Whilst the West Hill Conservation Area was not designated until 1977, the areas of Brunswick Town and Cliftonville in Hove were designated by the then Hove Borough Council in 1969. Today, there are 34 conservation areas in the City of Brighton & Hove whose special character and appearance are considered worthy of preservation and, indeed, enhancement. Continue reading Jim Gowans’ West Hill Watch, Feb 19
Jim Gowan’s West Hill Watch
An advertising sign covering almost 27 square meters of a wall facing Brighton Station, a grade two star building, has also been recommended for refusal by the Conservation Advisory Group (CAG). The application has been made by the Ethical Property Company, which admits to having neither sought advice from the local council nor to have consulted neighbours or the local community. The green and white steel and aluminium lettering would also be harmful to the attractive north façade of the Queen’s Head public house, which is on the local list of heritage assets. Continue reading West Hill Watch
In the June/July edition of The Whistler, one of the reports in Jim Gowans’ regular West Hill Watch column highlighted a planning application for 1 Clifton Street. We reproduce that here, a letter from the owner and a reply from Jim.
1 Clifton Street
An application to return this rather dilapidated property to its original design is generally to be welcomed. The black painted window frames and garage door have been an unattractive feature, whilst the tiled roof projecting over the ground floor is an inappropriate alteration which will disappear once the bay windows have been restored. The proportions of the windows in the proposed plans were, however, considered incorrect by the Conservation Advisory Group and it must be hoped that once this detail has been addressed the restoration will be completed. Continue reading Letters
Jim Gowans, WHCA’s rep on the Conservation Advisory Group, assesses local developments….
SAVE FRONT GARDENS
The CAG to the City Council passed a resolution recently urging the City Council to save front gardens in conservation areas and throughout the City. The conversion of gardens to hard-standings for vehicles has already blighted streets such as Howard Rise whilst other parts of our area and the wider city are under continual threat. Civic Voice, the national charity, has recognised the loss of front gardens as a problem which is causing immense harm to the streetscape in every town and city nationwide. Whilst campaigns can highlight the issue, the framing of legislation specifically to protect front gardens as green spaces remains challenging.
Continue reading Local Developments
Jim Gowans, WHCA’s rep on the Conservation Advisory Group, assesses local developments…
BUCKINGHAM LODGE TREES AT RISK
When permission was granted to construct an additional storey on the roof of Buckingham Lodge a condition was imposed that required trees to be planted around the building. The developers now say this condition should be removed as it is un-enforceable. The developers claim that as the freeholder they do not own the grassed area around the ground floor flats which is for the use of these flats only. If this is the case, the solution is surely for the lessees on the ground floor to agree to the landscaping (it seems unlikely they will object to a scheme intended to enhance the environment) and for the developer to pay for it.
Continue reading Local Developments
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