Hove Civic Society January 2016 newsletter Chairman’s letter Dear Members, A very happy and prosperous New Year to all of you! First a big thank you to those who have responded to our requests for e-mail addresses and for setting up standing orders. This makes our administration so much easier. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to deal with the matter yet please consider doing so, as it will help your committee to concentrate on more important things. The year to come will require a lot from us, not least in terms of influencing new developments and City Plan policies. Since my last letter we have commented on the latest round of modifications on the City Plan policies and have supported the council’s proposed approach to the sustainability of buildings. We have also put in an objection to the safeguarding of an area of land (the coal yard) near Hove Station for waste management purposes, as proposed in the Waste and Minerals Sites Plan. We believe this proposal is outdated, that it does not reflect the substantial projected increases in housing need in the city and doesn’t take into account the area’s potential for comprehensive redevelopment for housing and commercial purposes. Inside this newsletter you will find more details on this and other issues raised by the Hove Station Neighbour- hood Plan preparation. Your committee has supported the recent vision statement issued by the Forum and you can find a copy on our website. During the autumn we were consulted on a number of proposed developments yet to be submitted for planning permission. We expect a submission for the new Matsim proposal off Conway Street (Hove Gardens) very soon. The proposal is for a mixed high density residential and commercial development, with high quality design, land- scaping and materials, which would result in a significant upgrade of the area. Your committee is very supportive of the proposals we have seen so far. We also believe that the proposals for the now disused Texaco petrol station on Kingsway will help improve that area and we are looking forward to seeing the final designs. The same thing cannot be said for the residential tower proposed for the old Sackville Hotel site, which was met with substantial opposition and I believe the developers are going back to the drawing board on this. We are now waiting with baited breadth for the unveiling of the King Alfred proposals. Substantial densities and height on site will be required in order for developer’s profits to be able to generate affordable housing as well as three pools. I just hope that the winning consortium will be able to generate a design that will be generally acceptable. By the time you read this the winner should have been revealed by the council. Whilst development is progressing at pace the local authority cuts are now starting to bite and affect Hove Civic Society directly. Your committee has had several discussions on this and rather than objecting to individual proposals for cuts we will want to look at the cumulative impact on cuts for Hove. Intuitively we are dismayed at the proposal to close Hove library, but we realise that not going ahead with the proposal and its estimated £350,000 savings per year will require the closure of six branch libraries, for example, and the need to find substantial maintenance and repair bills, for which there are no funds. We hope to make a submission to the Council later in January. Our street tree programme has suffered a direct hit by the cuts proposals. The council will do no more street tree planting (apart from replacing diseased Elms) and hence both the matched funding and the actual planting and immediate aftercare of street trees have been cut. Our planting on Shakespeare street and Coleridge street will go ahead with a ceremony in February. I will do whatever I can to find ways of continuing plant- ing – as I have said so many times before it is probably the most beneficial as well as the cheapest investment we can make in our environment and it is absurd that it is being cut. My current thinking is that Hove Civic Society commission tree planting from a suitably qualified contractor, who also needs to deal with aftercare and replacement planting as necessary. If at all possible I would like us to be able to progress along Portland Road as the next project. If any member is willing to help out on this then please let me know. I can imagine that we will need substantial amounts of lobbying as well as contract management if we are going ahead. So far we have initiated the planting of 75 street trees and I would hope we have many hundreds more to come. The Sackville Hotel before it collapsed in 2006, photo by Chris Neal
Transcript
Hove Civic Society January 2016 newsletter
Chairman’s letter
Dear Members,
A very happy and prosperous New Year to all of you!
First a big thank you to those who have responded to our requests for e-mail addresses and for setting up standing orders. This makes our administration so much easier. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to deal with the matter yet please consider doing so, as it will help your committee to concentrate on more important things.
The year to come will require a lot from us, not least in terms of infl uencing new developments and City Plan policies. Since my last letter we have commented on the latest round of modifi cations on the City Plan policies and have supported the council’s proposed approach to the sustainability of buildings.
We have also put in an objection to the safeguarding of an area of land (the coal yard) near Hove Station for waste management purposes, as proposed in the Waste and Minerals Sites Plan. We believe this proposal is outdated, that it does not refl ect the substantial projected increases in housing need in the city and doesn’t take into account the area’s potential for comprehensive redevelopment for housing and commercial purposes.
Inside this newsletter you will fi nd more details on this and other issues raised by the Hove Station Neighbour-hood Plan preparation. Your committee has supported the recent vision statement issued by the Forum and you can fi nd a copy on our website.
During the autumn we were consulted on a number of proposed developments yet to be submitted for planning permission. We expect a submission for the new Matsim proposal off Conway Street (Hove Gardens) very soon.
The proposal is for a mixed high density residential and commercial development, with high quality design, land-scaping and materials, which would result in a signifi cant upgrade of the area. Your committee is very supportive of the proposals we have seen so far.
We also believe that the proposals for the now disused Texaco petrol station on Kingsway will help improve that area and we are looking forward to seeing the fi nal designs.
The same thing cannot be said for the residential tower proposed for the old Sackville Hotel site, which was met with substantial opposition and I believe the developers are going back to the drawing board on this.
We are now waiting with baited breadth for the unveiling of the King Alfred proposals. Substantial densities and height on site will be required in order for developer’s profi ts to be able to generate affordable housing as well as three pools. I just hope that the winning consortium will be able to generate a design that will be generally acceptable.
By the time you read this the winner should have been revealed by the council.
Whilst development is progressing at pace the local authority cuts are now starting to bite and affect Hove Civic Society directly. Your committee has had several discussions on this and rather than objecting to individual proposals for cuts we will want to look at the cumulative impact on cuts for Hove.
Intuitively we are dismayed at the proposal to close Hove library, but we realise that not going ahead with the proposal and its estimated £350,000 savings per year will require the closure of six branch libraries, for example, and the need to fi nd substantial maintenance and repair bills, for which there are no funds. We hope to make a submission to the Council later in January.
Our street tree programme has suffered a direct hit by the cuts proposals. The council will do no more street tree planting (apart from replacing diseased Elms) and hence both the matched funding and the actual planting and immediate aftercare of street trees have been cut. Our planting on Shakespeare street and Coleridge street will go ahead with a ceremony in February.
I will do whatever I can to fi nd ways of continuing plant-ing – as I have said so many times before it is probably the most benefi cial as well as the cheapest investment we can make in our environment and it is absurd that it is being cut.
My current thinking is that Hove Civic Society commission tree planting from a suitably qualifi ed contractor, who also needs to deal with aftercare and replacement planting as necessary.
If at all possible I would like us to be able to progress along Portland Road as the next project. If any member is willing to help out on this then please let me know. I can imagine that we will need substantial amounts of lobbying as well as contract management if we are going ahead. So far we have initiated the planting of 75 street trees and I would hope we have many hundreds more to come.
The Sackville Hotel before it collapsed in 2006, photo by Chris Neal
In contrast the Hove Plinth project has progressed with a fl ourish. The winning maquettes for the fi rst three sculp-tures were unveiled by the Mayor, Councillor Lynda Hyde on the 19th October and have since been exhibited in a number of galleries in the city.
If you haven’t seen them they will be displayed in Cameron Contemporary Art, Second Avenue from the 22nd January for about a month.
Do have a look at the video we have had produced as part of the Arts Council grant on our website.
Shortly after the unveiling we were awarded a £20,000 grant by the Headley Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Trusts, and the resources raised and pledged so far stand at £82,000, including the £10,000 Arts Council grant used for the sculpture competition and commissioning of the sculpture models.
As far as the plinth is concerned we now just need support for the stone cladding and we are there. Then we need to raise funds for the individual sculptures. This we will do via sponsorship packages, direct discussions with developers in the city and general fundraising. Read more inside this newsletter.
Finally, we still have not been able to recruit a new mem-bership secretary and are currently sharing these tasks among committee members. However, we could do with help from somebody who would be willing to spend a few hours a week communicating with our members. This would be of tremendous help to us and the Society.
With best wishes
Helmut LusserChairman
Hove Station Neighbourhood Forum
The Hove Station Neighbourhood Forum (HSNF) was formally designated by Brighton and Hove City Council at the end of 2014 as the body with the responsibility for preparing the Hove Station Neighbourhood Plan. The Forum is made up of local residents and businesses and a management committee conducts its business.
Late in 2015 the Forum published its vision document as a fi rst step in preparing the Neighbourhood Development Plan. The vision was referred to the Hove Civic Society Committee and was endorsed by us late November 2015. The full document is on our website.
Broadly speaking the vision develops further the policies of the City Plan and in one or two cases updates the City Plan policies where the Forum feels these are out of date. There are two areas in particular where the Forum takes issue with the City Plan.
Firstly, it is believed that the safeguarding of the coal yard for waste management purposes is outdated and doesn’t refl ect the dramatic increased need for housing land in the city. Continuing that safeguarding would sterilise a substantial part of the area for many years to come and prevent much needed development.
Secondly, the continued safeguarding of industrial or essentially warehousing sheds does not correspond with the wider needs of the city. The Forum believes these should give way to usages that make better use of the land and better correspond to a potentially high quality, higher density urban area.
The vision sees much of the area south and north of Hove station (identifi ed as Development Area 6 (DA6) in the City Plan) redeveloped for high density, high quality mixed housing and commercial development.
At ground level it is envisaged there will be local facilities such as cafes, cultural and entertainment facilities as well as minor shopping, although the vision rules out any major shopping facilities in the area.
Building heights should be around three to six storeys in the northern area with scope for individual buildings above that height. To the south higher buildings would also be appropriate.
It is suggested that this could become a new centre for Hove benefi ting from the advantages of its proximity to the station.
The vision highlights the importance of major environ-mental improvements to the area including the access area to the station, the areas surrounding the station, as well as the current footbridge, which needs to be made accessible to wheelchairs, prams etc.
The vision also states that a second footbridge is needed further to the west to allow easy access to the station from any redevelopments north-west of the station.
The Forum is now preparing draft policies for the Neigh-bourhood Plan, which I hope we can report on in our next issue.
Members should be aware that I also serve on the Management Committee of the Forum.
Helmut LusserChairman
Gallery opening times:
Mon-Sat 10.30am - 6pm
Sundays and bank holidays 12pm-5pm
Closed Tuesdays
Artist’s impression of the proposed development by Matsim Properties
From Hove Station Neighbourhood Forum Vision document
The Granada Cinema on Portland Road, Hove (corner of School Road) was opened by the Mayor of Hove in July 1933, and Anna Neagle, one of the most famous fi lm stars of the day, was present.
I had the pleasure of looking at the original souvenir pro-gramme when I visited the excellent Bill Douglas Cinema Museum at Exeter University in 2011.
The main architect was Frank Ernest Bromige, who designed a number of cinemas in the Art Deco style in the 1930s, two of which still survive as listed buildings.
The Granada was such a stylish building with a tall tower at the corner entrance. The auditorium was decorated with elegant classical fi gures, stylised butterfl ies and dragonfl ies – pure 1930s glamour.
In 1965 the cinema was renamed the ABC, but due to falling audience fi gures it closed in 1974. It found a new life as a bingo hall, opened by Diana Dors, but this fi nally closed in 2003. Some years ago I checked to see if it was listed. It was not, so I assumed Hove Council knew better than I.
I’ve lived almost opposite the Granada for 50 years now, and suffered a pang when the wrecking ball began its demolition in 2012, momentarily revealing its beautiful, untouched Art Deco interior. Oh dear.
Granada Cinema/Friese-Greene House
Fast forward to 2015 and its replacement. I’m not a fan of modern architecture, but I’ve been won over by the new building. I particularly love the multi-coloured Roman bricks on the corner and the clever artwork of the stairwell window.
The architects, Conran and Partners, wanted to echo the tall tower of the cinema and its Art Deco design. The designer of the stairwell window, Mel Howse, also wanted to refl ect its cinema heritage, with circles inspired by a camera lens, the illusion of the moving image and mono-chromatic design. There is a video of the window on her website, www.vitreousart.com
The building is called Friese-Greene House after the cinematographer pioneer (1855-1921) who had links with Brighton.
The architects also tried to blend in with the local Edward-ian buildings, with businesses at ground fl oor level, hous-ing and dormers above. No tower blocks to overshadow the neighbours in Marmion Road, which lies behind the site.
Every year I enjoy representing Hove Civic Society at the Sussex Heritage Trust awards luncheon, and I strongly urge Conran and Partners to enter their clever, thought-fully designed building for an award. I also congratulate Brighton & Hove City Council’s Planning Committee and Planning Department for their guidance and good sense. Elaine Evans, BEM
Granada Cinema, undated photo courtesy of The Regency Society
Educational attraction at i360 site?
Inspired by the Hove Plinth and sculpture park, I have proposed adding an educational attraction to the i360, by making the tower into the gnomon (indicator) of a sundial.
The pavements around it would be marked with paths and scales of time and date, as shown in the fi gure below (taken from my report, available on request).
The time and date could be told by where the edge of the shadow falls on the scale.
This exhibit would replicate ancient sundials, such as the one built in 9 AD in Rome by emperor Augustus, which had a 30m high gnomon, casting a shadow over a marble paved square measuring 180x110 metres - the size of 3 football pitches).
I am grateful to Hove Civic Society for adding this to the list of projects they support and am seeking individuals who would add their names to a list of supporters, and join a committee to promote it.
Please contact me on 01273 417997, or [email protected], or write to me at 22, Saxon Rd Hove, BN3 4LE.
John Kapp (hon secretary)
Proposal for sundial markings at i360 site by John Kapp
The winning sculptures from the Hove Plinth sculpture competition were unveiled by the Mayor of Brighton and Hove, Councillor Lynda Hyde, at a reception on the 19th October in the Mayor’s Parlour.
There was a buzz of excitement as each sculpture was revealed and people crowded round to get a close look at Matthew Davies’ blue resin Escape, inspired by roll-ing waves and seaside treats, Pierre Diamantopoulo’s dynamic fleeing figures in Flight of the Langoustine, and Jonathan Wright’s intriguing Constellation, which puts Hove in its own solar system.
Hot on the heels of the unveiling we received news of a £20,000 grant from The Headley Trust, one of the Sainsbury Family Trusts. This is a significant boost and represents another big step towards the realisation of the project. We are very grateful to our patron Sir Timothy Sainsbury who invited us to put in the application.
Good news continued as we received recognition for the project by winning The Argus Community Stars Award for Contribution to Arts and Culture on the 14th November.
Star award for Hove Plinth
Karin Janzon receiving the Community Stars Award, photo by The Argus
The awards, which took place at the Theatre Royal in Brighton, recognise outstanding achievements by people and organisations across Sussex.
Compere of the event, newsreader Nicholas Owen (above left), said the Hove Plinth sculpture project cap-tured the imagination of the entire city and brought out the best of the city’s creativity.
John Baldock (above right), general manager of Theatre Royal Brighton who presented the award said, “Hove Plinth was a worthy winner in a very competitive category. It is a fantastic project which will greatly enhance Hove seafront for the benefit of residents and tourists alike.”
And so we move into 2016 with great hopes that we can achieve our ambitious plan to bring new public sculpture to Hove seafront by spring 2017.
We have created a short video to promote the project which can be seen on our website at:www.hoveplinth.org.uk and in full screen format at: https://vimeo.com/145805205.
Our aim this year is to raise the remaining £35,000 that we need for the plinth, in particular for the high quality stone cladding which will be made from Romanstone, a limestone similar to Portland stone and suitable for a marine climate. In parallel we aim to raise sponsorship and donations for the individual sculptures.
There are many different ways to support the Hove Plinth. We have a founder scheme that gives individuals the opportunity to pledge different levels of support and be recognised as Hove Plinth founders in our publicity.
We are looking for corporate sponsorship to fund the sculptures in part or in full, perhaps to be placed in a new development or corporate headquarters once they have been on the plinth.
And most importantly, in true Victorian fashion, we want the public to be part of this project by making donations, large and small. This is how the Queen Victoria and the Peace Statue were funded - public sculptures by public subscription.
Find out about business sponsorship opportunities: contact [email protected] for details.
Donate online at www.make-a-donation.org/campaign/hove-plinth-campaign or via the link on www.hoveplinth.org.uk Donate from your mobile - Text ‘Hove22 £10’ to 70070
You can make it happen!
View the Hove Plinth maquettes
See the Hove Plinth maquettes at:
Cameron Contemporary Art, 1 Second Avenue, Hove BN3 2LJ.
23rd January - 22nd February.
Open Monday to Saturday 10.30am - 6pm, Sundays 12 - 5pm, closed on Tuesdays.
Matthew Davies Pierre Diamantopoulo Jonathan Wright
Spring 2016 lecture programme
All lectures are held at the Courtlands Hotel, The Drive, Hove.
There is no admission charge for members, visitors pay a fee of £3 on entry.
For other events see www.hovecivicsociety.org
Thursday 28th January 2016, 2.30pm
By Mark Perry Nash, educator and writer in history and the humanities.
It is impossible to overstate the impact of the position of our Channel coastline on the history of Britain - and the rest of the world. We could all think of examples and imagine alternative histories if outcomes of events, such as attempted invasions, had been different.
Mark Perry Nash has studied several historical periods from this perspective and will present a stimulating talk based on his academic work in both the UK and the USA.
He acknowledges that his early enthusiasm for Sussex and its history was partly inspired by admiration for his ancestor, John Nash (1752-1835), the famous Regency architect.
Newhaven Fort - public domain image
Thursday 25th February 2016, 2.30pm
By Bill McNaught, retired engineer living in Saltdean.
Bill McNaught has long had an interest in the characters that have infl uenced history and is now well-known as a speaker who can provide insight into the events of the past, based on his wide-ranging reading and research.
He will tell the story of Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, who was one of the Royal Navy’s most daring and successful captains during the Napoleonic Wars, known by the French as the “Sea Wolf”.
The novelist Patrick O’Brian’s books use many of Cochrane’s exploits in their stories and ‘Lucky’ Jack Aubrey, captain of HMS Surprise in the fi lm Master and Commander, is based on Thomas Cochrane with many of the events in the fi lm based on historical facts.
Cochrane had a colourful life; he was an MP, was part of a Stock Exchange fraud, was dismissed from the Royal Navy and commanded three foreign navies, before being reinstated in the Royal Navy and becoming an Admiral.
Thomas Cochrane - public domain image
Thursday 24th March 2016, 7.30pm
By Dr Geoffrey Mead, geographer, lecturer and guide.
Unlike Brighton, which developed in the 18th and 19th centuries in concentric zones pulsing out from the Old Town in time bands, the development of Hove was via a more modern form of urban growth: that of multiple nuclei, or the polycentric city.
Come along and discuss how previous development infl uences future possibilities, especially when there is a need to provide for more housing.
Thursday 28th April 2016, 7.30pm
The topic and members of the panel will be selected in the New Year.
Please complete the lecture programme questionnaire overleaf.
Denmark Villas - photo from the Regency Society
“The Sussex Coastline and its Role in History”
“Way up West - Hove’s Housing History”
“Thomas Cochrane - Master and Commander”
Public Debate
Review of lecture programme
Background
For several years now we have arranged our lectures so that those in November, January and February take place in the afternoon to make travel easier for members who rely on public transport or who have evening commitments.
However, this excludes those who are employed in the afternoons or have regular commitments at this time of day. The other lectures, in October, March and April are evening events and tend to attract a larger audience, although this may be because they are combined with the AGM (October) and the discussion forum (April).
Suggestions for lecture topics and speakers usually come from members who send them to me, while others arise in response to issues and developments in Hove that this Society needs to address in an informed way. I welcome input from our full range of members when the programme is being organised – from about now for 2016-17. Please enable me to review our pattern of lectures by responding to the questions below.
Questions for members
1. Do you prefer to attend lectures in the afternoons or in the evenings?(indicate whether either time of day is impossible for you, and assume the day will remain as Thursday)
2. Are there any topic areas which you would like to be included in the programme for 2016-17? (suggest any topics or speakers for the programme in 2016-17, with contact information if possible)
3. Have you any suggestions about the style or venue of the lectures?(some members have suggested refreshments before or after the lectures but, with the current venue, this would require prior booking and associated support with administration)
Please reply to me by post or email:
Clare Tikly, 106 Furze Croft, Furze Hill, Hove BN3 1PF
