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Newsletter 209 - December 2005

In this issue:

• Answer Time
• Bailing Out?
• Late Night Music and Dancing?
• Welcome the New Year with a Hearty Breakfast!
• MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
• The Historical Perspective
• Final Farewell
• If at first...
• Dinner at the Metropole for a Tenner?

Answer Time

Many residents and hotel owners are concerned about the fact that the Council has taken over three houses in Regency Square to provide accommodation for homeless people.

They want to know how this could happen without proper planning process, including consultation with local people. They also want to know how it fits with the Council's policy of resisting change of use for hotels in order to protect the tourist and conference trade.

Councillor Ken Bodfish, leader of the Council, has offered to come to talk to members of the Society and hoteliers about these and related issues.

The meeting will take place at 7:30 pm on Thursday the 26th of January in the Osborne Suite of the Hilton Metropole Hotel.

Bailing Out?

Meanwhile a number of hotels in Regency Square have recently been put on the market. Is this a reflection of a general downturn in the tourist trade, or is it a reaction to the specific situation created by the Council's decision to locate hostels for the homeless next to tourist hotels?

Late Night Music and Dancing?

Hotel Una on the east side of Regency Square has applied for music and dancing licenses. They have requested permission for live music and entertainment until midnight and for recorded music and dancing 24 hours.

They also want a 24 hour license to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises.

There are a number of residential properties close to the hotel and there is concern that late night music and dancing could cause a serious nuisance.

The Society has objected to the application. There are a lot of well run hotels in and around Regency Square, which cause no problems for their neighbours.

However, once a 24 hour license has been granted it is quite possible that a new proprietor could take over a hotel and decide to exploit it by providing noisy late night entertainment. If that does happen local residents can ask for a review of the license but past experience indicates that it takes a lot of time and organisation for residents to put a stop to a nuisance of this kind once it has started and is proving to be a commercial success.

We hope that the licensing authority will recognise the rights of residents on an equal footing with those of businesses. Licenses for premises close to people's homes should be restricted to more reasonable hours.

We have also opposed the granting of licenses for "off" sales in Regency Square. There have been serious problems with street drinking recently and we are keen not create a precedent for retail activities in the Square.

Welcome the New Year with a Hearty Breakfast!

Join your neighbours for a New Year breakfast:
Time: 10am
Date: Monday 2 January 2006
Place: the Regency Restaurant at the south west corner of Regency Square Price: depends what you have; a full cooked
breakfast with tea or coffee is about £5.

It's very informal. Just join the crowd at the big table. Everyone orders and pays for their own meal.

If you have friends or family staying bring them along to meet the locals.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Season's greetings to all our members from the Society committee

The Historical Perspective

We spend a lot of time complaining about things - that's what we're here for. Where does it get us? A footnote in history perhaps?

Society member Suzanne Hinton has been digging around in the County Records Office and has unearthed this collection of complaints from the past, all within grumping range of Regency Square:

"... a mob of lads shouting and swearing whilst in a half naked state on the beach near the West Pier." July 1876

"...the performance nightly on the Kings Road of a troupe of blackened men; the language they use with the point they give it is of an obscene character." November 1876

"... the annoyance caused by the children attending St Margaret's Schools in Queensbury Mews." May 1884

"...certain householders in Regency Square called attention "to the nuisance in that Square caused by vendors of fish, vegetables and other commodities, crying, in excessively loud tones, their goods for sale, and also complained of itinerant musicians who frequent the Square." September 1886

"... the smell" from Queensbury Mews. April 1891

"...nuisance arising from cabmen congregating in Queensbury Mews." May 1891

"... nuisance in Cannon Place caused by Niggers, Organs etc." September 1891

All these complaints were submitted to the Watch Committee and recorded in its minutes. In most cases the decision was to refer the matter to the "Chief Constable".

Final Farewell

The kiosk at the far end of the West Pier was the last building to remain on the offshore sections of the pier. In the recent high winds and waves it started to move. By the morning of 3rd December there was no sign of it at all.

We had asked the Council to consider trying to remove it for preservation; they said they would investigate, but sadly nothing happened. The West Pier Trust's view was that that attempting to remove it would be too dangerous.

As always, committee member and Society web site editor, Brian Smith was on the spot with his camera. You can see a view of the kiosk's last moments on the web site.

If at first...

Not enough members expressed interest in lunch at the City College training restaurant so we had to cancel out table booking.

Perhaps something nearer home might be more appealing...

Dinner at the Metropole for a Tenner?

Yes, just £10 for two courses and glass of wine!

All we need to qualify for this very good value offer is vouchers from the Times newspaper. A couple of members have some vouchers and have generously offered to contribute them.

The proposed date is the evening of Sunday 22 January. If you would like to come please send £10 per person to Ros Boulden, Flat 8, Abbotts, 129 Kings Road, Brighton BN1 2FA, together with your name and telephone number.

The £10 covers your meal and a glass of wine; you can buy coffee and further drinks for cash on the night if you wish.

Book early while the vouchers last!

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