NEWSLETTER 292
November 2014
WHY?
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
PLANNING
Thursday 11 December: "The Wind in the Willows"
by Alan Bennett at the Little Theatre, Clarence Gardens.
To book tickets, please send 9.00 per person to
Suzanne Hinton at 39 Regency Square by Friday 28
November.
14 Castle Street: Creation of an additional floor
bringing the roofline level with other buildings in the
street, plus the addition of roof-lights. The Society
will object to the application at the Conservation
Advisory Group (CAG) on the grounds that a certain
original quirkiness would be lost from the street and
that neighbouring houses would be overlooked.
Friday 12 December at
7:30pm: Official lighting of the
Society's Christmas tree. Gather
at 7.30 pm at the south end of
the top garden or meet at 7.45 in
the Regency Tavern for drinks
and carols. Collection in aid of
the Salvation Army Christmas
Lunch appeal.
[Note: you can also join the carol singing at the Tavern
on the evenings of 5, 12 and 24 December to support the
same good cause.]
The Regency Square Area Society is distressed at the
vandalism and theft of the majority of the 50 hedge
donated by a member of the Society?
HELP IS AT HAND
Television landscape gardener and Chelsea Flower
Show sinner Diarmuid Gavin has agreed to design a
layout for Regency Square. Members of the Society's
Committee are working in conjunction with the City
Council to raise the funds to improve all three of the
Regency Square "lawns".
This revamp will bring the area to a state where it is fit
for both residents and visitors - especially those going up
the i360 who will get a grandstand view of our area.
Once a clear idea of the possible options has been
established, the Committee will consult with everybody
in the RSAS area.
Wednesday 17 December from 7:00pm: Informal
Christmas drinks at the Artist Residence, 33 Regency
Square. Come and meet the Committee and other
members of the Society in the cocktail bar.
Thursday 1st January 2015 from 10:00am: Our
traditional New Year's Day communal breakfast in the
Regency Restaurant. Come at 10.00 am or when you are
ready, order your breakfast and then settle down for a
good chat with friends and neighbours.
Looking ahead:
Wednesday 14 January at 7:00pm: Society Quiz night
at the Hotel Una.
Monday 30th March: Society AGM. Jackie MarshHobbs will talk about seaside "observation" towers.
Now where did we hear about a certain tower ...?
6a Stone Street / 13A Castle Street: Officially this
building is "offices, storage and one dwelling". In
reality it is the premises of an "Escort Agency". The
Society supports the application to convert the building
into 6 dwellings. The Society's representative on CAG
will ask for the design of the facade to be amended.
67 Preston Street: The developer appears to be
complying with the City Council's enforcement notice.
Work is being carried out on the premises. The
Society has complained to the City Council that the
pavement has recently been almost entirely blocked by
builders' materials. Presumably under pressure from
Council official, this problem has recently abated.
ON-GOING BATTLE?
Thanks to the persistence of the Society Committee
member and the residents of Stone Street, the range of
commercial waste bins has been removed from the
pavement in that street...... only to be replaced by some
new kids on the block in Preston Street.
ADIEU
"OUR" PCSOs
WEST PIER PROJECT
PCSOs Richard Wright and Aileen Norbury regularly
find time in their busy schedules to fit in a short visit to
Society Committee meetings.
The future of the West Pier Hostel in Regency Square
is to be discussed by the Policy and Resources
Committee of the City Council on 4 December.
This month they reported that a close watch is still being
kept on drug taking and illegal immigrant activities in
the north-east section of Preston Street.
The Committee is conscious that there is no consensus
of opinion within the Society about the presence of the
hostel. A Society committee member will therefore be
making representation to the Policy and Resources
Committee on the following point only:
They gave some good advice to anyone tempted to
"help" vulnerable-looking individuals taking drugs or
apparently being trafficked: do not be tempted to
intervene but dial 999. The police will respond
immediately and are better equipped to handle
vulnerable people.
ONLY AU REVOIR?
The PCSOs also reported that there had been a spate of
car thefts from the Regency Square car park. This is
particularly bad news given the vast amounts of public
money that have been spent on "improving" the safety of
the car park. More than one hotel visitor has had their
visit to Brighton ruined on discovering their car has been
broken in to.
Where did the communal recycling bin from outside the
gates of Russell Mews shuffle off to? Council officials
confirm that its absence from that site is permanent.
There had been two thefts from local homes, so please
take every precaution, whether you live in a block of
flats or if you have your own street entrance.
There it goes! After at least a couple of years of
campaigning by the Society, the City Council has finally
removed the unsightly Car Park sign in Regency Square.
The glass panel is a great improvement.
It is quite understandable that the residents of 28a
Russell Square objected to the bin being placed
immediately outside their front door.
The Society has proposed another site in the square - one
partially obscured by bushes - and has requested more
frequent emptying of all the bins locally.
Society Contacts
Chair: Trix Webber 01273 321858
[email protected]
Treasurer: Nicola Floyd 078 3352 7270
[email protected]
Secretary: Suzanne Hinton 01273
321794
[email protected]
"the RSAS objects to the presence of the hostel in its
present form and to the deleterious effect it has on:
residents, business and vulnerable residents of the
hostel."
In the last month the received 9 calls from residents or
staff of the West Pier Project. .
WEST PIER TRUST
Several members of the Society's committee attended
the AGM of the West Pier Trust on 20 November.
They challenged the Trust on why it is willing to allow
the iconic "sea island" to decay and disappear.
The Trust stated that it was "simply not feasible to
restore island". The Trust plans to obtain information
about the condition of the sea island site. The Society
is pressing for a full professional survey of the site.
RSAS also queried the plans to build a new pier and
requested information on how the Trust plans to
spend the rental income to be earned from the income
from the i360 if no new pier is built. The short term
answers to the last question were that the Trust would:
repay the money lent to the Trust by Marks Barfield ,
it would clear away the wreckage of the former
concert hall and would run a Heritage Centre in one of
the restored kiosks.
