barn shown on the left above. Home Farmhouse, also listed, is on the right. The Council is now considering their redevelopment and have engaged property agents Smiths Gore to market the properties nationally.

The council’s cabinet member for finance and resources, Councillor Jason Kitcat, said:-

“This is a wonderful opportunity to rejuvenate Stanmer Park by providing a range of services and facilities to attract visitors, improve their enjoyment of the park and provide a high quality gateway to the South Downs. But we are also very clear that any refurbishment or restoration proposals have to be self-financing as well as financially sustainable. We will look at whether commercial or residential accommodation could be used to support financially other non-income generating uses. And we also intend to talk to the South Downs National Park about whether they might want to use part of the site as an area office. We need to see what interest there is in the market place, while at the same time finding out how local people would like to see these buildings used.”

The council is holding a public exhibition at Stanmer Park from September 9-11 to start getting the views of local people on redevelopment.

Council staff will be on hand at the exhibition in Stanmer Park’s tractor shed off the village street to answer questions and get people’s views. The exhibition boards will then move to Hove Town Hall until September 16.

It is hoped to establish an outline business plan for the buildings in the new year.

From a Council press release.

And now for something completely different . . .

2011-09-07T09:15:00.000+02:00

The strange case of the reappearing "i"

2011-09-06T15:30:00.000+02:00

This twitten, leading from Bond Street to the Church Street multi-storey car park, did not exist until the 1980's when the car park was built. It was created by rebuilding the property in Bond Street to which the nameplate is affixed.

Some years ago a nameplate appeared high on the opposite wall of the twitten and the fixing holes can still be seen there. It was a rather cheap-looking plastic sign and lacked the Council logo. It declared "Bond Street Laine", again sporting the errant "i".

Surely all Brightonians know that "Laine" derives from the different areas into which Brighton was once divided: North Laine, Little Laine, Hilly Laine etc. and was never applied to a twitten or alleyway.

When the writer made this offence against historicity and correct terminology known to the Council, the sign was replaced within weeks, in the same place, this time in the Council's standard design and this time with the correct spelling. So it remained for several years until the above appeared.

The new location is more useful but the reappearance of the spelling error is quite inexplicable.

Why not join me and email: lines.signs@brighton-hove.gov.uk

The seafront railings - a solution in sight?

2011-09-05T16:26:00.000+02:00

I have often likened the maintenance of Brighton's victorian seafront railings to that of the Forth Bridge. Paint is applied on paint in a largely cosmetic operation which has only a marginal effect on the rate of corrosion and needs repeating almost annually.

Now a new paint developed for the offshore oil industry is being used to protect the Forth Bridge and may last up to 40 years before it needs repeating. It seems that the expression "like painting the Forth Bridge" to describe a never-ending task will soon be consigned to history.

The new process requires grit-blasting the old paint & rust back to bare metal and then applying three coats of a "glass flake epoxy resin" which chemically bonds with the surface of the metal forming an impenetrable layer.

This process applied to our railings would, as well as reducing annual maintenance costs, help to preserve them into the future and thus postpone indefinitely the enormous cost that would be incurred by their replacement. It would have the additional advantage of revealing all the finer details of the castings at present disguised by the accumulation of a 100 years of paint.

See also:-
The seafront "paintathon" has begun.
Seafront maintenance.
Brighton's seafront railings.
The seafront railings.

Ice-skating to return to the Pavilion?

2011-09-03T20:31:00.000+02:00

A planning application (BH2011/02303) has been submitted for a temporary ice-rink at the Pavilion, during winter, for a 5 year period. Last year's trial was obviously thought sufficiently successful and profitable for it to be proposed as a recurring winter attraction and the applicants received no discouragement from the Council.

In their Heritage statement the applicants state:-

"The ice rink will provide a leisure/sporting activity which will encourage tourists and engage with local communities. The structures will increase the capacity of the historic site temporarily, and bring a wider range of visitors. The size of the rink has been chosen to sit within the context of the Royal Pavilion. The site has been designed so as to visually enhance views of the Pavilion. The structure will have glass walls facing the rink with additional glass walls along the edge of the structure facing the Steine. Bespoke transparent roofs have also been opted for in all areas except the toilet block. The ice rink will provide an important source of income which will help to fund repair and maintenance of the grounds and the building itself."

Stringent precautions are specified to protect the existing trees, shrubs and beds during installation and derig, and from the public throughout the period of functioning of the rink. As before the grass will be reinstated by March each year by rotovating and re-turfing. This does give some cause for concern. What will the be the long-term effect of repeated operations of this sort without allowing time for the grass to become properly established?

City Council to manage downland in-house

2011-09-02T20:32:00.000+02:00

"The estate management of the Downland owned by the Council around Brighton & Hove is to be brought back in house following a decision by the Cabinet on 1 September. . . .

The authority owns some 10,500 acres (4,400ha) of downland inside and outside the city’s boundaries – an area roughly half the size of the city itself. For years this has been managed by the council through specialist estate agents.

Historically, the council’s policy aimed to maximise income from farming, balancing this against social and environmental factors under the Downland Initiative. However the formation of the South Downs National Park and the growing interest in the environment, wildlife and ecology provides new opportunities.   Councillor West added: “Some progress has been made with the Downland Initiative by our agents working with farmers. We now want to build on that by taking a closer role. The model we now want to look at is similar to how the council treated the seafront estate as a special case, developing it as a key part of the city’s offer. Since then, we’ve never looked back.
“With our good transport connections into the Downs, we have the opportunity to make the city the major gateway to the National Park.
“Running the estate in-house is just a first step toward setting the right conditions to enable that all to happen.”
Councillor Pete West, cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said: “We believe the change will help us build a stronger relationship with farmers and together explore opportunities to create new income.” "

From a Council press release.

Fares protest at Brighton Station

2011-09-02T17:04:00.000+02:00

Caroline Lucas, Brighton Pavilion MP and leader of the Green Party, joins a protest against fare rises at Brighton Station this morning.

Heritage fund bid submitted for the Level restoration

2011-09-01T19:45:00.001+02:00

One of Brighton’s most historic parks will be totally transformed if a £2.8 million bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund is successful.
Brighton & Hove City Council submitted the ‘Parks for People’ bid for The Level this week. The aim is to restore the 19th century park’s heritage features and increase the number of people who use it.
Plans include a stunning new interactive water feature, a café which would be open year-round and in the evenings, a sensory garden, an upgraded children’s play area and a new skatepark.

From a City Council press release. Read on.

Previous posts.
"Brighton Society & the Level Enhancement Project".
"View of the Level".

"The Court of Death"

2011-08-31T15:31:00.001+02:00

This painting by the victorian symbolist G F Watts took him over 30 years to complete, and because, at 14 foot high, it was too large for his studio at Compton, Surrey he rented larger premises in Brighton. Over the period 1870 to completion of the painting in 1902 he must therefore have been a frequent visitor. He also employed the services of famous Brighton photographer Thomas Donovan who had a studio in St. James's Street..

The painting is to be seen in Tate Britain. The display caption reads:-

"This painting was intended for the chapel of a paupers’ cemetery. Death is shown as an enthroned angel, holding a baby which shows, according to Watts, that ‘even the germ of life is in the lap of Death’. Flanking Death are allegorical figures of Silence and Mystery, guarding what lies beyond the veil: sunrise and the star of hope.

In the foreground a warrior surrenders his sword and a duke his coronet, showing that worldly status offers no protection. But Death also offers refuge: a man with crutches finds relief from pain, while a pale, sick woman rests her head."

G F Watts lived from 1817 to 1904.

The curator's talk can be found here:- http://channel.tate.org.uk/media/40029067001

Is the Big Lemon facing unfair competition?

2011-08-28T17:03:00.000+02:00

The Big Lemon says:-

"Some would say it’s poor taste to pass judgment on competitors’ services and pricing plans but we cannot sit idly by and watch our competitors flood our route with cheap buses whilst putting prices up everywhere else to pay for it all. Yesterday afternoon our competitors announced bus fare increases on all services… except the ones that compete with ours. And this is after prices on competing service were reduced substantially in January to match our cheap fares.

From 18th September a CitySaver bought on the bus on most city routes will be £4. However on the 23 and 25 services that compete with ours along the Lewes Road it’s just £2.50. Brighton & Hove Bus Company’s website blames the rise on the price of diesel and the expiry of their fixed-price fuel deal. But is diesel cheaper on the Lewes Road than everywhere else? Of course not." . . . . . Read on.

The Brighton Society & The Level Enhancement Project

2011-08-28T10:13:00.002+02:00

The Brighton Society has written to the Heritage Lottery Fund supporting the City Council's application for funding:-

25th August 2011

"The Brighton Society wish to support Brighton and Hove City Council’s application to the HLF for funding to restore and enhance The Level.

The formal gardens at The Level were designed and implemented by Captain Maclaren who was Superintendent of Brighton’s Parks and Garden’s in the 1920’s. He was an extremely dynamic character who designed and created a series of innovative gardens at many locations in the town. He was responsible for the Sunken Gardens that ran along the seafront either side of the West Pier. Images of these gardens were used extensively at the time to publicise the town as a holiday resort and they can be seen in the iconic 1930’s posters of Brighton’s sea front.

Other Maclaren projects were the Rockery opposite Preston Park; remodelling of Preston Park by the removal of boundary railings and the creation of a rose garden with fountains; the Peace Garden at Patcham. He prepared visionary designs for a lake with terraces along the London Road and a major new design for the Aquarium Terraces. The Sunken Gardens have now gone and other gardens have been altered over the years. To some extent, the legacy and importance of Captain Maclaren’s work has been forgotten.

The formal gardens at the Level were one his best designs. His use of pergolas covered in roses, surrounding the intricate bridges and ponds, created a very restful and atmospheric park. The photographs of the gardens in their heyday between the wars are stunning and the council again used these images to publicise the town as a holiday resort. Sadly the gardens have declined in recent years and many of the stone columns were toppled during repeated acts of vandalism.

Restoration of the gardens would provide a much needed public space in this area of the town and would highlight the importance of Captain Maclaren’s contribution to the development of the Parks and Gardens in Brighton.

The Level is adjacent to the London Road shopping area which has also suffered a decline with shop closures and major problems with the Open Market. The proposed redevelopment of The Level with the restored gardens and lighting, new catering and related facilities, new sunken skatepark and rearranged access paths would provide a high quality public space which would help to regenerate the area – perhaps the trigger to turn around the problems of the area.

We are very supportive of the proposal to surround the formal gardens with improved seating, a café and children’s play areas which will be of a scale to not detract from the appearance of the gardens. The provision of the children’s play areas will of course reflect the original aim of Captain Maclaren to include children’s play areas adjacent to the gardens. Moving the skatepark to the other side of the east-west rose walk removes the problem of accommodating the much larger scale of skatepark equipment next to the delicate scale of the formal park. Well designed skateparks built below ground level have been successfully created at many locations and they have the great advantage of being less obtrusive and with lower noise levels. The space allocated in the northern section of the level has the potential of providing a greatly enhanced facility and careful design and landscaping should minimize its visual impact.

The consultation process carried out by the council over the last year has been impressive. A considerable number of households in the immediate vicinity were provided with detailed information on alternative options. The project also received city-wide publicity and comments were welcomed from interested amenity societies, community groups and individuals. The resulting 2:1 ratio in support of the proposed scheme to move the skatepark into the northern section of The Level shows a significant level of support for this option. The Brighton Society is gratified with this outcome as we have always felt that the restored gardens needed to be surrounded by facilities sympathetic to the appearance and scale of the gardens.

The Brighton Society has been concerned for many years about the decline of The Level and the great need to bring the area back into use as a pleasant and well used public space. There is an obvious need to enhance the whole of The Level. In so doing the restoration of the formal gardens would also acknowledge the historic importance of the works of Captain Maclaren. We therefore fully endorse the application of Brighton and Hove City Council and would encourage the HLF to support this proposal that could be so vital to regenerating this area of the city."

Malcolm Dawes
Chair, Brighton Society

Previous post on the Level:- View of the Level

Brighton & Hove bits at Amberley

2011-08-27T09:55:00.000+02:00

Hove Station ticket office

Tram shelter

These two relics of Brighton & Hove's transport history have found a new lease of life, splendidly refurbished, in the Amberley Chalkpits Museum.

The ticket office on its original site

The Church St./Portland St. development site

2011-08-25T16:43:00.001+02:00

This site, below the Earth & Stars pub on Church St. and stretching along Portland St., must be the only remaining vacant plot in the City centre. It has been like this for at least 18 years, and during that period, through times of both boom and bust, the developers have had numerous attempts at producing a viable scheme.

A planning application for demolition of existing buildings and construction of a four storey building was approved in 1993 and some foundation work was started in 94. Over the following years several amendments to the original plans were submitted and withdrawn until in 2006 plans for a seven floor development were rejected by the council. In 2007 plans for six floors were also rejected and an appeal was refused.

The latest application BH2011/02401 by local architects Morgan Carn is for a development on four floors comprising two retail units and three floors of office space on Church Street, a terrace of six 3 bedroom houses on Portland Street, and a terrace of three 2 bedroom houses in the southwest corner of the site which will not have road frontage. The buildings form a U-shape around a central landscaped courtyard with parking for 25 cars in a basement level. The parking will be accessed via the existing private gated car-park on Portland Street.

Portland Street

Part of the west side of Portland Street was rebuilt in the 20th.C with terraced cottages in traditional style. The style of the proposed new terrace is modern-vernacular so, although harmonising materials and finishes are specified, the contrast with the rest of the street will be quite striking.

Proposed development - Portland St. elevation

Sewing machines & Winter ice-skating

2011-08-24T16:20:00.001+02:00

Brighton Bits post "The Sewing Machine Shop", with 543 views has just pipped "Winter Ice-Skating" with 540. With autumn/winter coming the positions may yet be reversed. I suspect the popularity of the former is just due to googlers looking for somewhere to buy machine parts or accessories, in which case they will have been sadly disappointed. But I cannot see any ambiguity in the popularity of "Winter ice-skating".

The attraction of skating outdoors in the winter seem to have really caught the public's imagination and the City Council would surely be backing a winner if a permanent site could be made available. One wonders if Bartholomew Square has ever been considered? Sheltered on all 4 sides, an important practical consideration, it is very similar to the Somerset House courtyard in London where ice-skating has been a highly popular feature of the winter season for many years. Bartholomew Square has from its creation been something of a failure as a public venue. To find a use such as this for it would inject some life into the area, boosting the hotel, the restaurant and maybe even stimulating new commercial activities.

St. Peters church - then & now

2011-08-23T17:44:00.000+02:00

RPM collections FA000628

This oil painting by J Attree shows the church in 1846 just 20 years after it was built to a design by the young Charles Barry who later won the public competition to design the Palace of Westminster. It was originally intended to have a spire but, like several other churches in Brighton & Hove, this was never added. In 1846 the stonework will still have retained much of its original whiteness, as the painting suggests, and its gothic splendour soaring unchallenged above the low, dingy buildings around must have been an impressive sight.

St. Peters today.

Blue Plaques for St. Aubyn's Mansions

2011-08-21T18:57:00.000+02:00

On Friday 19th August, in brilliant sunshine, the Deputy Mayor, Cr. Geoff Wells unveiled plaques to St. Aubyn's two famous residents; the contralto Dame Clara Butt and music hall entertainer Vesta Tilley. The unveiling was attended by Nigel Divers of the Southwick Society, and Chris Jaegar of the Vesta Tilley Society who provided some fascinating insights into the lives of these performers.

Dame Clara Butt was born in Southwick and there was once a plaque to her there, but it disappeared when properties were demolished some years ago to widen the A259. That particular area is such an industrial no-go area now that there would have been little point in replacing the plaque there. St. Aubyn's is an ideal substitute.

Vesta Tilley, first appeared on stage aged 3, and later often appeared at the Brighton Hippodrome. She is the performer most credited with cementing the role of pantomime "Principal Boy" in the public's affection.

The plaques were financed by contributions from the residents of St. Aubyns and certainly enhance and add extra interest to this elegant late victorian building.

Wonderful Brunswick Festival

2011-08-20T20:42:00.000+02:00

Rottingdean High Street - then & now

2011-08-19T11:29:00.000+02:00

c.1904

2011

It is somewhat surprising when, comparing two scenes separated in time by over 100 years, you have to look quite hard to see the differences.

The main change is the replacement of the old cottage, or it may be 2 cottages, by an extension of the victorian revival-style terrace. There is also now street-lighting, but using antique-style lampposts which look as if they might have been there for 100 years. The pavement on which the lamppost stands has been cut back and, of course, tv aerials are now sprouting from the rooftops.