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Newsletter 186 - July 2003

In this issue:

• Summer Sailing and Walking
• Rubbish - dumpers beware!
• Big Noise from the Met
• What can we do about it?
• Bicycles Last for Ever
• Well, I never knew that...
• No sooner said than...
• High visibility policing - can you see it?
• Place your bets!
• If at first...
• Don't forget our summer evening outings

Summer Sailing and Walking

Summer is here so we have organised two Society outings. The first is a one hour boat ride from Brighton Marina along the coast to Hove and back - a chance to see Regency Square from a new perspective. The cruise will start at 6pm on Saturday 30 August (weather permitting). The cost is £6 per person. Places are limited so book early (see below).

The walk will be lead by local historian Geoff Mead. It will start at 7 pm on Sunday 21 September. We will meet outside Marks and Spencer to walk along Western Road and see some of the things you miss when you're looking in the shop windows. Then down through our area to the seafront, finishing in Russell Square by 9 pm. This one costs £3.

To reserve a place on either outing please send your name and telephone number plus the appropriate money to Ros Boulden, 8 Abbotts, 129 Kings Road, Brighton (cash or cheque payable to the Regency Square Area Society please).

Rubbish - dumpers beware!

The Council's new enforcement officer for our area is Lisa White who is working hard to eliminate the blight of rubbish bags from our streets.

If she finds offending bags she searches for evidence of who dumped them. She then sends a warning letter. If the offender repeats the offence Lisa sends a second warning and then issues a £50 fixed penalty.

She has sent 19 first warnings to local residents so far, but has only had to send one second warning. She has issued one £50 penalty, to a trader,

She is also responsible for dealing with fly posting, graffiti and trade waste. She has already arranged for green television cable boxes to be re-painted and she is trying to persuade the cable company to take responsibility for keeping them clean.

You can contact Lisa on (01273) 294511 or email
lisa.white@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Meanwhile the Council is talking of introducing wheelie bins and/or communal bins in some parts of the town. The Society's view has always been that wheelie bins would not work in our area because so many properties have steps. Communal bins might be OK except that wherever you try to put them will be outside someone's home. What do you think?

Big Noise from the Met

Several members around Queensbury Mews have been disturbed by noise from the Metropole Hotel. Some of the disturbance is caused by extractor fans, which are now being adapted to make less noise.

The other problem is the exhibition hall in Queensbury Mews. This is often used for functions with loud music that goes on into the early hours.

In spite of sound-proofing and electronic noise limiters, the music can be audible inside houses in the mews. And if the fire escape doors are opened then it becomes very loud and stops people from sleeping.

One member wrote to the hotel and received a reply from Andrew Swindells, the general manager. He explained that the hotel has invested £80,000 in various works to try to reduce noise. He said that it is the hotel's policy to be "good neighbours".

He apologised for the disturbances. It seems that they were probably caused by guests opening sound-proofed fire doors. These were closed again by staff as soon as they became aware of the problem.

The Council's Environmental Health department are aware of the problems caused by loud music from the hotel. They are planning to issue an enforcement notice giving the hotel three months to improve sound-proofing to a standard so that nothing is heard outside when the doors are closed.

What can we do about it?

If you are disturbed by noise from the Metropole at any time please complain to the duty manager (01273 775432) and tell John Gavin (01273 749747) who is co-ordinating our response to this problem.

You can contact the noise section of the Council environmental health department on (01273) 292436.

Bicycles Last for Ever

Especially when chained to railings. We have notified the Council's abandoned vehicles officer about one near the Pull and Pump in Clarence Square and another outside number 40 Regency Square. If you are aware of any others which need removing call the Council on (01273) 293372 or email abandoned.vehicles@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Well, I never knew that...

Do you know what links Regency Square to Roedean School and Wembley Stadium?

No? The War Memorial in Regency Square was designed by architect John William Simpson who was also responsible for Roedean School, Wembley Stadium and many other important buildings.

This is just one of the fascinating facts you can find on our website (www.regencybrighton.com).

It will soon be time to renew our annual web site hosting fee. So we are looking for sponsors. Can you help? Any contribution will be helpful. If you are a business we will be happy to list your details and web site link in the sponsors' section of the site.

Please send contributions to Andrew Walker, Treasurer, 9 Chartwell Court, Russell Square, Brighton BN1 2EW, or contact Roger Hinton for more details (01273 321794).

No sooner said than...

At the AGM in March the problem was raised of dangerous road surfaces in Clarence and Russell Squares. In May our secretary John Gavin did a survey and discovered that the worst areas were Clarence Square and some potholes in Queensbury Mews. In June the Council started renewing the surface in Clarence Square.

And we had not yet even contacted them about the problem. Telepathy is obviously even faster than email! We will be using conventional methods to report the problem in Queensbury Mews.

The new surface in Clarence Square is only temporary. The final surface will be laid in September at the same time as a new surface in Western Road.

High visibility policing - can you see it?

At our AGM in March Inspector Steve Barry of Sussex Police told us how best to deal with crime in our area. We have signs saying that this is a Neighbourhood Watch Area and that there is "High-visibility" policing. Does it work? Well not from one member's assessment.

He recently realised that a neighbouring flat was being burgled. So he dialled 999 while the burglar was in the flat. He told the police what was happening and that if they were quick they would catch the villain. Did they arrive quickly? No. The burglar left the flat with a rather nice laptop computer pursued by our member, still on the phone. End result - burglar one computer...police no arrests.

Had the Police responded immediately they could have caught the burglar red-handed. This all took place early on a midweek evening when you would not expect police resources to be particularly stretched. Is this the best we can expect from "high visibility" policing?

Place your bets!

Members in Preston Lodge live on top of a casino which has applied for planning permission for new fire doors and ventilation.

We have asked the Council to impose conditions: the ventilation should be above roof level to avoid extracted air affecting the flats; also the fire doors in Little Preston Street should be for emergency use only and should be alarmed to prevent them being used for loading or other access.

If at first...

Owners of the former Council yard in Castle Street were refused permission to build a block of flats. They are now applying to demolish the existing sheds and build five "live/work" and two residential units.

Don't forget our summer evening outings

A boat ride along the coast: 6pm, 30 August - A historical guided walk around our area: 7 pm. 21 September Booking details above.

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