September 8th 2008 - meeting minutes

Loaves and Fishes sculpture by John Skelton, Brighthelm Church and Community Centre

Photo by Peter Crowhurst

Process for considering planning applications

By Lynne Arnold, NLCA joint Secetary

Welcome to new members.  Apologies received from Jonathan Blomberg, Margaret Daly, Paley O'Connor, Sue Paskins, Christine Pryor, Bruce Smith.  (19 people in attendance.)

The Minutes for 14 July were accepted. There was no meeting in August.

Police report

No statistics were available for the meeting.  Contact PC John Sharman on his direct line at Sussex Police (0845 607 0999 ext 50430) if you have any concerns.

Planning and environment

The NLCA process and criteria for identifying and considering planning application is as follows:

• All applications within and affecting North Laine are extracted from the listings in the Leader each week. These are usually plans within North Laine but will include applications that will affect North Laine residents, for example City College, or that will affect the whole city, eg the King Alfred development.

• Applications are then put onto the NLCA website and residents are encouraged to look at them before the meeting. They can be seen at www.nlcaonline.org.uk/page_id__224.aspx.

• Before the meeting Barry Leigh and Sandy Crowhurst (who has taken over Gabrielle's role) review and assess in detail each of the applications and form a view to present to the monthly meeting.

• The list of applications is then compiled and the monthly meeting decides the response that will be given.

The criteria that would cause Barry and Sandy to recommend an objection or reservation are that the plan:

• is out of keeping with the North Laine, eg too high, an inappropriate design, destroys original features.

• will change the character of the area, which is small-scale mixed use, eg plans for change of use from light industrial (such as studios) to residential use, creating the situation where there are no affordable spaces left.

• is for change of use to restaurant (category A3) or takeaway (category A4), as it is felt that there are too many already in the area.  The meeting felt that this criteria should be revisited every couple of years.

The NLCA does not align itself with any group and attempts to keep a balanced and objective position for the Association. This is appreciated by the council. The NLCA has representation along with others at the Council-convened Conservation Advisory Group, which gives residents a stronger voice with the Council.

Improving consultation with residents

Can we improve consultation with residents in the process?  The website is one obvious way.  Residents are encouraged to check the Leader for applications and contact Barry or Sandy if they have concerns.  Residents who are immediately affected by any plans will be contacted directly by the Council.  It was agreed that on each agenda a statement should be made that 'decisions regarding planning applications are discussed and agreed at the monthly meetings, and details of applications can be found on the NLCA website'.  The NLCA's response is only counted as one, so if residents want to be heard they should respond individually.

Views on planning applications

The meeting agreed not to comment on: Diplocks Yard at 10-12 Frederick Street, 19 Sydney Street, 1 Pelham Square, Unit 7 Jubilee Street.  And to object to:

• The proposed winter garden expansion of My Hotel into Jubilee Square, as it is taking away public space.

• I's Pies, 24 Gardner Street, retrospective application to become an A3 & A4 category establishment, on two counts: (i) they have been trading as this for some time without approval, (ii) The NLCA  does not support A3 or A4 applications.

• The extension of Queensberry House, 103-109 Queen's Road, as this would further reduce light into Frederick Street behind it.

City College: We have been invited to look at the current proposed plans this week and Maggie Deacon is happy to attend meetings over the next few months.

Public enquiry: There is a public enquiry regarding the development on Portland Street and Church Street on 24 September at Brighton Town Hall starting at 10am.  If you want to speak you must be there on the first day.

Reports

Runner : Deadline is today (ie 8th September), and collection date will be 2nd October after 4pm from 51 Tidy Street.

Brighton Society: Has been discussing an emerging new application to demolish and rebuild the old Royal Alex children's hospital.

Social events

• The European Heritage Weekend is 12-14 September and Foundry Street will be featured as an example of Brighton's industrial heritage, with an event on the Sunday.  In addition guided tours around North Laine have been arranged and four houses are open by prior arrangement.  See http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/ for more details.

• All the street parties happening in September are a chance for neighbours to meet and are not public events.

• Trafalgar Terrace is having a late summer party on 28 September.

• The Theatre Group will be attending 'Old Times' by Harold Pinter on 18 September at the Little Theatre.

• A farewell to Gabrielle will be held on 27 September at 41 Kensington Place from 6-9pm.

• The Friends of Pelham Square have applied for a grant to hold an event for older people - details to follow.

AOB

The Kingscliffe Society is organising a trip to Chartwell on 24 September.  Contact Sue Paskins on 329934 for further information.