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THE BRIGHTON SOCIETY aims to conserve and improve the amenities of Brighton & Hove.....

CAMPAIGNS

In the past we helped to save Brighton station and the Parochial Offices, and opposed the demolition of 700 houses for the construction of an elevated road through North Laine.

Jubilee Library
Endeavour site
Black Rock
Bird Cage Bandstand
North Road tower
King Alfred
Marina
Brighton Station site
Patcham Court Farm

 

  • beetham tower

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  • Jubilee Library: The Brighton Society was represented on the Jubilee Street library consultative group. Our opposition to previous library schemes paved the way for the present library on this site.

  • Endeavour site: for a 16 story block of flats in Preston Road. We organised a public meeting jointly with the Preston & Old Patcham Society.

  • Thousands of leaflets were delivered in the area and the meeting space was full to capacity. We believe that as a result of enormous opposition, from both the public and all political parties, the developer, Karis, withdrew the application. The site has now been sold to a housing association for social housing.

  • Black Rock: we doubt whether the City's transport system will be able to cope with 12,000 people leaving this arena after a big event.

  • The so-called rapid transport system, more accurately buses running on partially dedicated bus lanes, will only cater for 10% of this number. This is another windowless building with an inwards looking block of flats to fund the scheme. We much preferred the hotel proposal for this site, which would not have given rise to such serious traffic problems arising from thousands of people leaving the site simultaneously.

    However a planning application for this scheme is still awaited. Meanwhile a proposal to use the site to store construction materials for the Brunswick Marina scheme has been submitted.

  • Bird Cage Bandstand: we welcomed the condition report, published in 2004, by Julian Harrap, conservation architects, on essential repairs. The City Council hs now decided to fund the restoration themselves.

  • Meanwhile the condition of the Bandstand continues to deteriorate. We deplore the unecessary demolition of the geometric landscaping, a perfect foil to the bandstand, replaced by inferior walls and landscaping.

  • North Road tower:The plan, known as the Banana Building, was withdrawn and replaced with a shorter, bulkier tower. The plan for this tower was also withdrawn. The site was sold and the new owner decided to retain the present building, which the North Laine Community Association and the Brighton Society had both been campaigning for.

  • King Alfred:The Brighton Society supported saveHOVE in its opposition to the whole scheme which we believe can only result in a gross overdevelopment of the site, as a result of the Council seeking to obtain a new sports centre cost free, and the requirement for 37% social housing.

  • We opposed the gimmicky towers as well as the ill-designed lower blocks and mean public spaces. Unfortunately the scheme has now been given planning permission if the developer can fulfill 91 conditions.

  • Marina: Planning permission has been granted for a 40 storey tower with a series of 15 storey blocks, providing 900 flats, 40% of them social housing.

  • X-Leisure have just submitted a scheme which would add 1,293 flats to the 853 previously approved. As the culmination of its sprawling series of concrete high-rise blocks it proposes a 29-storey colossus, close to and towering above the clifftop. With the consequent Marina population explosion, and the 200,000 Marina visitors a year expected by Brunswick, the Marina’s infrastructure – including the old concrete ramps linking it to the seafront, and the creaking medical, emergency, transport and educational services - would be unable to cope.

    We hope to join forces with conservation groups across Brighton

  • Brighton Station site: Development of this site continues apace.

  • The appeal into proposal to build a 40 storey Beetham Tower, which would have dominated and overshadowed the listed Brighton Station and make the listed St Bartholomew's church look small scale, was dismissed by the Secretary of State.

  • Patcham Court Farm: The proposal to make this site a 900 space Park & Ride site have been scrapped. Alternative uses are being sought. The Brighton Society favours low rise housing.

  • We need your support to continue our activities. The more members we have the more we can achieve! Members are encouraged to play an active role themselves, and to draw issues which concern them to the Society's attention; make your voice heard.

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