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Newsletter 159 - November 2000

In this issue:

• New Broom Needed?
• Not for Want of Trying
• Cheap at ten times the price?
• The Noise Patrol Does the Job
• Committee Member Leaves
• New Members Needed
• 5,000 and counting
• Christmas is Coming
• Two Dates for Your Diary
• Perforated Panels at Al Fresco
• The Law is a Blind Ass
• Render and Railings Please!
• Business Must Go On
• Regeneration - Tendering Starts
• Banners, Banners, Banners

New Broom Needed?

Over the past few months we have talked to lots of people about the rubbish problems in Brighton, both councillors and council officials.

They all recognise the problem and a lot of effort is going into finding a solution (see below). But one thing is clear: the problem is not going away.

Each weekend Russell and Clarence Squares are littered with rubbish bags. On the lamp posts are signs saying that the collection day is Thursday. People put the bags out on Thursday. No one collects them.

Even when rubbish is collected on the right day, for example in Regency Square, some people still insist on putting it out at other times.

Our Society has been trying to persuade the Council to solve this problem for years. Officers come and go. New contractors are appointed. Only one thing stays the same - the rubbish.

Obviously no one in Brighton really knows what to do to solve the problem.

So perhaps we need someone from outside, someone who has already solved the problem in another town. If such a person could be found and persuaded to come to Brighton, they could be given the specific job of finding a solution.

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, has done just that for the London Underground. He has brought in the man who solved the problems of the New York subway system, and asked him to do the same for the London tube.

Not for Want of Trying

There are people in the Council trying to solve the problem. This year 81 warning letters have been sent to residents suspected of dumping rubbish in Regency Square, 25 of them in the last two months. Of these 80, only three have been sent a second letter for re-offending.

Most of the letters have been sent to just six properties in the square. So the problem is being caused by lots of different people, but they mostly live in the same few houses. So Council officers are now concentrating their efforts on these properties.

Steps are also being taken to force businesses in Preston Street to dispose properly of trade refuse.

Cheap at ten times the price?

Suzanne Hinton is part of the group of members who are researching our local history. She recently dug out some interesting details about Abbotts the block of flats on the south east corner of Regency Square.

It replaced a Victorian style building called Abbotts Hotel which was pulled down in 1961. Even earlier there may have been houses on the site because a 1824 document refers to number 69 - the highest number now is 66.

The current building was completed in 1962 and the pent house was being offered for sale at £22,500. It was described by the Brighton and Hove Gazette as the most expensive flat in town.

The Noise Patrol Does the Job

Members living on the north side of Regency square were disturbed in the early hours recently by loud music in a neighbouring house.

So they called the noise patrol who persuaded the un-neighbourly neighbours to turn it off.

The patrol operates on Friday and Saturday nights between the hours of 10pm and 3am You can call them on 0831 698907.

Committee Member Leaves

Liz Ray has moved from Regency square and has therefore left the committee. Many thanks to her for her contribution to the Society's activities.

New Members Needed

The committee now only has seven members. We need one or two more. If you would be interested in helping to run the Society please contact Roger Hinton (01273) 321794 who will be pleased to tell you what would be involved.

5,000 and counting

The Society web site had its 5,000th visitor on October 30th - not bad for a local community group. During October the site had 1,547 "hits" which is an average of 52 a day. Sundays remain the busiest day of the week and in particular between 10 and 11 in the evening.

Christmas is Coming

The Council has again offered to provide a Christmas tree in Regency Square. The Society will meet the cost of the lights. The tree should be put in place during the first week of December.

Two Dates for Your Diary

The Society committee will be getting together for a pre-Christmas drink from 8pm on Monday 11 December in the Regency Tavern. Please join us!

And on New Year's Eve, why not get your celebrations off to an early start by having breakfast with your neighbours? Full details in the next issue.

Perforated Panels at Al Fresco

The railings around the open roof area of the Al Fresco restaurant have been the subject of much debate amongst conservationists on the Council's advisory group.

At present there is temporary green netting attached to them. A decision has now been made on a permanent solution - perforated metal panels, as suggested by the Brighton and Hove Regency Society.

The Law is a Blind Ass

Council planners have recently been annoying local hoteliers by telling them to take down inoffensive hotel signs, some of which have been in place for many years.

Meanwhile a new hotel which opened recently in Regency Square has window blinds advertising a mobile phone company. The Council has no power to remove these inappropriate advertisements, because they are located inside the building.

Render and Railings Please!

The new basement of number 43 Regency Square is not that new any more. It is three years since work started to transform the original carriage arch into living accommodation. The new walls are still un-rendered and scaffolding poles serve as railings. The Council planners are investigating the delays in completing this development.

Business Must Go On

Never mind if you need an ambulance or the fire brigade. It's nice to know that van drivers delivering essential supplies in Preston Street won't let such trivialities get in their way.

Recently a fire engine drove into Preston Street from the sea front with its blue lights flashing and sirens wailing. It was brought to an immediate halt behind a traffic jam. The cause was a delivery van unloading just below Castle Street. It was blocking the street completely. In spite of the sirens, the driver made no attempt to move!

Regeneration - Tendering Starts

The latest news on the regeneration front is that the schemes for Russell and Clarence Squares have now been approved. They will go ahead in the form they were presented for public consultation. Tenders are being invited for the work, which should commence before the end of the year.

Banners, Banners, Banners

Yes, they're still there. That's the advertising banners in Castle Street, which were refused planning permission (on appeal) months ago. The planners are "still negotiating" about suitable replacements. But they have said they will start enforcement action if something doesn't happen soon.

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