This is cheerful news worth spreading, and a veritable feast of Davids "tekking" Goliaths (as my Yorkshire cousins might say):
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
1. ANOTHER LONDON ROAD ~vs~ TESCOAnother London Road (ALR) is a community campaign group originally set up in response to Tesco's proposals to build a megastore with a 950-space car park next to Preston Circus, following a concerted effort by Tesco's (then) property partners St. James Investments to buy up as much land as possible in the London Road area.
Within weeks ALR had built up a Facebook following in its hundreds, swiftly followed up by a petition (signed by over 1,000 people) and a deputation to the Council, objecting to the fait accompli which was seemingly being presented to the community: you want an improved London Road? Only Tesco can deliver (hmm).
Happily, cracks began to show in the long-standing cosy relationship between Tesco and SJI in March this year (no doubt exacerbated by the *current economic climate*), and earlier this month The Argus reported that the London Road deal was off, citing the community opposition voiced by the ALR campaign as a deciding factor in the Tesco pull-out.
ALR are now busying themselves with preparing a response to the Council's draft London Road Masterplan, which is currently out for public consultation, and are set to continue the excellent work they've begun in encouraging the community to take an active part in deciding the future of the area's built environment.
Well done ALR!
And many thanks to Esther Springett for the above image from her 'Myth of London Road' community art project, which recently took place (appropriately enough) in the empty Co-Op department store (photo snapped by me at last week's Brighton Uni Degree Shows).
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
2. THE MONTPELIER & CLIFTON HILL ASSOCIATION ~vs~ TAYLOR WIMPEYWhen Taylor Wimpey acquired the old Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital site for several million pounds in 2006, the neighbouring community feared the worst - and they were soon proved right.
Far from working to preserve and incorporate the better parts of a greatly altered but nevertheless much-loved local landmark (predominantly designed by local Victorian architect Thomas Lainson), it became increasingly clear that TW were determined to raze the existing buildings to the ground in order to cram as many sub-standard flats onto the site as possible, thereby maximising their profit on a steep investment made at the height of the recent property boom.
The first application was recommended for refusal by Planning officers; the second (barely-altered) submission was not. The Planning Committee (of which I'm a member) voted on both occasions to refuse TW's underwhelming/overcrowding schemes, latterly against the officers' recommendations, which led to a recent appeal from TW by Public Inquiry.
Back in the day, Taylor Wimpey were a leviathan of house-building, beating opponents into submission with the sheer might of their financial resources, and getting crap schemes passed everywhere as a result.
But again, the *current economic climate* has seen TW experience severe financial difficulties in recent months: and in any case, I don't think they were remotely prepared for the robust, expertly-executed case put by representatives of the Montpelier & Clifton Hill Association, who represented residents at the hearing.The MCHA's defense submissions were commended by Planning Inspector John Papworth, who happily found against the appeal.
[The council also did a grand job in the defence of this, and many thanks must go to Cllr Lynda Hyde (Planning Committee Chairman) for her indefatigable determination in securing the resources to fight this case and win it.]
The Inspector quite rightly noted the "strong affection for the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital as an institution and the values that it stood for", and expressed a clear wish that future proposals might see "some retention of the south façade,as being the part most in the public view, which contributes the most to the area and which [the Inspector] consider[s] could be seen as epitomising the children’s hospital".
Whether Taylor Wimpey choose to take this on board or not is up to them: what's clear is that, unlike the Highcroft Villas decision, Inspector John Papworth really has taken the views of the community on board in throwing this out.
Well done MCHA! Round 3 next.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
3. LEWES ROAD COMMUNITY GARDENERS ~vs~ THE MANHot off the wires - from occupation to negotiation:
Cllr Keith Taylor has worked with the Lewes Road Community Gardeners to secure a temporary memorandum of understanding with the landlords, brokering a deal to protect a community garden set up on derelict space on Lewes Road in Brighton.
Keith, a Green Party councillor for the area, negotiated with owners of the land Alburn Retail Ltd [aka The Man. Ed.], who have agreed the garden can stay until the land is needed for development.
Keith said: “This is a brilliant use of redundant space being converted into a real community asset. Hats off to the Guerrilla Gardeners!
“I am very pleased to have brokered an agreement with the owners of the site Alburn Retail Ltd to enable the garden to continue until the land is needed for development.
“Seeing the results here makes one ask ‘how many other sites are there in the city that could benefit from this treatment?’'"
Fingers crossed that this excellent campaign can continue afoot, and more power to the Lewes Road Community Garden project's collective elbow - well done to all for getting this far, and well done to Keith for his skills in the negotiations with the current landowners!
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Onwards & upwards.
