Hove petitioners seek protection for historic seafront site

Planning chiefs are being urged to protect a historic property on Hove seafront.

A petition highlighted neglect and damage to Medina House in King’s Esplanade since the building was bought by architect and developer Sirus Taghan.

Valerie Paynter, of the Save Hove conservation group, presented the petition to Brighton and Hove City Council Planning Committee at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Wednesday 8 August).

The petition called for a planning brief to be prepared urgently to set out the ground rules for any development on the site.

She told the committee: “Medina House was sold to Sirus Taghan some 14 years ago and while one planning consent for low-rise redevelopment was gained, it was never used.

“Since then a succession of schemes and applications for tall and very tall buildings have come and gone, alongside part demolition, squatters and squalor.

“Indeed, just to achieve a tidy site, (an) enforcement notice has had to be served on it.

“We think the time has come to ask you for a planning brief to spell out the constraints and opportunities that this building and site present and which must be taken into account when preparing planning applications for it.

“Within a planning brief, we ask that height restriction be spelt out to protect the tiny, historic Sussex Road and Victoria Cottages behind it.

“And most of all that first preference be given to car-free restoration and reuse of this historic, socially important saltwater bathhouse – the last of its kind remaining that we are aware of.

“Save Hove’s e-petition went online on (Friday) 13 July and attracted 183 signatories in its short 12-day life.

“King’s Esplanade residents collected signatures and the petition was lodged at a Victoria Terrace bakery and hairdresser’s shop.

“Sadly, two petitions were stolen – one from the bakery and the other from Benham Court’s noticeboard, put there after 15 people had already signed it.

“Those signing the petition include Hove’s MP, Mike Weatherley, Councillor Andrew Wealls, architects Andy Parsons and Geoffrey Baker, retired planning officers Sue Moffatt and Hazel McKay as well as a couple of developers.

“Support from people like that hopefully helps persuade this council of the merit of our petition request.”

Another of the 321 signatories was Roy Pennington, a former deputy chairman of the planning committee.

The committee noted the petition but did not say whether a planning brief would be drawn up.