Minutes: June 2017
THE BRIGHTON SOCIETY
Minutes of the Committee Meeting on Tuesday 13 June 2017 at 32 Goldstone Crescent at 8.00 pm
Present: Jeremy Mustoe (Chairman), Corinne Attwood, Valerie Bolton, Robert Edwards, Roger Hinton, Lyn Lynch-White, Ninka Willco
2 Minutes of the Meeting on 14 March: Item 3.7: for RG read AG. Approved and signed by the Chairman
3 Matters Arising
3.1 Updating Achievements since 2011: SM has done this, VB will edit and send to Simon Montgomery
3.2 Design Brief for Church Street: No further news.
3.3 Preston Barracks: The sub-group had prepared comments and submitted them, and they have received some publicity in the Argus. A decision is expected later this summer. It is not known what the views of the residents of the housing on the west side of Lewes Road are, but there is support from some quarters as well as objections.
3.4 AGM: In hand. Brighthelm have agreed to deduct 10% from the room hire charge. Agreed to check out other venues, eg Friends Meeting House, St Nicholas and St Michael’s. AG needs to be proposed and seconded, and Selma’s new role as President needs to be proposed and seconded.
3.5 Rye Conservation Visit: This had gone well but their late arrival had upset the timescale. More time had been needed. They have contributed £100. We are invited at too short notice to their summer party this weekend.
4 CAG
• West Beach Hotel: Mansard roof proposed, facing Preston Street. Not listed but in a CA and so set back as to be mostly out of sight. JM had no objections, but the majority view was to recommend refusal.
• Lace House, Old Steine: This is the free standing block behind the Royal Albion Hotel. Various applications to alter features, recommended refusal as not sympathetic to an important building.
• Corner St James’s Street/Steine Street: Application to redevelop 3 adjoining buildings, one interesting, one less so and one not, by demolishing buildings 2 and 3. Recommended refusal, building 2 should be retained.
• Holiday Inn, Sea Front: Application to coat over the mosaics which need continual repair. Request for sample to see the end result. There is graffiti on the building, a signed “art” design. The CAG asked whether this needed planning approval. It would be an enforcement issue, and the Council’s response will be interesting.
5 Website, twitter, facebook: Up to date, and comes up very well on smart phones. There was some discussion over whether the minutes should be on line, or whether specific issues should be covered by special public statements.
6 Membership leaflet, Gift Aid and membership drive: The new leaflets are printed (2500) and must now be distributed. NW will revise the old location list for the next meeting – everyone to think of good places for distribution. We need to raise awareness of the BSoc by all possible means. Agreed to raise the issue under AOB at the AGM. The Gift Aid application has been successful, please will committee members send their forms (included in the AGM pack) to LLW. LLW can now prepare a submission claiming a refund going back for 4 years. There was some discussion over whether the subscription rate should be increased.
7 Grafitti and Murals: No further news
8 Madeira Terraces: The Regency Society is making an archive of all relevant reports previously prepared on the site. There had been a good letter in the Argus from David Rowland.
9 Brighton Centre/Black Rock: The Regency Society is formulating its position and may hold a public meeting in October. Outstanding issues between the Council and Standard Life remain unresolved.
10 Preston Road Board School: It now carries a board saying “Goodwood Solutions” but the condition is deteriorating. NW may draw attention to this in a letter to the Argus. Carry forward to next meeting.
11 Shoreham Port Annual Stakeholders Meeting: NW had attended. It was confirmed that the eastern end of the harbour will be retained for port related commercial activities – not housing. The cycle path may be re-routed. Maritime House (opposite the bottom of Kenya Avenue) is now considered unsuitable for residential accommodation, being too close to a working port. The port is a “trust port” (i.e. administered independently as a trust set up by Act of Parliament) and this is to continue. NW had made contact with Sue Johnston of Friends of Hove Lagoon, with whom we could liaise in future.
12 List of Sites with Planning Permission still Undeveloped: Residential sites of particular interest. Suggestions were the Church Street site (see Item 3.2), 251 & 253 Preston Road, Circus Street, the Aquarium site, and Court Hall Farm. More suggestions please.
13 RIBA Brighton Heritage Open Doors: NW will not after all be able to contribute. We should place the new BSoc leaflets in all venues.
14 Brunswick Festival: We will have our stall on Sunday 20 August. NW, LLW, CA, RH possibly, will help. MD is providing photographs.
15 Affiliation to Other Societies: We have just rejoined Civic Voice, and should remind our members of the special offer of a free visit to a NT site annually. RE is a member of the Georgian Group and can keep us informed of points of interest. It was not known whether MD is a member of the Victorian Society. We should liaise with them and with Hove Civic and refer to matters of common interest on the web site.
16 St Wilfrid’s Church Mural: VB had circulated a message from the Hyde Group, which now owns the Church, about the murals by Hans Freibusch they have discovered in a side room and wish to restore. They have offered a visit – JM and NW will go. VB to circulate members absent from the meeting about it.
17 Any Other Business:
Robert Gregory has had a fall and is now in a wheel chair. LLW offered to take him to the AGM and can provide a collapsible wheelchair if required. (Note: he has had another fall and is now in hospital.)
NEXT MEETINGS
AGM Wednesday 5 July at 7.00 pm at Brighthelm
Tuesday 11 July at 41 Kensington Place
Tuesday 15 August (apologies LLW and RH)
