Hove Civic Society October 2015 newsletter

Annual Report 2014-15 City Planning

Dear Members, it has been a busy year again and I would Last summer, together with Regency Society like to start by thanking our committee and all the and Brighton Society, I signed a letter to the subgroups, especially the sculpture group, for the immense leaders of all three parties urging them to work they have done. progress the City Plan modifications, following the ultimatum issued by the inspector. We were Development proposals relieved that the Council after some debate decided to progress with the plan. Since then During the year we set up a small group that meets as there have been two further rounds of needed to consider new development proposals in the area. consultations on additional modifications, We select major applications after scanning all planning to which the Society has made appropriate applications made to the council. Apart from participating comments. We now hope that the City plan will in the meetings of the Conservation Advisory Group be deemed sound and that the council can (CAG), where applications of conservation interest are swiftly progress to Part II of the plan. discussed, we have during the year commented directly to the council on the following planning applications: During the year we have also commented on the proposed special planning guidance on parking  70 and site of Chrome Production Limited, standards which we largely endorsed. Goldstone Lane – proposal for residential and offices. We recommended refusal due Environmental improvements to underdevelopment. Last year we put forward proposals for  65 Orchard Gardens, proposal for residential improvements to Church Road proposing the above offices. We considered this acceptable. creation of a boulevard with landscaped  136-140 Old Shoreham Road, proposal for treatment to the roads going off Church Road conversion to residential from offices. We into the conservation areas on either side. recommended refusal due to lack of sun and daylighting for a number of the flats proposed.

 Holy Trinity Church, Blatchington Road, we supported the conversion to medical centre.

 15 North Street, access to Hannington’s development involving demolition of Timpson’s a recently listed building. We supported this to help enhance the viability of the proposed Hannington’s development. The proposal was approved.

 Proposal to retain the Ferris Wheel on Brighton Seafront. We objected to this as it conflicted with the original 5 year planning permission, which was to retain the Ferris wheel until the i360 is operative. The proposal was refused.

 Various applications re Clarendon Road residential blocks, refurbishment and energy efficiency measures. We supported these. However the applications were refused.

 27 Palmeira Avenue, proposal for residential development. We objected on grounds of over development. Holy Trinity Church © Hassocks5489. Licensed for reuse under the Creative Commons Licence Annual Report 2014-15 I am pleased to report that Church Road is now in the the panel we had set up to make the final judgment. Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) following the Council’s The final three proposals will be worked up to decision in March 2015. I am particularly grateful for maquettes which will be unveiled by the Mayor the support of Hove Council members for the proposal. on the 19th October 2015. We will use the maquettes We now need to argue for the proposal to be pursued to raise the funds for the full-scale proposals. actively by the Council and funding made available for this major scheme for Hove.

For 2015 we proposed to launch a design competition for a better treatment of the on-street waste and recycling containers. Whilst we fully accept the need for such receptacles we do believe that there must be better ways of designing their siting and to minimise the poor visual impression many of them give. We are working with Council members and the Head of City Clean on this.

Street Tree Heritage

In early 2015 planting of 10 elms took place on Bigwood Avenue. The Society worked together with local residents and funded about 2/3 of the costs of the planting, the residual being met by local residents organising a fundraising event. The Council provided matched funding. Each street tree now costs us £288.

During the year we have made preparations for street tree planting in Shakespeare and Coleridge streets which should result in some 20 trees.

We have also had discussions with West Hove Forum regarding planting on Portland Road. The Forum has made some funds available for such planting. At the time of writing this report it is unclear as to when the scheme can progress.

The number of street tree angels and cherubs stands at the same level as last year and I would encourage members to join in this venture which in my view is probably the most cost effective way of investing in our local environment. I am grateful for the additional funds we have received through donations.

Hove Plinth

This has been our major success story for the year. Following the grant of funding from the Arts Council of £10,000 in March we were able to launch a call for artists for the first three sculptures to go on the plinth. The call resulted in 75 proposals which were reduced to a shortlist of 10. These were shown in the Jubilee library, Hove library and on a blustery Sunday on the proposed seafront location of the plinth. We received over 1400 ‘votes’ and I am very pleased to say that two of the three most liked proposals were also chosen by Annual Report 2014-15 Shortly after we received the Arts Council grant The Arts Council funding and other grants did not we were also able to secure the resources for the arrive in our accounts until after the beginning core construction of the plinth. This means that of April and will therefore be shown in next years nearly half of the plinth costs have been secured. account. The better the financial situation the more We have received a number of donations, pledges we can do so I would again encourage members to and support which at the time of writing this now donate freely to our various activities. exceed £60,000. Volunteering We have set up a funding system that allows people All these activities are supported by a number to contribute at various founder member levels or by of administrative and technical tasks. This includes making one-off or regular contributions. We would producing our regular newsletter and maintaining encourage members to consider making our membership base. contributions to this fund.

The resignation of our membership secretary, We are seeking planning permission for erecting Angela Turner, after several intensive years, the sculptures on the plinth for a period of between has again focussed our attention on how we 12 and 18 months each after which we expect the can streamline the administrative tasks involved. sculptures to be moved to their permanent homes. We have made considerable progress over the last

couple of years by abolishing the membership cards We are delighted that the project has been and replacing them with electronic membership list, nominated for The Argus Community Stars Awards by moving to e-mail for information and newsletter 2015 for Contribution to Arts and Culture on the and, most importantly, by encouraging members to grounds of "capturing the imagination of residents in pay by standing order rather than cheques or cash. Brighton and Hove." However as long as we have members who don’t

communicate by e-mail or don’t pay by standing Lecture Programme order we have a residual disproportionate high We had again a very successful line up of speakers, workload of preparing and stuffing envelopes, and although attendance rates are down on previous sending by expensive surface post, for which it is years. The last session as is now tradition was difficult to recruit volunteers. There is now a need to devoted to a major policy issue. We chose Housing deal with this matter more robustly, if we are going and Energy, the major household costs for many. to manage the work implications and the committee is making some firm proposals which you will find We had invited three candidates for the Hove and later on in this newsletter. Portslade parliamentary seat, Peter Kyle, Graham Cox and Chris Hawtree. The issues relating to If any member would like Housing and Energy were set out by two to help out in all these professionals – Andrew Winter, the CEO of BHT activities or launch some and Kayla Ente, CEO of BHESCO. The event was new environmental project very stimulating and went far over time as question then please let me know. after question was dealt with. The more that contribute, the more we can achieve The summer has also seen a very successful visit by for all our benefit. members to Shoreham harbour, organised as part of the Port Authority’s public engagement strategy. Finally my special thanks to two members of the Committee that are resigning, Angela Turner our Finance membership secretary and Sarah Kirk-Browne, who has been our newsletter editor and website editor for It gives me great pleasure yet again to report a number of years. Both contributed heavily to our healthy financial accounts with growth in reserves work and will be sadly missed. and donations. Our membership income is slightly down, although this is more than compensated by With best wishes and thank you all for your new members who join on the back of substantial continued support. donations, for which we are very grateful. Helmut Lusser, Chairman Plinth proposals capture the public’s imagination

Sculpture ideas flooded in following our call to Following interviews with the shortlisted artists and artists earlier this year and shortlisting the final ten taking into account the public vote three finalists were proved to be no mean feat for our selection selected to create the first sculptures that will be committee. The range of proposals chosen was installed on Hove Plinth: inspiring and provoked a great deal of interest from the public and media when exhibited in June. Escape by Matthew James Davis

Flight of the Langoustines by Pierre Diamantopoulo MRBS

Constellation by Jonathan Wright

These sculptors have spent the summer creating maquettes of their proposals ready for a grand unveiling at the Mayor’s parlour at Brighton Town Hall on 19th October. We can’t wait to see what the small scale versions of the sculptures will look like and to start using them to help promote our Two weeks of exhibitions over three sites was fundraising efforts. launched at an event at Jubilee library, which was attended by many supporters including our artistic We were very excited to hear that the Hove Plinth patron, sculptor Philip Jackson. Each of the ten project has been nominated for The Argus proposals were attractively displayed on large Community Stars Award 2015 for its contribution boards in the Jubilee and Hove libraries and as part to arts and culture on the grounds of “Capturing the of an installation on the seafront at the intended site imagination of residents of Brighton and Hove.” of the Hove Plinth. We have been delighted by the response we have received to the project and are very grateful for all The latter included a tableau vivant of actors in the support pledged so far. regency costume, which helped entice passers-by to stop and vote for their favourite three proposals. We are continuing to fundraise for Hove Plinth and Over 1400 votes were posted into our mock plinth the sculptures to be commissioned so please contact voting box over the exhibition week across each [email protected] if you would like of the sites. to become a founder member or sponsor a particular part of the project.

Please give generously to support the arts and help bring new and changing displays of sculpture to Hove seafront.

You can also donate at www.justgiving.com/ hovecivicsociety Restoring our Victorian street tree heritage

The planting allows us to plan for street tree planting of between programme for 20-30 trees each year depending on the matched 2015/16 has now funding we receive and funds raised locally. been signed off and by the time you Although this is respectable, I feel we could do more will read this we with additional funds. You can download a donation will have paid the form from our website http://www.hovecivic.org.uk/ Council for street shaping-future/street-tree-heritage tree planting, Helmut Lusser comprising some 18 trees. Geraldine Binning 1924 – 2015

These will be In May I was sorry to hear that Geraldine Binning planted in Coleridge had passed away. I’ve served on the Hove Civic Street, where Alison Committee since the 1990s, in Geraldine’s time, Donaldson, one of so representing the Society at her memorial service our members, has was important to me. galvanised her neighbours into supporting the scheme and in You may not know that Geraldine’s husband, Rex, Shakespeare Street, where John Bradshaw has done was a founder of the Society back in 1960, and until the same. Planting will take place some time from recently one of the talks each winter was named the December onwards and we hope to be able to Rex Binning Memorial Lecture in his honour. persuade the Mayor of Brighton and Hove City Council to plant one tree in each street as we have The service was held at All Saint’s Church on 19th done for every tree planting so far. May. The Binning’s son, daughter and grandchildren all contributed, and family friend, Richard Olivier, We are working with the West Hove Forum on plans grandson of Laurence Olivier, read an appropriate for planting in Portland Road, but we weren’t able piece from the Tempest. to make sufficient progress to be ready for planting now and we will give this high priority next year. From the church we walked to the family home in The proposal could result in some 20 new trees. Nizells Avenue, where they had lived since 1953, with Rex Binning’s brass nameplate still in the We have been told that the council will no longer porch. He was a consultant anaesthetist and carry out new street tree planting with the exception a building at the Royal Sussex County Hospital of replacement planting of Elms, where diseased trees is named after him. had to be removed. This means that other planting will be entirely dependent on voluntary contributions. Many photographs showed various times in their The decision, however regrettable, is a consequence lives, including a perky photo of a young Geraldine of the huge cost cuttings demanded of local wearing an old-style nurse’s uniform. I have happy government and whether we like it or not leaves it to memories of Geraldine’s smiling face at our local organisations to fund such services as street tree committee meetings. When I asked the grand- planting and, in due course, their maintenance. children if they could give me an example of a funny memory of Geraldine, they giggled and told I firmly believe that Hove Civic Society should me about the time when she drove straight across a continue to run the street tree planting programme roundabout. Oops! and expand it as far as possible to pick up some of the slack created by the Council no longer funding new The house has now been put on the market. Austin street trees. I believe this is one of the cheapest and Gray, the auctioneers, say it is rare for a house most effective ways of investing in a better to be owned for more than 30 years. Next year is my environment for all of us and would ask all members 50 years in my Hove house; another 13 to catch up to consider joining our tree angel (and cherub) with the Binnings! scheme to help us fund planting. At the moment eight members contribute between £250 and £125, which Elaine Evans Winter lecture programme 2015-16 All lectures will be held in the Courtlands Hotel, The Drive, Hove

There is no admission charge for members and visitors are welcome for a fee of £3 payable on entry.

Other events will be announced via email, newsletter and website www.hovecivicsociety.org

Thursday 26th November 2015, 2.30pm Thursday 28th January 2016, 2.30pm

“Feasts and Festivals in “The Sussex Coastline Victorian Sussex” and its role in history”

Valerie Mainstone, local Mark Perry Nash, educator and writer historian and member of the in history and the humanities Brighton and Hove Heritage Commission It is impossible to overstate the impact of the position of our Channel coastline on the history Based on her research, which is of Britain - and the rest of the world. We could well respected among local all think of examples and imagine alternative historians and heritage histories if outcomes of events, such as organisations, Valerie Mainstone attempted invasions, had been different. Mark

Creative CommonsCreative Licence will take us through the feasts and Perry Nash has studied several historical periods festivals that were celebrated from this perspective and will present throughout the year in Victorian a stimulating talk based on his academic work Sussex. For example, did you in both the UK and the USA. He acknowledges know that a wife was put up for that his early enthusiasm for Sussex and its sale at Brighton Market in 1816 history was partly inspired by admiration for his Queen Queen VictoriaStatue © Anthony McIntosh Licensed . forunderreuse the on ‘Old Lady’s Day?’ ancestor, John Nash (1752-1835), the famous Regency architect.

Thursday 25th February 2016, 2.30pm

“Thomas Cochrane – Master and Commander”

Bill McNaught, retired engineer living in Saltdean

Bill McNaught has long had an interest in the characters that have influenced 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.

The story of Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, one of the Royal Navy’s most daring and successful captains during the Napoleonic Wars, and known by the French as the “Sea Wolf”. Thomas Cochrane. Public domain image. The novelist Patrick O’Brian’s books use many of his exploits in their stories and ‘Lucky’ Jack Aubrey, captain of HMS Surprise in the film Master and Commander, is based on Thomas Cochrane with many of the events in the film based on historical facts. Cochrane had a colourful life becoming an MP, involved in a Stock Exchange fraud, dismissed from the Royal Navy, commanding three foreign navies, before being reinstated in the Royal Navy and becoming an Admiral. Thursday 24th March 2016, 7.30pm Thursday 28th April 2016, 7.30pm “Way up West – Hove’s Housing History” Public Debate Dr Geoffrey Mead, geographer, lecturer and guide The topic and members of the

Unlike Brighton which grew up in the 18th and 19th Centuries panel will be selected in in concentric zones pulsing out from the Old Town in time bands, the new year. the development of Hove was in a more modern form of urban growth. That of multiple nuclei, or the polycentric city. Come along and discuss how previous development influences future possibilities, especially when there is a need to provide for more housing.

Tours of Shoreham Port On two afternoons in July we were able to secure welcomed several aspects of the new Edgeley Green places for 13 of our members on boat tours of bio-fuel power station that is being developed there Shoreham Port, organised as part of the Port – especially the plans to make it the basis of a Authority’s public engagement strategy. district heating system for properties at the port.

We sailed from the locks at Southwick, eastwards We were pleased to have Tim Hague, the Port’s along the South bank of the canal and returned property manager, as our guest speaker at the 2014 westwards close to the North bank. The commentary AGM. We are lucky to have the Port so close to our was excellent and, on at least one of the two days, city, since it enables some industrial transport by sea the weather was sunny and warm. Members noted rather than overland. We are also fortunate that the many points of interest about the Port’s history, mission of the Port Authority includes community trade, industry, environmental policies and the engagement – school trips are a regular feature and financial sustainability of this valuable local asset. local people are represented on the Board. We will continue to keep up-to-date with developments Our members had a pleasant experience and here are at the Port. some observations from one of those who joined us:

“I was curious about the locks and the different water levels we crossed on foot over the bridge to reach our tour boat. There is a dry dock which is available for hire. An early claim to fame for the port of Shoreham was the escape of Charles II from there to France in 1651. We heard how the Commissioners for Shoreham port established themselves in 1760. We saw the new gas power station and were told about the previous coal-fired one, which some of us remember. Two wind turbines are to be installed in future. We saw the substantial storage and processing facilities for Parker Steel, and for the handling of timber imported from the Scandinavian Baltic ports. Shoreham Port © Oast House Archive. Licensed for reuse under the At the end of the tour it was amazing to see lots Creative Commons Licence and lots of jellyfish in the water.” For more information, their website is well worth a HCS has had some involvement with Shoreham Port visit: www.shoreham-port.co.uk in recent years. We have given our support to their application to install two wind turbines; and have Clare Tikly Hove Civic Society Annual General Meeting

Thursday 29th October 2015, 6.30pm Courtlands Hotel, The Drive, Hove

From 6.30pm there will be a display of the three maquettes of the sculptures selected by members of the public and the Sculpture Group, and also an exhibition of some other work carried out this year by Hove Civic Society. Join us in informal discussion over wine and soft drinks.

7.15pm: Chair’s Report and Annual General Meeting 8.00pm: Councillor Warren Morgan, Leader, Brighton & Hove City Council

We look forward to seeing you!

New membership procedures The resignation of our membership secretary has yet give those members who haven’t paid in this way to again brought to the fore the work involved in the end of 2016 to instruct their bank accordingly. carrying out membership duties. As members may not appreciate all our work is done on an entirely I hope members appreciate the necessity of this step. voluntary basis and I cannot help feel that we are Please do let us know if this causes difficulties and asking our membership secretary to do things that we will try to help resolve them. not many of us are prepared to volunteer for. I feel strongly that we should cut down on unnecessary Communication by e-mail: We now send out our work and I would prefer a membership secretary that newsletter and other communications to the majority has got time to communicate with members on of members by e-mail. This saves time and not matters that concern our work and our efforts to help inconsiderable costs in terms of envelopes, improve the environment in Hove rather than having printing and postage. Being on e-mail, we believe, to deal with rather tedious and repetitive tasks. Your is advantageous to members, as we can inform them committee agrees with me and we have decided to of events, remind them of activities and ask them for bring in a few labour saving steps that will help us to their opinions. I would urge all those members who manage the membership secretary’s duties more still haven’t given us their e-mail to do so so we can easily. I would ask members to help us in this and dispatch material electronically. take the few steps needed to make this possible. We have had some problems with communicating Membership fee: A large number of members now with members even where we have e-mail addresses make their annual contribution by standing order due and we will try to address those problems during on the first of January each year. In the first bank the autumn. statement of the year we receive a list of all members that have paid by standing order. Checking I hope members appreciate that these are genuine this is done in a couple of hours and then the job is labour saving measure which allow us to manage the done – if it wasn’t for all those who still pay by membership secretary’s duties more easily. We can cheque or who need to be reminded, often by several only do work for which we can attract volunteers! letters. Each reminder takes time and has a cost By helping us in these matters you will help the attached. I believe this is no longer tenable. Society to work more effectively and put less of a burden on our volunteers. From the 1st January 2016 we will therefore accept membership fees by standing order only. We will Helmut Lusser

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