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Newsletter 242 - June 2009

In this issue:

• How to Solve Four Parking Problems
• What's in a name?
• Coach Full
• Architect Wanted
• Key holders Needed for Clarence Square
• Graffiti Report
• West Pier Hoardings Painted
• Inside the Metropole Hotel
• Catch "Hay Fever" at the Little Theatre
• Recycling rejected
• Motorcycles

How to Solve Four Parking Problems

The problems are:

• Queues form on the west side of Regency Square and block the road for through traffic when the car park is full.
• There are not enough resident parking spaces locally.
• Regency Square looks a mess because it has too many parked vehicles.
• The Regency Square car park is almost empty most of the time.

We have decided to present a petition to the Council aimed at solving these four problems. The petition will ask the Council to:

• Remove the parking bays next to the green on the west side of Regency Square, to prevent the queues that block the road.
• Remove corresponding parking bays on the east side to improve the appearance of the square.
• Create resident parking spaces in the Regency Square car park to replace the resident bays removed from the square, and to create additional new resident spaces.
• Make improvements to the car park so it is more pleasant and safer to use.

Councillor Jason Kitkat supports our scheme and has agreed to present the petition to the Council on our behalf.

There will of course be technical problems, such as how to allow residents permit holders to use the car park without paying cash. Solutions can surely be found to those problems if there is political support for the scheme.

So, what we need now is enough signatures to convince the Council that there is a demand for it.

A petition form is enclosed with this newsletter. If you agree with the scheme, please sign it and return it to the address shown. There are several spaces, so perhaps you could get family, flat mates or neighbours to sign as well.

We will also be sending the petition to everyone on the electoral roll in the area, and we will probably also do some door knocking - so apologies in advance if you get asked several times.

There is a lot of work involved in a petition of this kind. If you can volunteer to help with delivering envelopes or knocking on doors to get signatures please contact us.

What's in a name?

Why isn't our Society simply called the Regency Square Society? It's so much easier to say and to remember.

When the Society was first formed, that was the name that was proposed. However, there were people at the first meeting from neighbouring streets and squares, who wanted to be included. So someone suggested adding the word "Area" to the name.

Even so, people sometimes call it the Regency Square Society (or even the Regency Society). So perhaps it's not surprising that someone at the Council put the name "Regency Square Society" on the new bench that the we have sponsored on the east side of Regency Square.

The wording we had asked for did, of course, include the word "Area" but the person making the plaque must have missed it. A new plaque is now being made.

Coach Full

The first of the M and M Historic Tours was advertised in our last newsletter. It was a trip to Oakhurst Cottage and Winkworth Arboretum. We are pleased to report that it was fully booked.

Did any of our members go on the trip? Please let us know if you did, and tell us how it went

The next trip will be on 5 July to Cowdray House and Historic Midhurst. Full details and a booking form are enclosed with this newsletter.

On 23 August there will be a trip to Wrest Park and the De Grey Mausoleum. Full details next month.

Architect Wanted

Compare Regency Square with Brunswick Square. Our square doesn't compare very well. There are several reasons, mainly related to the state of the central gardens and pavements.

Brunswick Square has benefitted from a lot of regeneration funding. It would probably be unwise to expect any funding of this kind for our square in the present economic conditions.

Hopefully that will change, and when it does we need to be ready with some good ideas. What could be done to improve the appearance of Regency Square and restore it to something like its former glory?

There are lots of ideas around, such as new railings, new paving stones, planting trees, filling in the car park etc.

We need someone with some technical knowledge and an understanding of Regency design and townscape to look at the possibilities and prepare an outline proposal for what could be done, if money was available.

If you think you can help or know someone who could, please contact us.

Key holders Needed for Clarence Square

The gate into Clarence Square has a lock on it to discourage anti-social behaviour in the evenings. At present the police are locking it and unlocking it each day to allow access to the garden. They are looking for one or two local residents to take over the job.

If you think you might be able to help, please have a chat with our local Community Support Officer Siobhan Salihi, tel 0845 60 70 999 ext. 27379 Email siobhan.Salihi@sussex.pnn.police.uk

Graffiti Report

The Society's large tin of cream paint was opened for the first time last month. The occasion was the appearance of a large black daub at the bottom of Queensbury Mews opposite the back door of Abbotts. It has now been painted out.

West Pier Hoardings Painted

The hoardings round the former rock shop on the West Pier have now been painted white, which may be a small improvement on their previous appearance. The West Pier Trust has plans to put an information sign on the fencing, like the one currently on the hoarding round the nearby bandstand.

The cost of closing off the root end of the pier was funded by Marks Barfield, the architects who hope to build the i360 viewing tower. We asked whether they had considered dismantling the rock shop and putting it into storage. The idea had been considered but was found to be too costly.

Meanwhile Society committee members are hoping to have a meeting with officers of the Trust soon to talk about the current state of play on the i360 project. We certainly hope that the unsightly mess now at the bottom of the square does not become a long term fixture.

Inside the Metropole Hotel

A member of the management team at the Metropole Hotel has kindly offered us a guided tour of the building. It will be on the afternoon of Saturday 11 July. It will be free of charge, but numbers are limited, so if you would like to come please give your name and contact details to Paul Michaelson tel (01273 723078). Paul will advise you where and when to meet.

Catch "Hay Fever" at the Little Theatre

The next production at the Little Theatre is "Hay Fever" by Noel Coward. It is described as a "comedy of bad manners". It was first produced in 1925 and has made many re-appearances since then.

We are planning a group to go on Wednesday 24 June (performance starts at 7:45pm). If you would like to come, please send £7.50 per ticket, together with your name and contact details to Roger Hinton, 39 Regency Square, Brighton BN1 2FJ, by 12 June at the latest.

Recycling rejected

Have you noticed that the recycling collectors leave some boxes unemptied, which often then sit in the street until the wind or the birds spread the contents around?

We have written to the Council to ask why this happens.

Motorcycles

We have asked the Council if they can do anything to stop motorcycles parking at the southern end of the Regency Square garden. It has become a regular parking space, indicating that there is need for more on-street motorcycle spaces.

Meanwhile concern is growing about cyclists and motorcyclists riding through the twitten by the Regency Tavern. We have asked the police if they can install a video camera, but they do not have one available. They also need to limit the use of covert cameras because of human rights issues.

However, a member did manage to get the number of a motorcycle in the twitten recently and the police are investigating it. If you can get a number or a photo please let us know and we'll pass it on to the police.

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