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Newsletter 169 - November 2001

In this issue:

• Going Backstage
• Wot, no tree?
• Let there be...
• Lessons Learnt?
• Breakfast?
• Progress on the SOS Campaign
• Support is Growing
• The Guidelines are with us
• Practical Support
• St Modwen is Listening
• When the Planning Application Comes
• Who Decides?

Going Backstage

We have organised a backstage tour of the Theatre Royal. See what goes on behind the scenes of this fine theatre building!

The tour will be at 11:30 am on Saturday 15th December and will last about an hour and a half

It is an old building with quite lot of stairs to climb so it may not be suitable for everyone.

The cost is £2.50. Places are limited. If you would like to go, please book now using the form.

Wot, no tree?

Your committee has reluctantly decided not to put a Christmas tree in Regency Square this year.

The main reason is that work has started on the regeneration of the top green in Regency Square where the tree is normally located. This work is planned to continue into the New Year.

Let there be...

Since last March we have been trying to solve the problem of the street lights in Regency Square. Throughout the whole of that period there has never been a time when all of them have been working at the same time!

But we will not give up - one day maybe - even one day would be nice!

Lessons Learnt?

It is not long since one of our members was injured while cycling down Preston Street. And yet there is still no notice at the junction of Regency Square and Preston Street warning drivers to look out for cyclists in the cycle lane as they pull out.

Breakfast?

Would you like to join your neighbours for breakfast at the start of the year 2002? We are hoping to organise another New Year's gathering. Full details in the next newsletter.

Progress on the SOS Campaign

The Society's campaign to prevent the proposed development either side of the West Pier has been moving forward over the past few weeks.

Information packs have been distributed to all local councillors and members of the West Pier Trust board. They have also gone to other interested parties such as English Heritage and the National Heritage Lottery Fund.

The pack shows a photograph of the seafront indicating clearly the scale of the proposed buildings, which will block oft the view of the pier and the sea from a large section of the sea front. It also explains the reasons why we are opposing the development.

You can see a copy of the photograph on the Society web site (www.regencybrighton.com)

Support is Growing

The campaign has also produced a flyer inviting people to indicate their support. Over 100 replies in support of the campaign have already been received.

A copy of the flyer is enclosed with this month's newsletter. If you support the campaign please return the reply slip so that we can demonstrate clearly the fill extent of the opposition.
More copies of the flyer are available from Clive Buxton (tel 328994) if you have friends or neighbours who could add their support.

The Guidelines are with us

English Heritage is the organisation which establishes national standards on conservation matters. The campaign has obtained a copy of its guidelines for "enabling developments"; that is, modern developments designed to make possible the restoration of heritage sites.

They indicate very clearly that a development of the sort proposed for the West Pier would not be acceptable.

Practical Support

Many thanks to those members who have contributed towards the cost of the campaign. Our partners in the campaign, the Kingscliffe Society and the Friends of Brunswick Square and Terrace have also made generous contributions to the cost.

If you can help with a donation, large or small, please send it to Roger Hinton, Acting Treasurer, 39 Regency Square, Brighton BN1 2FJ.

The biggest thank you must go to Clive Buxton and his colleagues on the campaign committee who are working very hard to get our message across.

St Modwen is Listening

St Modwen is the company which has produced the development plans. They are obviously aware of the large outcry against their proposals. They say they have made changes to their proposals.

We don't yet know what these changes involve but they have told us that they have "positively taken on board" our concerns. However, the West Pier Trust has told us that the scale of the development is something which cannot be changed.

We have asked representatives of St Modwen to come to an open meeting at which they can present their revised scheme and hear comments on it.

When the Planning Application Comes

The campaign will reach its height when a planning application is made. At that point it will be necessary to encourage as many people as possible to write to the planning authority to object. There will only be a limited time in which to do this.

St Modwen is aiming to submit the application by Christmas.

We have asked to be informed as soon as the application is made.

Who Decides?

It is quite likely that the final decision will be taken out of the hands of Brighton and Hove Council. This would be a major development in a conservation area and directly affecting a Grade 1 listed building (the pier itself). The Secretary of State will probably "call in" the application rather than just leave the local authority to decide on it.

The enabling development would be on land owned by the local council. So we believe that there could be a conflict of interest if the local authority were to make the planning decision alone. This is why we believe that the planning application should be called in so that it can be considered by central government.

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