Saltdean Lido Campaign calls for Council Chief to get involved.

After constant lobbying and campaigning over nearly 2 years the group have taken the decision to demand personal involvement from John Barradell, the Chief Executive of Brighton & Hove Council.  The Council are the freeholders and owners of the iconic building and legally could seek enforcement action to take the site back from the leaseholder who holds a 125-year lease, if they chose to do so.  In a report released by the Council this week, it states that Compulsory Purchase Order would be a last resort, despite plea's from the campaign group acting on behalf of local residents.

In a letter which was sent to Mr Barradell today the campaign group talk about a ‘blockage in the Council’ and go on to say there is ‘no cohesive plan of action or exit strategy in place’.  It is thought that the letter contains information relating to concerns about any health and safety matters at the site, operational concerns and the disrepair to the listed building.

Ms Crook, Chair of Save Saltdean Lido Campaign says: ‘Whilst we are encouraged by the efforts of some at the Council, there are serious matters that we have raised that it would appear the Council have chosen to largely ignore.  We believe that members of the public could potentially be at risk if using the site and are now demanding  personal involvement from Mr Barradell to investigate fully all the concerns we have raised.’

Ms Crook, goes onto say that ‘This a building of national importance, in fact it is 1 of only 3 seaside lidos still remaining and if the Council continue to have a laissez-faire attitude we will end up losing the building forever.  The Council have an obligation to ensure it is maintained to a satisfactory standard which by the omission of the Council itself is not the case, with 80 pages of major disrepair outlined on the last schedule of works.’

The campaign group will be speaking and asking questions at next weeks Culture, Recreation & Tourism meeting due to take place at Hove Town Hall on the 6th March at 4pm.  The Council will be providing an update on the situation verbally and there is a public gallery for members of the public who wish to attend.

More trees lost in Pavilion Gardens

Presumably elm disease marches on. The City is the holder of the National collection of Elms, several fine varieties of which are in The Pavilion Gardens. The collection will now be sadly depleted.

Further reading:-http://www.forestryjournal.co.uk/PDFfiles/Brighton.pdf

Outdoor table tennis

What a brilliant idea! Preston Park has acquired an outdoor table tennis table. It is extremely solid. It should provide an interesting game.

"Laine" or "lane" - Argus gets involved

See:- "Laine" or "lane" - Brighton Street name controversy 

The Argus makes the point that a new nameplate will cost £250. Of course a new nameplate is not strictly necessary, Once the Post Office has accepted the new name the old one will officially cease to exist. The existing nameplate could be left in position with the "i" painted out. It would be a good talking point for tourist guides to pause at.

The Argus also kindly provides a poll "Should Bond Street Laine be renamed?" Yes or No?

The Aldrington Basin (PortZed) plans refused

Visualisation looking west along Kingsway

The Planning Committee at their meeting on Wednesday followed the advice of planning officers and unanimously refused planning permission for this development on the south side of Kingsway, Hove. The eco-friendly features of the scheme had much to recommend it but these were outweighed by the height and bulk of the buildings proposed, visualised by the applicant in the picture above.

Chair of the council’s planning committee Cllr Phelim MacCafferty said:   “Clearly we don’t want to turn down schemes which deliver sustainable homes.  However, in this case there was too much in conflict and unresolved to be able to approve.  There was real concern about potential problems with noise from the wind turbines. There are limits in how far we can go with the height and bulk of buildings.  We cannot ignore the fact such a development would have a big detrimental effect on the neighbourhood. While we need green homes we can’t have them at absolutely any price – a price paid by the neighbours in this case.”

See also previous post: Aldrington Basin development

The view today

Bond Street La(i)ne nameplate - the consultation begins

Click image to read

The effective starting date is 20th February and anyone aggrieved by the the proposed name change has 21 days from that date to lodge an appeal. If no objections are received the change of name will take place sometime after the 21st March.

See last previous post and read whole story from here.

149/151 Kingsway update

The earlier post, '149/151 Kingsway, Hove', referred to the planning application for the refurbishment  and extension of these properties including loft conversions. This work has now been completed to what appears to be a high standard with pleasing results. It seem that this classic example of 1930's domestic architecture will survive into the future notwithstanding that elsewhere along the seafront similar properties have been ruthlessly replaced by high-rise flats.

Brighton's half-marathon

Near the King Alfred, 1hour 25min. after the start and nearing the turning point at Hove Lagoon. The race finished in Madeira Drive. The conditions were nearly ideal. The mens' winner came in at 70min, the womens' at 82min. The respective world record times are 58min and 66min.

The Bond Street La(i)ne nameplate - The Brighton Society acts . . .

The Brighton Society has formally applied to the Council for the spelling of 'Laine' to be corrected to 'Lane'.

Read full story here:- The 'Bond Street Laine' street nameplate.

See also Brighton Bits post here.

The "Lanes" hotel on sale for £3.5m

Red brick and tile-hung gables of 'holiday Queen Anne' style erupt among Georgian stucco with a back drop provided by 21st century whimsy and 20th century stark modernism. 

The red brick Lanes Hotel in Marine Parade was built from 1879 onwards by architect Col. Robert Edis imitating the country-house style of his architect friend Norman Shaw. The hotel is being marketed by Graves Jenkins for £3.5M.

Architectural fantasia

Saltdean Lido - a ray of light?

Brighton & Hove News reporting a Council meeting yesterday says that the lessee of the Lido site will consider negotiating surrender of the lease.
A surveyor has been appointed to assess the value of the site. This will be used by the Council to determine the likely surrender value of the lease.

Blue plaque to Charles Dickens unveiled.

Charles Dickens was a frequent visitor to Brighton where, among the places he is known to have stayed are West Street and the Old Ship. However his favourite location was the Bedford Hotel, Kings Road where he wrote large parts of Dombey & Son, partly set in Brighton. For many years his connection with the Bedford was commemorated by a plaque but, after the hotel burnt down in 1964, this was lost.

Today, the day after his 200th birthday, a new plaque was unveiled at the Holiday Inn by his great-great grandson Ian Dickens (centre). Mr Dickens gave an eloquent, witty speech which suggested he has inherited something of his ancestor's way with words. There are now 207 descendants of the great man world-wide the youngest being a few months old.

On the left is Averil Older, Chair of the Commemorative Plaque Panel, on the right the Deputy Mayor, Cr.Geoff Wells.

Carlton Hill's flint walls

The single most important feature that characterises the Carlton Hill Conservation Area is the flint or cobble walling. During the 19th century farmers on the outskirts of Brighton operated a profitable winter industry of collecting flints from their fields and carting them into the expanding town. Flint walls as well as adding distinctive character to an area are valuable historic memorials to a past industry.

Near the centre of the photograph can be seen one such wall forming one side of a modern garage workshop at 70a Carlton Hill. The wall visually links with those on the opposite side of Carlton Hill thus giving a sense of coherence to the area.

Planning application BH2011/03221 calls for the demolition of this wall and garage and replacement with a block of 23 flats up to 6 storeys high. In the heritage statement accompanying the application the garage is dismissed as "an almost entirely modern utilitarian building of little architectural or historical interest". This may be true but hardly justifies the conclusion that "the removal of the existing building and . . the proposed development would enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area or at the very least leave it unharmed." Even leaving aside the merits or demerits of the proposed development, the loss of this flint wall can surely do nothing but degrade the conservation area. 

Closer-up of the wall from the applicant's Heritage Statement

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The RSC Hospital final designs

Visualisations of the designs passed by the City Council last month (see post here) can be viewed on the Hospital website here. In the view above, looking east along Eastern Road, the bow-shaped projection on the left occupies the position of the existing entrance and, facing down Paston Place, provides a small 'nod' to the period architecture of the area. The main entrance to the hospital can be seen further along Eastern Road facing west under a canopy.  

Mike Holland & the West Pier

A glimmer of hope?
Sorry about the flicker.