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Newsletter 164 - May 2001

In this issue:

• Living next to a slum
• BUPA Blues
• What about Preston Street
• Full English or Continental
• All Change in Clarence Square
• ...and in Regency Square?
• Enforcement Enforcement Enforcement
• Have you read them?
• Market Legalised
• Great Expectations
• Meanwhile Blight?

Living next to a slum

Many Society members live in Abbotts, a pleasant block of flats on the south east corner of Regency Square.

Next door is number 128 Kings Road. This house is in a disgusting condition. The rear of the building has been demolished without permission and never repaired; used syringes have been left lying around by the drug users who have lived there; it has been damaged by fire; rats and raw sewage have been seen amongst the rubbish in the back yard.

The residents of Abbotts have been pressing the Council for action for years. Council officers have been trying to get the owner to clear the place up. Somehow he always seems to find a way of postponing any action.

This slum has defaced our area for long enough! Something must be done! The Society is organising a site visit with the Council officer dealing with it.

Let's hope we can persuade him that it is time for the Council to take some effective action.

BUPA Blues

At the AGM in March, members in Russell Square complained about continuing problems with traffic caused by the BUPA building in Russell Mews.

For a while delivery vehicles had been using Regency Mews. But that street is now difficult to negotiate because of parking so drivers are reverting to Russell Square. There is also a problem with engine noise from taxis waiting to collect staff.

We contacted Alan Farley of BUPA who has told us that he has asked delivery drivers not to use the Russell Square entrance. He has also contacted the company's main taxi provider and asked them to be "considerate of residents living in Russell Square ... and asked where possible that taxi pick-ups be made via Regency Mews".

What about Preston Street

Everyone agrees it is a mess. What is the solution?

One problem is the contra-flow cycle lane in which a cyclist was seriously injured recently. According to Mike Wright of the Highways Department there is a safety audit being made of the cycle lane which he expects will result in a recommendation to abolish it.

Another problem is that the newly widened pavements are not being used for cafe tables as intended. This is because they are not flat. So they have simply become a car park.

Perhaps when the Council takes over parking enforcement things will improve.

Full English or Continental

About twenty members met for breakfast on a sunny Easter Monday morning. Many thanks to staff at the Regency Restaurant for looking after us so well. Here's to the next time!

All Change in Clarence Square

Work is well under way on the regeneration of Clarence Square garden.

Meanwhile, we have been in touch with the Council about the dangers caused by vehicles driving from the square into Western Road. The Highways department are looking at the possibility of new No Entry signs.

...and in Regency Square?

Work on the car park roof is finished. The bald patches on the top green will be re-seeded for the summer. In the autumn re-generation work will start on the top green and be finished by December.

The work will be based on the results of the recent public consultation 52 people responded and the majority chose planting as their top priority. A footpath and lighting came joint second.

So planting of up to one metre high and an irrigation system will be provided. There will also be a footpath. Lighting will be investigated if there is enough money in the budget.

Enforcement Enforcement Enforcement

Months ago a CCTV camera was fixed to the front of a house in Regency Square without permission. The owner says it is needed because of threats to people in the house. Planning officer, Mike Woodford will consult the police about security.

Advertising banners are still in place in Castle Street in spite of the fact that the Secretary of State refused an appeal for them to be allowed.

The re-development of the basement at 43 Regency Square is still incomplete after years of waiting. Planning permission was conditional on the new basement matching those of neighbouring houses. At the moment it has an un-rendered front and scaffolding poles for railings. The developers told the planners that the work would be finished in April - but which April?

Isn't it about time the Council took some effective enforcement action?

Have you read them?

The notices on the lamp-posts that is. Two pages of closely typed legal jargon flapping in the wind are not the best way to communicate. The notices are about new parking arrangements including loading bays in Regency Square for hotel guests. Waiting will be limited to half an hour.

Similar bays are proposed in Queensbury Mews by the Exhibition Halls. We have objected since they are opposite houses and would allow exhibition traffic to load at any time of the day or night.

The other change planned for our area is an extension of residents' parking to Sundays and to 7pm in the evening. This is a welcome improvement, but why can't it be to 8pm as in Brunswick Square?

Market Legalised

The weekend market on the beach near the West Pier now has planning permission to operate from 1 April to 30 September each year.

Great Expectations

The latest newsletter from the West Pier Trust is much as usual. Various agreements and approvals are only weeks away from being finalised and the future of the pier is secure apart from the dotting of a few i's and crossing of a few t's. So what's new?

The most important sentence comes at the end of the progress report: "...the main agreements with all the parties are in place but the pace of progress will only pick up speed when the design of the enabling development is agreed."

The "enabling development" is the buildings planned for the lower promenade either side of the pier. For residents, the design of these is critical. So far we have seen no plans. When they do appear we will need to look at them carefully and make sure that our views are taken into account.

Meanwhile Blight?

Many local people have fond memories of the paddling pool to the east of the pier. It is being replaced by the new play area further to the west.

So what will happen to the old pool? Presumably nothing until plans for the pier start to turn into action. Let's hope that the pool does not become a victim of blight like the pier itself, where restoration gets "nearer and nearer" but never quite arrives!

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