Robert Nemeth on proposed changes to George Street
George Street in Hove is often busy yet something seems wrong. Charity shops and empty shells are scattered throughout. The main entrance to the street – the lower end – is populated by several prominent pubs and betting shops which give a poor impression to those passing. The street gets by but it could be so much better.
The somewhat prolific elected representative for Central Hove, Cllr Andrew Wealls, sparked an idea that I put to Olli Blair and Matthew Richardson at ABIR Architects which has resulted in the drawing-up of a series of ideas – some feasible, some unlikely – that set the scene for debate on the future of shopping in Hove.
An obvious first suggestion from ABIR is an upgrade to the road’s street furniture and surfacing. This is not the first time that such a suggestion has been made. By 1909, the street had been laid with creosoted blocks and slab paving. This was perhaps its earliest improvement scheme. In 1962, a scheme to declutter George Street by Hove Town Hall architect John Wells-Thorpe was inaugurated by the Queen. Pedestrianisation was introduced in 2001 to protests from traders.
Next from ABIR comes the entirely logical and not necessarily expensive proposal for prominent entrance markers at each end of the street in the form of high-impact gateway-style structures. Their idea to remove of building on the upper east corner so that George Street can be seen from Goldstone Villas is a little more ambitious.
Several other buildings could face the chop too. Several shops in the centre of the street could be sculpted out to form a market square and other buildings lower down could be removed to create a new green space between shopping areas and St Andrew’s Church.
George Street was developed from 1852 by George Gallard (its namesake) and William Kirkpatrick as part of Cliftonville. The scheme also included Ventnor Villas and Osborne Villas. The street’s relatively small plots, which averaged 20ft across, began as artisan dwellings. Seventeen people were living in No. 18 in 1861. Most of the road was commercial by 1900.
“Into Hair should win some sort of award for the most striking shop make-over in Hove”
There are many traders who are keen to see standards raised including Lee Saunders from Into Hair who should win some sort of award for the most striking shop make-over in Hove. The salon’s neon lights are so bright that funky new lamp posts in the middle of the street would have no effect whatsoever.
robert@buildingopinions.com, www.buildingopinions.com
George Street does indeed look a little desolate, and I applaud any shopkeepers willing to put a little effort into the aesthetics of their shopfronts. Berts stands out in this regard, as does Revival cafe and, admittedly, Into Hair. It’s a shame that the shopfitters used by Into Hair saw fit, while working there, to block the entire pavement with their van during non-pedestrianised hours. The difficult environment for pedestrians is what most deters me from shopping on George Street and this needs to change before we worry about a few new bins and benches.
Into Hair is indeed beautiful with its whiteout décor and use of coloured night light. But the turnover of occupancies in George Street tends to be high. Few newbies stick.
I have hopes for Jaba Yard but it looks more quiet than it deserves and that is a matter of footfall and waning interest in that street as a retail destination (except for charity shops, which ARE destination shopping draw).
Pedestrianisation was bad for retail and forced a change of direction as established retailers then left, one by one. Out went the estimable Carter’s white goods and Dixons TV and computers shop. And in came more and more and more cafes and restaurants and street tables and chairs to change George Street into a social destination.
And there is now a glut of them with reduced profitability for all. The Lion d’Or began to lose to a level that forced closure and sale to betting shop Paddy Power. Asked why them, and the answer was they were the only takers.
A revamp is not the answer.
The street should be left to change into whatever the market wants it to be and presently that is high turnover chancers.
The growth up beyond the railway lines means that there is a need for retail offers to move northward too. Up to Hove Station area up to Old Shoreham Road, ideally, where a virtual tabula rasa opportunity exists to create what is needed by retailers and residents.
George Street is so unattractive now that almost anything would be an improvement. I really dislike using the lower end and the passage-way through to Tesco – though useful – is hardly inviting. Several of the ideas put forward sound feasible, though I doubt removing a building at the top end would serve any useful purpose.
There are so few useful shops left in what used to be a vibrant shopping area that one hardly has a reason to go there now – maybe a makeover would generate more traders, but this is a chicken and egg situation… which comes first?
I suggest your architect friends pay a visit to Richardson Road to see how attractive and busy a shopping street can be; we also have the best coffee shop in town there, Drury’s, which goes from strength to strength in ways of improving things for customers and is always busy.
I await developments with interest, albeit without much hope that anything will happen in the near future due to lack of public finance.
Yours sincerely,
Janet Stenning