AMON WILDS ❋ Invitation, and Should Reply in in a Press Cuttings’ Album in Our Archive There Is One from the Order to Ensure Their Place
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Regency Review CONSIDERING THE PAST…FRAMING THE FUTURE THE NEWSLETTER OF THE REGENCY SOCIETY ISSUE 19 NOVEMBER 2007 Murky Waters and Economical Truths y now Members will know that the Society did not The Council went on to say: Bproceed to a Judicial Review of the Council’s planning “Officers answered questions from Members about the Council’s decision on the King Alfred. It was a difficult decision to make role as landowner and whether the developer could have recourse not least because we had delays in obtaining information from to civil remedies if the Council amended its earlier decision. Since the City Council. such questions were raised, officers had a duty to answer them Following the reconfirmation of the Labour administration’s honestly and fairly. In responding to such questions officers decision by the new Conservative-led one, we sought emphasised that while members should be aware of the Council’s further advice from our planning barrister and a top planning wider role as landowner, which related largely to commercial solicitor. We had two principal objectives. These were to see matters, such matters fell outside the planning process. whether we were likely to obtain a ruling in the courts that Members were told that detailed discussions had taken place the previous decision was unsound and, if it was quashed, to with the developer over a long period of time and the developer open the way for a new planning decision, refusing consent. had incurred considerable costs in bringing the proposed scheme Counsel’s advice was that we had an arguable case concerning forward and working it up to its current stage. Judging from the lack of care given to our final representations made the correspondence already received from the developer and the night before the committee and over whether the Council advice which the developer had received from Leading Counsel, it took into consideration non-planning matters. To clarify was highly likely that if the Council as planning authority revisited these points, a pre-action letter was sent to the Council. Its its earlier decision, proceedings would be instigated in respect of response came two days before the time limit for the Judicial breach of contract and the costs incurred. These could run into Review. In an email to the Society, the Leader of the Council many millions of pounds.” had said previously: The Officers should have declined to comment on non- “This past week the Council’s Planning Sub-Committee had to planning matters but it is clear that they did comment. make two decisions at its meeting. One was to decide whether to The members would have found it difficult to put out of their revisit the whole planning application. minds the multi-million pound threat. On the first issue Councillors were told by advisors that there were Whilst this late information strengthened our case to no good planning grounds on which they could re-open the ‘minded strike down the decision, your committee felt that it did not to grant’ decision from March. The law does not permit Councillors guarantee that the second of our objectives would to regard the continuing opposition by residents as a sufficient be achieved. A Pyrrhic victory might have been obtained. planning ground. The reality is However, this would have put this Administration faced a fait tens of thousands of pounds accompli created by the previous of the Society’s funds at risk, Labour Administration. if we had failed to have the A Conservative Administration consent quashed. would never have brought Moreover there would have forward a high density scheme been no certainty of a new of this nature. Planning law and better decision. and the Council’s contractual It is no wonder that three obligations entered into by the planning officers, those most previous Administration tie our closely connected to the hands and the cost of breaking processing of the planning these agreements are very application, have decided that significant given the size of the they could no longer work for scheme.” the City Council and have left. However, in the Council’s We have seen local response to our pre-action government acting at letter, it argued that: its worst. “Throughout the debate about Our city deserves better. the future of the King Alfred/ RNR site and its redevelopment, Life in the Shadows - for how many? MGIR the Council as local planning “The danger is if you give permission for this, you create a precedent that nullifies any future daylighting constraints you may want to impose on other developments authority has stood apart from in Brighton. It’s difficult to imagine any future proposals for any site having a worse the Council as landowner and impact on more dwellings than this one does.” will continue to do so.” Dr Littlefair, the Council’s own consultant www.regencysociety.org IMPROVEMENTS in WESTERN ROAD n December 5, Lars BRIGHTON OTharp will be getting our Christmas celebrations By their nature shopping underway when he gives a streets are subject to lecture at The Old Market. constant change. These Needing no introduction to principally affect the television viewers, Lars Tharp shopfronts and fascias and has strutted his stuff on the often the upper part of high Antiques’ Roadshow for over street buildings are in poor twenty years; a ceramics An example that others could usefully follow. historian with thespian condition and frequently they upon it has paid dividends. glazed windows are filled inclinations, he picks and are seemingly underused. Of particular interest with brightly illuminated presents a company of past One major shop which has is the fact that the deep and imaginatively displayed players from Brighton’s world- had a successful makeover fascia (re-clad in pale buff clothing. The products are the famous Willett Collection and is the former C&A store stone) has no lettering, or display. This seems to be a raises the curtain on a double- building at 169 Western Road. logos or illuminated signs lesson that could be repeated plot of theatrical and ceramic The entire building has been on it. It is entirely blank. nearby (at Woolworths, history. repaired and revived and the The new store’s name, perhaps?) The evening is sponsored shopping floor areas greatly PRIMARK only appears in At the same time Marks by Toovey’s, Antique and increased. It was never one un-illuminated lettering above and Spencer’s shopfront Fine Art Auctioneers and of the best buildings in the the main entrance and in a at 195 Western Road has Valuers, who invite members road but the amount of modest vertical sign at the also undergone a similar to a wine and mince- tender, loving, care lavished west end. The new large successful transformation. pie reception afterwards. Members will receive an ❋ AMON WILDS ❋ invitation, and should reply in In a press cuttings’ album in our archive there is one from the order to ensure their place. Brighton and Hove Herald, dated 10 July 1954, headed ‘Architect We expect that there will be of Regency Brighton’ which reported that new railings had strong demand for tickets, so been erected around the tombs to Phoebe Hessel and Martha members and their guests Gunn in Saint Nicolas’ churchyard. It goes on “Recently the should make plans for what Regency Society approached the Corporation to erect a railing promises to be an outstanding LARS THARP round the monument to Amon Wilds, the Regency architect. evening. The Corporation were sympathetic, but funds were not forthcoming. GIVES OUR CHRISTMAS LECTURE The Regency Society therefore decided to bear the cost Lars Tharp at The Old Market, Upper Market Street, Hove. themselves and - as the accompanying photograph shows Wednesday, December 5 at 7pm. - the tomb, which lies towards the bottom of the sloping photo: Lionel Heap ground to the east of the churchyard, is now protected by an object was its human interest, not its aesthetic merits or rarity railings.” THE WILLETT COLLECTION value. His ceramic collection shows that the social history of a Henry Willett, an eminent local resident, was involved in establishing country can be read in its domestic, homely pottery and Sadly, those railings have now perished and our committee must Brighton Museum. In 1903, he presented his Popular Pottery, a he hoped that through his ceramics people could gain an decide whether history is about to repeat itself because several 2000 strong collection of English ceramics of the 18th and 19th understanding of the figures and stories portrayed. approaches to the Council have not yet produced any result. centuries, on the condition that his unique classification system Willett was considered controversial in his day for displaying the We fear that, once again, ‘the funds may not be forthcoming’! was retained.Willett saw museums and art galleries as a means of pieces thematically, by historical and social subjects, rather than by education for all to enjoy. He felt that the most important aspect of place of manufacture, date and name. The memorial in 1954, with recently incised lettering New railings, which we would ensure were properly galvanised The memorial today before painting to last longer, would protect the tomb from The committee will be delighted to hear from any members who can being defaced by any but the most determined vandals. help by volunteering to assist with either or both of the following roles However, an earlier photo taken before the railings were erected VACANT SITUATIONS Conservation Advisory Group Representative Events Secretary also shows the tomb in much cleaner condition than it is today. Because John Small is currently chairing the CAG, the Regency Society The committee wishes to arrange more one day or half day visits to Maintenance of the monument would be easier without railings.