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Newsletter 219 - March 2007

In this issue:

• Annual General Meeting
• Report on the Year
• Annual Accounts
• Treasurer's Report
• Other News in Brief
• Easter Breakfast

Annual General Meeting

The Society's 28th AGM will be held at 7:30 pm on Wednesday 21st March 2007 in the Sandringham Room at the Hilton Metropole Hotel.

Agenda

1. Minutes of the Previous AGM
2. Committee Report for the Year
3. Treasurer's Report & Annual Accounts
4. Subscription Rates for 2008
5. Election of Officers and Committee

After the formal agenda there will be a chance to discuss any issues that members want to raise.

Our guests for the evening will be our two local police officers, PC James Marter and PC Chris Thompson. We will be able to talk with them about any local issues we wish to discuss.

Report on the Year

The i360

Shortly after our 2006 AGM we consulted members about the plans for the i360 viewing tower on the landward end of the former West Pier. We also organised a members' meeting with the architects.

Views were very mixed. Some members welcomed the plan, seeing it as an exciting project and a good way to provide money to keep alive the hope of one day restoring the pier itself.

Others saw it as a source of problems, traffic, noise, danger to birds, possibly even a target for terrorism. Some objectors simply thought it looked wrong and should not be allowed in a conservation area.

The Society's Comments

With members holding such differing views the Society was not able to take a position clearly for or against the plan.

So we concentrated on the detail and submitted a series of comments about the need for strict conditions relating to noise, parking etc. We also suggested that the developers should meet local costs such as improvements to the subway and a solution to traffic congestion in Regency Square.

Where are we now?

The scheme was approved by the planners and building work should start later this year.

The Society has been represented at meetings about the design of the lighting for the column; we have been encouraged by the architects' views that lighting should be unobtrusive and sympathetic to the surroundings.

Hotels and Hostels

We have continued to talk to the Council about the management of the hostels which it is running in former hotels in Regency Square.

We are concerned that other hotels may quietly change into hostels without obtaining planning permission. Our aim is to monitor the situation and ask planning officers to investigate where necessary.

Rubbish

We have also been talking to the Council about trade refuse bins stored on pavements by local businesses. The Council is taking action against one bar in Preston Street which is blocking the pavement with its bins, but to date the bins are still in place.

We are pleased to report that a lock has been fitted to the glass recycling bin used by the Regency Tavern. We had raised the problem of glass being stored on the pavement following two bottle attacks.

Street Lights

These attacks were in an area which suffers from poor lighting. We discussed this problem with the Council's community safety officer and as a result new lamp posts are now in place.

We have been monitoring street lighting generally around the area and notifying the Council of faults.

Social Activities

In September we organised a visit to the studios of BBC South Coast Radio in Queens Road.

We also enjoyed a New Year's Day breakfast at the Regency Restaurant. This proved such a success that we are planning another one on Easter Monday.

Keeping in Touch

We published seven newsletters during the year. The Society's web site continues to attract visitors and had a major re-design during the year.

Your Committee

John Gavin has resigned as Secretary because he has moved away from the immediate area. He remains on the committee and continues to make a valuable contribution to the Society's activities. Many thanks to him for his work during his stint as Secretary.

Rhidian Hughes was co-opted as a committee member and has been acting as Secretary since December. He will be standing for election to that post at the AGM.

Our other two officers, Roger Hinton (Chairman) and Andrew Walker (Treasurer) are both standing for re-election at the AGM, as are all the other committee members.

We are keen to recruit new committee members to keep generate new ideas about our activities. If you, or anyone you know is interested please contact Roger Hinton for an informal chat on Brighton 321794.

Nominations for any of the officer positions or committee membership can be made at the AGM or in advance to the Secretary.

Annual Accounts

2006/07 Income and Expenditure summary
Income	£	Expenditure	£
Subscriptions	441	Printing etc.	87
Donations	391	Insurance	250
Functions	47	Functions expenses	35
Website sponsors	220	Website expenses	206
Interest	37	Donations made	70
		Surplus for the year	488
	1,136		1,136
Balance Sheet
Funds at 28/2/06	1,812	Cash & bank	2,680
Add surplus	488
Funds at 28/2/07	2,300
Advance subs	189
Advance donations	191
	2,680		2,680

Treasurer's Report

This has been a good year for the Society financially. A deficit has been turned into a surplus. Sponsorship has, for the first time, covered the cost of the web site, with a bit over. Voluntary donations from members have continued at a high level, for which we are grateful.

The Regency Square Improvement Fund has not been touched and now stands at £4,689.

Andrew Walker

Other News in Brief

New Resident Parking Zones

The Council has published maps showing the proposed new resident parking zones which will become effective in "early Spring 2007".

We will be in the South Central Area (Zone Z). This is a much larger area than the current Zone B. Roughly speaking it will extend from the Hove border to the Old Steine, and be bounded on the north by Victoria Road, Clifton Terrace, Church Street and North Road.

The map shows at least two pay and display machines on each side of Regency Square. It also shows no loading/unloading at any time in St Margaret's Place - something which probably needs to be seen to be believed when there is an exhibition in the Metropole.

You can see the full map at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk (click on Parking).

The NHS in Brighton and Hove

The Society has been sent a document called "Commissioning for Health" which is the Annual Report of the Director of Public Health for Brighton and Hove. If you would like to have a look at it please contact Roger Hinton.

Easter Breakfast

Join your neighbours for an informal get together at 10 am on Easter Monday (9 April) in the Regency Restaurant.

Order and pay for your own meal. Breakfast is around £5

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