Shabbiness in and around the Royal Pavilion
There seems to be a pattern of neglect forming throughout the city and the consequences are plain to see for residents and that valuable asset to the city’s economy, the tourist. Brighton’s reputation of being shabby chic has fallen, it’s just shabby these days. With an annual visiting public of around 400,000, the state of the surrounding area of the Royal Pavilion might be viewed as extreme negligence and disrespectful to its visitors. Our major heritage asset, the Royal Pavilion, really matters. Why was it allowed to get into this condition?
There is good news: a £4.4 million application for lottery funding to revamp the gardens and public toilets has been backed by the city councillors. The council’s aim is to ensure our unique and historic Royal Pavilion Garden is fit for a city and that it retains its listed status. We congratulate the council on these good intentions. However, immediate action should be taken to clean up the area.
We visited Brighton for the first time yesterday specifically to see the Royal Pavilion. We were not disappointed with the welcome, the helpfulness of the knowledgeable room guides and the building itself. It was a shame that the surrounding area looked so unloved. This shabbiness was also apparent at the seafront and along the length of the Volks Railway to its terminus. Throughout the train ride we could see an ornate metal balustrade above us which would have been an amazing feature were it properly maintained. Instead it looked as if it had been sourced from a scrapyard.
Although we were delighted with what we went to see, our visit did nothing to encourage us to spend more time there. It’s a shame because I’m sure Brighton has loads to offer and I was not expecting the manicured ornamental gardens of a more sedate resort. A lot more TLC is needed.