BRIGHTON AND SUSSEX COAST | Full Summary of Projects

[RSWB]

Last Updated: 7th January 2009

The development thread for projects in and around Brighton, if you have any info on any development news in this area please post here.
Here's a current run down of the major developments planned for Brighton.




Brighton Centre redevelopment (Not expected to start until 2012 at the earliest) - Our biggest and most important development project worth around £500 million will include -

*A new state of the art conference centre to replace the ageing brighton centre,
*An expansion of the churchill square shopping centre (an extra level of retail will be created and also the mall will be extended down to the sea which will double the size of the centre to 90,000 square metres of retail space)
*A new department store
*A luxury five star hotel
*Hundreds of new apartments
*New cinema to replace the existing Odeon kingswest building
*Creation of new streets and public spaces around the area
*The development is expected to include a landmark tall building of around 43 storeys.

We are eagerly awaiting the plans to be released but here is an aerial view of the site that is to be developed.
http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/imageLibrary/Brighton%20Centre%20-%20aerial.jpg

The current conference centre (picture taken from http://www.aerialphotographyforyou.co.uk:
http://www.aerialphotographyforyou.co.uk/search/d/77-4/BRIGHTON_CENTRE.jpg



The Brighton i360 (Under Construction) - 183m observation tower.
http://www.westpier.co.uk/I360/images/image3_bg.jpg

http://www.westpier.co.uk/I360/images/tower.jpg



Brighton International Arena (On hold) - If built the arena building will consist of two Olympic sized ice pads (a public skating rink and a main arena to host concerts and shows with capacity of up to 11,000), restaurants, cafes & bars, hospitality suites, museum, auditorium and complimentary retail

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/385377622_34a46a39c7_o.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/151/385377564_0b10216976_o.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/uk_the_changing_face_of_brighton_and_hove/img/8.jpg


New England Quarter - £200 million development of the Brighton station goods yard site in the city centre, the masterplan includes:

*Two new hotels (jurys inn and raddison) - nothing yet from beetham with hopefully a redesigned hotel/resi tower for raddison as the first was rejected.
*355 new apartments and warehouse flats of which 30 percent will be affordable housing - see first pic below which shows the barrat homes part of the site and will include a 12 storey building, the other part of the residential scheme will be developed by crest nicholson/bioregional and will be an eco friendly development.
*A 150,000 ft2 European headquarters complex for an international teaching organisation
*Commercial facilities incorporating a 30,000 ft2 (2,800 m2) office building and 20,000 ft2 (1,858m2) of space for small businesses
*A 25,000 ft2 (2,323 m2) sales area Sainsbury's supermarket with an underground 194-space shoppers' car park together with three unit shops.
*Training and community facilities including a 17,500 ft2 (1,660 m2) training centre and a 10,000 ft2 (929 m2) community centre - again no renders.
*A new transport interchange next to the station.
*A green corridor and Site of Nature Conservation Importance.
*A permanent 600-space car park for the station.

Jurys inn hotel
http://brightonhotels.jurysinns.com/images/hotel_gallery/24a48d4f7b_large.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/123/411679097_660cb3a8b4.jpg

http://www.chetwood.co.uk/images/pro_mixeduse_main_img1.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d6/NEQ_012_03-02-2007.jpg/800px-NEQ_012_03-

http://www.new-england-quarter.co.uk/images/landuseplan.jpg

http://www.oneplanetliving.org/uk/assets/big/CNBQ_Brighton_View_4_SMALL.jpg

http://www.oneplanetliving.org/uk/assets/big/CNBQ_Brighton_View_2_SMALL.jpg

http://www.oneplanetliving.org/uk/assets/big/CNBQ_Brighton_View_1_SMALL.jpg

The rejected 42 storey beetham tower (awaiting Beetham to come up with a re-design)
http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/348NewEnglandSquare_pic1.jpg



Falmer stadium (Under Construction) - A new home for Brighton & Hove albion, capacity will be 23,000

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1290/1047022369_3b6548a2fa.jpg?v=0

http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/project/uploaded_files/173_385%20Falmer.jpg




Brighton Marina development - (On Hold)
40 storeys of sheer beauty, along with 850 apartments, bars, and a new footbridge.
http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/347BrightonMarinaTower_pic4.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/4718BrightonMarinaBlock3_pic1.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/233FirstLookatNewBrightonMarinaDesign_pic1.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/475BrightonMarinaRecommendedForApproval_pic1.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/347BrightonMarinaTower_pic5.jpg

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/347BrightonMarinaTower_pic2.jpg



Explore living marina proposals (planning application rejected, developer to appeal) - 300m scheme for the marina seperate from the brunswick scheme, will include a mixture of residential (1278 new apartments), retail and leisure housed in a variety of new buildings, some tall. (marina point tower 28 floors, marina square 16 floors)

The development areas -
http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/801ExploreLivingBrightonMarinaPlansShownOff_pic1.jpg

Marina point tower
http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/5127MarinaPoint_pic1.jpg

How both scheme's will look together
http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images/pics/937FirstAlliesandMorrisonBrightonImages_pic1.jpg



London road regeneration masterplan (plans at an early stage) - the plan is to transform the northern part of the city centre into a new cultural and business centre of the city

plans include -

*A "mini City of London" in the New England Quarter with tall buildings.
*A series of new office developments
*Restoration and improvements to shop facades.
*Improvements to the run-down car park to the west of London Road and the possible creation of another to the east.
*A green boulevard leading from The Level to the seafront, cutting the fourlane carriageway to the west down to a bus lane and moving all other traffic to the east.
*St Peter's Church transformed into art studios and a cultural centre.

[AndrewC]

Funky.

[Tubeman]

Shame this was rejected, It's gorgeous :(

http://www.brightonmarinafuture.co.uk/images/future1.jpg

[RSWB]

Shame this was rejected, It's gorgeous :(

http://www.brightonmarinafuture.co.uk/images/future1.jpg

I know it ruined my weekend that did, can't believe our stupid council rejected it, one minute the council seem to be embracing tall buildings, (they made some positive comments about this development in the past) then they do a u turn and throw it out, bloody stupid.
I just hope a compromise is made and the developers don't abandon it totally because the marina needs this investment.

[RSWB]

News just in from the Brighton business forum:

Council looks at changes to Preston Barracks

Councillors are to discuss proposed changes to one of Brighton’s largest regeneration projects to ensure its financial viability. Alterations will radically improve the design of buildings at the site.


The location on the Lewes Road is earmarked for hundreds of homes for people on the council waiting list, plus properties for sale and commercial space which could bring over 1000 jobs.


An outline plan by Chichester Diocesan Housing Association, members of the Hyde Group, and developers Wilson Bowden was approved in March 2004 after a development competition.


The report recommends changes to enhance the scheme’s financial viability. These include


More attractive design of buildings
Investigating the possibility the scheme could include regeneration of the adjacent Pavilion Retail Park
Relocating a proposed Innovation Centre elsewhere
More homes and slightly fewer offices.
A move away from three medium-rise blocks in favour of a landmark tower.

The latest proposal increases private homes from 241 to 302 units. Affordable housing units would also increase from 171 to 200.


The 2.28ha site was bought by the council with help from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and Brighton & Hove Regeneration Partnership in 2002.


Developers are drawing up plans to consult the local community on the latest proposals and to establish a cross-party project board of councillors advised by senior officials, similar to the one which delivered Brighton’s successful new library.


Regeneration councillor Don Turner said: “These are exciting proposals which can meet the high aspirations demanded of the development. But we recognise there are considerable challenges ahead.”


Additional resources have been secured to undertake a detailed transport assessment of the Lewes Road corridor the results of which will be critical to the success of the scheme.


Environment councillor Gill Mitchell said: “The project has improved in urban design terms and I’m delighted that the sustainability aspirations are the highest possible standard. However additional work is required to mitigate the transport and traffic implications on the Lewes Road to support our air quality management programme.”


Rhys Daniel, commercial director for CDHA said: "We have explored every option to produce a deliverable scheme that meets the aspirations of stakeholders. We are confident that our work reflects the vision and spirit of modern Brighton & Hove and will create a vibrant new neighbourhood that sets national standards for mixed use regeneration."

oooh maybe just maybe ... nice landmark tower for lewes road wouldbe superb
:cheers:

[Black Cat]

Thanks Brighton Boy for a good thread. The Brighton Centre project will likely be the big one, though we may have to be patient and wait for the climate to change in Brighton towards tall buildings. Perhaps when the King Alfred project is completed, there may be a change in attitude similar to that in London and other cities when a good quality tall building is actually constructed. This is the unfortunate annoyance at the turning down of the marina project.

[RSWB]

yeah lets hope so mate, the thing is Brighton has a pretty fast growing population (roughly 2,000 extra people a year) and to house them all we need high density buildings as we are squashed between sea and downs and there's hardly any land left to build on, so I think the council will soon have to accept that the only way to go is up! :)

[large]

excellent post Brighton boy. How recent is that Medina house proposal? I know one got rejected a year or two ago, but with Gehry going ahead, I can imagine this should go through now.

Marina nightmare, hopefully something 20-30 stories will go ahead.

[RSWB]

excellent post Brighton boy. How recent is that Medina house proposal? I know one got rejected a year or two ago, but with Gehry going ahead, I can imagine this should go through now.

Marina nightmare, hopefully something 20-30 stories will go ahead.

This was the article a few days ago in the argus about medina house, saying that the developers are going to re-submit their application which they withdrew a couple of years ago, although this time it will be a couple of storeys shorter 15, or 16 they say.


High-rise plan at eyesore site
From the archive, first published Friday 11th Nov 2005.

Plans for a high-rise flats development on the site of a derelict eyesore on Hove seafront have been revived.

Medina House at Kings Esplanade, Hove, would be demolished to make way for the 15 or 16-storey block.

An application for an 18-storey building on the site was withdrawn two years ago because Brighton and Hove City Council had not yet adopted a tall buildings policy.

Last month councillors backed plans for two high-rise towers at the nearby King Alfred site, the largest of which is 26 storeys.

Property developer Sirus Taghan, who bought Medina House from Hove Council in the Nineties, said he was likely to submit plans for the block next month and hoped to create "a special building in a very sensitive part of Hove."

Mr Taghan is under pressure to secure the long-term future of the site, which has become a dumping ground and a blight on the seafront since squatters moved in four years ago.

This week he was ordered by Brighton and Hove City Council to take urgent measures to repair the crumbling brickwork, give the building a coat of paint, replace the empty windows and secure the site with wooden hoardings. Mr Taghan has until November 26 to carry out the work.

He told The Argus: "Of course I will comply with the order because I am the last person who wants to see the site in its present condition. Don't forget I submitted a planning application to redevelop the site four years ago which was withdrawn on the advice of the council. Nobody can say I am being negligent.

"We are working very hard on designs and will be presenting our ideas to the council later this month.

"It is a sensitive area and our design will complement that and enhance and improve the area.

"It has taken time because it has to be right."

Residents have complained about Medina House for years. Conservative ward councillor Averil Older has been lobbying for it to be smartened up and for the squatters, who are occupying the building with Mr Taghan's consent, to be evicted.

She said: "Every summer more squatters arrive. The yard has been full of rubbish and oil drums and old furniture."

The building has been inspected by police, fire and environmental health services but they have found no grounds to evict the occupiers.

Mr Taghan said he initially evicted some squatters but was later approached by two artists who wanted to use Medina House as a workshop for the Chalk Circle group. He said: "I allowed them. They are good people and I am satisfied that, apart from perhaps one or two occasions in the summer where they played loud music, they have been responsible neighbours.

Coun Older said: "This notice is a stop-gap measure while the long-term future of the site is uncertain and I am pleased the owner is being made to do something about what is a horrendous eyesore."

Ken Fines, 82, who has been a vocal campaigner against the King Alfred plan, said: "I have said all along it would set a precedent for high-rise buildings in Hove and that is being borne out.

"I will oppose this development because, like the King Alfred, it is totally alien, out of scale and totally unsuitable."

Ken fines, 82 - leader of the save HOVA nimby group, he will probably not be with us once these high rises are complete anyway so I wish he'd just shut up and let our city evolve.
They have got to be one of the worst nimby groups around. :rant:

[large]

Cheers for that. I live near the site, and a mid rise tower would perfect, there are already severla 8 storey apartment blocks there, when will these prats realise that Brighton has to go up. It's NIMBYs that scuppered Brighton gateway and the tower planned for the Caffyns site. Developers will soon realise it's not worth submitting plans for Brighton and the town will start to decline unless the council ignore these small minded people..

[RSWB]

Here are some projects in Hastings, a great town on the up.

Station plaza under construction - Ambitious plans are underway to create Hastings Station Plaza - an inspiring gateway to the town for business visitors, tourists and residents alike. It will be a combination of business, education and retail space and 120 new homes as part of the UK's only Millennium Community beside the sea.
http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder5/HSP_Station_sm.jpg

http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder5/HSP_PlazaLookingWest_sm.jpg

http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder5/HSP_PlazaLookingEast_sm.jpg

http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder5/HSP_QueensSquare_sm.jpg

New university centre in Hastings - managed by the University of Brighton and provides courses from many of the best UK and international universities.

http://www.seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_news_images/UCHAtriumsml.JPG

Pelham Place - World-renowned architect Foster & Partners is set to transform the Pelham Place site on Hastings' seafront with a striking contemporary development to complement the area's existing Regency architecture. This will include a civic space, top-class hotel, offices, shops, homes, cafes and restaurants. As a bustling public area, this showcase development will provide a powerful draw for locals, visitors, businesses, investment, employment and growth.

http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder6/artists-impression.jpg

http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder6/aerial-view.jpg


Hastings' redeveloped train station
http://www.semg.org.uk/location/pics/cd_hast01.jpg

Queensway - The Queensway development in northern Hastings will provide 16,000 m2 of high quality business space to attract larger, more established businesses to the area, helping to generate local jobs.
http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder8/artists-impression.jpg

Ore valley - Transformation of the Ore Valley, with 700 new homes, overhaul of the rail and road system, new shops, community facilities and enhancement of the area's green spaces.
http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder10/ore-station.jpg

http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder10/ore-east-road.jpg

http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder10/broomgrove-road.jpg


Disused buildings and a brownfield site have been used to develop high quality office space for creative companies. The cafe/restaurant unit in the new building will add to the diversity of Robertson Street.
http://seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder1/cmc520artists-impression.jpg


St Leonards' Marina Pavilion is being renovated to become a high-quality, year-round seafront business and leisure venue to boost the area's daytime and evening economies.
http://www.seaspace.org.uk/dyn/_projects/_folder2/Marina_Proposed.jpg

[RSWB]

Details of the new development at preston barracks have been released by the argus today, maybe not quite the landmark tower I might of hoped for but 20 storeys is still good, here is the article.

High hopes for site of derelict barracks

A striking 20-storey tower is at the heart of new plans to transform a derelict military base.

The Preston Barracks site in Lewes Road, Brighton, has been earmarked for hundreds of homes for people on the council waiting list, properties for sale and commercial space which could provide more than 1,000 jobs.

Developers were given extra time to work on their proposals after their first submission was found to be unaffordable.

The latest plans, produced by Chichester Diocesan Housing Association (CDHA), architects Broadway Malyan and commercial developers Wilson Bowden, include less office space and more homes than the original scheme.

Commercial space has been reduced by about 1,000sqm, to 18,706sqm, and the number of homes increased from 412 to 502, which includes 200 affordable units.

The consortium is also looking at widening the scheme to include the nearby Pavilion Retail Park, which contains B&Q, Halfords and Comet stores. One option would involve bulldozing the 20-year-old site and rebuilding from scratch.

The latest changes, which are an attempt to make the £100 million scheme viable, mean the number of jobs forecast to be created has fallen from 1,221 to 1,183.

But councillors gave it their blessing at a meeting of the policy and resources committee last week.

Rhys Daniel, the CDHA's commercial director, said: "We have explored every option to produce a deliverable scheme which meets the aspirations of people and businesses.

"We are confident our work reflects the vision and spirit of modern Brighton and Hove and will create a vibrant new neighbourhood."

On the current timetable the developer's first planning application would be submitted to the council by October 2006.

If successful, construction work would begin in 2007 and the site completed by 2013 - 11 years after the council bought it from the Ministry of Defence with the help of the South East England Development Agency and Brighton and Hove Regeneration Partnership.

The offices and homes could not come too soon. Brighton and Hove is facing a pressing shortage of both and it is hoped the new development will help tempt large businesses to relocate to the city as well as providing high-quality facilities for smaller start-up companies.

Tony Mernagh of the Brighton and Hove Business Forum said: "We are definitely short of large, good-quality office space and that is what we need to attract more big employers. It's unfortunate progress is taking this long but understandable given the nature of the site. This scheme is better than the original one."

Regeneration councillor Don Turner said: "These are exciting proposals which can meet the high aspirations demanded of the development."

Developers are drawing up plans to consult the community on the latest proposals and a transport study will be conducted in the Lewes Road area to calculate the effect of the development on air pollution and traffic.

Environment councillor Gill Mitchell said: "The project has improved but additional work is required to mitigate the transport and traffic implications on the Lewes Road to support our air quality management programme."

[RSWB]

Just got a copy of the argus, and they have a render of the proposed tower at preston barracks on one of their pages, which I will scan in on monday, I've counted the floors and it is more than 20 storeys :) it's around 25 so that's good news. :cheers:
I also quite like the design, not as good as the marina tower but still very nice,and will be a striking gateway into Brighton city centre, i'll scan it in when i'm back at home on monday.

[large]

Shame it's not in the city centre.

[Preston_guy]

Some great projects for Brighton and the area. The International Arena looks great

[RSWB]

Good news on the king alfred scheme, it gains support from cabe.

Bold seafront plans gain support

Plans for a development scheme on Hove seafront by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry has been backed by a government-funded buildings watchdog.
But the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe) said the £290m project does need further work.

The design for the King Alfred leisure centre site includes 754 flats, 40% of which are affordable housing, in two towers and several lower blocks.

It also includes a sports centre with a multi-coloured domed roof.

Cabe said it liked the "distinctive and quirky architecture that could be something entirely new to Brighton and Hove - much like the Royal Pavilion when it was built."

But it was concerned some of the accommodation was too small and a number of the apartments lack sufficient private space.

It also said more imagination needed to be put into public spaces.

Cabe concluded the council "should satisfy itself that this will not only be a remarkable new architectural addition to the city but also a good place to live for all, in well designed homes".

Gehry, an award-winning Canadian architect whose previous work includes the titanium-clad Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, teamed up with Brighton developer Karis Holdings for the project.

The King Alfred development, which originally included four towers, has been criticised as an "eyesore" and looking "like Noddyland".

Many local residents have called it a "monstrosity".

They said it is completely out of kilter with the character of Hove, which has always been seen as the more genteel sister of brash Brighton.

But leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Ken Bodfish, insists it is time for the city, famous for its Regency heritage, to move forward.

[RSWB]

Here is the proposed 25 storey tower to be built on lewes road in Brighton, it is on the main road into town from the north east and will be a striking gateway into the city centre, the site is very near the northern tip of the city centre and it will look like the city centre has expanded northwards somewhat.

Scanned in from Friday's edition of the argus.

http://static.flickr.com/33/65515123_cbb9bc3930.jpg?v=0

[RSWB]

Simon Fanshawe (chairman of the brighton economic partnership) accuses the council of holding back the city by putting their political lives before the future of Brighton, I couldn't agree more, below is a short article of what was said.

In the article that was printed in the argus today, Mr Fanshawe also said that the developers behind the marina project have a good chance of winning an appeal due to the fact it was so highly praised in the planning officers report - lets all hope so :)

'Stop holding back our city'
by Kate Morrison

Business leaders have accused councillors of putting their political lives before the future of Brighton and Hove by turning down a major new development.

Writer and broadcaster Simon Fanshawe, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, accuses members of the council's planning committee of "narrow- minded" decision making in an open letter in The Argus today.

Plans for a 420ft skyscraper at Brighton Marina that would have been the tallest building in Sussex were thrown out when nine of its members voted against it.

The tower was part of a £265 million development including 603 private flats, 395 affordable homes and a swing bridge linking the two arms of the Marina.

Mr Fanshawe said the "parochial" decision will damage Brighton and Hove's potential to attract investment and talent and is based on the councillors' own political interests.

He also warned it fails to address important issues such as affordable housing and the transport needs of the city.

He added: "The city vision of the administration and its partners is being undermined by those who refuse time and again to think about what will benefit the whole city and instead retire to their safety zone of the parochial."

Mr Fanshawe is speaking on behalf of the Partnership, which is made up of 38 individuals representing each sector of the city's economy.

Councillor Francis Tonks was one of the committee members who voted against the Marina scheme.

He said: "We are not narrow-minded and parochial but broad-minded and democratic.

"We are accountable to the city and its residents and that tower would be a luxury development for the rich."

Andrew Goodall, managing director of Brunswick Developments, which is behind the Marina project, said they would be appealing against the planning decision.


Simon Fanshawe could be a great leader for this city, he spearheaded the city status bid a few years back, he has a bold vision for our city and knows how it should develop, I would love to meet him.

[large]

Where abouts is Preston Barracks? Is it near the level?

I read that article from Simon Fanshawe. Couldn't agree more, our council are crap...look at the state of the seafront, the band stand, the West Pier etc.

[RSWB]

preston barracks is just up from the level, just past the Vogue gyratory.

Our council aren't altogether crap they have done well with parts of the seafront but maybe the problem is that its a hung council and conservatives usually go against labour and vice versa causing mayhem in the planning process.

[large]

The Tories tend to oppose anything that represents progress as far as I can see.

Thanks for letting us know where it is. good location, I was worried it was more out towards the University. If this goes ahead and they redevelop London Road, the whole area will improve dramatically.

In spite of the council, I wouldn't live anywhere else in the UK, and all these developments will only make the place better. btw there's an article in the Argus today talking about supporting King Alfred. Karis/ING are organising a postcard campaign. I can't do anything as I've already given my support, but if all forumers who have an interest in Brighton could write to the council planning department in support of this, the gateway and marina projects then it can only help.

[RSWB]

Yeah, the problem is that if someone is supportive of a scheme they don't usually bother writing to the council and commenting on it as there is nothing to complain about but if someone opposes a scheme then they always will as they feel strongly against it - this shouldn't be the attitude as it will give the impression that most ppl are against these developments.

I would urge anyone who has an interest in Brighton and these great developments to please write to our council in support of these schemes - don't let those nimbys win!

Also Karis/ING have said that 8 out of 10 people (who went to see the models at the town hall) in Brighton support the king alfred scheme which seems about right although with all the press coverage of the nimby group (hova) some people might of thought almost everyone was against it.
I think I read somewhere that there is a group being formed to support this development called Hove Up, I shall be joining this as soon as I can.

[large]

I think I read somewhere that there is a group being formed to support this development called Hove Up, I shall be joining this as soon as I can.

There is, I'm on their email list. They had their first meeting last week. Here's the email of the guy who runs it, Richard Coleman: hove@citydesigner.com

I couldn't make it as I was busy. If you do email him, ask if they're supporting other projects, or if its just KA.

[RSWB]

deleted

[RSWB]

Thanks for the email address large, I shall email them as soon as I get a bit of time.

For anyone interested this is the full article by Simon Fanshawe.

STOP PLAYING POLITICS WITH OUR CITY

Jim Lovell famously said as Apollo 13 lost power on the way to the moon "Houston, we have a problem". Well, people of Brighton and Hove 'we have a problem'. We are on the cusp of great things yet the vision might be imperilled by a few councillors grandstanding to a minority. The latest evidence of this was the vote against the Marina development at Planning Committee this week. By 9-3, the Committee turned down the scheme.
There are two issues here. One is about the scheme itself, which would deliver 400 affordable homes in a development with 15% renewable energy use (a high target compared with comparable sized schemes), £1.2 million pounds towards transport on the seafront and £7,000 per dwelling in Section 106 payments (money to be spent on community oriented facilities, art and transport).
It would have also, for the first time, made the Marina a place where you could actually walk beside, looking at the sea. Wilkinson Eyre's bridge would on its own have been a new attraction for the city. I can currently see my flat at the corner of Sussex Square when I am flying back into Gatwick. The Tower would have been a jewel beside it.
So the city has lost those homes that could have housed some of the 5,500 people currently waiting for council houses which would have been a considerable contribution to the affordable housing stock in the city and it's transport challenges and also a proposal which would make the marina a classy attraction for visitors and us city dwellers alike.
The developers by the way will probably go to appeal Given the glowing recommendation from planning officers they stand a good chance of winning. But all the extra benefits to the city negotiated by our planning department will not necessarily be included. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, which decides these matters for instance only insists on 25% affordable housing not the 40% negotiated as policy by Brighton & Hove Council.
However, something more serious is happening. The city vision of the administration and its partners (partnerships like us, together with individual private sector companies and the public services) is being undermined by those who refuse time and again to think about what will benefit the whole city and instead retire to their safety zone of the parochial.

There is a link between these major projects and the ability of the city to thrive economically. The link is, as it always has been in Brighton and Hove, between our reputation and jobs in the city.
In the 1960 the City fathers and mothers, all Conservatives, had a vision. They were determined that the county borough of Brighton (solo as it was then) would be a significant place. They saw the threat on the horizon with the decline of the bucket and spade resorts on the British coast and they looked to a new future. So they built the Brighton Centre, developed the Marina and gave the land at Falmer to the University of Sussex.
They transformed the city. Would that be possible in today's climate, where narrow political interests dominate over the good of the whole city's population? Not at the moment.
Last week on the Planning Committee, 5 Conservatives, 1 Lib Dem, I Green and, incredibly given the policies of their administration, two Labour rebels refused to see the future and voted for inertia. They turned down the Marina scheme. They did not have the vision of those Conservatives in the 60's. They did not see that if the new city of Brighton and Hove is to thrive into the future it will have to be as brave as they were in the 60's, faced with the change in tourism that cheap air fares brought, and as brave as those who oversaw the developments of the late eighteenth and early to mid nineteenth century provoked by the five fold increase in tourists to the city.
Our Economic Strategy (published in September - available to download at http://www.brightonbusiness.co.uk - makes a link between reputation and jobs. It recognises that the ability of developers to bring the world's great architects to the city, to build for homes, leisure and learning (ie the Library) and the Planners ability to negotiate deals which serve the whole city (like 40% affordable housing and transport benefits) depends on confidence in the city. Investors need to feel the city is the right place for their money (and not say Portsmouth or Southampton). And the planners need to have the confidence and leverage to argue for the highest design standards, the most affordable housing, the best s106 agreements and the most environmentally friendly transport schemes.
With so few sites to develop we need to build upwards imaginatively and sensitively to make our city succeed and retain as much of our countryside as possible. With these developments come a series of challenges and opportunities in transport in the city, and members of the Economic Partnership have been actively involved in developing the rapid transport system (RTS) designed to get still more people onto buses and in supporting Park & Ride, whose aim is to scale down congestion, cut road deaths and reduce air pollution in the city.
The developments on the Station site, Jubilee Street, The Marina, The King Alfred and at City Park are not only physical contributions to housing the people in the city and creating jobs for us, but they are also a demonstration of that confidence in the city which attracts investment and talent. How many times recently have you heard people say to you, when they know you live in Brighton and Hove, "wow it's buzzing down there"! That's confidence. And they are not talking about the narrow minded Councillors on the Planning committee.
There is an economic vision to take this city into the future with better jobs which command higher wages. There is a cultural vision to increase the making of original work here to transform it from a receiving town to a producing city. There is a vision for homes, to try and make as many as possible affordable for key workers. These visions are the product of the same kind of thinking that those Councillors had in the sixties, and incidentally of the same kind of thinking as the Labour visionaries Carden and Cohen did in the 30's when they bought so much land on the edge of the city for housing and green space. Irrespective of party these men and women took responsibility for creating a future for the city.
But the city wide vision for this century of the current administration and its partners is being thwarted by the three opposition parties and a small band of Labour rebels.

These major developments are central to our economic strategy. The Economic Partners have commented on each of them in detail and advocated them in broad principle because we recognise the link between them and jobs and increasingly better pay for those of us who live here and for our children.
So we say to those councillors - tell us why are you playing politics with our jobs and our city?

[Mac]

Well the people of Brighton voted these tossers into office, so they deserve it when things like the Marina are refused permission.

Anyway, just what makes local buffon councillors qualified to make decisions on architecture?.

[large]

This is the council response to that article:

Councillors hit back at claims they put politics over good of city

Writer and broadcaster Simon Fanshawe Businesss leaders yesterday accused councillors of putting politics before the future of Brighton and Hove by turning down a major new development.

Writer and broadcaster Simon Fanshawe, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, accused members of the council's planning committee of "narrow minded" decision making in an open letter to The Argus. Nine committee members voted against a 420ft skyscraper in Brighton Marina, part of a £265 million scheme by Brunswick Developments including 603 private flats, 395 affordable homes and a swing bridge linking the two arms of the Marina.

The development came with a quota of 15 per cent renewable energy and a cap on the number of residents' cars. Here, members of the planning committee and Ken Bodfish, leader of the city council, gave The Argus their response to Mr Fanshawe's comments:

Against
- Averil Older, Central Hove, Conservative: "Councillors are elected by people to represent them: if we don't do it who will? Certainly not an ex-comedian like Simon Fanshawe with vested interests in the city.

"I asked a senior planning officer: where are the doctors; the dentists; the schools for these homes? He said they would follow. That is too big a risk.

"I have lived in this city since I was three, unlike Mr Fanshawe, and I am not prepared to put my name to something that turns out to be a disaster for the area."

- Ken Norman, Withdean, Conservative: "This was not a political decision: the voting went across all parties.

"One of my concerns was that you cannot stop people having cars. Signing a covenant just means they can't keep a car on site. They can still park in nearby streets and cause congestion."

- Carol Theobald, Vice-Chair, Patcham, Conservative: "I was worried about the lack of car parking. There would be 1,000 units and barely 100 parking spaces.

"I can see the Marina car park filling up with residents' cars when it is supposed to service the whole Marina."

- Ted Kemble, Wish, Conservative (standing in for Geoff Wells, Woodingdean): "The majority of the committee actually liked the design and the proposals - it was just in the wrong place."

- Sue Paskins, St Peter's and North Laine, Green: "All the local schools are full and there is nowhere for children to play. It would also only create 85 long term jobs in the Marina so all the other residents would have to travel to their jobs - probably by car.

"The tower had a 45-year life expectancy so those 400 affordable homes would become very expensive for the council to maintain."

- Francis Tonks, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Labour: "Simon Fanshawe is a self-appointed pundit while we are democratically elected and accountable.

"The argument against the tower was very strong, particularly the fact that it would be higher than the cliff. There is an Act of Parliament against this and it would be obtrusive."

- Kevin Allen, Preston Park, Labour, did not wish to comment as he felt it was inappropriate for planning committee members to discuss decisions.

- David Watkins, Brunswick and Adelaide, Liberal Democrat, was not available for comment.

- Lynda Hyde, Rottingdean Coastal, Conservative, was not available for comment.

For
- Delia Forester, Vice-Chair, Queen's Park, Labour: "Planning should be for the benefit of the entire city and not subject to public opinion.

"The Conservatives voted against it because the public gallery was stuffed with shouting Tory voters."

- Anne Meadows, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, Labour, standing in for Roy Pennington, Regency: "I think there was an element of members worrying about what their voters would think.

"Those 400 homes would have provided for key workers, shared ownership and low rent. It's a tragedy it didn't pass considering the city's housing situation."

- Leslie Hamilton, Chair, South Portslade, Labour, was not available for comment - Ken Bodfish, Queen's Park, Leader of the Council and Leader of the Labour Group, Queen's Park: "The Labour administration has been behind this development from the beginning and this was an outrageous decision. The committee members are are being very irresponsible.

"They are amateurs overthrowing the well thought through, professional advice of our officers.

"One wonders if they are interested in increasing the value of their own houses by stopping more building in the city, because this will push up house prices in Brighton and Hove."

[RSWB]

if brighton council was still a 100% labour council like they used to be I reckon the marina tower would of got permission, as there would of been more labour seats on the planning commitee and less tory ones, the leader of our council is labour and he is outraged that this marina development was turned down, as labour have always generally been behind big projects like these in Brighton, ppl have voted more for the torys and lib dems in the last local election due to the war in iraq.
I hate brighton's conservative councillors, they really are backward.

[gothicform]

imagine, its inappropiate for councillors to justify their decisions. umm, what about this thing we have called democracy. twats.

[RSWB]

Beetham have launched an appeal to try and get their 42 storey tower built in Brighton, I thought they would of done a re-design seeing as people thought it was bland and uninspiring, but oh well - dunno what to think really, on one hand I want this to be successful as its a big landmark scraper for Brighton but the other half of me says its rather bland. hmm
What are the chances of this being successful do you think?, as the government is encouraging these high density developments - especially in the crowded south east.

Tower plan back on the horizon
by Miriam Wells

The developer behind a proposed 42-storey tower block unanimously thrown out by councillors is attempting to overturn the decision.

The Beetham Organisation, which wants to build a high-rise luxury hotel on the Brighton station site, has launched an appeal against Brighton and Hove City Council's rejection of its planning application.

It has lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate, part of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, which will carry out a public inquiry and make its own ruling on whether the building should be allowed.

People living in the North Laine area adjacent to the site have vowed to fight the appeal and residents are being urged to write to the inspectorate with objections to the scheme.

The plans, which include a four-star luxury hotel, a conference centre, gym, restaurant, cafÈ and 146 flats, were thrown out at a council planning committee meeting last April.

Councillors said the tower, which would be visible for miles and would be the tallest building in Sussex, would stick out like a sore thumb and the design was bland and boring.

Planning officers gave 20 reasons for refusing the application, saying the building would be intrusive, overbearing and harmful to its surroundings.

They said Beetham had failed to demonstrate that adequate sustainability and efficiency measures would be put into place, that the building would not block out sunlight or that necessary infrastructure would be put into place.

Before the public inquiry, interested parties can make submissions to the Planning Inspectorate.

Beetham confirmed that an appeal had been made but did not wish to comment.

Barry Leigh, planning representative of the North Laine Community Association, of Kensington Place, Brighton, said: "We did expect this as a company like Beetham does not go away after spending a lot of money on the proposals.

"We need as many people as possible to write in opposing the tower."

No date has been set for the inquiry but any submissions have to be made by December 20.

The Planning Inspectorate recommends submissions are made in the following format:

Name and address
Quote the Beetham Organisation Ltd, Brighton Station Site Block J, Application no. BH2005/00136/FP, Appeal reference no. APP/Q1445/A/05/1190617
Statement "I am against the appeal" or "I support the appeal"

Reasons for opposing or supporting the appeal and the plans
Send three copies of any submissions to the Planning Inspectorate, Room 4/04 Kite Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN.

[RSWB]

For anyone who needs reminding this is the beetham tower proposal

http://www.newenglandsquare.co.uk/e107_images/content/overvi06_large.jpg

[large]

Gordon Brown said that planning applications for developments like these and the marina would be able to bypass a lot of local authority crap and resident opinion in the future to increase the pace of tower construction. Maybe this will go through on the back of that, although it is a crap design and would be better in canary Wharf than Brighton.

[Sussex Albion]

Excellent thread, Brighton Boy. The only thing I would correct is that the Albion has been waiting for a new stadium for 10 years, not 6 (Bellotti sold the Goldstone Ground in 1995), and now Lewes District Council is preparing to waste thousands (and potentially half a million) pounds on fighting a judicial review of Prescott's decision to give the go-ahead. Great work has been done to fight this and the Argus found 74% against this waste of money in a poll it ran and a 5500 signature petition has been given to Lewes District Council opposing their line of action. I totally agree on the Beetham Tower. I hope they win their appeal, but are forced to change the design to make it more distinctive rather than the bland effort they are currently offering.

[RSWB]

Hi sussex albion, nice to see more people from the brighton area on here, we need more though :)

I have changed the front page and it now says 10 years instead of 6 regarding albions wait for a stadium, thanks for pointing that out mate.

Anyway, yeah lewes council and their nimby faithful are fighting something they won't win, if I was in the lewes council area I would refuse to pay my council tax full stop, how dare they waste public money on this stupid judicial review.
Can't wait till we get falmer, just hope we are in the championship when it opens.

I think the marina tower has a good chance of winning its appeal and as you say I hope that beetham are forced into a re-design on their tower, then I will be truly happy :)

[RSWB]

I've been searching through the planning applications and have found a new 12/13 storey building proposed for the texaco garage site next to the king alfred, I haven't found any renders yet but the architects are peter taylor associates.
This area will look very dense in the future (if they all go ahead) with the two king alfred towers (21 - 26 storeys) with 10 storey buildings surrounding the whole site, add to this a couple of mid rise blocks of 12 - 16 storeys at medina house and with this new application at the texaco garage, there is also a new application for an 8 storey building next to the king alfred at vallance gardens.

[large]

Where will I get my petrol?

[RSWB]

lol lets hope it's a nicely designed building - that should make up for it.
your nearest one if this is approved would be the bp on kingsway I think. :D

[large]

In today's Argus:

High-rise Hove plan sparks fury
by Kate Morrison

Campaigners have raised fears a rash of planning applications for high-rise tower blocks could turn Hove into a little Hong Kong.

Opponents of architect Frank Gehry's plan for a £290 million sports and housing complex fear it is already encouraging developers to see Hove seafront as the place to build big - even before it has it has been considered for approval.

Brighton and Hove City Council has received an application for a 92-flat development on the site of Texaco in Kingsway, Hove.

An application for a block of flats at run-down Medina House, King's Esplanade, is likely to be received soon and a third developer wants to knock down three houses in Vallance Gardens to build three two-storey apartment blocks.

Ken Fines, 82, of Hove Against Vandalism Actually, said: "I said right at the beginning that, if the King Alfred was allowed, it would be the beginning of the end for Hove.

"People are already jumping on the bandwagon and you can imagine what it would be like if it was approved. We will get this Hong Kong-isation."

Gehry's complex, on the site of the Thirties King Alfred leisure centre, would include 754 flats, a new sports centre, shops, cafÈs, bars and restaurants.

Although the other developments being planned for the area would be nowhere near as big, some residents fear that, between them, they will irrevocably alter Hove's Regency look.

Ridgewood Properties, a company based in Dubai, has offered to include 30 per cent social housing in the 12-storey Texaco development.

Derelict Medina House would be demolished to make way for a 15 or 16-storey block . Property developer Sirius Taghan, who bought the house from the council in the Nineties, said he was likely to submit plans for the site this month.

In September, councillors agreed proposals for two high-rise towers at the nearby £220 million King Alfred site - the largest of which is 26 storeys - met planning conditions.

The planning application is being considered by planning officers.

Conservative councillor Garry Pelzer Dunn said: "My reaction is that the King Alfred appears to be a catalyst and this is the shape of things to come.

"The whole character of that part of Hove will be totally destroyed."

Other councillors hit back at suggestions the development will spoil the area.

Council leader Ken Bodfish said the authority's tall buildings strategy had been adopted to stop piecemeal overdevelopment and confine multi-storey blocks to appropriate areas.

He said: "If the planning committee does not adhere to the overall strategy then it is inevitable we will get applications all over the place and it's almost impossible to stop them."

Last month, the committee rejected proposals for a £265 million scheme in Brighton Marina, including a 420ft skyscraper - a decision that provoked a furore among business leaders.

Councillor Don Turner said: "Everyone should realise the city is very short of homes."


I think the three two storey apartment blocks will definitely add to the Hong Kong look. These moaning NIMBY's are pathetic.

[RSWB]

lol yeah I know it's ridiculous, I think they should all go through as if this city does not build new homes we are in serious trouble - the council know this.

I have recently started posting messages in the argus website forum - and by god the people there are so negative about Brighton it is unbelievable, anything ranging from development to council services, to the state of our streets, is looked upon in a negative way, it really is depressing - surely not everyone is like that in Brighton?
Have you posted in them before large?

[large]

On the odd occasion and I agree, most of the people using that site are complete wankers. Maybe we should go on more often and post as many upbeat messages as possible, even create a few spoof identities and argue about how tall these towers should be, rather than whether they should go through at all.

[RSWB]

Sounds like a plan to me mate - Because there is such a fierce group of whinging nimbies on there, people that support progress and developments are probably too scared to post on there.

I've signed up for another account on there now, I am rswb and mr crab :)

I've tried to give my new user name a slightly different personality so they don't catch on lol

[RSWB]

Maybe everyone on here who is from Brighton or has an interest in Brighton, could go on the argus forums and bombared it with support for every single large scale scheme.
Now that would be good to see.

[large]

Nice one Mr Crab, I see that you've been accused of being a developer or councillor. Was it you I gave the email address of the hove-up group, the guys who are supporting the Gehry scheme?

[RSWB]

Oh yeah you gave me it but I never got round to sending the email! Damn I must of forgot.
I have just sent an email now though, I asked to join the group and also asked them whether it's just the king alfred they support or if it supports other large scale schemes as well, I'll see what he says.

[RSWB]

Well there is fantastic news today on the re-development of the Brighton centre area, very exciting indeed and a nice new years present for all us Brightonians, I have been waiting for more info on this project, here's the news article -

Secret plans to transform heart of city
by Andy Tate

Developers and councillors are drawing up multi-million pound plans to open up the heart of Brighton to the seafront.

Shoppers at Churchill Square would be treated to stunning views of the seafront under proposals to transform one of the most important commercial features of the city.

Councillors want to create an air of elegance to the triangle which houses the shopping centre, the Brighton Centre and the bulky Kingswest Building.

Shoppers are cut off from the seaside as the shopping centre backs onto the promenade and the centre, which houses many of the city's conferences and attracts scores of big-name bands for concerts.

But planners hope visitors could shop while still enjoying Brighton's best attraction - the seaside.

The scheme would cost hundreds of millions of pounds, eclipsing even Frank Gehry's proposed £290 million King Alfred sports and homes complex on Hove seafront, if it wins backing.

One plan under discussion is bulldozing the Brighton Centre to replace it with a modern conference building which would tie in with an expansion of Churchill Square to open it up to views of the sea.

The Kingswest building on the corner of West Street and Kings Road, home to the Odeon cinema and the Event II nightclub, would be demolished and space made for more shops, a new cinema and a top quality hotel.

Councillors are considering if they can incorporate homes into the development.

Supporters of the scheme hope it would bring more shoppers into Brighton and that the updated facilities would protect the city's reputation as a premier conference location amid increasingly fierce competition from cities such as Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle.

The long-term aim would be for Brighton, with its buzzing seafront and proximity to London and Gatwick Airport, to rival cities in the United States, France and Germany as a conference and exhibition destination.

Before the plans can become reality, Brighton and Hove City Council and Standard Life Investments, which owns Kingswest and Churchill Square, must secure millions of pounds of funding to help pay for the project.

Details of the scheme remain a closely-guarded secret because funding is not yet guaranteed.

But Brighton and Hove City Councillor Brian Fitch said more details would be released later this year.

He added: "It will be a great opportunity for the city. The Brighton Centre is out of date and we have got to look to the future.

"We want to make the whole area work. There has been so much criticism about Kingswest and this would be a chance to have something more elegant."

Councillors are optimistic about winning funding from the South East England Development Agency, which is believed to have been impressed by the strength and breadth of support for the project.

Churchill Square shopping centre was redeveloped from an open-air Sixties building into a fully-covered complex with 85 stores in 1998.

But senior councillors fear more needs to be done to reverse a feared slowdown in trade. It is hoped that a major redevelopment would trigger hundreds of millions of pounds of investment in the city.

Several major hotels are understood to be waiting for the transformation before spending millions of pounds in refurbishments - something which happened when the original Brighton Centre was built.

Councillors are keen for the scheme to be completed in time for the London Olympics in 2012.

[large]

Beat me by a minute, I was just about to paste this in!! This is excellent news indeed. The current Churchill square really lets the city down, along with the Centre, and Kingswest. It sounds like they really have a good idea of what to do. Being able to see the sea from the shops, with some sort of access would be great. I also see huge potential for one or two towers. there is no way they can fit a hotel and housing on this site, as well as opening it for sea, creating more retail space AND having a conference centre and multiscreen cinema without having a couple of towers. This area is prime for towers due to their proximity to Sussex heights and the other other brick thing.

If this goes ahead, and a serious proposal for the West pier is put forward, i will feel that Brighton is at last turning the corner and catching up with other UK cities on the redevelopmenbt front.

[Frog]

sounds like good news :cheers:

[RSWB]

deleted

[RSWB]

I would think these plans will get the backing from probably all members of the council, the torys shouldn't hold us back on this one as it is clear Brighton needs this development and it is the right site for dense and tall buildings, the council have already indicated that a tall building will be considered for this site.

It's funny that news of this came out today as I was thinking of it last night and wondered when we would hear further news on it, so i'm very happy today.

Can't wait for the renders now!

[Black Cat]

Good news, though we have to await how ambitious the city is willing to be in terms of building height, though clearly good quality architecture is desired. A mixed use tower could be really great, a shard or two may be very interesting?

Tory support? Are you kidding? In the past the local Tories were very pro-development, perhaps unhealthily so int eh 60s and 70s, but now they just seem to be cumudgeons, anti anything that is not a Tory led development irrespective of the issues or benefits. Whatever project is proposed is likely to dragged through the courts, and may end up going to appeal at Westminster. Oddly, the Tories in Brighton seem to be a south coast equivilent of Lambeth when it comes to development - we need look no further than Falmer to witness this.

[RSWB]

But the tories do support Falmer as do all party members in Brighton, it is the lib dems in Lewes who are against that development.

I reckon the tories will be behind this one, I remember a quote from one of the tory members saying this is a site suitable for a large landmark building, I think it was in the Argus a while back, so i'm hopeful that this development turns out to be much more widely supported than say the king alfred or the marina tower.

[Ciudad Bristol]

I know it ruined my weekend that did, can't believe our stupid council rejected it, one minute the council seem to be embracing tall buildings, (they made some positive comments about this development in the past) then they do a u turn and throw it out, bloody stupid.
I just hope a compromise is made and the developers don't abandon it totally because the marina needs this investment.

The Wilkinson Eyre website says that this project is still ongoing!?

It would make Brighton marina look like Miami, if you exclude the South Downs

[RSWB]

The developers (brunswick) are appealing against the planning rejection, and it is thought that they have a good chance of overturning the decision, I really do hope so, it is a fantastic scheme.

[pmun]

Fingers crossed for Beetham. I like this tower, slender, colourful, transparent (render at least) and in the perfect location near the north Lane and Station. These areas are already fairly lively, but are not living up to their potential.

The whole area could be thriving, but at there are currently quite a few boarded up retail units. There are also many employment opportunities nearby, so putting more residential here could reduce the need for transport.

[RSWB]

I have got an email back from Richard Coleman (Hove up Group leader), this is what he said -

Dear fellow Richard
Hove Up
Thankyou for adding your name to the cause. Hove Up only focusses on the King Alfred. We are not yet very active, more a place for people in support to add their names. We have met twice but since I was away for 3 weeks over xmas nothing much has happened. The main aim is to collect names, ensure people are aware of the facts and encourage them to write in support, in their own terms, to the Council, at the appropriate time. I will keep in touch.
Richard Coleman

[RSWB]

Fingers crossed for Beetham. I like this tower, slender, colourful, transparent (render at least) and in the perfect location near the north Lane and Station. These areas are already fairly lively, but are not living up to their potential.

The whole area could be thriving, but at there are currently quite a few boarded up retail units. There are also many employment opportunities nearby, so putting more residential here could reduce the need for transport.

Yeah I'll keep my fingers crossed for it aswell, the design of it is a bit bland but is actually not too bad and is growing on me, although I would prefer a re-design.

[RSWB]

Bit of news on the new jurys inn hotel development on the new england quarter site, still no renders though!
Also the new HQ for a major language school (study group international) is about to start construction, and there are no renders for that either.


Plans for hotel to boost site

A three-star hotel which would stand in the shadow of a planned 42-storey tower could be open by the end of this year.

The 234-bedroom hotel would be up to six storeys tall and form part of a major redevelopment of a 15-acre former railway goods yard near Brighton station, known as the New England Quarter.

Developer Osborn Securities also has plans for a four-storey office block, a public open space and piazza and a landscaped garden. There would be a £25,000 children's play area and £20,000 would be spent on spaces for older children and adults.

The developer is also contributing £40,000 for a bus service in the area and £10,000 would go towards a piece of public art. Nearby, The Level would benefit from £45,000 to be spent on recreational activities.

Brighton and Hove City Council has ordered that bird nesting boxes be built on the site. Any trees or plants which die within five years must be replaced.

The hotel, to be run by Anglo-Irish company Jurys Doyle, would provide a cheaper alternative for business people and tourists to a proposed four-star skyscraper on another section of the site.

Plans for the tower were turned down by Brighton and Hove City Council last December but a public inquiry will be held after developer The Beetham Organisation launched an appeal.

Paul ******, of Osborn, said there would be no conflict between his hotel and Beetham's because they were targeting different markets.

He said: "Beetham's would be four-star and we are doing three-star. There is a sufficient under-supply of quality three and four-star hotels in Brighton."

Work on a language school to the north of the proposed hotel was due to start early in the new year.

A Sainsbury's supermarket, community centre and 247 homes are also planned for other parts of the site.

A similar application was withdrawn last year amid concerns about the design and height of the building. The new application, recommended for approval, will be considered by planning councillors today.


A good hotel chain that will give the area a boost, and glad to see they are putting money towards a bus service and are building a new office building there, bringing more jobs to the city.

[pmun]

Thanks Brighton Boy, yes that is a good chain. It's about time we had something decent midrange in Brighton. And it's a great location for train travellers.

Does anyone know what's happening about the Myhotel opposite Brighton Library on Jubilee square? It's the last piece of the development and it hasn't even been started.

[RSWB]

I think the myhotel should start construction very soon, I heard somewhere that it has been delayed by around nine months as it's designs were overhauled.

Yo sushi and las iguanas have recently opened up in the square which are good names, and once the other units are opened along with the new myhotel (which will provide more units on street level) the area should be much more lively.

Although I'm dissapointed that a tesco express is opening there, and that starbucks has opened recently also (there are now 5 in Brighton), they both weren't really needed, but I guess you can't have it all perfect can you.

[RSWB]

I've been reading through the planning documents on the council website on the jurys inn hotel and it reads:

The northern Block (Kb) which is the 3* hotel has proposed heights of between 55.75, to 59.45 to parapet level and a maximum height of 61.6m to the top of the roof plant. This hotel has a floorspace of 10,518 sq m and accommodates 234 bedrooms with ancillary facilities comprising a bar, restaurant, 6 meeting rooms and reception. The design of the hotel is contemporary. It has large sections of glazing at ground floor level, set within a buff coloured brick base. The windows above are set within render walls which include metal, copper coloured sculptural pieces.

The southern Block (Ka) which is the proposed office development provides for 2,793 sq m of accommodation and is proposed at a height of 55m to roof level and 56.5 to top of roof plant. The office block again includes large areas of glazing on the ground floor level. The eastern elevation very much reflects the design of the hotel block with render walls punctuated by windows that read both vertically and horizontally. From the east, both buildings read in association with one another. The outer or western elevation facing the car park and station has a significant additional amount of glazing together with a large brick panel which runs the height of the building and serves to break up what would otherwise be an entire elevation of glazing.


How can a 5/6 storey hotel be around 55m - 60m high?
Also the 4 storey office building is proposed at 55m, how can this be?
:? ???

Edit -
I think they put meters instead of feet by accident, if it's 55 - 60 feet high that sounds about right for a hotel of 5 - 6 storeys doesn't it?

Edit No2 -
The hotel has now recieved the go ahead despite being a bit taller than what was on the agreed masterplan - good news.

[RSWB]

There are plans to designate st james's street as the official gay village for Brighton, I think this could be a good idea and could attract more shops/businesses to that street, although it might also have a negative effect on some of the shops there.


Brighton to re-build gay village
GAY.COM
Thursday 26 January, 2006

The unofficial capital of Britain’s lesbian and gay communities is to get a face lift if proposals put forward by councillors are passed.

Brighton councillor Simon Williams has drawn up new design’s for the city’s Kemp Town area, which he hopes will help improve the city for the thousands of lesbian and gay residents.

Councillor Williams, for the Green party, says the redesign will also help protect LGBT people, as well as anyone else visiting the gay scene in the city.

"St James's Street, the heart of the unofficial gay village, is a special part of the city, but it's also one that needs special help,” he told the Argus newspaper.

"The exotic mix of shops, cafes, pubs and barbers' shops contributes to a vibrant feel and the community spirit of many of the traders, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender businesses, is beyond dispute.”

"Yet there's also a history of antisocial behaviour and, sadly, homophobic incidents.”

Three designs will feature in the next issue of GScene, the city’s gay magazine, the newspaper reports.

However, others believe that the city’s gay community is thriving as it is, and that there is no need to create a new gay area.

“Designating an area officially as Brighton's gay zone would make it sound like a ghetto,” Alan Bond of the St James's Action Group said.

Brighton is the latest city keen to renew its image for lesbian and gay people.

Last year Liverpool councillors said they were keen to develop a gay zone after the city was repeatedly overlooked as a gay friendly place.

[BrightonBreezy]

Speaking as one of the gays of the village I am all in favour of a bit of money spent on the area and turning St James Street into a pedestrian only street but I really dont think its a good idea to label the area as gay. This has the danger of creating a 'ghetto' image and encourages segregation. The truth is that the gay population is about 25% in Brighton and Hove and gay people live in and own businesses in every part of the city, not just Kemp Town just as straight folk do in Kemp Town as well as other areas. Brighton and Hove is one of the most easy going and relaxed places to live in the country. We dont need labels and segregated areas. On the whole, we all get along fine as it is in our city.

[RSWB]

Yes I am in kind of two minds about this really, on one hand it would be nice to give st james's street more of a focus and bring all those improvements into play, but on the other hand I agree about the fact that we don't really want to encourage segregation, Brighton & Hove is an open and tolerant city in all areas and that's the way it should stay.

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I agree with the above. We don't have "black villages", or "Bangldeshi" villages, diversity can be a positive thing, but creating sectors can cause alienation on both sides. The improvements are a good idea, but the labels are bad.

[BrightonBreezy]

Thanks guys.

I'll try to get a copy of next months GScene and post the artists impressions on here.

[Black Cat]

I agree with you too BrightonBreezy, pedestrianisation of St James Street could be OK, though it can sometimes be the death of a street too - it may be that a streetscape which can function for cars during the week, and be pedestrian only during festivals and weekends may work better. Also, too much of a "gayzone" character may kill off some of the bohemian mix of the street which gives it its character.

Are you really sure 25% of the pop is gay though, I grew up in the city, and it does have a large gay side, but I would guestimate that its well below 25% of the whole city pop.

[RSWB]

Are you really sure 25% of the pop is gay though, I grew up in the city, and it does have a large gay side, but I would guestimate that its well below 25% of the whole city pop.

I think I read somewhere that the Brighton & Hove gay/lesbian population is around 40,000 so in terms of percentage that's around 16 - 18% of the population I guess.

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Maybe the 25% comes from the days when Brighton and Hove were seperate towns, rather than one city as they have been since 2000. Brighton up to the end of Western Road, only had a population of 160,000 if I remember, which tallies in with 40k being 25%. Hove is much more conventional in terms of its sexuality, and is probably closer to 10%. The total population of the conurbation (Shoreham etc included) must be close to 300k.

[BrightonBreezy]

From Wikipedia....

[I]Statistics
Population: 247,819 (Brighton & Hove unitary authority)

The city has a large Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, mainly based in the Kemptown area of the city. Some indicators suggest a gay population approaching 25%. Every August sees a large annual LGBT Pride event which has now become one of the most popular such events in the UK calendar.fgd

No one knows what the real figure is as it is not recorded in the national census. (Quite rightly too) But if the above is true the population could be as high as 62,000!!

Got the above from the following which is a fairly good write up on the city generally.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brighton

[RSWB]

Yes like you say breezy no one really knows what the figure is so every figure we see is an estimate, but I would say it is roughly around the 20% mark. :)

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Bugger me that's a lot of gay folk!

[RSWB]

Whilst we're on the subject here is some news on introducing pink plaques to commemorate the city's LGBT heritage.

Greens call for Brighton ‘gay trail’
Ben Townley, GAY.COM
Monday 6 February, 2006

Councillors in Brighton and Hove are calling for the introduction of a heritage trail marking the city’s lesbian and gay heroes, as part of the LGBT History Month celebrations.

The call for action comes as the city’s council voted to revive the traditional blue plaques marking the city’s famous residents.

Green party councillors want the decision to be extended to pink plaques, marking the city’s famous lesbian and gay community members.

Bill Randall, Green culture and tourism spokesperson on Brighton and Hove City Council said the plaques would mark the city’s “unique” position as the UK’s lesbian and gay capital.

“We welcome the city council’s decision to revive the tradition of erecting blue plaques to commemorate significant people, buildings or events associated with the city,” Cllr Randall said.

“However, we believe the scheme should be widened to include pink plaques to commemorate the special LGBT contribution that makes Brighton and Hove unique among cities in England.”

He added that members of the city’s LGBT communities should be left to decide which members of their community – both past and present – should be included in the scheme.

The idea, he said, would be to tie the events in with LGBT History Month, which celebrates gay life past and present and takes place throughout February.

“When enough plaques have been put up they should be linked together in a gay and lesbian heritage trail,” he added.

The proposal is expected to be submitted to the city’s council this month, after the council decided to begin using blue plaques to mark the city’s famous residents.

The system of recognition is used across the UK, although the city had suspended its own system in recent years.

[RSWB]

Some news on the Marina tower, John Prescott will decide on the scheme, does anyone know if he has a good track record for accepting tall building developments?


Prescott to decide on tower scheme
by Adrian Kwintner


A planning application for a 420ft skyscraper will be decided by the Deputy Prime Minister.

The tower, dubbed the Roaring Forties, was to be the centrepiece of a £265 million development dominating Brighton Marina and would have been the tallest building in Sussex.

But Brighton and Hove City Council ruled last year the 998-flat development, which would have included ten smaller buildings, would be too big and generate too much traffic.

An appeal lodged by the applicants, Brunswick Developments, would have been decided by a Government-appointed inspector.

But John Prescott has decided to determine the appeal himself because it raises issues relating to residential development of five or more hectares or 150 or more dwellings.

Instead of writing a decision, the Inspector will prepare a report and then forward it to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Council representatives will appear at the inquiry to defend the planning committee's decision and present evidence to back up the reasons for refusing permission.

Among the reasons for refusal were that the development would fail to preserve views into and out of the Kemp Town Conservation Area and the Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Beauty.

Other reasons were that the proposals would be an over-development of the site and failed to incorporate sufficient public and private amenity space, outdoor recreation space and on-site car parking spaces. The council said it was not yet possible to estimate the costs of the case. But the council will not be expected to pay Brunswick's costs if the developer wins, unless the council acts unreasonably when defending the appeal.

Campaigners maintain the Brighton Marina Act 1968 dictates nothing can be built taller than the height of the cliff.

Although there is a section which allows the council to vary the Act's terms, campaigners uncovered transcripts of parliamentary debates suggesting the clause was only ever intended to allow the council to permit the construction of basic features, such as lampposts.

Derek Granger, chairman of Kemp Town Society, said: "We believe this development would degrade the conservation area, particularly on the eastern side of Lewes Crescent.

"It's a gross over-development and would have a serious effect on the whole area."

Business leaders have defended the proposals.

Writer and broadcaster Simon Fanshawe, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, has accused members of the planning committee of "narrowminded" decision making.

He said: "I'm very happy Brunswick Developments is pursuing this scheme because it will bring jobs and architectural excitement to the city.

"There will also be a considerable number of affordable houses and a considerable contribution to transport."

It is thought the planning committee's refusal of the application has cost Brunswick half a million pounds.

[Citrus-Fruit]

Well he interfeared with Arena Central - and we all know whats happened with that.

But saying that - its not a tower that would beat anything in London and its near London so it should be given the all clear :)

[RSWB]

The new international arena scheme sounds very impressive indeed, plans are to be submitted in the next few weeks accoring to the argus -


Plans for multi-million pound ice rink revealed
by Sara Wallis

Comprehensive plans for a multimillion pound Olympic skating arena can be revealed today for the first time.

Designs for the seafront palace of wood and glass, first reported by The Argus more than two years ago, are about to be presented to councillors.

But The Argus can give a sneak preview of the extent of the impressive proposals to transform the derelict seafront site at Black Rock, Brighton, which is being backed by Olympic skating champions Robin Cousins and Jayne Torvill.

Celebrity chef Anthony Worrall Thompson has already expressed interest in a signature restaurant in the complex.

Business leaders say the plans would be a major boost to the Sussex economy but there are fears the arena would generate so much extra traffic that the city could not cope.

Millions of visitors are expected to be attracted to the new arena including skaters from across Sussex and the UK and tourists, concert-goers and sports fans.

The complex, Brighton International Arena, would include two Olympic-sized ice rinks and an 11,000-capacity concert hall.

The proposals released today show how the contemporary £70 million arena would also house a 100-seat cinema, flats, a museum, a recording studio, a dance studio, plus bars, shops and restaurants.

It is expected to bring 126 permanent jobs to the region and 250 part-time jobs once the arena is up and running.

A further 391 people will be employed at the peak of the two-year construction with 152 extra staff to provide construction services.

More than two million visitors a year are expected to visit the site on Madeira Drive which backers say would be a national centre of excellence for ice skating in the UK.

A quarter of a million of the visitors are expected to use the ice rinks.

The main arena would be a competition ice rink, with fixed seating for about 7,500 spectators and which could also be converted into an 11,000-capacity hall for concerts and live shows.

This area would also be used for sports including ice hockey, skating, basketball, boxing, gymnastics and tennis, plus a conference and exhibition venue to rival any of the biggest facilities in Sussex.

A second ice rink would be used for public skating sessions, figure skating, hockey schools and Learn To Skate programmes.

Several former Olympic stars are working in collaboration with the scheme.

Gold medallists Cousins and Torvill, who are starring in the ITV hit show Dancing On Ice, plan to set up a training academy on site to school the country's future Olympic champions.

Brighton and Hove City Council's project team are considering the plans when a planning application is submitted within the next few weeks.


The council will have to give this the go ahead as this new arena will replace the brighton centre for concerts/live shows, and without this arena there would be no venue to stage large events once the Brighton centre is redeveloped to make way for a smaller conference only venue.

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From the Argus today:



King Alfred 'key to city's future development'
by Rob Hustwayte

A £400 million scheme to redevelop the Brighton Centre will fail if the controversial King Alfred housing and leisure complex is rejected, business leaders have warned.

Council leaders today revealed they are in talks with major firms to pay for the largest city centre development in modern times.

Investors are being wooed to finance a £100 million state-of-the art conference venue to replace the ageing Brighton Centre.

In return they will be allowed to build lucrative new homes, shops, a four-star hotel, cinemas and other leisure facilities on part of the site currently occupied by the centre and Kingswest Building.

But Tony Mernagh, executive director of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said investors would be scared off if Frank Gehry's £290 million King Alfred complex on Hove seafront is blocked.

He said: "Investors will not want to pump ten or 12 million pounds into a planning application if they have reason to believe it will be rejected. Refusing King Alfred will be like putting a sign up saying Brighton is closed for business."

Brighton and Hove City Council has announced it is committing £150,000 to work out the ambitious Brighton Centre plans.

Council leader elect Simon Burgess said: "This development must be built at minimal cost to the council tax payer and we are now involved in selling the potential of other developments on the site. The next few months will be key, and we are hoping to make a significant announcement on the plans later this year."

The aim is to turn Brighton and Hove into an international conference and exhibition destination to rival the likes of Dubai, Munich and Paris in time for the 2012 London Olympics.

The council is in talks with owner Standard Life Investments to bulldoze the Kingswest Building and tie in Churchill Square shopping centre.

Coun Burgess added: "This is the most important development for the city in many years and key to the economy, that is why we are investing money from next year's budget to hire the expertise we need to move things forward."

He also said high-rise buildings could be part of the plans, as long as they did not obscure views of listed buildings.

One key aim of the scheme is to link the seafront and Brighton's main shopping quarter. One plan would allow Churchill Square to be extended to allow views of the sea.

Mr Mernagh said the development would have the same effect as when the current Brighton Centre was built about 30 years ago.

"It will bring hundreds of millions of pounds into the city and with it thousands of jobs.

"It is the single most important development in the city for the next 20 years but there is a real danger it will not happen.

"Unless there is a reasonable chance of planning applications being granted developers will run for the hills, and they will be watching the King Alfred scenario closely."

Plans for a 420ft skyscraper to be the centrepiece of a £265 million development at Brighton Marina were rejected by the council's planning committee last year. The King Alfred planning application will be considered later this year.


Of all the places in the city, the Brighton centre is a prime site for new towers with the close proximity of two towers already. The King Alfred is a completely different ball game, and why it should be used a test case is beyond me. I think the decision to reject the Beetham tower was more demonstrative of the council's muppet attitude. They really are woeful.

[RSWB]

Whilst I do agree the council must not reject the king alfred development, I'm not quite sure it will mean the end of all other large scale developments for the city if it is rejected as they are all totally different sites with different needs, but yes on the whole it will be a terrible blow for Brighton & Hove if the king alfred is refused planning permission.

I expect the business leaders are mainly just trying to put pressure on the council to approve the plans which is good news. :)

I think last time the planning department voted on whether to allow the king alfred project to move onto the next stage it was voted for by a majority of 9-6 with the conservatives all voting against it and Labour all voting for it, then I think there was two lib dem and two green councillors who voted for it as well.

So as long as they do not change their minds (which I don't think they will) then the King alfred development should be granted planning permission.

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I don't believe it, English Heritage look like they will get behind Gehry's plans if he refines them. Also, in yesterdays Argus, the 12 storey Texaco tower (next to this lot) was dismissed by Brighton and Hove council. They said it was totally out of character with the area, and also was too tall (which is bizzare as it is right next door to proposals over 28 stories high). They also said it was safe to build esidential housing a bove a fuel dump!



From The Argus todaY:


ENGLish Heritage fears a £290 million leisure and homes complex could end up looking like a factory.

England's leading conservation body has withheld its blessing for international architect Frank Gehry's plans to redevelop the King Alfred centre on Hove seafront pending further reassurances about the design.

Following a meeting with Mr Gehry and developer Karis last month, the organisation accepted the scheme would not compromise Hove's character. But it retained doubts about the external appearance of the proposed residential blocks.

It said it wanted to ensure the blocks resembled a seafront palace rather than a mill or factory and, while it was confident Karis could come up with a supportable scheme, it would reserve its final judgement.

The development, which will go before Brighton and Hove City Council's planning committee in April or May, would provide an indoor sport and swimming centre, 754 homes in two tall towers, and several lower buildings and an art installation by British sculptor Antony Gormley.

Graham Steaggles, historic areas adviser at English Heritage, wrote in a letter to the city council: "We are convinced that the character of this part of Hove can sustain a very localised step-change in scale of the type envisaged.

"While we are not yet able to recommend in favour of the proposals, we are confident that a scheme that we could support is achievable with finite further design development."

An English Heritage spokeswoman added yesterday: "What we don't want to see is an overly plain and uniform facade."

Karis managing director Josh Arghiros said: "We welcome the support of English Heritage and we are encouraged by their advice. Frank Gehry and the design team have spent two years designing this project and we are confident any outstanding issues can be resolved to the satisfaction of English Heritage."

Karis said it was working to provide further information for English Heritage. The developer does not require the body's approval to win planning consent, but such approval might help persuade members of the planning committee the development is appropriate.

Next month Karis will submit a revised environmental impact statement to the city council, including about 20 new computer-generated images, to address outstanding questions on the likely impact of the development on surrounding streets.

[RSWB]

I do agree the blocks surrounding the towers could be made more attractive, but why have they left it till the last minute to raise their concerns on them?

And regarding the 12 storey texaco tower - how can they say it is too tall, this council is really starting to piss me off, if they looked properly around the area they would find buildings of around 8,9,10, and 11 storeys - how is this going to look out of place or out of character, bloody useless twits.
They have gone to appeal though so they may get permission yet.

I would love it if every single tall proposal rejected by the council were all to have successful appeals and gain planning approval from the government, I would absolutely love to see the councils reaction. Hahahaha.
Maybe just maybe ...

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The council may be right bout the quality of design of the Texaco tower. It may be completely out of place.

Otherwise though, I hink the whole should be sacked, they'e wankers. I'm thinking of writing to all the Tory councillors and telling themw hat I think. It is pure politics and it is stopping our city from developing.

[RSWB]

I have found some renders of the texaco tower on the council planning site - just put in texaco for the address and look at the planning documents.

It doesn't look too out of place to me - there are about 10 different renders.
Maybe not the best design but still modern with glass cladding.

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Thanks for the tip on how to see the application. I'm with the council on this one. A glass block like that fits into the local scenery like a hard-on in a convent. It's very blocky too, absolutely no effort gone into the design and their assessment...someone who has never visited the city borrowed a design from Dubai...is spot on. Hopefully the developers will go away and come up with something better. If the government back this, I will be seriously pissed off.

[RSWB]

CABE have praised the design of the rejected marina tower, I hope this improves the chances of a successful appeal for the developers.
The public enquiry won't start until February next year though!
I can't wait that long


From the argus:

Praise for tower that never was

A tall buildings review has singled out a 420ft skyscraper for its stunning views and seaside architecture - despite it never being built.
The tower, dubbed the Roaring Forties, was to be the centrepiece of a development with nearly 1,000 flats dominating Brighton Marina and would have been the tallest building in Sussex. But Brighton and Hove City Council last year rejected an application, which would have included ten smaller buildings, for being too big and generating too much traffic.
Now CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, has praised the plans as a model of best practice despite its rejection by planners.
CABE will include it in its latest publication on tall buildings. The tower was one of four designs showcased by CABE at the main annual international property event MIPIM in Cannes last week.
Architects Wilkinson Eyre, responsible for the spectacular Gateshead Millennium Bridge which spans the Tyne, designed the tower. It has never before had a design rejected by a planning committee.
In a preview of the publication, CABE told Estates Gazette: "This is very much about creating a new landmark. The developers and architects did a huge amount of analysis of the views and the effect on the setting.
"The views along the beach were stunning and the scheme also alluded to seaside architecture. It also had good phasing, as you have to be careful not to overburden sites with too much development at once. Each phase could stand alone."
Among the reaons for refusal were that the development would fail to preserve views into and out of Kemp Town Conservation Area and the Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Beauty. Developer Brunswick Developments has appealed against the planning committee's decision.
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott will determine the appeal after a fiveweek public inquiry due to start on February 13 next year.
Brunswick boss Andrew Goodall said: "We are delighted that CABE chose to showcase our development as an example of best practice at a prestigious property conference. It's a huge compliment for the scheme."
Writer and broadcaster Simon Fanshawe, chairman of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, has regularly backed the scheme.
He said: "No one who looks at the marina thinks it works as a space but this tower is a beautiful way of re-imagining the marina. The council's planning committee made the wrong decision. It's terrific that CABE has given some more evidence of what a good scheme it is."
Councillor Simon Burgess, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, said he personally thought there was a lot of merit in the application.
He said: "The developer has gone to extraordinary lengths to plan this scheme with good architecture. I'm pleased it has been recognised."
Peter Martin, deputy chairman of Brighton Marina Residents' Association, said: "Irrespective of CABE's view of best practice, it's too tall and too dense. It's a very nicely designed building but it's in the wrong place."

[RSWB]

From the Argus today, the headmaster of Brighton College on his vision for Brighton - I couldn't agree more with what he says, we need more people like this on our planning comittee at the council.


New head tells of his vision for city
by Rachel Pegg

The headmaster of a prestigious private school has urged planning bosses to make Brighton and Hove "the cutting edge of architecture".

Richard Cairns, who recently took over at Brighton College, called for the city to fulfil its potential by realising "beautiful and exciting projects".

Last week Mr Cairns told private and public sector leaders at the city forum that, having worked in Edinburgh and Oxford, he thought Brighton and Hove was "lacking in vision".

Now he has told The Argus that his vision for the city would involve a fusion of modern and historical buildings.

Mr Cairns was previously deputy headmaster of Magdalen College School, Oxford, and head of history at Stewart's Melville College in Edinburgh. He spent five years in each city.

He said: "Of the three cities, Brighton is the one I enjoy being part of the most, have no doubt about that. It has got an enormous amount of vitality like I never experienced in Oxford and rarely in Edinburgh.

"It is slightly disappointing therefore that the planning doesn't reflect that vitality or the new build doesn't reflect that.

"In Oxford they have the same heritage issues and the council has allowed the construction of quite a number of modern buildings, and the same in Edinburgh, such as the new National Museum of Scotland.

"I just feel that the city of Brighton, which is definitely the most vital and vibrant of those three, has stifled that energy. I sensed at the Brighton and Hove City Forum a mine of frustration by the people who want to move Brighton and Hove forward."

New constructions in Oxford in recent years have included the Rothermere American Institute and the Islamic Institute.

Mr Cairns said: "There have been more modern buildings in Oxford in the last 50 years than in the entire history of the university.

"My own view is that Brighton and Hove has got everything going for it. I don't think we should be afraid to embrace new things and invite world-renowned architects to come and push the city forward.

"It is a fantastic city and could be at the cutting edge of architecture in England. We have got beautiful open spaces and the sea. We have got lots of people in Brighton with lots of ideas. It seemed many of them during the forum were frustrated."

Last year Brighton College submitted a planning application for a £1.5 million three-storey visual and performing arts centre adjoining its existing Victorian building.

It was turned down by councillors.

Mr Cairns said: "I think there is nothing wrong with an exciting vision that is sympathetic to a Victorian building. I wasn't involved in that particular project but I think there was nothing wrong with the idea that there could be a modern building next to an older building.

"I can totally understand why people might not like that particular building but they shouldn't simply block them on the grounds that they are modern."

The headteacher, 39, said he liked the plans for a giant tower and ten smaller buildings at the marina which were rejected last year. He said: "We want to be excited by the plans that developers are bringing forward. We obviously want to make sure that they are sustainable projects and low-energy projects and beautiful and exciting projects.

"We have got to embrace the line of change. We have to have a vision for 21st century Brighton. I sensed at that forum there is real paralysis and frustration and fear for Brighton and Hove city that developers and architects will simply give up.

"It amazes me that one of the most remarkable and most exciting buildings in Brighton, the Pavilion, would not now be given planning permission."

:applause:

I hope the amateurs on the council planning comittee take note of this article and stop holding our city back.

[BrightonBreezy]

Hi Brighton Boy
Yeah, I read that too. Very good article with some well considered points made. Good to know we have a high profile champion on our side. The council are just too embroiled with their own internal in-fighting and politics. Very little they do has anything to do with with whats best for Brighton and Hove. (See page 9 of the Argus today 'Walk-out sparks row'. The tories and labour are too busy walking out of each others meetings to care!)

[RSWB]

The developer behind a 140 million pound plan for the site of anston house is putting his plans on hold because he does not trust councillors to approve it.

Well just bloody great, well done you stupid amateurs on the council planning commitee!

Hopefully the council will hold talks with the developer and come to some sort of agreement because no one wants the site to remain as it is.

It looks like this could be a tall proposal as well, so come on council try to attract some investment for once!


From the argus:

So ugly - but building is staying
by Rachel Pegg

A derelict eyesore, voted by readers of The Argus as the ugliest building in Sussex, could remain a blot on the landscape for the next 20 years.

The owner of Anston House, which greets motorists as they approach Brighton city centre on the A23, is putting on hold plans for a development of up to £140 million because he does not trust councillors to approve it.

The old office block in Preston Road has been derelict for nearly two decades.

For years the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership has been lobbying Anston Properties Ltd to redevelop the site. But the building's owner, who lives in Monaco, has said he is wary of taking his plans forward after seeing major schemes elsewhere in the city being rejected.

In recent months councillors have turned down plans for new apartments at Brighton Marina, including a 40-storey tower praised by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, plans for a £1.5 million glass arts centre adjoining Brighton College and an application to build a 12-storey tower at the Texaco garage site in Hove.

Although plans have not yet been submitted to redevelop Hove's King Alfred centre, Frank Gehry's design has been mired in controversy. Residents protested and English Heritage withheld approval.

Speaking at a meeting of the Brighton and Hove City Forum, Tony Mernagh, executive director of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: "Brighton is locked in the mind-set of do nothing, build nothing. Developers don't need us. We need them."

Mr Mernagh received a letter from the owner of Anston House outlining his intention to put the development on hold.

He said: "He has put together an outline for a scheme of £117 million to £140 million. He is reluctant to take it any further because of the climate. He is sitting on a very valuable property.

"This derelict building remains an eyesore. It could provide employment.

"We have been trying to persuade the owner to do something with it."

In a poll by The Argus of the ugliest buildings in Sussex in 2004, three-quarters of participants voted for Anston House.

The block is decorated with self-portraits by art students at Brighton College used to cover the building's broken windows.

The building is said to have the potential to offer up to 40,000sqm of new office space. It is one of the areas identified as being suitable for tall buildings in the council's tall buildings strategy.

Over the years there have been numerous applications to demolish the building to make way for new developments.

Although permission has recently been granted to convert it into a hotel, it is thought the owners want to build a mixed residential and commercial development.

Averil Older, who sits on the planning committee, said: "The owner is at fault for leaving it in such a condition."

Broadcaster Simon Fanshawe, chairman of Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: "The partnership keeps urging the planning committee to raise its eyes above the horizon."

Les Hamilton, chairman of the city planning committee, said: "A hotel would create quite a few jobs. It would be an amenity for the city."


This is the site as it is currently -

http://static.flickr.com/17/93088764_be7fc8d105.jpg?v=0

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As long as the Tories and Lib Dems exist on the council, nothing will get approved. They have effectively assigned our city to the architectural dark ages.

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Actually just found this link on the council website. It is worth contacting your councillor (and any others) direct to express your disgust at what is going on. They take letters very seriously as most people can't be arsed to write, so for each letter they receive, they count as a 1,000 peoples opinions (or something like that).

http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1107344

[BrightonBreezy]

Thanks for the link. I will write something in the next few days. I'll post what I write on here. Why dont we all post our replies on here so we can see what each other has said?

[RSWB]

Good idea, although as I'm currently living in Wolverhampton I doubt they'd take what I say very seriously.

I've got one more month here in Wolves then I'm back in sunny Brighton!

By the way guys, what do you think will happen when the King Alfred plans go before the planning committee?

It has come this far surely they won't reject it at this late stage?

When it went before the policy and resources committee a few months back the councillors were mostly in favour but the planning committee are a totally different group of councillors, the same group that rejected the marina tower.

I hope and think that they will give it the go ahead, as the proposed leisure facility is much needed as are the affordable homes and hopefully they will see it as a world class piece of architecture that will bring many benefits to the city, rather than a blot on the landscape that blocks sea views.

What do you think guys?

[large]

The council are completely unpredictable and a nightmare for developers to work with. I wouldn't be surprised if it got rejected which will kill any proposals for Brighton forever.

[RSWB]

It will be interesting to see how the council react to the Brighton centre plans when they are made public, as the site is not in a sensitive area and is probably the most suitable site for a tall building in Brighton.

I am still hopeful that we will see some tall developments in our city, don't forget the marina tower has a good chance of a successful appeal seeing as there was a glowing report made on it by planning officers, add to that the fact that the government are always demanding lots of new homes for the south east, and the marina development will go some way towards meeting our local target for new homes - so I can't see it being turned down by Prescott.

Maybe that's the only way we'll get tall buildings built in this city -

1)developer plans tall building
2)gets rejected by the planning committee
3)approved when the developer goes to appeal.

Although going through that process is not going to attract any more potential developers.

The council are going to have to some day realise that we need high density, tall buildings to cope with the growth in our population, there is just simply no other alternative for Brighton but to build up.

It seems the council leader (Simon Burgess) and most of the labour side of our council seem to be positive towards building tall, the lib dems and greens are unpredictable on this issue and the conservatives are usually against everything, which is why I would never vote for them.

The sooner we get back to a Labour majority council the better.

[Black Cat]

I quite like what the students painted at Anston House!

I'm optimistic about Brighton and Hove, I'm sure developers will simply suspend developments in the city if they are turned down - the appeal at the Marina will be interesting, as it was in Lambeth re: St George's Tower.

[large]

I think its worth writing to any hopeful tory MP in this area, and whoever leads the Tory council group as these guys are standing in the way of business, and indeed their new leader's own view:

Quote from BBC interview:

"And he [Cameron] called for more house-building to provide an "adequate" number of homes in the UK, mocking opponents of new developments as "bananas" - people who want to 'Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone'."

I think if Tory central office receive a few complaints about the obstructionist antics of their blue rinse councillors, there may be a few heads banged together, particularly in Hove which is one of the most marginal seats in the country.

[large]

Good news if this one is realistic, will also increase chance of big towers on the Centre redevelopment if it goes ahead.

Plans for 'Brighton Eye' revealed
by Adam Trimingham

The team behind the London Eye has unveiled plans to transform Brighton's skyline with the loftiest building in Sussex and one of the tallest in Britain.

Soaring above any other building on the seafront, the 600ft tower is expected to attract more than 500,000 visitors a year.

It would also give Brighton a prestige structure to rival the Eiffel Tower.

Visitors would be able to see 50 miles from the £20 million observation platform at the land end of the derelict West Pier.

The tower would be almost twice as tall as the current highest building in Brighton, Sussex Heights, but would have less visual impact because it would be just four metres wide.

Architects David Marks and Julia Barfield call the proposed tower the i360 but it is likely locals will nickname it the Brighton Eye A pod carrying up to 100 people will rise silently up the tower every 20 or 30 minutes to provide amazing views. Visitors who pay about £8 a head will be able to see Sussex all the way from Beachy Head in the east and, in the west, past Hampshire to the Isle of Wight.

They will have panoramic views of Brighton and Hove and the tower will be tall enough to give extensive northbound vistas of the South Downs.

The slim tower is being backed by theBrighton West Pier Trust which owns the 140-year-old pier. Part of the proceeds from the venture will be used to tidy up the derelict pier, wrecked by collapses and two arson attacks.

The trust is also in discussions with potential private sector partners about restoring the rest of the pier south of the promenade. But the local company involved wants to see what happens to the observation tower. The trust will also have to win a public inquiry held last month into a proposed harbour revision order needed for any future development. It is being opposed by the owners of the Palace Pier.

The new scheme, to be unveiled tonight to trust members at their annual meeting, is the first move to save the pier in two years.

A previous plan with developers St Modwen as partners won permission from Brighton and Hove City Council despite strong opposition from neighbours and conservationists.

But English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund withdrew their backing and the scheme collapsed.

Trust chief executive Dr Geoff Lockwood said: "The heritage authorities have given up on the West Pier. We have not.

"The new feature is in the tradition and spirit of the pier. It is a 2006 equivalent of the original 1866 design."

Dr Lockwood said the original pier enabled people to walk over the water. Now they would be able to rise into the air.

[large]

I will get a copy of todays Argus and scan the picture in later.

[RSWB]

oh my god wow, I'm a very happy man today, looks like a fantastic proposal.

[RSWB]

I wonder if the council will warm to this, I personally can't see why they'd want to refuse something like this, as it will bring in many visitors to the city.

If this gets approved along with a new skyscraper at the Brighton centre site, our skyline will be vastly improved, with two new supertalls dominating the centre of Brighton.

I look forward to the scanned image large. :)

[RSWB]

Found a small picture of it.

http://www.thearguslite.co.uk/_images/db/19/64/tower.196486.full.jpg

[large]

Oops, forgot to buy a paper while I was out, that one above is just as good though.

[Jonny 5]

How many cities is that thing going to be proposed for? This must be the 5th or 6th city that it has been proposed in over the last year.

And how is a concrete column ment to rival the Eififel Tower

[Sussex Albion]

I think Selma Mountford and her cronies at the Regency Society have already got their teeth into this proposal, as they do with most modern projects. They even opposed Falmer, even though not a single old building will be knocked down, nor is it anywhere near the centre of Brighton. Also, are Tory/Lib Dem planners likely to let it through, considering the fuss they're making over Anston House. I'm just glad we had the Planning Committee we did when Falmer was passed through. Goodness knows what would happen now.

[RSWB]

Hi sussex albion,

The tories/lib dems were also supportive of the stadium so I don't think it would have made much difference if it were to be voted on now.

I have found over the past few days that there seems to be huge public support for this new i360 observation tower, I have not yet heard of anyone moaning or complaining about the proposals.

I am pretty confident that the council will warm to this scheme also, I just wish that it was a little bulkier but hey it's still going to make an impact on the Brighton skyline and will be a great attraction so I'm all for it :)

Hopefully it will be well lit up in a blaze of colour at night, creating a beautiful evening landmark.

[Sussex Albion]

Yep, hopefully it will go through, even if it does end up being revised. Any news on Beetham/Marina?

[RSWB]

From the argus today, the design team have made a few changes to the marina scheme, it looks like they have reduced the amount of housing in the scheme to 853 homes (down from 988), and have added a doctors surgery and some sports facilities, also they have increased the number of parking spaces for residents, thankfully the 40 storey skyscraper has not been downsized.


Revealed: New Marina plans
by Adrian Kwintner


An artist's impression of the new plan This is the latest image of a 40-storey skyscraper which could provid millions of pounds of community facilities and hundreds of jobs.

It is the centrepiece of a £235 million proposal for 853 new homes on the beach at Brighton Marina. The proposals, unveiled exclusively today in The Argus, mark a triumph for architects Wilkinson Eyre, the company behind the £25 million "winking eye" bridge over the Tyne in Gateshead.

The development - dubbed the Roaring Forties - is a reworking of a proposal which councillors unexpectedly rejected in August last year.

The design team spent months back at the drawing board to come up with the latest proposals which include:

A public viewing gallery on the top floor with stunning views of the coast.

A swing bridge which would allow people to walk or cycle all the way around the marina for the first time.

Seven restaurants and bars A doctor's surgery.

A multi-purpose sports court, boules and bowling green.

The company behind the plan is Brunswick Developments whose managing director Andrew Goodall said: "We received overwhelming support urging us not to give up.

"We listened carefully to all views and I believe we now have a scheme that addresses concerns but remains true to our original vision."

Councillors sitting on Brighton and Hove City's planning committee threw out the original application for the development last August. This came as a shock to the applicants, Brunswick Developments, because the plan had been recommended for approval by the council's planning officials.

But Brunswick has taken the councillors' criticisms on board.

Each of the four reasons for refusal - insufficient amenity space, lack of on-site parking, overly-dominant buildings and overdevelopment ñ have been addressed in the latest application, the developers claim.

Additional features include a doctor's surgery, indoor and outdoor children's play areas, a teenage chill-out area, a multi-purpose sports court, a boules and bowling green, a new community room and increased residents' gardens and public outdoor space.

Parking has been increased from 176 to 496 spaces against a reduction in homes from 988 to 853.

Three buildings have been removed from the north of the scheme and the height has been reduced in the centre section.

And the ground space the development would take up has been slashed by a quarter.

Architects Wilkinson Eyre, responsible for the spectacular Gateshead Millennium Bridge, which spans the Tyne, designed the Roaring Forties.

Key features of the scheme have been retained. A swing bridge would allow people to walk or cycle all the way around the marina for the first time, while a smaller bridge across Black Rock beach would give easier access.

There would also be a new walkway linking the marina to the Palace Pier and space for seven additional restaurants and bars in West Quay.

The needle-like 420ft skyscraper would feature a public viewing gallery on the top floor with stunning views of the coast.

It would have been the tallest building in Sussex but could be beaten into second place if another exciting project, the 600ft Brighton Eye observation tower, is built at the land end of the derelict West Pier.

The Brunswick scheme, located in the Outer Harbour, would include 341 affordable homes to help key workers such as nurses, police officers and firefighters buy and rent homes in an increasingly expensive city.

Brunswick boss Andrew Goodall admitted the planning committee's rejection of the initial application was a huge disappointment.

But the meeting has allowed Brunswick to address people's concerns.

Mr Goodall said: ìWe received overwhelming support urging us not to give up. We listened carefully to all views and I believe we now have a scheme that addresses concerns but remains true to our original vision.

ìThe main change is the removal of three buildings. That has opened up space for recreational areas and allows you to see through the scheme better. It lightens up the centre of the scheme more and makes it feel less dense.î

It will take about five years to complete the development, which promises £21 million of community investment.

It would also provide more than 100 permanent jobs in maintenance, landscaping, cleaning and catering, as well as about 400 construction jobs during the building process.

Brunswick would provide a £13 million subsidy towards the affordable homes, £1.35 million investment in sustainable transport and £2 million towards education, culture, tourism and amenities, including a yacht club.

The development would meet the EcoHomes ìexcellentî rating, placing it in the top two per cent of all developments in the UK.

Key measures include 20 per cent renewable energy from solar, wind and wave power, and a 25 per cent reduction in water usage.

Mr Goodall said: ìThis scheme will benefit the whole city. Part of the idea behind it is to link the marina much better with the rest of the city so we become one.

ìThat is why we have kept many of the original aspects of the scheme such as walkways, cyclepaths and bridges.

ìThe circular walkway around the harbour walls will be the biggest tourist attraction.

ìI can see half a million people doing that walk each year. People will love to do a circular walk rather than coming all the way up to the breakwater and turning back.

ìThe swing bridge will be an icon. We can light it up in pink for the gay Pride weekend and during the Labour and Conservative party conferences we can can light it up in the respective colours of red and blue.

ìHopefully, the development will be a catalyst for making the area between the Palace Pier and the marina something really special. It will attract hundreds of thousands more people to the marina and city.î

Campaigners opposed to the original scheme maintained the Brighton Marina Act 1968 dictates nothing can be built taller than the height of the cliffs.

But Brunswick has received legal advice stating this is not the case.

Lawyers have told Brunswick Brighton and Hove City Council can grant permission and then separately give written consent to build above the height of the cliffs.

The latest application was submitted to the city council on Tuesday. It is expected to be heard by the planning committee by the beginning of summer and, if approved, building could start before the end of the year.

An appeal against the city council's decision to turn down the previous application has been lodged.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott would determine the appeal after a five-week public inquiry due to start on February 13 next year.

But Brunswick is expected to withdraw it if the new application is approved.

[large]

Boules, why f**king boules. I suspect that this is a sop to the numpties in the council who are obsessed with this French sport and have sanctioned the wasting of hundreds of thousands of pounds to build 2 desolate boules areas on the prominade.

[RSWB]

lol I agree large, WHY BOULES!!!

Hopefully the council will now approve this in the Summer and we will not have to wait ages on the appeal process.

[capslock]

What's wrong with boules? ;)

[large]

At last, the first image of potential plans for the Brighton Centre. The bulk of the article actually goes on about how Brighton will lose out if the council carries on blocking plans as architects and developers won't bother putting forward new ideas.

I like the idea of having a walkway over the road, but I think the towers could be much taller at this location with the proximity of sussex heights and the red brick thing. The tallest one looks to be no more than 20 stories, which is a bit small considering other proposals in the city.

http://i2.tinypic.com/t8vtba.jpg

[Black Cat]

What a god-awful design!

Sorry Large but I hate it, most particularly the part crossing Kingsway - I like the continuous open seafront and consistent line of seafront buildings which this proposal would utterly destroy. Also, this site is such a fantastic one for a truly landmark skyscraper, which this proposal utterly misses, replaced with what appears to be a boxy piece of rubbish one would expect on any third rate office building.

[RSWB]

hmmm, I've got to say that it looks better in colour but I'm not convinced this is really the design we want, there's nothing unique about it, it looks quite bland.

The cable car idea seems interesting - I wonder how far they will run.

By the way - does anyone know if this is the one and only proposal we will see for the site or will there be other developers putting forward plans also? - a bit like the king alfred proposals a few years ago.

Jim Roberts (the architect for this scheme) has designed some butt ugly buildings in the past I'm suprised he's still making it as an architect.

[pmun]

This is uninspiring. It's a good idea to give shoppers in Churchill Square direct access to the beach, but this looks too much like a shopping centre or a bland office building than the landmark it should be. As already pointed out, it may also destroy the line along the seafront. However the front does change direction slightly somewhere along there, so we need more renderings from along the coast. It may not be a problem. I also agree we need more height.

[RSWB]

This site really is a prime site for tall buildings and 20 storeys is just not enough, even Conservative councillors have said this is where they would like to see a tall building (if anywhere) - so come on lets go for 60 storeys or something!

I also hope that they will be able to fit extra retail space in the development somewhere as Brighton needs some more major department stores.

[RSWB]

There's some good news on the open market and co-op store on the brighton business site:

London Road Market to get a taste of Europe
Market traders and the city council are looking at plans to transform Brighton’s open market at London Road into a colourful continental-style food and crafts market. The 1930s fruit and veg market has been losing popularity since the sixties and is long over-due a revamp.

An outline scheme to give the market a new lease of life with more stalls, an emphasis on fresh, healthy, local produce, and workshops for arts and craftspeople, will be considered by members of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Policy and Resources (P&R) Committee on April 19.

Ideas for the council-owned market also include providing a venue for visiting markets, such as farmers’ markets and French markets, and space for street art and entertainment.

Now the Open Market Traders Association, working in conjunction with the city council, want to draw up a design study and business case for a new continental-style market. The traders association hopes to set up a ‘not for profit company’ to develop and operate a new market. They hope to build on the success of other food markets, which are enjoying a revival, such as London’s popular Borough Market.

The traders association’s draft proposals are for a £9 million redevelopment scheme for the market to provide 56 permanent market stalls, 20 visitor market stalls, 58 arts and craft workshops, plus 26 flats and apartments, 40% of which will be affordable homes.

The future uses of the adjacent Co-operative department store will be included in the design study. The Co-operative Group has recently announced its decision to exit from the department store sector and is currently considering options for the Brighton store’s future.

Redevelopment of the market site and the Co-operative store would help to regenerate and bring new vibrancy to the London Road shopping area, which is one of the main routes into the city.

The idea is currently only at an early stage. Councillors on the P&R committee will consider a recommendation that the traders association are given time to produce a detailed masterplan and business case, which will be presented to a future meeting.

Paul Reynolds from the Open Market Traders Association said, “The traders are really excited at the opportunity to shape our future, and working with Nick Lomax, who was involved in designing the Brighton Library, we feel that we can achieve a stunning result. We have yet to determine the final mix, but our early feasibility scheme is showing some great potential."

Councillor Don Turner, lead councillor for regeneration, said, “It is early days, but this is an exciting idea which could transform the London Road area and the Open Market and help promote fresh produce to a much wider range of shoppers and visitors.

“The Open Market and Co-op store have been an important part of the shopping scene in London Road for decades and I am delighted that the traders and the Co-op are now looking at ways of revitalising and extending the market for the 21st century.”

A spokesman for the Co-operative Group commented, “Given the clear wish of the market traders to redevelop their site close by, it makes practical planning sense for the department store site to be involved in the study’s remit. The Brighton store is one of a number which have been placed on the open market and all our options in terms of its future remain open.”

[RSWB]

Also some more information on the development behind grand parade at the old circus street market:

£100m eco-friendly regeneration plans for old fruit and veg market
The old municipal fruit and veg market in Circus Street may soon become a new eco-friendly development comprising housing, retail, offices and more.

A developer is due to be selected in mid April. However, the Kent-based Cathedral Group plc looks like a hot favourite from the shortlist of four drawn up by the council and the University of Brighton last November. At the time, the project attracted interest from 13 developers following national advertising.

The site encompasses the former wholesale fruit and vegetable market, the NCP car park to Kingswood Street and the University’s Circus Street annexe.

Cathedral’s proposal recommends an eco-friendly ‘zero-carbon’ mixed use scheme integrating residential and retail with a new university library, a new events square, studios for South East Dance and a creative industries section.

The plan was formulated after a council and university study into local needs, plus extensive public consultation involving residents of the nearby Kingswood and Milner flats and Tarner Area Partnership.

It includes 180 flats. At least forty per cent of homes would be affordable properties aimed at local people on the waiting list or key workers.

Work could start in March 2007 and be complete in 2009. Cathedral hopes to establish an office on site as soon as possible as a base for community consultation, events and project exhibitions.

Cathedral will be working on the £100m project, dubbed ‘Grow Brighton,’ with housing association partners Affinity, architects John McAslan and Partners and environmental consultant engineers ARUP. Cathedral has extensive experience of urban regeneration schemes including parts of London’s Canary Wharf. The Team has an understanding and appreciation of Brighton & Hove, with many of them living or having grown up in the area,

Council leader Simon Burgess said: “This will be a landmark development featuring top quality design. It will be of huge benefit in terms of bringing jobs and much-needed homes. We’ll go on working closely with people in the Tarner area and this plan should make a real difference to the quality of residents’ lives.”

The University of Brighton’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Julian Crampton, said, “The University has welcomed this exciting opportunity to work with the city council and the community to regenerate and bring high quality design to the area.”

Cathedral’s Chief Executive Richard Upton said, “We’re thrilled to have been nominated to develop this important area of Brighton – a city with a unique character, a reputation for creativity and an unmistakable soul. Key to our proposals is a desire to create a sustainable new quarter, both ecologically and economically.

“This means that we’ll be supporting growth of local business through an enterprise hub, and involving the local community in our plans. We’ll be ensuring that Brighton leads the way in modern sustainable thinking, by implementing a scheme with zero net carbon dioxide emissions.”

A report to the council’s policy committee on April 19 will recommend the Cathedral Group as first choice with Preston-based Places for People in reserve. The University of Brighton will also need to formally approve the nomination.

A planning application for the scheme is expected in October 2006. The Brighton &Hove Economic Partnership (BHEP) will be making a formal response to the planning application.

[spacepostman]

Found a small picture of it.

http://www.thearguslite.co.uk/_images/db/19/64/tower.196486.full.jpg

Morcambe has one just like this

http://www.ministry-of-information.co.uk/blog1/images/230504-9.jpg :lol:

[RSWB]

Except the Brighton eye will be nearly 4 times taller and won't be covered with tacky polo advertising. :)

[RSWB]

I've got to say I'm quite impressed with the plans for circus street, looks like there will be a 15 storey building included in the plans.

http://static.flickr.com/50/126322658_c1643fa3e7.jpg?v=0

[large]

Very nice, except the market diner will go...the best place in town at 4.00am in Brighton, the gutbuster comes highly recommended. This does look like a classy development. Brighton has soooooo much potential with all these proposals. Eventually something decent will go up by the station linking the New England Quarter to Queens road. Then there will be the link with churchill square to the sea front and a couple of towers, also the marina, which I think is a given, and the Hove twoers, also a given. Brighton will become one of the finest cities outside of London IMHO.

[RSWB]

Indeed it will Large, I absolutely love Brighton I just hope the planning comittee start to see sense and approve these large scale scheme's.

Hopefully the market diner will relocate somewhere nearby as it's well loved amongst Brighton's late night crowds. :)

[large]

The planning comittee are slated almost every day by the Argus at the moment. There another article today, very similar to the one at the weekend warning of decades of stagnation for the city if they continued to through good proposals like the marina development out. Everything seems to hinge on Gehry, if that gets stopped, no one will put forward any new proposals.

[Black Cat]

On the one hand the council frequently vote against good quality designed proposals which could be a great new landmark for the city, such as the Marina tower, and yet we do not want them to be too loose to allow big low quality designs which disrespect the fundamental seafront character to be built either, such as the recent Jara International proposal shown for the Brighton Centre. Brighton city council seem to be unable to differentiate between the good, the bad and the ugly, and what really constitutes its urban heritage character. We only have to look at the fate of the West Pier, the pierhead of the Palace Pier, the Kingswest and Brighton Centre facades, or the facade of the hotel in front of the City Hall, and the ad-hoc "improvements" along the frontage, to see that the council in recent decades has not had a consistent coherent inspiring vision for the city's most important feature, its seafront - either with respect to its heritage or for good new buildings.

[isisohisis]

does anyone know what the current position is with the myhotel development?

[RSWB]

The new MyHotel is taking forever, last I heard it went in for a re-design but that was about a year ago, I'm sure work will start soon though.

[isisohisis]

thanks for the information

[large]

I wish they'd hurry up with it, the Jubilee square looks really crap with the hole where it's supposed to go.

[large]

Bad news for Brighton's most famous proposal.

King Alfred plans in disarray
by Miles Godfrey


Plans for the King Alfred development in Hove could be in jeopardy Plans for a £290 million redevelopment of Hove seafront by architect Frank Gehry are in disarray today after a Government report found gaping holes in the scheme's finances.

The District Valuation Office (DVO), a wing of the Inland Revenue, says the King Alfred towers and leisure complex aren't financially viable and could run as much as £29 million over budget.

Its report warns developer Karis will not be able to meet the 40 per cent affordable housing target set for the site and that the "most realistic" way of providing the leisure complex, originally promised free-of-charge, would be for Brighton and Hove City Council to contribute a significant portion of the £36 million cost of the leisure complex part of the development.

The council has agreed to reduce the 40 per cent requirement for rented social accommodation and shared ownership schemes to 37.3 per cent.

But Karis and the council will still have to rethink a substantial part of the plan, DVO officer Charles Solomon has warned.

His report, commissioned for £20,000, suggests scaling down the leisure complex as another way of meeting costs. He also warns that under the current plans Karis will not have enough money to make any contributions towards improving the infrastructure and amenities to cope with the influx of new residents to the area, known as Section 106 payments.

Karis will need to double its £25 million estimated profit if it is to be able to afford to provide the development originally envisaged, the report says.

Campaigners fighting the plans described the report last night as "absolute dynamite".

Valerie Paynter, of Save Hove, said: "It proves they can't keep going on like this because the scheme is totally unviable and is now going directly against what this scheme was meant to be all about. It's what we've said all along."

Hove councillors Averil Older and Jan Young said the project was now in tatters.

Coun Older told The Argus: "If this scheme does not stack up, and the figures point to that, then we have wasted years and a lot of money on it and I'm very angry."

A council spokesman said: "This report will prove to be valuable tool as the council moves into final stages of negotiation of the section 106 package and the subsequent discussion at planning committee."

Sue John, the council's deputy leader and chairwoman said: "Without a doubt we are at a critical time but I don't think there is anything in that report we should be worried about."

Karis insisted the project was not in jeopardy and claimed there were inaccuracies in the report. A spokesman said: "This is a viable £290 million scheme which is incredibly exciting for Brighton and Hove."

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[delores]

what is wrong with this country??? I just don't understand the long winded processes and how anything thats half decent fails because either the council are worried about making the city modern! Its just pathetic. And that image of how the brighton centre might look, well thats SO bad.

[isisohisis]

further news on the myhotel development is that they have sent out party wall agreement documents to those living in the new Pavilion Mews development, however there seems to be confusion over the final height of the building. Maybe this is what's delaying the build. But why can't they let the retail units around the square, are rents too high? I think this area is beginning to show signs of a badly thought out pipe dream.

[large]

I think this area is beginning to show signs of a badly thought out pipe dream.

Perhaps they should have made space for an international boules arena?

[RSWB]

I think once the hotel is complete the shop units will all be let, another one has just gone to bang and olufson which should open soon, and after that I think there will only be a couple of empty units left.

[RSWB]

Further bad news regarding the King Alfred scheme - looks like it's dead in the water after failing to win the backing of the major advisary groups:


King Alfred plan 'dead'
by Miles Godfrey

The Government's chief advisers on heritage and the environment have ruled out supporting Frank Gehry's £290 million plans for the seafront.

English Heritage and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) - between them the guardians of much of England's public space - said the King Alfred sports and housing complex would not fit in with the rest of Hove seafront.

It was also claimed that the development - which would include a £36 million sports centre, shops, cafes, bars and restaurants - would be too difficult for the public to get into.

Critics claimed last night the shock announcement had effectively sounded the death knell for the controversial project.

Garry Peltzer Dunn, leader of the Conservative group on Brighton and Hove City Council, said: "It is almost inconceivable that a local authority would go against the advice of English Heritage and CABE on a plan like this."

The blow came as Mr Gehry unveiled £1 billion plans to build a 50 storey glass-encased skyscraper in Los Angeles with plans to start construction by the end of the year.

It is the second major setback the King Alfred has suffered in a week after the District Valuation Office - an arm of the Inland Revenue - announced that Karis's plans for finanancing the project did not add up.

And it marks an extraordinary about-face for CABE, which announced its support in November last year for the King Alfred.

Andy Brown, south east director of English Heritage said: "We have had long discussions with the applicants and it got to the point where the council wanted either a ëyes' or a ëno' from us and as the plans stand we have had to say ëno'.

"We believe there is a good scheme in there waiting to get out but at the moment we have a number of issues which we cannot give our backing to."

The major sticking points were:

l The scale of eight smaller perimeter blocks of apartments, which both organisations said would be out of place.

l A failure on the part of the designers to ensure the buildings were "organic" and would be seen as an integral part of Hove.

l Criticism over the "public realm" part of the design - the public access to the site.

Valerie Paynter, of Save Hove, a group of activists opposing the project, said: "It's another nail in the coffin. It is unravelling before our eyes."

Neither advisory group said it had a problem with the two tallest towers dominating the development, which include 754 luxury and affordable flats.

But English Heritage said last night it had notified the council of its disapproval of the plans in their entirety.

Mr Brown said: "We don't feel people driving up and down the Kingsway will feel comfortable using the road around the development and we don't feel pedestrians will be able to cross the road well enough around the site.

"One of the issues is we don't think there are enough crossing points from the Kingsway over to the development.

"There are a lot of what you may describe as minor points which make the scheme not add up and when push came to shove, we had to say no."

The advice of English Heritage and CABE is likely to hold great weight if the development goes in front of the city council's planning committee.

But the council and Karis last night played down the criticism and said they were still on course to realise the plans.



The developers have to listen and come back with a re-design, I hope they can scale down the rather bland residential blocks whilst still including the Gehry towers within the plans, as it looks like the main reason why this project is falling apart is due to the residential blocks surrounding these beautiful towers.

[delores]

hmmm it does seem that way. But it does reek of nimbyism again.

[gothicform]

well if its too hard to get to why not build a tram line running alone the seafront from brighton to hove. how about public transport? why not build crossing points? what cabe are saying is the scheme is fine but its cut off so we should cancel the scheme because the infrastructure isnt there. madness.

[RSWB]

Yes public access was one of the reasons but I think the main reason why cabe are refusing to back it is because of the shorter 10 storey residential blocks surrounding the towers.

[large]

If I were Karis I'd walk away from this. They won't make a penny by the time the council, CABE and EH have finished with the designs.

I use the gym and pool at the current leisure centre, so from a purely selfish point of view, I'm quite happy about it.

The bad news is that developers in general might well steer clear of the city now. Just about every proposal over two stories has been knocked back. There are countless sites that are perfect for development, with proposals in place, but because of one numpty group or another they never get through. It's completely insane.

[RSWB]

It does indeed look like Karis are now going back to the drawing board with their king alfred scheme, as they surely know that without the support of EH and CABE they are very unlikely to get their plans through, and now the greens have pulled their support from the scheme as it currently stands.

I personally remain positive about this development, the Gehry towers will surely still remain, which to me is the most important aspect of this development, and have won high praise from these heritage groups, so assuming that Karis will keep the towers, all they need to do is somehow reduce the height and bulk of the shorter residential blocks whilst still making sure they come out of it with a profit, maybe they could get a re-design on the shorter blocks so that they actually look attractive and more in keeping with Gehrys architecture.

In the argus today:


Greens' new blow to King Alfred scheme
by Miriam Wells

Proposals for a £290 million seafront development have suffered yet another blow with the withdrawal of support by Green councillors.

Green Party members of Brighton and Hove City Council who had previously backed Frank Gehry's scheme for the King Alfred site in Hove are calling for developer Karis to withdraw the plans and submit new ones.

Last night's announcement comes just days after English Heritage and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment ruled out supporting the scheme because they believe the sports and housing complex would not fit in with the rest of the seafront.

The move further damages the application's chances of making it through the planning process.

Brighton and Hove City Council's planning committee is made up of five Labour councillors, five Conservative, one Green and a Liberal Democrat.

The Liberal Democrats maintain the support of English Heritage was crucial to the development being approved, while the Conservatives have always voiced strong opposition to the existing scheme. This leaves Labour the only group still supporting the current plans.

Although planning committee members are not supposed to vote along party lines, the latest development means the scheme is unlikely to pass through committee stage.

It is now thought Karis may withdraw the application and submit a new one following talks with English Heritage.

Green councillor Keith Taylor said: "Karis has spent millions on this scheme and they do not want it to fail.

"But they are now staring failure in the face with this current application.

"We very much support the principle of the King Alfred scheme and like English Heritage we remain convinced that a scheme that preserves and enhances the city's historic environment is achievable here.

"However, we must be absolutely satisfied that the design and the finances are right. The application should be withdrawn and the scheme resubmitted after more design work has been carried out."

Lib Dem councillor Paul Elgood said: "English Heritage carries a lot of weight and can't be ignored. It would be very sad if we lost the sports centre and the affordable housing.

"People have been coming up to me on the street very concerned, asking if it is all over for the scheme.The public do not want to see this project killed off. We are hoping some kind of compromise can be reached."

Karis was unavailable for comment last night.

[pmun]

Yes, I agree Brighton Boy, those shorter blocks need a re-design. How about brick? It would be a great contrast to Gehry's towers and may pacify the conservationist lobby. I think brick is sadly neglected in contemporary architecture. Which is a shame as it ages so well, in fact it improves.

I live in Furze Hill, Hove. You can see how effectively brick is used there. I think it's one of the most attractive areas in our city. I know that many of the blocks along the front are plaster rendered, but there are some brick finished buildings. Brick has a timeless quality about it.

I think the original scheme with four towers was much better. It has been watered down to satisfy the nimbys, but those shorter buildings eat up too much land in comparison. Many people just don't get that.

I must admit overall I prefer the marina scheme, I'll be very dissapointed if that doesn't get built.

[RSWB]

That's an interesting suggestion pmun, brick does indeed have that more 'solid' and timelesss feel about it I agree, and as you say it's neglected in modern architecture, it could work well for new buildings on that site though I think.

In the Argus today, Karis still seem to be confident on their King Alfred proposals -

King Alfred scheme 'will go ahead'
by Miriam Wells

The developer behind a £290 million seafront sports and housing project criticised by Government advisers has insisted it will still be built.

English Heritage and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) said parts of Karis' plans for The King Alfred site in Hove would be out of keeping with its surroundings and the complex would be too difficult for the public to access.

But Karis told The Argus last night the criticisms were "minor" and would not pose a threat to the scheme.

English Heritage and CABE are the Government's chief advisers on heritage and the environment and their support is seen as vital if the project is to get planning permission.

Green councillors withdrew their support for the scheme following its rejection by the two bodies and the Lib Dems also said the organisations' views could not be ignored.

It was thought that Karis would have to go back to the drawing board and submit a new planning application - one based on the recommendations of the bodies.

But Karis played down the findings and said it was far too early to tell whether a new planning application would be necessary. A spokesman said: "We are still confident in the overall scheme.

"English Heritage and CABE did not have any problem with the two major and most exciting parts of the scheme - the sports centre and the two towers.

"There are just some surface design issues with the perimeter buildings and how the public realm ties in. They are quite minor. We just have to sort that out. We had the CABE and English Heritage views at the same time as the rest of the world had them, with no advance warning.

"We now need to go over the fine detail of this advice and find out exactly what it means.

"Until then we won't know what is going to happen next.

"We will know more next week."

The spokesman said Frank Gehry, the architect designing the scheme, often elicited controversy.

He said: "His previous schemes that I am familiar with have all generated a lot of discussion but been successful in the end."

The major sticking points for English Heritage and CABE with the current plans were:

l The scale of eight smaller perimeter blocks of apartments, which both organisations said would be out of place.

l A failure on the part of the designers to ensure the buildings were "organic" and would be seen as an integral part of Hove.

l Criticism over the "public realm" part of the design and the public access to the site.

Asked what would happen if the current scheme did fall through, deputy council leader Sue John, who chairs the authority's King Alfred project board, said: "Obviously we would need to take a long hard look again and we would be keen to find a way of still providing a new sports centre for the city.

"However we are not at that stage at the moment.

"We are in serious discussions with Karis and their partners and we are hopeful of finding a way forward."

[eddyk]

What's the latest news on the Frank Gehry project?

Also any construction pics of The new royal alexandra children's hospital?

[RSWB]

The Frank Gehry project is the King Alfred development we've been discussing above. :)

I don't have any pics of the new childrens hospital I'm afraid, but I think it's almost complete so I might pop over there and take some pics sometime soon.

[eddyk]

Oh yes.

The project will surely put Brighton on the world map.

[pmun]

It's already on there. Brighton is a truely international City. It's more a matter of keeping it there.

[large]

Looks like I was wrong about Karis throwing in the towel:

King Alfred scheme 'will go ahead'
by Miriam Wells

The developer behind a £290 million seafront sports and housing project criticised by Government advisers has insisted it will still be built.

English Heritage and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) said parts of Karis' plans for The King Alfred site in Hove would be out of keeping with its surroundings and the complex would be too difficult for the public to access.

But Karis told The Argus last night the criticisms were "minor" and would not pose a threat to the scheme.

English Heritage and CABE are the Government's chief advisers on heritage and the environment and their support is seen as vital if the project is to get planning permission.

Green councillors withdrew their support for the scheme following its rejection by the two bodies and the Lib Dems also said the organisations' views could not be ignored.

It was thought that Karis would have to go back to the drawing board and submit a new planning application - one based on the recommendations of the bodies.

But Karis played down the findings and said it was far too early to tell whether a new planning application would be necessary. A spokesman said: "We are still confident in the overall scheme.

"English Heritage and CABE did not have any problem with the two major and most exciting parts of the scheme - the sports centre and the two towers.

"There are just some surface design issues with the perimeter buildings and how the public realm ties in. They are quite minor. We just have to sort that out. We had the CABE and English Heritage views at the same time as the rest of the world had them, with no advance warning.

"We now need to go over the fine detail of this advice and find out exactly what it means.

"Until then we won't know what is going to happen next.

"We will know more next week."

The spokesman said Frank Gehry, the architect designing the scheme, often elicited controversy.

He said: "His previous schemes that I am familiar with have all generated a lot of discussion but been successful in the end."

The major sticking points for English Heritage and CABE with the current plans were:

l The scale of eight smaller perimeter blocks of apartments, which both organisations said would be out of place.

l A failure on the part of the designers to ensure the buildings were "organic" and would be seen as an integral part of Hove.

l Criticism over the "public realm" part of the design and the public access to the site.

Asked what would happen if the current scheme did fall through, deputy council leader Sue John, who chairs the authority's King Alfred project board, said: "Obviously we would need to take a long hard look again and we would be keen to find a way of still providing a new sports centre for the city.

"However we are not at that stage at the moment.

"We are in serious discussions with Karis and their partners and we are hopeful of finding a way forward."

[RSWB]

I don't think Karis can afford to throw in the towel, they've invested millions already and if they pulled the plug now they could go out of business as they are a fairly small company.

[pmun]

I've come across Josh Arghiros, chairman & MD, a few times. He's a dynamic guy. As well as making money I get the impression he is committed to bringing cutting edge contemporary architecture to Brighton & Hove. He needs to be! Good luck to him. Brighton needs visionary developers. It's not easy, because of the herritage. But there is still huge potential.

[RSWB]

http://static.flickr.com/49/139656780_3e4af50dcd_o.jpg

From the argus today:

£100m Circus Street project promises to be class act
An ultra-green £100 million development on the site of an old fruit and veg market has been given the go-ahead.

Brighton and Hove City Council has chosen the Kent-based Cathedral Group to develop the area in Circus Street.

It plans to transform the rundown site into a zero-carbon complex dubbed Grow Brighton which will yield 620 jobs and 180 homes and is predicted to bring up to half a billion pounds into the city over the next ten years.

A community wind turbine, roofs covered in plants, rain water collection and irrigation and a solar power plant to provide heat and energy will form a major part of the scheme.

It will also feature facilities for recycling household waste.

Cathedral's plans contain flats, offices, space for the creative industries, a new university library, a public piazza and performance space and new studios for the South East Dance agency.

Cathedral's chief executive Richard Upton said: "We're thrilled to have been chosen to develop this important area of Brighton ñ a city with a unique character, a reputation for creativity and an unmistakable soul. Key to our proposals is a desire to create a new sustainable quarter, both ecologically and economically.

"This means we'll be supporting growth of local business through an enterprise hub and involving the community in our plans."

Scott Marshall, assistant director of economic development and regeneration at the council, said: "We selected Cathedral because they not only present a well-thought-out and exciting scheme but also demonstrated passion, energy and commitment for the project as well as the local community."

The scheme is being designed by ARUP, one of the world's leading sustainability engineering companies, and the awardwinning John McAslan architects, who designed the new De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill.

ARUP is creating a string of the world's first "eco-cities" in China.

Work is due to start on the Brighton project in March 2007 and be completed in 2009.



Good choice of developer and scheme, it looks very promising indeed, it will breath new life into a currently very run down part of town as well as being extremely eco friendly which is always good news.

[large]

This is an excellent scheme in the perfect location ( I should know, I spend 1 Saturday a month dishing out food to the homeless on circus street, and it is truly a dump at the moment.)

About time Brighton had some good news, now all we need is for the Marina to go through, Karis improve their design and get CABE behind them and for Beetham to sdubmit a new plan for a better tower at the station and we're away!

[RSWB]

Some more good news for the marina, there are further development plans to transform the western half of the marina which will see Asda and mc donalds demolished!

Marina in line for transformation
by Adrian Kwintner

A DESIGN team led by the former head of the Millennium Dome has announced plans to transform Brighton Marina by giving a fast food restaurant and superstore a facelift.

PY Gerbeau's X-Leisure and Parkridge Estates, who between them run the marina, have launched a public consultation on a plan to rebuild the western sector of the marina and transform it from a disjointed mish-mash of buildings into a location of international renown.

Asda and McDonald's are expected to be knocked down and incorporated into new developments which could involve new space for residential, commercial and retail use.

During its seven years of ownership, Parkridge built the Hotel Seattle and Waterfront terrace of bars and restaurants.

X-Leisure acquired the commercial areas of the marina from Parkridge in 2004. The two companies have since continued to work together.

Other parts of the western sector up for regeneration include the Asda car park, the roundabout near the base of the ramp access, the petrol station and cycle and pedestrian paths.

Explore Living, the development arm of Laing O'Rourke, has been appointed to push forward regeneration of the marina and ensure that the different plans are linked up to create a district with a coherent identity.

Philip O'Callaghan, managing director of Parkridge, said: "Brighton Marina has seen many setbacks in terms of its development since its extraordinary construction in the Sixties.

"We believe that any development within the marina should be able to confidently claim that it will improve the public realm, which means the provision of public and recreational areas, pedestrian priority, street improvements and the control of traffic.

"We must also demonstrate that we can enhance the shopping and leisure experience in the marina as well as improve its building and architectural flow."

The developers are asking for people's views on the master plan for improving the marina - adopted by Brighton and Hove City Council in 2003 - and on what improvements they would like at the marina. They hope to submit a planning application in December and start work in June next year.

Explore Living's policies include giving disadvantaged people construction jobs, employee training for qualifications and, whenever possible, sourcing of supplies, services and materials from the areas in which it operates.

The consultation is separate to Brunswick Developments' planning application for a £235 million development of 853 new homes.

The centrepiece of the scheme would be a 40-storey skyscraper. There would also be a swing bridge allowing people to walk or cycle all the way around the marina, seven restaurants and bars, a doctor's surgery and a multi-purpose sports court.

The development is a reworking of a proposal which councillors rejected in August last year.

[isisohisis]

Circus Street development looks great.

Does anyone know whats happening with the re-development of London Road, the market and Co-Op surely this is another area crying out for some innovative architecture. I also heard that the Level was going to have a lot of money spending on it with the skateboard park going any details?

[RSWB]

No details as of yet isisohisis, all I know is that the council are trying to attract investment/re-development to the london road/open market areas, but there are no firm plans in place yet.

This area has huge potential and I really do hope something truly outstanding is proposed, I would personally like to see London road become more of an employment zone with high quality office buildings.

London road is also listed in the tall buildings strategy as being an appropriate area for tall developments, so fingers crossed.

[isisohisis]

quite agree, otherwise all these projects become isolated developments without any joined up thinking. And it becomes an architectural disneyland like Berlin. The scale of Brighton demands that all these new developments work together.

[Madman]

Not sure this has been put on here yet....


Gehry set to grow Hove towers after CABE and EH mauling

http://www.ajplus.co.uk/Images/Articles/190506_Gehry.jpg

Frank Gehry’s radical plans for a pair of towers on the Hove seafront are set to grow, not shrink, as a result of the redesign, the AJ has learned.

The American superstar was forced to rethink the scheme – dubbed ‘Tin Can Towers’ by locals – after it was savaged by both CABE and English Heritage at the end of last year.

But, according to Gehry’s long-term UK collaborator Piers Gough, this redesign is likely to result in the two towers being extended upwards.

Gough said this was because CABE had slammed the surrounding residential development and sports centre.

If all the ‘demanded social housing’ is to be squeezed on to the site while reducing the massing of the lower-rise buildings, Gough told the AJ, it will inevitable force the towers upwards.

‘If CABE and the pernicious planning system is insisting that the perimeter buildings are too big then the towers will have to become larger,’ Gough said.

‘Its only logical that the towers should become bigger as a consequence. And I can’t see this being a problem.’

Gough also vociferously dismissed rumours that Gehry had walked away from the scheme.

‘Its nonsense,’ he said. ‘Frank is in the process of getting his team in to gear again. He has accepted the desire for a redesign.’

by Ed Dorrell

[Brighton Boy.]

:)

[large]

It wouldn't surprise me if Gehry had walked away, I'd give up on it when faced with the numpty beauracrcy we have in this country. He won't be able to build taller, the council told him shorten the original plans of 40 stories.

[RSWB]

It's a strange one isn't it, they were told to reduce the height of the towers due to a fierce group of local opposition, now it looks like they will have to build taller towers once more, it is the only way I can see this progressing now.

It is good news for us skyscraper fans though, I always did prefer the original taller designs anyway.


By the way - 'Brighton Boy.' is not me, it is someone from the argus forums trying to be clever :)

[Brighton Boy.]

Wrong. The developers reduced the height of the towers at the same time as they announced a plan to build 750 flats not the 400 they had originally agreed to. There hadn't even been any campaigning by "NIMBYs" at that stage. By reducing the height of the towers, the developers were offering a "trade" to the council to let them build twice the number of flats on the site.

If you think the developers of the King Alfred are friends of great architecture, you have been reading too many press releases.

[RSWB]

Rubbish, there were nimbys moaning right from the start, complaining about the height of the proposed towers - I clearly remember this, there were endless letters of objection in the argus from the SaveHove group right from the word go.

[Brighton Boy.]

Rubbish, there were nimbys moaning right from the start, complaining about the height of the proposed towers - I clearly remember this, there were endless letters of objection in the argus from the SaveHove group right from the word go.

Save Hove didn't start campaigning until after the council's Planning and Resources committee approved 754 flats (and the reduced towers) in September of last year. If you look on their website, you can see the first leaflet they ever put out - which dates from AFTER that meeting.

If you want to find someone who has let Gehry down and hamstrung the progress of this development, you might want to look at Josh Arghiros rather than faceless "nimbys."

[large]

Very bizzare, looks like a forumer is having serious mental problems. Keep the voices inside your head!

Brighton Boy. change your name, it's a bit stupid using a name someone else has already got, shows a serious lack of imagination.

[pmun]

If you want to find someone who has let Gehry down and hamstrung the progress of this development, you might want to look at Josh Arghiros rather than faceless "nimbys."

I'm not aware of any other developers lining up to develop this sight. Look, my daughter is two months old. When she’s older I want to take her to this sports centre and show her some architecture by Frank Gehry. If Josh is going to make this happen, then why shouldn't he make a lot of money out of it? If the apartments sell, (and they probably will!) I'm sure the residents will be happy as well. One more thing – I depend on public transport. Dense development usually results in better public transport. Sprawling lower density development encourages private transport.

[Brighton Boy.]

I'm not aware of any other developers lining up to develop this sight. Look, my daughter is two months old. When she’s older I want to take her to this sports centre and show her some architecture by Frank Gehry. If Josh is going to make this happen, then why shouldn't he make a lot of money out of it? If the apartments sell, (and they probably will!) I'm sure the residents will be happy as well. One more thing – I depend on public transport. Dense development usually results in better public transport. Sprawling lower density development encourages private transport.

Well, there were at least two other developers who proposed alternatives to the Karis plans who the council rejected in their favour in 2003 - the main reason stated at the time being that Karis offered the city better value for money - interesting given the £29 million shortfall in their budget that has since come to light, and the fact Karis themselves have been unable to deny they may need Brighton and Hove council tax to subsidise the scheme.

I'm sure you do want to show your daughter some Gehry architecture. What possible bearing does that have on the huge numbers of people whose lives are going to be compromised by the development as it's currently proposed? I'd like my seven month old son to see the Chrysler building, but as I can't afford to live in Manhattan, holidays it'll have to be.

THere's no reason Josh Arghiros shouldn't make money out of a successful development that has taken the city's overall well-being into consideration. When that money is being made at the expense of either sticking to his original brief or making any contribution to the healthcare and education of people living in the building or the local area, I think that's greedy and unethical.

As for the public transport, let's hear what the plans are then. Or is Josh waiting for Brad Pitt to outline his plans for that aspect of the development?

[Brighton Boy.]

Incidentally, re: who was responsible for the reduction in size of the towers originally, and why they were scaled down, this was Gehry himself quoted in the Sunday Times last year:

"From the beginning, I thought that higher buildings were out of scale with the community," he said. "Then we discovered that there was a price premium on building taller anyway because of ground conditions on the shoreline. So in the end God had the final say, which is comforting."

(http://www.hughpearman.com/articles5/gehry_brighton.html)

Surely this can't mean that Gehry himself is... *gasp*... a "whinging nimby"?

[pmun]

THere's no reason Josh Arghiros shouldn't make money out of a successful development that has taken the city's overall well-being into consideration. When that money is being made at the expense of either sticking to his original brief or making any contribution to the healthcare and education of people living in the building or the local area, I think that's greedy and unethical.



How can investing in sports facilities and housing designed by a world-class architect not be good for the city's overall well being? As for healthcare and education, the Prince Regent didn't contribute to that either. But after the Royal Pavilion was built, schools and hospitals followed, not to mention tourists bringing considerable wealth and prominence to the town. I look forward to showing my daughter that building as well.

Unfortunately not everyone benefited. No doubt some people lost their views or felt their cottages were dwarfed by this out-of-scale development. But I think it was worth it.

[Brighton Boy.]

How can investing in sports facilities and housing designed by a world-class architect not be good for the city's overall well being? As for healthcare and education, the Prince Regent didn't contribute to that either. But after the Royal Pavilion was built, schools and hospitals followed, not to mention tourists bringing considerable wealth and prominence to the town. I look forward to showing my daughter that building as well.

Unfortunately not everyone benefited. No doubt some people lost their views or felt their cottages were dwarfed by this out-of-scale development. But I think it was worth it.

I wasn't aware the sports facilities were being designed by a world-class architect. Has Gehry expanded into swimming pools? As for the housing, again, the flats themselves aren't Gehry's work - possibly why they were criticised by CABE as being (direct quote) "mean" and "lacking presence" even before they withdrew their support for the development as a whole.

I'll manage to contain my mirth at the comparison between the Pavillion and this (to quote CABE again) "banal" scheme long enough to accept that no, of course, the Prince Regent didn't contribute to healthcare and education - but then I hadn't realised that Brighton was now accepting 18th century standards of social inequality as a price for its architecture.

As for modern schools and hospitals, well, Karis has refused to pay a penny towards anything of that nature thus far, so if they do get the go-ahead, it'll be the council tax payers of an already over-stretched and under-paid city footing the bill. You may regard that as fair trade for a Gehry building (however bastardised) – do you think you're likely to find many people agreeing with you in Whitehawk or Moulescoomb?

Views and the dwarfing of existing buildings aren't really the issue, I don't think - although if you have a look at the post above yours you'll see Gehry himself suggesting otherwise.

[pmun]

I wasn't aware the sports facilities were being designed by a world-class architect. Has Gehry expanded into swimming pools?


You seem to have an intelligent grasp of this subject Brighton Boy, so you really don’t need sarcasm to make your point. HOK Sport has designed the sports facilities. They have designed prominent schemes internationally including Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and Australia's Olympic Stadiums.

When you say that ‘the flats themselves aren't Gehry's work’ that’s a strong allegation. I know using a particular architect does not guarantee success, but it does provide credibility. If you were right then this would be great cause for concern for many of the schemes supporters. Can you qualify your statement?

As for my comparison to the Royal Pavilion. I admit that’s fairly tenuous as only history will tell. My point is that I think this scheme has the potential of becoming an attraction in its own right - a 21st century landmark.

Do I think many people will agree with me in Whitehawk or Moulscoomb? I haven’t got a clue and I don’t want to speculate on people’s opinions based on where they live. I do know that 100 flats for people on the council’s waiting list will appeal to those of us on low incomes. Another 182 flats for shared ownership will go also be a great help to key workers or anybody hoping to get on the housing ladder.

[Brighton Boy.]

You seem to have an intelligent grasp of this subject Brighton Boy, so you really don’t need sarcasm to make your point. HOK Sport has designed the sports facilities. They have designed prominent schemes internationally including Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and Australia's Olympic Stadiums.

When you say that ‘the flats themselves aren't Gehry's work’ that’s a strong allegation. I know using a particular architect does not guarantee success, but it does provide credibility. If you were right then this would be great cause for concern for many of the schemes supporters. Can you qualify your statement?

As for my comparison to the Royal Pavilion. I admit that’s fairly tenuous as only history will tell. My point is that I think this scheme has the potential of becoming an attraction in its own right - a 21st century landmark.

Do I think many people will agree with me in Whitehawk or Moulscoomb? I haven’t got a clue and I don’t want to speculate on people’s opinions based on where they live. I do know that 100 flats for people on the council’s waiting list will appeal to those of us on low incomes. Another 182 flats for shared ownership will go also be a great help to key workers or anybody hoping to get on the housing ladder.

Discussing the sports facilities in any detail is likely to send the conversation off on a tangent, but if you've been following this development, you must be aware that a lot of the public opposition (or at least lack of warmth) towards it has stemmed from the fairly lacklustre quality of those facilities. Given that they were the entire raison d'etre for the project, many people have been left very disappointed by what's on offer - or, in many cases, isn't.

As far as I was aware, much of the detail of the flats both inside and out (thinking here specifically of the smaller residential blocks around the main towers) was at the least a "collaborative" design. I wasn't under the impression that Gehry had had much to do with the affordable housing - indeed, if he had that hardly reflects well on him, given that CABE singled that aspect of the development out for criticism even when still very enthusiastic about the scheme as a whole.

The extent of Gehry's "hands on" involvement in the KA is a moot point. To the best of my knowledge he's visited Hove once since Karis were chosen to develop the site by Brighton council in 2003, and that trip (which took place in the new year) was mostly taken up with meetings with CABE. What public commentary has been offered has been made exclusively by Piers Gough and Josh Arghiros. Gehry himself has been at the forefront of promoting the Atlantic Yards development in Brooklyn, but he's only publicly talked about the KA twice in three years - a one-line comment in Newsweek last December to the effect that he wasn't sure he was still working on the project, and an earlier interview with the Sunday Times that I quoted from above, in which he told the journalist he thought the residential blocks dotted round the site were too tall.

As was mentioned in the Argus' most recent report on the issue (the one where Piers Gough talked about making the towers taller again), there have been rumours for some time that Gehry has effectively walked off the project. Whether they're true or not I have no idea – but if I was in favour of this development, I'd be slightly alarmed by the fact it was left to Gough rather than Gehry himself to deny them.

I've got no desire to impugn Karis' honesty - it might, however, be worth remembering that this time last year Josh Arghiros was still publicly talking about how much Brad Pitt loved the development and how he was helping out on the Gehry design team. *cough*

As for the Whitehawk and Moulescoomb issue, perhaps a better way to put it is simply to say that, wherever they may be living, Brighton and Hove have very large numbers of seriously low-income households, and many more for who living in a London economy on provincial wages is desperately hard. The point I was making was that while you and others may feel this development is worth YOUR money, there are, you must be aware, huge numbers of people across the city who, rather than being "nimbys", simply have other, more pressing things to do with their money than subsidise schooling and medical care for KA residents because Josh Arghiros has refused to do so, as well as very possibly having to pay towards constructing Karis' "free to Brighton and Hove" sports centre.

[RSWB]

Fitz - I don't mind you posting in these forums but could you at least change your name.

[Tubeman]

Fitz - I don't mind you posting in these forums but could you at least change your name.

Errr... Do you know this guy Brighton boy?

Its kind of stalkerish to create an account identical to someone else's bar a '.' at the end and using the same avatar. Can you shed some light, as it looks ridiculous. Do you want anything done?

[RSWB]

He's from the local argus forums, he goes by the name of Fitz on there and lets just say we're not the best of buddies.

Like I say I don't mind his views being posted here, he just needs to change his name as it will get confusing.

If you could ban him from using this brighton boy. name that would be great, cheers. :)

[Brighton Boy.]

Sorry lads, I thought "brighton boy" was already a multiple personality - given that he's been creating alter-egos to support his own arguments on other forums.

If you let me know how to change my name, I'll happily do so.

[RSWB]

Yes I've posted in the argus forums under two different names before but only as a joke to try and get a reaction from all the nimbies on that dreadful site, I only used my second name on a few postings, it's not like it was a regular occurance - anyway it's only the little argus tin pot forums, with all the same posters talking about the same old things (mainly moaning about the council *yawn*)

I've never tried to become someone else, as you have Fitz - that is very childish and incredibly stupid and serves no purpose whatsoever.

[large]

They really are a bunch of moaning nimbies on that forum. Don't bother with them mate, they're a waste of space.

[Brighton Boy.]

Yes I've posted in the argus forums under two different names before but only as a joke to try and get a reaction from all the nimbies on that dreadful site, I only used my second name on a few postings, it's not like it was a regular occurance - anyway it's only the little argus tin pot forums, with all the same posters talking about the same old things (mainly moaning about the council *yawn*)

I've never tried to become someone else, as you have Fitz - that is very childish and incredibly stupid and serves no purpose whatsoever.

But I've never tried to use different identities to make it look like people were agreeing with me. I'm not sure you're in a position to really claim the moral high ground here.

I'm no particular fan of the Argus forums, but I've seen just as much moaning about the council (*yawn*) from you on this thread as anyone on there.

As I say, if someone wants to let me know how to change my name, I'll happily do it. Maybe one of you boys can respond intelligently to what I've said about the KA at the same time? (Intelligently meaning something beyond just accusing me of being "a nimby").

[RSWB]

If I really wanted to try and become two people I wouldn't have told anyone, not even anyone on here, it was a bit of fun (I called it Mr Crab ffs!)

Like I said I'm happy for you to post on here, but you need to cut the irritating sarcasm and change your name before I shall consider replying to your posts, as far as I'm aware you can't change your name once you've registered here, you will need to create a new account.

btw - we moan about the council here on the occaision because we care for the city and want it to have a bright future, unlike those on the argus forums who only seem interested in their own home and their own street, they don't seem to care too much for the city as a whole, and you are one of them Fitz, I remember you going on and on about how the development might affect you and the price of your property, so lets face it this is your main objection to the scheme no matter how much you try and claim otherwise.

[Fitz]

If I really wanted to try and become two people I wouldn't have told anyone, not even anyone on here, it was a bit of fun.

Like I said I'm happy for you to post on here, but you need to cut the irritating sarcasm and change your name before I shall consider replying to your posts, as far as I'm aware you can't change your name once you've registered here, you will need to create a new account.

btw - we moan about the council here on the occaision because we care for the city and want it to have a bright future, unlike those on the argus forums who only seem interested in their own home and their own street, they don't seem to care too much for the city as a whole, and you are one of them Fitz, I remember you going on and on about how the development might affect you and the price of your property, so lets face it this is your main objection to the scheme no matter how much you try and claim otherwise.

I think you'll find most people get irritable and/or sarcastic when they're insulted - and as has been proved a number of times on the tinpot Argus forums, whenever you're presented with a fact or opinion you don't much like, you get insulting. But fine - if you're able to have a conversation without resorting to calling people twats, nimbys, whatever else, you'll never get a sarcastic word out of me.

I'm not sure what you think gives you the right to tell me (someone born and brought up in Brighton, just like you) that I don't care for the city as a whole - one of my main objections to the development is that everyone across the city rich and poor is likely to end up having to both subsidise the build AND contribute to make up the Section 106 payments Karis are refusing to. I'd say that was a concern for the wider city that you for one certainly don't seem to share.

I'm not living near the site anymore and I still object to it. Certainly living nearby did mean the issue was a much hotter one for me than many people, but then you never let living in Wolverhampton affect your sense of entitlement to speak for Brighton's population, so why should where I was living not be allowed to inform my opinion? It's also unfair to suggest my concern was ever about house prices - it was never about that for me, although I guess perhaps it's easier to try and argue me down with that allegation rather than engage with what I've said on, for example, this thread alone.

Anyway, as I say, I don't live anywhere near the KA anymore and I still think it's a hugely flawed, badly thought-out development that will serve neither Brighton or, for what it's worth, modern architecture well if it does ever get built.

Answer me one thing, though - if the residential blocks are (even by your estimation) terminally bland, and the only workable alternative is building the main towers higher BUT Gehry is on the record as saying the original designs for them were too high... where does that leave the development?

[large]

Screwed. This development is dead in the water. I think there are plenty of places for high profile towers in Brighton, but personally I'm not sure the KA is right. Something in the region 15-20 but no more, and not quite so outlandish. Why the council can't affod to build their own leisure I don't know, they charge enough tax, and make millions out of parking fines. Why do we need a private developer?

[RSWB]

Sorry Fitz but I can't remember the last time you wern't sarcastic, regardless of what is said you always manage to come out with your irritating and rather tedious sarcastic tone.

In it's current form I do agree that it's dead, but there will be some form of large scale development there in the future - that I can be pretty sure about, whether karis will still be involved well who knows?

[Fitz]

In it's current form I do agree that it's dead, but there will be some form of large scale development there in the future - that I can be pretty sure about, whether karis will still be involved well who knows?

Hope so - the current KA is an eyesore and the sports facilities need overhauling ever more urgently. The quicker the process is allowed to start again the better.

[RSWB]

Found some renders of the new development by Crest Nicholson/Bioregional it is to be built on the new england quarter site just down from Brighton station and will include 172 residential units, new office space, and new community space.


Crest Nicholson edged ahead after the housebuilder said it has formed a joint venture with BioRegional Quintain, to jointly promote and develop a planned development in Brighton.

The tie up with BioRegional, itself a JV between environmental specialist BioRegional Properties and Quintain Estates, will see them focus on a development of up to 51 affordable and 121 open market units in the New England Quarter.

“The development will be one of the most environmentally sustainable projects of its kind in the UK and will be designed to achieve an Ecohomes rating of 'Excellent',” said the group in a statement today.

Crest Nicholson (South East) Ltd (CNSEL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the company, has entered into a contract to establish Crest Nicholson BioRegional Quintain.

Under the agreement Crest BioRegional will take an assignment from CNSEL of the contract to acquire the site in the New England Quarter and the JV partners will work together to secure planning permission before jointly developing the scheme.



http://static.flickr.com/66/161136863_8906162dac_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/76/161136858_7fe8b6ff9c_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/53/161136865_115f9f3db1_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/66/161136867_c0b933c4a5_o.jpg

[pmun]

Thanks Brighton boy. Great renders, they look good to me and will fit in well with the development currently underway and nearing completion in the area. I work near there, so I must take some photos.

It's wonderful to the station site develped after such a long wait. I would like to see the Beetham tower there as well, but I don't hold out much hope.

[SimLim]

I saw the design for the wind turbine on top of the i360 today in full. Should definately give it a bit more appeal. First of its kind. They are looking at the same contractors who helped them do the "Costa" shell restaurant in the Bullring I believe.

[large]

We'll hear about Brighton's biggest scheme tomorrow, the 420ft marina tower. The council are going to give their decision.

[Wild@Heart]

Fingers crossed. I love the Marina development.

[Newcastle Guy]

When is the desicion announced?

[large]

The Argus said it would be today. This is a great scheme...it won't go ahead.

[Fitz]

It's got planning permission.

[Newcastle Guy]

It has? Excellent!!!

[large]

How do you know? It isn't on the Argus site yet. What is the next potential hurdle? A PI? I hope not. Great news if this can start construction soon, it will make the Marina, and extend my cycle route!

[pmun]

http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1155023

Wonderful news. I prefer this scheme to Ghery's King Alfred. It is more coherent as an integrated piece of urbanism. And the tower is so beautifully slender and elegant. I can't wait to see this built. The marina will then be worth visiting more than once a year.

[RSWB]

Well what fantastic news I really didn't expect this to get the go ahead, votes were 9 - 3 in favour as well!

This really is a a huge step forward for our city and hopefully now we will start to see more of an acceptance towards well designed high quality tall buildings.

WHAT A RESULT !!! :):):)

Here's the article on the bbc site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/5130548.stm

[Black Cat]

Very good news indeed, common sense prevails!

Hopefully this will have a beneficial effect on the city with respect to other high quality projects such as the King Alfred project whose low rise buildings, rather than the high rise buildings, and the subject of dispute. At this latter site, the balance of high to low may need to be somewhat reversed towards the intial concept to allow less dense ground coverage and more open views from the Kingsway to the waterfront.

[Sy]

I'm really please to hear this news, I really hope it gets built.

[Manuel]

Protesters may take the decision to the high court according to the video on the BBC website...

Fingers crossed the development goes ahead!

[Fitz]

All credit to Wilkinson Eyre for getting the designs through - just goes to show what can be achieved when a competent developer is leading a project. Just think - if they'd been awarded the King Alfred site back in 2003, what they'd planned would almost be built by now.

[JDRS]

Brilliant news, I love this tower. Was in Brighton today actually and it could really do with this. Bloody NIMBYS piss me off though. The high court! :ohno:

[Sussex Albion]

Don't worry. Everything seems to go to a Public Inquiry in this bally city. I am a few days short of 37, but I doubt I shall be seeing my beloved Albion playing at Falmer until I draw my pension. There must be a law introduced before long to stop councils holding up developments on the land of another council. All that is in LDC is the bus and coach park, which is being built to ensure that most fans arrive by public transport. Even Lewes Football Club can't improve their ground to Conference standard because of some bally wall, which isn't even old. Great news about the Marina, though. Perhaps we might get something better for the Churchill Square development. I hope there is a new Brighton Centre though, as it's my favourite gig venue, better than anywhere in London, as I can actually see the stage (being only 5'6"").

[MarkBton]

Excellent thread Brighton Boy. Here are a couple pics I took last week of the New England Quarter Development.

http://www.tescophoto.com/wpp/tesco/thumbnails/00000001/179/p_2173186_7519375290.jpg

http://www.tescophoto.com/wpp/tesco//thumbnails/00000001/179/p_2173183_2218699694.jpg

[RSWB]

Thanks for those pics Mark, the new england quarter is really starting to take shape now, the Jurys inn is about to start construction and the international language school is well on its way.

A couple of updates whilst I'm here:

The myhotel at jubilee square is finally starting construction and should be open by winter 2007.

A new application for a 147 bedroom hotel has been submitted for the accor hotels group, who want to open one of their budget Ibis hotels on the site of the old grosvenor casino on queens road, the building will have around 10 floors and in my opinion will enhance the street scene at the top end of queens road as the old casino building that is there currently looks way too low rise in comparison to the office buildings standing next to it.

[sourov]

awsome picture

[Leeds No.1]

Is there a thread for the i360? I think its a good idea; but not for Brighton. Or not for that part of Brighton at least- Bristol/Southampton maybe (or Portsmouth, but that already has Spinnaker). But I don't know, maybe you think it would work. Actually, I think if they put it off shore a bit (in the same way the London Eye is actually over the river not the land) it could work well. Or the pier; but theres an element of history to keep there.

[gothicform]

can someone tell me how many floors this is -
http://www.tescophoto.com/wpp/tesco/thumbnails/00000001/179/p_2173186_7519375290.jpg

[RSWB]

I think it is going to be 12 floors but I'm not 100% sure.

As for the i360 - I think the proposed location is right for this observation tower, it will bring visitors further west along the seafront and hopefully will attract further regeneration to this part of the city.

The plans have been submitted to the council and the decision is due in October.

[RSWB]

This in the Argus a few weeks ago:

Centre as big as 17 football pitches would meet shoppers' demands

A shopping centre the size of 17 football pitches would be needed to cope with the money expected to be spent in Brighton and Hove in the next ten years.

A £30,000 report commissioned by Brighton and Hove City Council revealed the number of shoppers who might choose Brighton was predicted to increase by nine per cent. People are likely to spend £144 million more on food a year and £1.2 billion on other items.

The report, approved by the environment committee today, will feed into the local development framework for the next 20 years, helping the council decide what should be built and where.

The report, by London-based firm GVA Grimley, said any new development should be built in existing shopping districts.

It said Brighton was performing well although its major weakness was lack of department stores. It suggested the post office in Ship Street be turned into one.

The report criticised the emergence of North Street shops including Peacocks and Sports Soccer and said future designs should look more like the Hanningtons and North Street Quadrant developments. It suggested Churchill Square be extended as part of the Brighton Centre redevelopment.

Tony Mernagh, chairman of Brighton and Hove business forum, agreed with most of the report.

He said: "Finding increased floor space hinges on the significant redevelopment of Churchill Square. I'm not just talking about taking it down to the sea, I'm talking about putting extra levels on top."

He said the business forum was working on an action plan for the main Brighton shopping district as suggested in the report.


In the report (which is available to view on the council website), it mentions some big names including Harvey Nichols who want to open a store here in Brighton but currently cannot find any suitable sites, hopefully with the re-development of the Brighton centre, kingswest and churchill square we can start to accommodate more of these larger stores in the city centre.

[large]

The latest plans for the Marina were in the Argus yesterday. On display at the marina now according to the article. Interesting to note there are couple of 20+ storey towers in the model that have never been mentioned before (at least they look 20+ if the main tower is 43 stories). I just hope this goes ahead, one of the most ambitious projects outside of London, but the market is ready for this in Brighton, I don't think there will be commercial reasons for this not happening.

http://i4.tinypic.com/280sh9y.jpg

[Black Cat]

Thanks Large for the article. I'm particularly struck by the comments relating to undertaking community consultaton exercises to see what would draw people to the Marina and make it more of a place/destination to live in or visit that it unfortunately has been to date. Even kids have the opportunity to express the desire for places to play! This sort of excercise if followed through sounds like the basis for success.

[elfabyanos]

Thanks Large for the article. I'm particularly struck by the comments relating to undertaking community consultaton exercises to see what would draw people to the Marina and make it more of a place/destination to live in or visit that it unfortunately has been to date. Even kids have the opportunity to express the desire for places to play! This sort of excercise if followed through sounds like the basis for success.

I agree. I think their open consultation process has made this an even more exciting project and one that stands the chance of being there forever.
A peculiar thing about the earlier stages of the project though, am I right in thinking that there weren't enough parking spaces and this was for 'environmental reasons'? As in to discourage the use of the car? I found that peculiar - yes cars are currently environmentally rubbish, but we don't want the place being ripped down in 50 years because there is nowhere for anyone to park their non-fossil fuel hover cars!

[pmun]

yes cars are currently environmentally rubbish, but we don't want the place being ripped down in 50 years because there is nowhere for anyone to park their non-fossil fuel hover cars!

But no matter what fuel cars run on, they also take up far too much space and encourage a selfish and dangerous use of our roads.

[large]

How anoying, both post lost. Here goes again:

Brighton tower...looks awesome, but very unlikely, especially if the story below goes negative:

http://www.skyscrapernews.com/images.php?se=nse&ref=740&idi=RMJM+Plan+Brighton+Skyscraper

D-day for Gehry project, all down to few stupid councillors:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/display.var.953031.0.dday_for_city.php

[Starscraper]

http://www.theargus.co.uk/display.var.955982.0.green_light_for_king_alfred.php

Looks like they've approved it. That Brighton Tower looks like 122 Leadenhall, when are they going to decide that?

[Black Cat]

The King Alfred project is approved, but appeals seem to be waiting in the wings.

It seems that every large project in the Brighton area these days goes to appeal after appeal, too often over technicalities. I'm optimistic about this project, as I was regarding the marina tower - but somehow someone will try to appeal this decision which is based on a democratic vote by legitimately voted representatives of the community.

The new tower on the site of the Kingswest/Brighton Centre by RMJM looks pretty impressive, and does look very similar to the 122 Leadenhall project. I believe the concept of a tapering type tower will work well for the site, but wouldn't be surprised if the design modified significantly. The height proposed seems reasonable to me.

[large]

Yeah but you can bet the Tories will ask the government to call it in. Don't know about that tower. It's on the site of the Kingswest centre, which I thought was all part of the Brighton centre regeneration project and owned by Standard Life. It could be the first of a couple of tower proposals to come for that area. We already have 2 towers there, and the council have said this an area that towers should be considered, so we could end up with a cluster of 4-5 once all is done.

[Sussex Albion]

I think Gothic's line on the blue rinse brigade in his article on Skyscrapernews says it all. There will almost certainly be Tory councillors and others trying to get it called in. I love the proposal, but I just hope that if this goes ahead we will get another conference and concert venue. The Brighton Centre might not look much, but it is excellent for gigs, as being somewhat short in stature I can get close to the stage and get a pretty good view. It can be absolute murder getting tickets at the Dome, as I found out with the Kooks. By the way, large and BB, what do you think of LDC's decision to back down on the Falmer court hearing? Do you think we will get some progress at last?

[large]

Depends on what the new minister in charge of the process is like. It will have to go through the whole review again. I don't have a good feeling about it, and the way the club is going this season I wonder if the stadium is going to be feasible even.

[RSWB]

I do still feel optimistic about falmer, I can't see the new minister in charge doing a complete u-turn on Prescotts original decision as I think it would be an embarrasment for the labour government if it were to happen, I also think it is absolutely crucial that Brighton & Hove Albion do not go down again this season, as I really don't think the club will be able to attract investment to build a brand spanking new stadium if it is playing league two football.

With regards to the Brighton centre development - there will be a brand new conference centre to replace what is currently there but it will not be used for concerts any more I don't think as our new concert arena will be located at black rock (brighton international arena), I hear that the arena development is soon to be submitted to the council for approval - fingers crossed.

Also coming up next week is the decision on the Brighton i360 observation tower, which I think will be a great addition to our seafront, so fingers crossed for that too.

[large]

Also coming up next week is the decision on the Brighton i360 observation tower, which I think will be a great addition to our seafront, so fingers crossed for that too.

I have reservations about this one, depends on what materials are used etc. A giant metal pole may not be the most attractive addition to teh seafront.

[large]

That tower on skyscraper news, which would sit on the odeon site has been rubbished by the council:

'But council leader Simon Burgess says the idea will never become a reality.

He said: "I find it inconceivable that our planning officers would consider giving approval to this. I want to crush any thoughts that this council is about building tall buildings all over the city because it is not."'

Wanker. Here's the full article:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/localnews/display.var.961848.0.skyscraper_plan_sparks_city_row.php

[Black Cat]

Thanks Large for the article. Frankly, despite what Simon Burgess says, this tower is just a matter of time, but it may not happen till the 2010s.

Exactly how high is this concept tower on the Kingswest site? I am assuming somewhere towards 600 feet based on 43 stories with higher podium level floors and rooftop feature plant room similar to that of the 122 Leadenhall tower.

[RSWB]

This would be an ideal site for a tower, what is wrong with Simon Burgess?

I think maybe he's just annoyed at the fact that they didn't work on the ideas with the council, as this seems quite out of character for him to say something like that, he's been very supportive of the marina and king alfred developments .

Even the consevatives have said in the past that this site is the most suitable for a tall building.

Where abouts is it on skyscraper news large?

[RSWB]

Exactly how high is this concept tower on the Kingswest site? I am assuming somewhere towards 600 feet based on 43 stories with higher podium level floors and rooftop feature plant room similar to that of the 122 Leadenhall tower.

In the argus it says it would of been 158 metres tall - quite an acceptable height for the area.

[large]

The image has been removed from SSN, but probably irrelevant now as Standard Life are drawing up a new proposal.

I think you may be right about his political ego being dented because they weren't consulted. This is the one site in the city that a skyscraper should be approved. I think a couple would be tolerated to be honest.

[elfabyanos]

Towers are looking more and more sensible here. I don't know what their problem is. Brighton is not currently world renown for its architecture, (apart from the pavillion), not sure what they think they are protecting. Its not in Brunswick square or in Madeira drive, its in 60s/70s hell! Which it will wipe out. Hopefully. Actually, just answered my own question - they are protecting Brighton form the 60s and 70s. Lets just hope London will be the shining example of modern quality highrise.

[large]

Brighton eye won planning approval. In two minds about this, and can't believe that something this size goes through without a blink of the eye (forgive the pun) and other, much shorter projects, of better architectural merit get bogged down in a quagmire

http://www.theargus.co.uk/display.var.964242.0.brighton_eye_gets_planning_permission.php

[Black Cat]

Thanks Brighton Boy, I was hoping the tower was in the 200m range. Perhaps the first concept design was a little on the short side. What we need is the Burg al Brighton, perhaps a mini-Burg, 3-400m would be just fine!

I wonder if Simon Burgess was testing the conservative opposition who always appear to oppose him irrespective of logic to see if they would become pro-tower?

[Black Cat]

@Elfabyanos:

There are many who would consider Brighton to possess much world class architecture, the Regency/early Victorian architecture in particular is quite amazing, there are many fine churches and later 19thC buildings, and a few first class 20thC buildings of note. Brighton's seafront, urban spaces and streets are particularly good, and the Lanes are unique. All this said, Brighton is "London by the Sea" and can and should have fine 21st century architecture too, such as the Gehry project for the King Alfred site, the tower at the Marina, and hopefully a crowning masterpiece at its heart.
(I don't think anyone will cry for the Kingswest or Brighton Centre, though admittedly I do have memories of some great concerts at the latter and can recall 70s disco fever at the Kingswest.)

[large]

Totally awesome proposal for the funkiest looking tower in the UK on the site of Medina house Hove (50 ms from the Gehry project). Not huge, but amazing:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/display.var.970745.0.quirky_tower_plans_anger_campaigners.php

[elfabyanos]

@Elfabyanos:

There are many who would consider Brighton to possess much world class architecture, the Regency/early Victorian architecture in particular is quite amazing, there are many fine churches and later 19thC buildings, and a few first class 20thC buildings of note. Brighton's seafront, urban spaces and streets are particularly good, and the Lanes are unique. All this said, Brighton is "London by the Sea" and can and should have fine 21st century architecture too, such as the Gehry project for the King Alfred site, the tower at the Marina, and hopefully a crowning masterpiece at its heart.
(I don't think anyone will cry for the Kingswest or Brighton Centre, though admittedly I do have memories of some great concerts at the latter and can recall 70s disco fever at the Kingswest.)

It does, and loads of it is beautiful. Its just that godawful bit between thistle and embassy court (excluding regents square and the grand and few other bits) on the seafront. :dunno: I think I was just overreacting to the nimbys on the argus website that day! Brighton does have great architecture.

[eddyk]

Totally awesome proposal for the funkiest looking tower in the UK on the site of Medina house Hove (50 ms from the Gehry project). Not huge, but amazing:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/display.var.970745.0.quirky_tower_plans_anger_campaigners.php


Wow, that is fantastic.

For, the Sirus Tower looks like a brilliant piece of landmark architecture
54.7%
Against, the building would be completely out of place with the surroundings
41.0%
Don't know
4.3%

[large]

It was the other way round last night, the local NIMBY blue rinse brigade had been bombarding the poll. Apart from DIFA, this is my favourite proposal in the UK at the moment.

[large]

What's that coming over the hill, it's a Tory opposition group bent on screwing King Alfred up the arse.

Karis have now decided to dig their heals in, and have told the council to stick their last minute resolution as flats built in Preston barracks will not be financially viable. Don't blame them to be honest. I would have walked away ages ago.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/display.var.973535.0.seafront_tower_plans_suffer_homes_setback.php

[Varenukha]

Totally awesome proposal for the funkiest looking tower in the UK on the site of Medina house Hove (50 ms from the Gehry project). Not huge, but amazing:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/display.var.970745.0.quirky_tower_plans_anger_campaigners.php

I know this is old news, but.....what a fabulous building this is! With so much dross and uninspired profiteering currently darkening our cities, here is a design with wit and imagination. Go Hove!

[elfabyanos]

For, the Sirus Tower looks like a brilliant piece of landmark architecture
53.6%
Against, the building would be completely out of place with the surroundings
43.9%
Don't know
2.6%

Nimby's are pulling back a bit!

[RSWB]

Finally some news on the Brighton international arena, which is due to be built on the derelict black rock site, plans are to be submitted next month.:)

From derelict site to £55m sports arena

Developers want to build a £55 million international sports complex and low-rise futuristic homes.

The Brighton International Arena would feature two Olympic-sized ice rinks, a skating school run by Olympic champions Jane Torvill and Robin Cousins, a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena and a cinema.

A planning application is being drawn up and is expected to be submitted in November.

continued...
The arena would host major sports events such as European and international skating competitions, exhibitions and shows. Rivalling the Brighton Centre, it would be a modern complex on a par with the Birmingham NEC.

Celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson has expressed an interest in building a restaurant as part of the complex.

Business leaders say the project would provide a massive boost for the local economy, providing 126 permanent jobs and 225 part-time positions.

Yesterday Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed a planning application was expected next month and if successful, work could start at the site at Black Rock, next to Brighton Marina, next year.

It is estimated that building work could take up to two years but the complex has already been offered as a home ground to major sports teams, including the Brighton Bears.

The application could bring to a close almost four years of speculation over the derelict site.

The consortium behind Brighton International Arena has been working to adhere to planning regulations since city councillors chose its design, created by London's S&P Architects, to develop the site in 2003.

Bids were invited for the site as far back as 2002.

Rival proposals, including a five-star spa hotel and winter gardens, have all been rejected.

The city council said the arena would best enhance the city and would have major financial benefits, including about £8 million in increased tourism revenue.

The exterior of the arena would be covered largely in glass and lightweight metals.

A 64-unit low rise housing block would offset the cost of building the arena.

The council said at least 40 per cent of the housing would be "affordable".

Yesterday a spokesman for the arena consortium said developers did not want to comment on the plans. However, Lynda Hyde, a member of the planning committee, said she would look at the application with an "open mind".

[dreadathecontrols]

reverse globalistion from the uks' best town
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/8519/cnv00076dg8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2558/cnv00077ip1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[large]

I hate those little shit heaps, the sooner they go out of business or get booted out by the council, the better. These things are fine in Delhi or Bangkok, but not here.

[large]

The final results from the poll. btw, when they first posted the final results, they showed the against ahead. I wrote a stroppy email saying the results had been fixed as about an hour before they closed the poll the Fors had a 10 point lead. They owned up and posted the correct results:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/misc/print.php?artid=984294

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Not as bad as you might think reading the headline, in fact better than we previously thought, with the 40 storey tower untouched, a 29 storey tower where the petrol station is, and a few mid rises. The marina is going to be amazing once this lot is built:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/display.var.1001910.0.marina_towers_cut_down_to_size.php

[elfabyanos]

The final results from the poll. btw, when they first posted the final results, they showed the against ahead. I wrote a stroppy email saying the results had been fixed as about an hour before they closed the poll the Fors had a 10 point lead. They owned up and posted the correct results:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/misc/print.php?artid=984294

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

That's a classic Large. They can be lidiots sometimes. To think they thought nobody would be making sure they played fair!

Still we won :banana:

[elfabyanos]

I just worked out that the south coast is over half a million!
Officially 556,700 from Bognor to Peacehaven, which would still make a conurbation of over half a million from Littlehampton to the Marina. (I know I'm streching the meaning of conurbation to the limit here though!)

[RSWB]

The official ONS population figure for the Brighton urban area (from Littlehampton to Peacehaven) is around 480.000, making us the 10th largest urban area in the country.

The marina is going to be totally transformed with all this development, I'm glad to see that the mcdonalds building is going along with the asda and car park, the marina should become one of the south's most popular destinations once this is all complete.

[RSWB]

More news on plans for the marina in the Argus.

Marina reveals plans
By Katya Mira

The latest designs to transform the western end of Brighton Marina were unveiled on Friday.

If approved there would be more than 1,000 new homes, 500 of which would be affordable, and at least 400 new jobs.

The new community would have newstreets, bridges, cycle paths and open spaces.

There would be a lagoon, play area and park under the cliff walk, a transport hub by the shopping district, a 2.5km jogging track, community hall, creche and new doctors' surgery.

Gardens would grow from the roof of a rebuilt Asda, public art would brighten several corners and a pagoda covered in plants and flowers would cover the roof of the multi-storey car park.

The latest designs were unveiled by Explore Living, the housebuilding arm of construction giant Laing O'Rourke, at the start of a week-long public exhibition.

They have been drawn up following a five-month consultation with more than 1,500 people.

The plans are independent of the Brunswick Development, which includes a 40-storey skyscraper dubbed the Roaring Forties and which has already been given planning permission.

The Explore Living plans has pedestrian areas such as a piazza-style "squareabout"

with cafs in the centre, an entertainments area with fountains and plants between the car park.

There will also be a bowling alley, a casino and a sand arena for football and volleyball where an ice rink can be installed in winter.

Project leader Jim Dennis said: "We have looked at the area as a whole and tried to make the whole space somewhere where people will want to come and spend time wandering around in."

Mr Dennis said one of the main concerns revealed in the consultation was the height of buildings and some had been reduced from 26 storeys to ten and from 15 storeys to six as a result.

He said concerns about transport links, resulted in plans for a new station for buses, taxis and tuk-tuks and rapid bus routes from town to the marina, while comments from health authorities about healthy living led to the jogging track and new surgery.

Mr Dennis said: "I think a lot of people have been surprised that we actually listen to their concerns."

Plans and models are on show at Information Centre in Village Square, Merchants Quay in the marina from today until Friday.

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More news on plans for the marina in the Argus.

Getting a new digital camera delivered today, might go down and take a few snaps later. Hope they still have a couple of towers in this plan, looked like they did in the Argus a few weeks back.

[RSWB]

Excellent large I don't think I'll be able to get down and see them for myself so if you do manage to get some pics that would be fab.

I think there is a tower around 20 - 25 storeys planned in this scheme, it will also be good to see the Asda store and its car park along with the mc donalds being replaced by new buildings and quality public spaces making the marina more pedestrian friendly.

[gothicform]

i have pics already. ill upload them to ssn later along with other detials :)

[hcrosskey]

You can view all the latest details on the website..

http://www.brightonmarinaregeneration.co.uk/subsection/updatedetail12.html

[hcrosskey]

Looks like there will be one new 'gateway' tower and the other building all look alot taller than what is there at present.

[RSWB]

wow I'm actually quite impressed with the plans, the tallest building will be 28 storeys at the marina point site (where asda petrol station is now).

[large]

Saved me a trip, that link is good, and the marina will be amazing once it's finished. I go there a lot, in fact I'm going tonight to watch Bond, I was there last night Salsa dancing in the Karma bar. All this development will only make the place more attractive to go to.

I've noticed a crane near the black rock site, have any plans been approved for there yet?

Also I noticed in the argus a week back that the Beetham appeal has ended, does anyone know how long it will be before the result is known?

[gothicform]

ive been trying to find out how tall those buildings are though with no luck. grrrr.

[RSWB]

I've noticed that crane at the black rock site aswell, it can't be anything to do with the new arena as the developers for that scheme haven't even submitted their plans to the council yet.