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 Hove 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 Brighton and Hove are definitely not up for business. including securing a continuous base 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 University of Brighton and Hove Civic Society.