Redevelopment application for Infinity’s Base in Norway Street

Awhile ago now, Infinity announced it had grown too big for its Norway Street, Portslade base, that attempts to find premises within the city to expand into had failed.  This is a co-operative  firm which, after serious difficulties surviving its early years, eventually stabilised and gained the growing and rock-solidly loyal customer base that enabled it to branch out and become the wholesaler of choice for increasing numbers of Independents and multiples and to become a firm to boast about having. 

We have now lost this locally important and genuinely iconic firm to another town.  A significant chunk of what identified Brighton within the business world has been lost.  But we still have the shop! 

To have lost Infinity-the-wholesaler for lack of a place to grow into highlights the economic limitations of the city.  A place that could grow new jobs for Brighton, Hove and Portslade is gone too.  We can only cut our garment according to a quite limited length of cloth. 

Does Toads Hole Valley represent an opportunity to purpose-build much larger premises for home-grown enterprises to expand into? Or is it more realistic to accept our limitations and remain a place for middling sized business premises?  Its a question that hangs in the air.  The desperado camp tell us to build what we need into the skyscape which of course means demolishing a significant part of our USP.  Whether this is a reasonable trade-off is another question that hangs in the air.

A newly registered application is now registered which sees Taylor Wimpey seeking demolition of the Infinity warehouse area and a completely different use of the site.  A significant space for some other small company to grow into would be lost.  Is this inevitable?  Does it matter?  Read the Planning Statement and the Design and Access Statement to gain an overview. 

BH2013/01278 proposes Demolition of existing buildings and construction of a 3-storey commercial building (class B1 office space) and 2-3 storey buildings to form 31 dwellings with associated car parking access and landscaping works.

                                                                                         

 

The way is now clear for Hove Police Station to become a School

It has take awhile and rumours were that the delay in negotiating the sale of the police station was about price.  But Brighton and Hove News today give us the news the deed is done. 

Over the winter period the police moved into Hove Town Hall.  They occupy two separate areas – upstairs beside the public gallery entrance (office) and downstairs in City Direct (public access).

It seems reasonable to expect the police station to have been converted to school use in time for the autumn intake needs.

Consent for a skating rink at the Engineerium has been refused

Mike Holland’s plans for a 5-year temporary skating rink at The British Engineerium were submitted in January 2013.  There was clearly little in the way of a public response to the application which would have taken it to the Planning Committee for decision. 

On May 16th, the application was refused by officers, under delegated powers.  The reasons for refusal on the BHCC website are:

Reason 1

The marquee structures by reason of their scale, siting and form would fail to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Engineerium Conservation Area, and would have an adverse effect on the architectural and historical character and appearance of the grade II* listed Engine Rooms and Boiler House and grade II listed workshop and former coal store. The proposal is therefore contrary to policies HE1, HE3 and HE6 of the Brighton & Hove Local Plan.

Reason 2

The development has potential to create a significant and harmful demand for travel. No information has been submitted on the forecast daily trip generation to and from the site; the likely modal split of visitors; or an assessment on the demand for car parking, which could generate significant levels of overspill parking on the local highway network. In the absence of such information the proposal is therefore contrary to policies TR1, TR2 and TR7 of the Brighton & Hove Local Plan.

The council website also provides 2 informatives that indicate the applicant tried to invoke the NPPF to get consent.  NPPF-watchers please take note: 

Informatives:
1. In accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework and Policy SS1 of the Brighton & Hove City Plan Part One (submission document) the approach to making a decision on this planning application has been to apply the presumption in favour of sustainable development. The Local Planning Authority seeks to approve planning applications which are for sustainable development where possible.

2. This decision is based on the drawings listed below:
Plan Type Reference Version Date Received
Plan as Existing 1905/1 A 16/01/2013
Elevations as Existing 1905/2 A 16/01/2013
Block Plan 1967/3 A 16/01/2013
Site Location Plan 1967/4 A 16/01/2013
Plan as Proposed 1967/11 B 16/01/2013
Elevations as Proposed 1967/12 B 16/01/2013
Marquee Elevations as Proposed 1967/13 A 23/01/2013

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Mr. Holland announces he is to submit an altered application to meet reasons for refusal.  Click here to read the Argus report.

Protecting wildlife habitat BHCC/Hyde Martlets-style….How is this actually LEGAL?

This gallery contains 9 photos.

It is to Brighton and Hove City Council’s enduring shame that this redevelopment is even happening.  And it all began with one housing officer telling Hyde the council would welcome housing on this site in principle and one planning officer … Continue reading →

The unholy mess that is Listed Holy Trinity Church

GRADE 2 LISTED Holy Trinity Church and GRADE 2 LISTEDcurtilage wall viewed from Goldstone Villas

If left long enough, to degrade ‘enough’, the Grade 2 Listing of this church will be challenged by whoever owns it at the time and who may  seek to demolish it.   Please click here to view the English Heritage Listing Details.

That time is a long way off, but in the meantime, the surrounding flint wall and once-glorious lawns and grounds are suffering abuse.   Please click here to view the English Heritage Listing details

Grade 2 Listed Holy Trinity Church curtilege. Inappropriate soft white lime patching of a flint wall

The grounds are being fly-tipped and used for who knows what  and the entrance pier on one side – which lay for  over a year on the pavement until Enforcement were asked to do something – merely cleared away since the picture showing this was taken last summer. 

Collapsed entrance pier and wall section Holy Trinity Church

The fine surrounding  flint walls have been inappropriately and horribly patched with soft and very white lime in various places .

Curtilege corner patching at Grade 2 Listed Holy Trinity Church

Soft white lime gashed through the 1864 Grade 2 Listed Holy Trinity flint wall

flytipped interior of Holy Trinity curtilege and part of fallen pier

What not to do when repairing a Listed flint wall.

 

All Saints Church in the Drive has some responsibility for the premises but BHCC are loathe to impose a s215 and even if it did, it could not demand (it says) that repairs are up to Listed standard….merely tidied.  This seems very wrong. 

Overheating in single aspect flats/houses

House builders today increasingly cram flats into buildings so they are single-aspect only.  Any prevailing wind direction that might help with ventilation is denied to them.  Cross ventilation requires two windows/doors and not both facing the same way!  This can result in harmful overheating.

In the days of the back-to-back terrace, there was no central heating and a build-up of heat might have been very welcome….at least in winter.  But in summer?  If it was south facing?  One wonders what lessons there are from that experience which could be informing today’s house builders.

Researchers into zero carbon, passivhaus, eco-homes building are addressing this as an issue and you can read about it by clicking here.  Worth doing and keeping in Favorites or in a file for the next time a proposal is at the planning stage and you want to make your response more relevant

Prevention is worth a pound of cure, as they say.

Medina House by Artist Jay Collins

Medina House by artist Jay Collins