Following years of campaigning by the Montpelier & Clifton Hill Association, the Brighton Society, concerned residents, and the very recent intervention by Green Councillor Jason Kitkat and Green MP Caroline Lucas, planning permission has been granted for a scheme which retains the Royal Alexandra main building. Taylor Wimpey, the owners of the site, withdrew an alternative application for demolition shortly before it was to go before the Planning Committee.
Brighton Bits has followed this long saga throughout and previous posts can be read here, here, here, and here.
Thus the important Dyke Road streetscape is to be preserved, as are the more unexpected but equally valued glimpses of the building from Powis Villas (see left).
The proposals will unfortunately lead to the loss of the quirkey Art & Craft style 1898 villa seen here.
It is to be hoped that work on the site will now start before too much further deterioration of the building takes place. In the present economic climate this might be by no means assured; or even that Taylor Wimpey will retain the site.
Drawings are from the planning application.
The views of the existing buildings are ruined by the "car park" in front of them. Of course, in the world of architects and developers cars magically disappear.
ReplyDeleteVery true :(
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