BRIGHTON AND SUSSEX COAST | Full Summary of Projects

[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.

[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]

Originally Posted by Brighton boy

Found a small picture of it.

Morcambe has one just like this

[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.

[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.