Brighton Square proposals

Strada Trading Ltd. have applied to erect a poycarbonate & laminated timber  pavilion in Brighton Square (see BH2017/03651) to provide covered restaurant space. 

The design would not be unattractive in a more spacious public park but here it would severely restrict circulation within the Square and deprive the Old Town of one of its few public open spaces. One also fears for the susceptibility of the panels to vandalism.

The proposal also requires the reconstruction and repositioning of the Dolphin Fountain which, it seems, would also prohibit unobstructed views of it from the surrounding walkways.

New restaurant for Hanningtons Lane

Surprise, surprise, the new Hanningtons Lane will include a new restaurant. It is shown above adjacent to Puget's Cottage giving views towards Brighton Place in one direction and along the new lane in another. From this picture it appears that a 'green wall' is being considered for the south elevation of Puget's Cottage; perhaps to foil so-called graffiti artists.

Talks are underway with prospective operators of the restaurant.

Site of the restaurant - no.7 (light green)

Festive Lights

Kensington Gardens 

Duke's Lane

Brighton Square

Brighton Place

Donatello's

Druids Head

Market Street

East Street

North Street.

The Big Switch-On

Old Town consultation

Brighton Place

The council is consulting on a draft Character Statement for the Old Town Conservation area, which is located in the heart of Brighton. It covers the historic extent of the medieval fishing town of Brighthelmstone, defined by the historic boundaries of North Street, East Street, West Street and the seafront. The Conservation Area was designated in 1973 and extended to include the promenade and beach area in 1977.

Market Street

Clarence Yard

Comments are welcome on the draft Character Statement for Old Town and should be made via the council’s Consultation Portal. The closing date for comments is 30 November 2016. Make your comments here, where the draft Character Statement can also be read in 'Supporting Documents'.         

Background 

A conservation area character statement sets out the special interest of the area. A good understanding of what makes a conservation area special is key to its continued conservation; it gives justification to the designation and forms the groundwork for a later management plan (which will be subject to separate consultation). An up-to-date character statement is important for making robust and enforceable planning decisions, and carries considerable weight at any planning appeal. Such statements can also offer constructive guidance for owners, businesses and their agents when preparing development proposals.

Duke Street

Old Town traffic plan - another step

East Street

A scheme to pedestrianise East Street could soon go ahead after the council met a government inspector’s calls for a safe alternative route for vehicles.

In October 2012, the city council approved a plan to remove traffic from three key locations in the Old Town, including East Street.  However at a subsequent public inquiry a government inspector said the effects of the scheme on Little East Street should be looked at in more detail.  

Traders in Little East Street had voiced concerns about the impact of passing traffic on the ambience – particularly for people eating or drinking outside.  They also cited congestion, delivery problems and safety of pedestrians.

As a result the council has now amended the scheme, with features like speed humps and safety railings.  To ease deliveries, a new loading bay and passing points will be created.  An independent safety audit has since said the plan is now categorised as ‘low risk’.  It concluded pedestrians would be safe because of low vehicle speeds involved – typically 12mph at the north end and 5mph at the seafront end.  Analysis has concluded that even the very largest vehicles could move safely though the street.

On congestion, a council report says there would be roughly one extra vehicle a minute through the area between 11am and 7pm and no increase outside those times.  Lorries would be banned from the entire Old Town area between 11am and midnight.

If a final go-ahead is given by councillors, it is expected East Street will be pedestrianised by the end of November, with no access for vehicles between 11am and 7pm daily.

Under the Old Town plan, Ship Street has already been closed to vehicles at the junction with North Street.

7 Ship Street Gardens - update

Plans for the redevelopment of 7, 7a, 7b, Ship Street Gardens have resurfaced in application BH2014/02485.

As can be seen from the above artist's impression some attempt has been made to soften the somewhat forbidding flint wall by surmounting it with railings through which a climbing plant can ramble. The proposed one to two storey office building behind has graduated sloping roofs that will allow maximum light into the twitten and is L-shaped around a small courtyard. 

The overall design looks attractive and the courtyard, it is suggested, will be densely planted around its edges to form a small green oasis. Unfortunately neither the building or the courtyard will be visible to the passers-by. Yet as the property isn't residential the needs for privacy need not be so stringent as that of similarly sited gardens along the twitten. The solid wooden gate should be replaced with a wrought iron one.

Proposed plan

Old Town traffic - Public Inquiry result

One of the options presented

The Public Inquiry held in July this year was called by the council to seek independent advice on the balance between the benefits of the council’s proposed ‘Old Town Transport Scheme’ and the interests of the objectors.

After hearing evidence from council officers, residents, businesses, and pedestrian charities, the inspector supported the following proposals:-

• To close the northern-most section of Ship Street.  The Inspector agreed with council officers that closing the stretch of road will dramatically reduce the amount of through traffic in the area which was  a key objective of the project.
• A ban on Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) after 11am. This was put forward by many local businesses who told the council that HGVs ruined the character of the area.
• To close the middle part of East Street to all traffic between 11am and 7pm each day would help pedestrians and businesses. 

Council officers will develop proposals for Little East Street further to determine an alternative design for the road. Initial proposals to close a section of Prince Albert Street will also be looked at again once the impact of other measures in the Old Town have been assessed.

 A proposal to close Boyce’s Street to through traffic, supported by businesses, residents and Middle Street School, was agreed before the public inquiry and will go ahead as planned.

The proposals considered by the inspector were drawn up following consultation with residents, businesses and visitors. The scheme follows on from improvements already made to King's Road between Middle Street and Black Lion Street.

 Lead Member for Transport, Ian Davey said: “Our plans for the Old Town proved popular in the public consultation and are similar to improvements seen in historic city centres around the world. They look set to maximise the potential of one the city’s best loved areas by making it more attractive and comfortable for visitors.”

The proposals will go to the Environment, Transport & Sustainability committee for final approval in January. Implementation could begin shortly after that.

Earlier posts:-
Old Town improvements
Old Town improvements update

Blackbird Tea Rooms

Brighton Bits doesn't normally advertise but it is good to see an attractive old building 30 Ship Street nicely restored and put to an appropriate use.

http://www.blackbirdtearooms.com/

One hopes it will succeed.

The two adjoining proerties to the left 28 & 29 Ship St. are Grade II listed:-
"Terraced houses, now shops. Early C19. Brick painted and stucco, roof obscured by parapet. 3 storeys, one-window range. Ground floor has late C20 shop fronts; upper floors have segmental bays and tripartite windows with sashes apparently of original design; the segmental bays appear to be very heavily renewed, despite the apparent survival of the glazing bars; parapet."

28 & 29 Ship Street

Old Town traffic

Prince Albert Street.
The section in the foreground could be closed to traffic.

The Council's proposals for Old Town traffic improvement includes some interesting background information:-

• Currently a significant proportion of traffic in the Old Town is through traffic, with 40% of vehicles entering the Old Town via Ship Street leaving within five minutes. 
• On a typical Saturday an average of 200 vehicles an hour drive in to the Old Town, compared with 600 pedestrians entering using East Street alone.

These are street layouts that developed long before age of the motor car and it seems inequitable that the comfort and safety of modern day pedestrians should be compromised by large numbers of cars in search of a limited  number of parking spaces. Neither is the Old Town on a through route to the nearest multi-story car park, i.e. "The Lanes" in Black Lion Street, which is accessed from King's Road.

In both its proposals A & B, the Council suggests closure of Ship Street at the North Street end. This seems an essential first step.
Option A further calls for restricted access from the seafront via Middle Street,  Ship Street & Black Lion Street; restricted access would allow for deliveries, residents, parking, taxis & emergency.
Option B allows free access from the seafront but closes to traffic the small length of Prince Albert Street between Ship Street & Black Lion Street.

As the restricted access of Option A would be difficult to enforce it seems likely that Option B would produce the most noticeable improvement for pedestrians. But one also wonders why an Option C is not on the table, i.e. Option B together with restricted access from the seafront.

Old Town improvements

The council has launched a  consultation on proposals for improving the Old Town for the hundreds of thousands of people that walk through the area year each year. On a typical Saturday 600 pedestrians come into the Old Town through East Street alone. Originally the heart of the old fishing town of Brighthelmstone, the Old Town has developed since the 13th century and retains its original  pattern of narrow streets, which was not designed for the volume and type of traffic currently using it.

Existing traffic flows

The aim of the consultation is to get  views on ways of reducing traffic while still allowing essential vehicle users to access the area.

PROPOSALS

OPTION A

Option A would restrict vehicles from accessing any of the Old Town unless they have a specific reason for being there, for example they are delivering to a business, are a resident, parking for shopping, taxi or an emergency service.

OPTION B

Option B would allow vehicles to continue to come into the area with overall vehicle flow reduced by using restrictions designed to deter through traffic. In addition the section of Prince Albert Street between Black Lion Street and Ship Street would become traffic-free, and East Street would become an ‘access only’ area.

There will be an unstaffed exhibition in the foyer of Bartholomew House from 23 May to 29 June and staffed exhibitions at the Friend’s Meeting House in Ship Street on Thursday 14 June, 12 noon–8pm and Saturday 16 June, 9am–5pm and at Bartholomew House, Bartholomew Square, Thursday, 28 June, 8.45am–4.45pm.

You can comment on the proposals by completing the consultation survey. The survey will be open until the beginning of July.

Old Town traffic improvement proposals.