Seagull Weekly Briefing 06/11

Good morning, and welcome to the Brighton Seagull's Weekly Briefing. A shortened briefing this week: as we explained in Seagull Recommends on Friday, our editor was involved in what her friends are calling 'a classic example of a car crash' a week ago today, and has been recovering from her injuries since. She'll be fine! Good vibes are appreciated.

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On with the (reduced) news!

Councillors vote against commercial development next to Prince Albert pub

At a meeting of the council Planning Committee on Wednesday, councillors voted to refuse planning permission for a new commercial development in Trafalgar Street, next to the Prince Albert pub.

The application was for the demolition of the former car rental premises at 47 Trafalgar Street and its replacement with a four-storey building, to be used for offices, retail, and cafes or restaurants.

Originally the application also included holiday lets, which raised concerns about potential noise complaints due to the pub being a popular music venue, open every day from midday to midnight.

The original application was changed to remove the residential holiday lets.

Councillors unanimously voted to refuse the application on the grounds of:

• Failure to demonstrate that the future use of the new development would not have a detrimental impact on the Prince Albert as a heritage and cultural asset.
• Failure to demonstrate that the design, bulk and footprint of the development has responded to the character of the North Laine area, including its heritage features.
• Failure to demonstrate that the scheme would not have an unacceptable impact on the amenity of residents of Over Street, including through the built form being overbearing.

More than 1,280 letters of objection to the scheme were received, and more than 19,500 people signed a petition objecting to the development.

Planning Committee member Councillor Julie Cattell said:

The Prince Albert is a Grade II listed landmark building and long-standing live music venue.

It is clear that there was real concern in the community about the size of this proposed development and its potential impact on the pub and on neighbouring homes.

I hope this decision shows our determination to protect our conservation areas and heritage and cultural assets.

The applicant is able to submit what's called a revised scheme, taking on board the reasons for the refusal of the original application. If submitted, would then be tested with neighbours in a consultation process.

🖋 News in Brief 🖋

• The Santa Bus is returning for its twentieth anniversary, and will be travelling across twenty routes, on twenty nights, to raise money for twenty charities. To date, it has raised more than £380,000, and this year will help charities including Martlets, Switchboard, Sussex Homeless Support, The Hummingbird Project, Rise, and more.
• The council are introducing 24 new communal refuse bins, and starting a new afternoon waste collection round, as part of their plan to improve waste collection services. Not very sexy, but very essential!
• And finally, some Charlie Southall news for everyone to enjoy.