Hove Civic Society October 2017 Newsletter and asked for volunteers to look after the trees. We will Chairman’s Annual Report seek to sign up volunteers from the traders during the autumn to ensure that the trees received the TLC they Dear Members, deserve. This should help keep the trees healthy and safe. It is time to take stock of what has been a momentous We have also started discussions with the planning year. We have made huge progress on the plinth department to explore how we can ensure that and first sculpture, come to an agreement on the next planting conditions for new developments are actually round of street tree planting, continued our involvement implemented. Bearing in mind the shortage of in the Hove Station Neighbourhood Forum and decided enforcement staff we believe that we need to find a way to leave the city wide Conservation Advisory Group. We where requirements for example for street tree planting have taken a fundamental look at how we can increase are not ignored. Cumulatively the costs to the community our work in the environmental field and have set out a for ignoring such conditions are substantial. programme that we intend to pursue. Our membership is steadily increasing, now at the highest level I can recall, Hove Plinth and first sculpture not least because of the numerous donations we have During the year the main effort has concentrated on received and consequently our finances are very healthy securing the final resources for the plinth and the first indeed. I would like to thank all our committee members sculpture. The crowdfunding launched in May, and and the members of the sculpture group and environment facilitated by the Arts Council pump priming, managed group who have made this progress possible. to reach its £40K target. This means that we can now progress towards construction and commissioning of Development Proposals the first sculpture. The contract for producing the first We now monitor all applications and comment on sculpture was signed in July and at the same time a those we consider to be of major interest. As always project team to construct the plinth was set up. We we are limited in terms of the resources we can devote are indebted to Hop Engineering, RLF and Millimetre to this work. During the year we have made formal for helping to finalise the engineering and construction representations about Hove Gardens, which we details and to provide the necessary project management wholeheartedly supported and still consider an excellent for the plinth construction. It is our plan to inaugurate the proposal. Sadly the scheme was refused by the council plinth and unveil the first sculpture on the 21st April 2018 in what can only be regarded as a collective action of – a date for your diaries! You’ll find more about the plinth self harm by council officers and planning committee. and first sculpture later on in the newsletter. The council has yet again sent a signal that we here in We will now focus on the longterm viability of the scheme are definitely not up for business. including securing a continuous funding. Following More about this later in the newsletter. We also supported the all party delegation to the Chair of Economic the Texaco garage redevelopment on Kingsway, which Development and Culture we expect to enter into a did get permission, and the revised Sackville Hotel dialogue with the council to explore how we can work site proposal which we consider to be a well designed, together effectively on our ideas for Sculpture in the City. major improvement on the previous 17 storey tower. In addition we supported the Medina House proposal. After Our new environmental agenda many attempts this site has finally received planning We have started to extend our environmental work and permission. a full report of the environment committee was included in the last newsletter. Here it suffices to mention that we City Planning have started to monitor the condition of seafront street There is nothing to report on this as we are still waiting furniture and made a representation to the city council for for the first draft of Part II of the City Plan. We expect a repairs needed. I am pleased to report that many of our considerable amount of work on this in the new year. suggestions have been implemented this year including much needed maintenance to a number of the seafront Leaving the city wide Conservation Advisory Group shelters. For the next financial year we will again put The details and reasons for this action are set out forward a number of suggestions for improvements. In later on in this newsletter. Here it suffices to say that addition we have suggested to the council that we might your committee decided that it was untenable for engage in number of key environmental initiatives, and the society to remain as a member of CAG following have made an initial approach for funds from the Better the misrepresentation of CAG’s views by CAGs Brighton programme. This is still under discussion. representative at Planning Committee and the refusal of We will also press the council to progress with the group to agree the recommendations by the chairman improvements to Church Road, which we believe of CAG to apologise to the Chair of the Planning should become our own boulevard. More details on the Committee. As a consequence Regency Society, Hove environment agenda elsewhere in the newsletter. Civic Society and the RIBA representative have all resigned from CAG. We have agreed with Regency Lecture Programme Society that we will work together and meet regularly to Having switched all our meetings to the evening slot consider applications city wide and not only conservation we had good attendance for most lectures not least our related matters. Where appropriate we will make joint AGM and Forum events. Thanks to James Farrell, Nick representations to the Council. Details of this co-operation Lomax and Nick Hibberd for making the Forum a very are currently being worked up. interesting event indeed. You will find papers arising from the Forum by Nick Lomax and James Farrell later on in Street Tree Planting this newsletter. I am delighted to report that the council is again in the frame as a partner in a modest street tree planting Membership programme. The Portland Road proposal for 14 elms Our membership is steadily increasing to a large degree will therefore go ahead this autumn funded entirely by as a result of the donations above £100 that we are the Society. We have used the Spring to brief all traders receiving. There are now some 240 members on our along both sides of the road about the planting proposals register. Finance lecture coordinator, we need a replacement for her. Also our Income this year has been substantial both in terms of membership secretary Helen Phillips has been offered and funds raised for the plinth and the first sculpture and taken up an excellent position abroad and so we need to for our street tree programme. In addition gift aid is replace her. In addition Davinia Overton, after producing many increasing substantially. The accounts which will be high quality issues of the newsletter, has decided to leave circulated to the AGM will of course not show the latest because of work pressures. I am very grateful for their help and influx of resources which have taken place since April the valuable contributions they have made to the Society. We 2017 and which include the £40K crowdfunding receipts now need help and I would ask members to consider whether and resulting £6K gift aid. Much of the accumulated they can contribute or help find somebody who can take on any resources will now be spent on the Plinth and the first of those roles. sculpture in the current financial year. Finally a big thank you again to all those who have helped so much this year and also to all of you for your continued support. Help needed We are running an ambitious programme which takes With best wishes much voluntary time. After Clare Tikly has stepped down as Helmut Lusser

Hove Plinth - its happening INVITATION TO PUBLIC Following our successful crowdfunding campaign in the WORKSHOP summer, which raised £40,445 we now have the resources we Help choose the objects that will go on need to build the sculpture plinth on the Kings Esplanade and to commission the first sculpture. It’s a fantastic result and the Constellation sculpture we can’t thank enough all those who have supported this great We need your views on the most exciting, relevant community project for Hove and who are as excited as we are or significant places and landmarks in Hove that for the prospect of seeing great modern-day sculpture on our make it a special and interesting place. We need wonderful seafront. It has been a long journey but now that your suggestions for objects that communicate why resources and permissions are in place we are ready to press the button and start a process that will create a major landmark people love to live in Hove and why it is a place to for Hove and a great addition to our community. At its July be proud of. We want the sculpture to communicate meeting, a very happy HCS committee signed the contract for your love of Hove, why it is special to you and “What the first sculpture - Constellation by Jonathan Wright. Makes Hove Hove”.

The workshops will be delivered in collaboration with the Hove Museum and Brighton Museum and The and Hove Civic Society. Using the Museums as the location for the workshops will provide the best context for the discussion of relevant places and objects/ landmarks that may best suit the needs of the Artwork. There is no age limit to attend. The key objective of the workshops is to make a selection of objects for the sculpture which are relevant to the local community. WORKSHOPS ARE AT : Thanks to extremely generous in-kind

support from local firms we now Hove Museum have a project team in place for the 25th September - Morning Session: 10am-12 noon construction of the plinth. We are 25th September - Afternoon Session: 2pm- 4pm indebted to Hop Engineering and 24th October - Morning Session: 10am-12 noon Millimetre for helping to finalise the 24th October - Afternoon Session: 2pm- 4pm engineering and construction details and to RLF for providing professional Brighton Museum project management. It is our plan to 31st October - Morning Session: 10am-12 noon inaugurate the plinth and unveil the 31st October - Afternoon Session: 2pm- 4pm first sculpture on the 21st April 2018 – a date for your diaries! Items to bring along: The sculpture will incorporate objects associated with Hove You will need to bring a photograph (either digital and the artist is inviting people to take part in a series of public or printed) displaying your suggested object to workshops to identify and choose the most iconic past and include in the final sculpture. We will record all your present images of Hove., This is your chance to take part in the suggestions during the workshop. creation of the inaugural sculpture for Hove Plinth - for details see the separate invitation to the workshops below.

Jonathan Wright is currently exhibiting his work Fleet on Foot TO ATTEND, PLEASE EMAIL JONATHAN WRIGHT at the Folkestone Triennial, seven posts topped by gilded [email protected] models of the seven remaining fishing boats registered in STATING YOUR PREFERRED SESSION. Folkestone. The models were created through 3D printing, the Places are limited and will be allocated on a first same technique he will be using for creating the objects for come first served basis. Constellation. Street Tree Planting News from the Seafront

Following a very successful programme of tree planting Following lobbying of relevant council departments, carried in some of the residential roads in Hove, the we are pleased to report that the seafront shelters Society has identified 14 sites in Portland Road between and railings on Hove Esplanade have been painted St Patricks Road and School Road which are suitable for this summer. Railings adjacent to Hove Lawns have new trees. The variety is a disease resistant Elm called also been repainted and the “cucumber” benches are Ulmus Horizon. being refurbished. These improvements make a huge The Society has carried out discussions with the local difference to the ambience of the promenade. traders who have been asked if they would ensure the Unfortunately however, two of the shelters (opposite trees are kept watered and report any concerns such as Langdale Gardens and Berriedale Avenue) have been bins or other street furniture being attached to them. partially dismantled and look in rather a sorry state. The The response has been very positive, and the Society will council has reported that once work began on these be visiting those businesses who expressed an interest in shelters they were found to be structurally unsafe. The the initiative a few weeks before the planting takes place. roofs on both shelters have been removed for safety An additional part of this programme has been to reasons and require full repair. Apparently the cost of approach the developer responsible for the Vera this cannot be met from this year’s budget for planned building to replace 7 of the original 14 trees which have maintenance. The council has taken the decision to unfortunately died. refurbish these shelters without the roofs and reopen Andrew Nichols these once this has been done. It is their intention to restore the roof structure “at a later stage when funds become available”. The roof structures are currently in Tree Planting and storage. Planning Conditions

As members will know, the Society has been engaged in street tree planting for a few years now. We have planted some 75 street trees and have now agreed the funding for the planting of 14 elms along the north side of Portland Road. We involve local residents and businesses to ensure the trees are cared for post planting. In surveying the Portland Road scheme we saw one tree had been broken and that several of the trees had been removed and the pits filled in. It was also brought to our notice that most of the trees planted at the front of the Vega building on Kingsway were dead or dying. It seems that there is little enthusiasm on behalf of the owners of new developments to comply with planning conditions regarding trees, and the council does not appear to have the resources to make sure such planting conditions are complied with. The Schedule of Hove Esplanade Lantern Change Conditions for the Portland Road site actually states “… Due to the corrosion of the lighting units, especially any trees or plants which within a period of 5 years from to the stirrups which support the lantern, the Council the completion of the development die, are removed or Street Lighting team made the decision to replace these become seriously damaged or diseased shall be replaced lanterns. These lamps are in a conservation area and in the next planting season…”. the HCS was concerned that this decision was made In the light of this our concerns were discussed at a without consulting other council departments about meeting with Liz Hobden, Head of Planning at the heritage issues. A letter was subsequently written to the Council. We wanted to see if there were ways the council (jointly with the Regency Society) to reflect wider Society could work together with the Council to ensure concerns about changes made in conservation areas. that conditions are complied with. Liz was enthusiastic The new lanterns are now being installed and it is fair to about this and we hope this will be followed up with firm say they seem an appropriate alternative. proposals in the near future. Paul Abbot Hove Gardens Why we left Rarely do we see development proposals in the City Conservation Advisory Group that are met with broad community support. Hove (CAG) Gardens at 1-3 Ellen Street, was one of those where a number of community groups strongly supported the development, while there were only few individual At the planning committee which dealt with Hove objections. Support for the scheme had been built over Gardens, CAG’s representative was asked to comment 12-18 months by frequent discussions between the local on the proposal. Rather than representing the supporting neighbourhood forum and the landowner and developer. view that CAG had arrived at after discussions and a The resulting proposal was of extremely high quality. vote, he chose to elaborate on the views of those that For example it included gardens and greenery at every had opposed the proposal and even went on to suggest level of the development which rose to a sharp pinnacle that planners could have listed some further reasons at 17 storeys. It was good architecture and good town for refusal. Subsequently his intervention was heavily planning – it set the tone for what was going to become censored by the chairman of CAG, who asked the the opening salvo of a high quality new urban quarter in representative to resign and asked for CAGs permission Brighton and Hove: The Hove Station Quarter. There was to write a letter of apology to the Chairman of the only one problem: it was short of affordable homes. Only Planning Committee. On a vote this proposal was lost. marginally short by the time if went to committee – 11 The Chairman of CAG then resigned. As a consequence more units of the 187 should have been affordable and Regency Society, the RIBA representative and Hove the proposal would have attracted a recommendation Civic Society also resigned from CAG in protest at for approval (in total some 35 units of affordable were the unethical behaviour of CAG members. Hove Civic proposed). In the end planners decided that that lack Society decision to resign was taken after a detailed justified a refusal and therefore the rejection of a £70M discussion of your committee and the text of our letter is investment and probably killing off a much needed shown below. comprehensive redevelopment of the area. Planning We are now working with Regency Society on a better committee agreed and refused the proposal. The way of commenting city wide on new development decision was received with dismay by local residents and proposals. councillors and, in my opinion, is short of unbelievable. Helmut Lusser

Dear Jim, I regret to have to inform you that the committee of Hove Civic Society has decided to withdraw the Society from membership of CAG. We are very unhappy about the recent How could it come to this? The developer expressed events at CAG, both in terms of the his frustration at the performance of the District Valuer performance of the delegated CAG not least in terms of his late delivery of figures. The representative at planning committee and Planners bemoaned the inflexibility of the developers and suggested that reducing some of the quality of cladding the subsequent decision by the majority of materials might create the funds for the affordable members of CAG not to take any action to homes. Not providing these would in their opinion step mitigate the reputational damage done to over a red line no matter what consequences. The CAG. developer stuck to his guns and insisted on maintaining the quality he felt was needed. In the end committee Sadly, we have come to the conclusion could have taken a strategic view and approved the that CAG has failed to operate to the proposal, but I fear that is too much to expect from that proper standards that must be expected body. After all what does a refusal of yet another proposal for housing matter, as the committee did at the previous from a public advisory body, and that we committee for a proposal in the Rottingdean area in its must therefore withdraw our membership quest to deliver ad hoc decisions which will systematically of the group. undermine the key objective of the City Plan. I wonder whether the city leadership is awake. Hove Civic Society will of course continue with its other efforts and activities to I also wonder what signal this sends to proactive community involvement. It does seem that the council’s planning advance planning and conservation goals operation is much more comfortable with solid objections in the City, including joint efforts with other than proactive input from the community. In spite of all societies where appropriate. the proclamations to the opposite I fear that the council, politicians and officers alike, much prefer the community as With best wishes petitioners to partners. This doesn’t bode well. Helmut Lusser

Hove Stories: Preparing for PrideHove Stories: Preparing for Pride

Every August the Pride parade takes place in Brighton, and the various floats line up in preparationEvery August along the thePride Hove parade seafront. takes It place is one in of Brighton, the city’s and most the iconic various events, floats bringing line up in peoplepreparation together along in athe spirit Hove of carnival.seafront. It is one of the city’s most iconic events, bringing people together in a spirit of carnival. Here are some of this year’s participants. Here are some of this year’s participants. Celia Britton Celia Britton

Sussex Heritage Trust Awards 2017

I always enjoy attending the Heritage Trust awards lunch. Their motto is “design for the future, respect for the past”. Entries, winners and highly commended are spread right across Sussex. I try to include the winners in Brighton and Hove for your interest, and this year there were six.

BUILDING CRAFTS AWARD Jodie Flaherty Rigg. Jodie designed an internal staircase in a house in Charlotte Street, The i360 and the West Blatchington Mill Brighton. It’s not visible to the Avenue, Hove. The brief: “to establish the current condition public, but there of a Grade II* listed building and make recommendations for is a photo on the remedial works to be carried out by a qualified contractor.” SHT website. It’s heartwarming that this important part of Hove’s heritage is receiving the professional consideration that it deserves, and COMMERCIAL hopefully the necessary work will soon be put in hand. (Watch AWARD this space?) Peter Hill, acting Chairman of the Friends of West Trinity Medical Blatchington Mill, received a special commendation: “The Mill Centre and would almost certainly have been lost without their enthusiasm Pharmacy, 1 to preserve it.” Peter gave us an excellent talk about the Mill Goldstone Villas, during our winter lecture programme some years ago. Hove. The brief was to have as SMALL RESIDENTIAL AWARD little impact on the Close up of the staircase designed original building by Jodie Flaherty Rigg. fabric as possible, and it also achieved a “very good” environmental rating. I think that the architects did a very good job.

MID RESIDENTIAL AWARD

Withdean Road Houses as it appears now Withdean Road Houses, Withdean. The project was to deliver three of the highest quality 14 Sussex Square houses, with “a design that sat quietly in its context, 14 Sussex Square, Brighton. The brief for this Grade using a modern aesthetic and to move the architectural I listed building was “to merge the separate basement conservation along in Brighton and Hove.” In my opinion flat with the ground floor flat to form a comfortable a site visit would be necessary to see if you agree with modern home”. The beautiful tiled entrance steps are a the judges’ decision. masterpiece. Congratulations to DK Architects. (I walk PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL AWARDS past David’s office next to Hove Station on my way to Hove There were two winners and what a contrast! Civic Society Committee meetings hosted by Helmut.) , Lower King’s Road, Brighton. I am very impressed by the thought and expertise Everyone has their own opinion on the 162m tower. involved in all the entries – well done, everybody! The 1866 tollbooths have been reconstructed in their original position. West Blatchington Mill, 191 Holmes Eleine Evans Improving our townscape: The role of nature

So why, and how should we continue to bring nature into our urban lives? 1. Biodiversity. We are on the cusp of a sixth mass extinction on earth and scientists agree it’s our fault. We have both rare and everyday plants and animals in our city, and a duty to protect them. Gardens, parks, allotments, nature reserves, green roofs and green walls... all have a role to play. 2. Health. Being active in the natural environment is good for us. The annual cost of inactivity to the NHS in England is £8.2bn. For England as a whole, people living closer to green space have lower death rates and less heart disease. The importance of local green space for kids and poorer communities is especially important for health. And on A green wall at New England, Brighton average, individuals have both lower mental distress and higher well-being when living in urban areas with When we think about creating safe, accessible and more green space. Accordingly, doctors are beginning to attractive towns and cities we often forget one thing. prescribe a dose of nature in some parts of the country. Nature. 3. Community. Recent work has estimated that Stop and think about it. Our species evolved for 2 ‘neighbourliness’ delivers a £28bn saving to the UK from million years on the Savannah. We are physically and increased social connections and demand on policing, mentally geared to interact with green space, and even social care, welfare and environment. Creating and the Victorians figured this out. Madeira Drive green wall managing green features is an opportunity for community (c1872), the parks (Preston 1883, Hove 1906, Queen’s activity and cohesion, and the greener our places, the 1890) and dense plantings of street trees (late 19th less crime we are likely to suffer (48% fewer property Century) are part of the legacy we still benefit from. crimes and 56% fewer violent crimes in green Chicago estates according to one major study). 4. Functional benefits. Greener cities are cooler (current heatwave temperatures are predicted to be the average by 2050), with better air quality (our city has twice the national limit of harmful nitrous oxides), and better storm water management (and we are one of the most at risk locations in the country for surface water flooding). At Building Green, we believe that creating a better Brighton & Hove is not just worthwhile, but achievable. We must collaborate across all sectors, and focus on multiple- benefits not single issues. We need to protect the best we have, and empower communities to ‘do it yourself’. And above all it means remembering that key ingredient. Nature. James Farrell http://building-green.org.uk/ New “rain garden’” to manage flooding in Portslade i360 Sundial Public realm

John Kapp pointing to the shadow of the top of the i360 The Hove Civic Society were kind enough to invite me to tower at noon on the summer solstice 21.6.17 where participate in their annual debate on the Public Realm in we propose to lay bricks inlaid with chromium plated April of this year. In my talk, I drew out some themes and brass numbers, so that the time and date can be read. some issues that hinder the delivery of public realm by The would replicate the sundial built in Rome in 10BC way four of our projects. But in the context of the debate, by Augustus to tell the date by the Julian calendar. See www.i360sundial.org.uk for more details. and the lack of Local Authority money to spend on the public realm I thought it might be more appropriate here to concentrate on why the public realm should not be ignored.

Why is the public realm so important? We must recognise that for residents, businesses and visitors, the public streets, squares and gardens are as important as the buildings themselves. Just as a good building can raise the spirits so can a successful piece of public realm. These are the everyday spaces that we move through, and interact with our fellow citizens, as we go about our daily lives. It is about improving the appearance of an area, or a development, to ensure feel people feel good when they visit, work or live there, but equally if an area has been improved and more attractive it will be healthier, safer and cleaner and encourage people to go there. It will also encourage businesses to invest money, to build or to trade there, improving the economy and creating jobs. The more this happens, the greater the improvement by further investment, hence the importance of public realm in the whole cycle of regeneration.

How do we improve the public realm? I would suggest that this is best achieved by:

- Minimising the impact of traffic and vehicles

- Improving the pedestrian environment

- Improving cycling conditions

- Enhancing signage and wayfinding

- Introducing biodiversity through trees, greenery and planting.

- Enhancing lighting.

- Selecting an appropriate and compatible material palette

- Introducing a broad, robust and a coherent range of street furniture

- Creating facilities (such as multi-use games areas or play parks)

- Commissioning public art

These are all direct improvements to the public realm itself. To be successful we also need to consider the wider context such as create a network of related spaces to build a new public character. We also need to consider the scale and degree of enclosure through the surrounding buildings, and how the two interact. It is important to create a sense of place, an identity, that is welcoming and inclusive.

Nick Lomax Winter HCS Lecture Programme

All lectures will take place in the Courtlands Hotel and begin at 7pm.

26th October 2017 AGM followed by a talk by Cllr Gill Mitchell, Deputy Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council on improving our local environment. An account of the measures taken to improve our local environment and an outlook for the future including how community organisations and the council can work together. We will start at 6.30 pm with a welcome drink to be followed by the AGM at 7pm. Cllr Gill Mitchell will speak from about 7.45.

23rd November 2017 A Miscellany of Sussex History, Anecdotes and Folklore by Chris Horlock

25th January 2018 All over by Christmas by Trevor Povey A tale of preparation, reparation and repatriation, plus the odd mutiny. An examination of the purpose, creation and parts played by the WWI Army camps at Shoreham, Southwick, Portslade including Hove, and their effect on the local communities. 22nd February 2018 Brighton’s Trams by Ian Gledhill

22nd March 2018 Creating the first sculpture for Hove Plinth - an illustrated talk by Jonathan Wright, Sculptor Jonathan Wright, sculptor of Constellation, will bring to life the process of developing the first sculpture for Hove Plinth, from the initial idea to involvement of the community in the design, the use of new technologies such as 3D printing and the creative interaction between artist and engineers in bringing the work to fruition. 26th April 2018 The front page of our newsletter is made up of images that Our Annual Forum looking at major new developments on the horizon show some of the late Victorian heritage in Hove.

David Kemp, of DK Architects has created the page. Framed versions are available for sale in different sizes.

Keep in touch... Printed by:

Join our mailing list: [email protected] The Printhouse, Visit our website: www.hovecivicsociety.org 26-28 St John s Road Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ Hove, East Sussex hovecivicsociety BN3 2FB Follow us on Twitter: @LoveHove Tel: 01273 325667