Brighton redevelopment plans to attract tourists
Work is under way to give visitors a better visual greeting. Wide public support is vital
Most of us see Brighton from the inside out. We live or work here. When we leave, we pass through the Downs to the north or Regency squares and terraces in Kemp Town to the east. Even to the west, we have the sea, some elegant facades and what remains of Victorian and Edwardian homes. We probably don’t see ourselves as others see us.
A few weeks ago I met a visitor at Brighton Station and we walked to the seafront. The station, I was told, had definitely improved. But the visual welcome to Brighton still left much to be desired. Network Rail, train operator Southern and the council are on the case. They are working on the “station gateway” project, building on earlier measures to brighten up the area. Those included the changes in the New England Quarter.
Later, heading up via the Old Steine and London Road for a coffee in Preston Park, it proved harder to wax lyrical about Brighton and its charms. But in London Road, too, the foundations have been laid by the Greens and the previous Conservative administration for a revival of sorts. Much, of course, remains to be done. Anston House is still an eyesore. Again, for the first time in a long while, hope is on the horizon.
On Tuesday 10 July councillors meet at Hove Town Hall to hear progress reports on two projects. Having consulted the public about the Brighton Station gateway, most people seem to want a scheme that involves minimal change. Officials put this down to concerns raised by Roger French, from Brighton and Hove Buses. They believe that he influenced people’s perceptions of the current three options, raising fears among commuters about the loss of bus services. Council officials also have anxieties about the extent to which work on the Ibis hotel in Queen’s Road, in place of the derelict Sergeant Yorke’s casino, will colour people’s views.
“I would rather be hermetically sealed in a car than choking in the saddle”
The official report said: “As well as a desire to maintain existing bus services, more generally the consultation indicated:
• A high level of support for a new eastern station exit
• A desire to at least consider restrictions on non-local traffic
• Mixed views over the suitability of Frederick Place as an alternative taxi rank but a desire for the current taxi rank location and its operation to be reviewed.”
There is a case to be made for reopening the old station steps. It would be well received by commuters and North Laine traders. And it would suit many who head towards Kemp Town on foot after stepping off a train. A creative and practical move could be to revive the old taxiway or design a new one in the same spirit. Aside from making access for cyclists even easier, it could link the drop-off zone behind the station with Frederick Place. And it could offer bikes and cabs a through route from Preston Circus, ending diesel-laden jams in front of the station. That could be a plaza.
Many measures seem designed not just to make roads narrower and slow traffic down but to add to congestion as if this will persuade drivers to quit their cars. As a cyclist who tastes the fumes from queues caused by these road layouts, I find myself reluctant to cycle in certain parts of town. I would rather be hermetically sealed in a car than choking in the saddle. Most pollution hotspots are where most has been done to interrupt the obvious traffic flow or where there is a high concentration of buses. At least a full bus can carry the equivalent of many car-loads.
The green lung from The Level to the sea via Victoria Gardens and the Old Steine is also up for redesign. Many visitors still drive in and out of Brighton by this route past rundown or derelict terraces. The last major changes were not the sole cause of London Road’s decline but they may not have helped. If the Greens are to stand a chance of a second term in office, their solution needs to be sustainable for all. Even for those who need or choose to use a car.
