Public Meeting: Another London Road is possible! – Fri 9 May

7pm, Community Base Conference Room, South Wing, 113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XG (map)

Say 'Yes' to an alternative vision to St James’s investments' large new Tesco’s department store and car park (Picture: New Open Market).

Keith Taylor, City Councillor for St Peter’s & North Laine Ward is holding a meeting for anyone who is interested in considering alternative viewpoints and priorities for the London Road area where St James’s investments envisage a large new Tesco’s department store and car park (northern end).
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From talking to a number of people who staffed and attended the recent ‘Bright New London Road’ exhibition, he observed that the Tesco superstore and the car-park are the only non-negotiable element in the developer’s vision for a new London Road.

Many local residents, who gave feedback through “post-its”, shared the local Councillor’s concern about the prospect of moving closer to a ‘clone-town Brighton & Hove’. Councillor Taylor suggests that an initial non party-political meeting be held, to allow those of a similar view start a dialogue as to how the arguments against such developments might best be composed.

Anyone who is interested in getting involved is invited to come along to an informal meeting at Community Base Conference Room, South Wing, Queens Road on Friday 9th May at 7pm.

What future plans have been floated for The Open Market?

It was reported about 18 months ago, Brighton's Open Market would get an £11 million makeover - a scheme which could lead the regeneration of the London Road shopping centre. A description of this scheme is posted here.

What is St James’s investments' vision?



The area between New England Street, New England Road (Circus Parade) and the west of London Rd (just south of Preston Circus) has been earmarked for a Tesco superstore , to be the centrepiece of major development proposed by St James's Investments for The London Road Shopping Centre.

North-South view of proposed development site (shown in red) within the junction of New England Road and London Road



St James's Investments state on their recently launched website at www.brightnewlondonroad.co.uk that they want to kick start the regeneration of London Road town centre and put it back on the map as the thriving area it was in years gone by.

East-West view showing the proposed development site (in red)
to the SW of Preston Circus (one of Brighton's busiest intersections)



Report on Public exhibition



St James's Investments invited residents to come and see them at their Bright New London Road Shop at 11 Vantage Point, Circus Parade, New England Road, Brighton, BN1 4GW from 24th-26th April. Many residents attended and talked to the developer's representatives, who were obliging and pleasant.

Although "post-it" forms were well in evidence, the developer's official feedback form allowed negligible space for open comment. Instead, tick boxes were inserted adjacent to leading statements, some cherry-picked from the study on regenerating London Road recently carried by Urban Initiatives for Brighton and Hove City Council. Other statements, which St James's investments planted next to their tick-boxes had far more to do with sustaining a large Tesco superstore.

"insufficient parking" was planted in one feedback section and "improved parking" in another.

Increased traffic volume is the last thing which The London Road area needs, according to the regeneration study completed for The Council by Urban Initiatives.

The regeneration studies, prepared for The Council by planners Urban Initiatives and transport consultants Peter Brett Associates, envisage a one-way, bus-only London Road : see The Argus report (25.07.2007) New-look gateways To the city. Improvements to the run-down car-park to the west of London Road are mentioned, as well as the possible creation of a car-park to the east (it is hard to envisage where the latter would go), but there is no suggestion that the area around Preston Circus should be made any more congested by inviting more cars.

St James's investments feedback form also included a section on PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, inviting respondents to tick things like "Solar and wind energy" and "central power generation".

However, as the developer well knows, measures to minimize carbon emissions would be required anyway to comply with The Council's planning policies on Sustainable Building Design.

Preston Circus is already one of Brighton's busiest traffic intersections. Creating something similar to The Vogue Gyratory, regarded as 'a barrier to regeneration of the Lewes Road area', would surely have a very negative impact on London Road.

Urban Initiatives suggested (The Argus: 9.01.2007 - Gyratory Out Of Vogue and Too Much Traffic) that this "brutal" traffic system could be bulldozed along with Lewes Road Sainsbury's to allow for traffic reduction and greening.

Poorer air quality and more congested roads, which would pose even greater risks and obstacles to pedestrians and cyclists for the convenience of access for private cars, is surely not the way forward.

The developer's poster display might possibly have led some residents to imagine that their intentions had the blessing of Brighton and Hove City Council.

The actual report on the regeneration of London Road, provided for The Council by Urban Initiatives indeed considers this shopping centre as in need of regeneration, but the posters presented by St James's investments introduce bullet points of their own:

"London Road as a destination is almost impossible to get to" (St James's Investments)

Some of these posters suggest that the area is difficult to get to, when London Road is one of the easiest places to reach if you are prepared to take the bus or walk. It has countless major bus routes to & from the A23 (5, 5a, 5b), Ditchling Road (26,46A,50,50A), the A27 Lewes Rd (49, 49A, 21,22). Pedestrian access to Brighton railway station is better than ever before, and the 10-minute walk from Preston Circus to London Road Station does not involve much climbing. Buses to and from Gatwick & Heathrow Airports, London, Stansted Airport and Cambridge all stop at Preston Circus.

London Road, itself, is extremely well used by walkers, regardless of how many of them use the shops. Apart from having its own residential flats, London Road is a thoroughfare connecting the centre of Brighton (Old Steine/the main bus station / Brighton Pier) with several densely populated residential suburbs. Indeed, the pressure on pavement space near bus stops is a current problem which the Council needs to address by reclaiming more road or by reverting to the original building line (where add-on facades have encroached) to enable pavement widening.

There are plenty of taxis in evidence in London Road for people (e.g. those with mobility problems or heavy shopping) who are prepared to be collected or dropped off.

The area is only somewhat inconvenient to get to for people who would only consider approaching it in their own car. Private motorists could possibly identify with St James's investments assertion, because of two main obstacles:
1) the current level of congestion with the priority given to bus lanes, and
2) the available car parks are located in back streets on the steep incline leading towards the main London to Brighton railway.

Although there are arguments for improving run-down car parks, St James's Investments appear to be making their own case for "more parking", which runs contrary to what is envisaged in the Urban Initiatives report. The Council's official regeneration report concerns itself with the whole of the London Road shopping centre and not with the viability of a Tesco Superstore at the (Preston Circus) end of London Road.

[A] The developer's case

To review the developer's case, go to their website at www.brightnewlondonroad.co.uk. Note that you may need to install Adobe Flash Player to access the developer's website, which has recently been redesigned.

Bright New London Road



The City Council wants to revitalise the London Road area and create a high quality commercial quarter for Brighton and Hove, connecting London Road with the New England Road area.



As a major landowner in London Road town centre and as a mixed-use developer, we at St James’s Investments see great potential to create an exciting, vibrant , sustainable community right here.

St James's Investments already own Vantage Point and some of the shops in London Road. They also lease part of New England House:



We want to kick-start the regeneration of London Road town centre and help put it back on the map as the thriving area it was in years gone by.

Work with us to create a bright new London Road so that together we can get it right.



London Road is officially one of two town centres in the city – London Road and Hove – but in recent years has been in economic decline, shops are closing, both Sainsburys and the Coop have left, there is little choice for clothing and household goods – the balance has shifted away from convenience and now only 20% of the catchment are shopping locally.

In order to create a thriving town centre, the area needs new investment to attract local people to this town centre.

Vantage Point is already owned by St James's Investments:



Brighter things are already on the horizon – the planned new Open Market, City College’s new development, the connections through New England Street, the variety of small independent shops…but more is needed.

Existing problems
Traffic congestion
Poor connections
Run down shops
Derelict and vacant buildings
Insufficient parking
Lack of green and amenity space
Dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists
Anti-social behaviour
Lack of choice
Lack of investment
Noise and air pollution
Lack of facilities for the young

It’s your future. Let’s get it right together .

Promises



- Improvements to transport network
- Improved environment and linkages for pedestrians and cyclists
- Better shopping.
- Economic regeneration.
- Community facilities.

Sustainability



We could look at using:

- Sustainable materials
- Solar and wind energy
- Central power generation
- Energy efficient systems throughout
- Rainwater harvesting
- Green rooftops

We are already working for Forum for The Future to be as energy efficient as possible.

City College Capital Redevelopment Project



City College Brighton and Hove is consulting the public on a major capital redevelopment plan to transform its accommodation across four sites in the North, South, East and West of the city.

The first exhibition was held at the Brighthelm Auditorium in North Road, Brighton, on Friday April 25th from noon until 6.30pm and on Saturday April 26th from 10am until 4pm.

The second exhibition will be held in the North Hall at Falmer High School on Friday May 2nd from noon until 6.30pm and on Saturday May 3rd from 10am until 4pm.

A Great Shopping Trip



Since the loss of the Co-op and Sainsburys from London Road, new investment is now needed.

An anchor retailer is vital to attract people back to the area. This would encourage even more businesses to open and create a vibrant economy, uplifting the area for the future.

We have been looking for a store to provide a replacement anchor for the area, and Tesco, Britain’s number 1 retailer, has shown interest in coming to London Road.

NEW LONDON ROAD will include:

- New independent shop units
- A brand new anchor store on your doorstep

Tesco Superstore



An exciting combination of food and comparison goods under one roof – building on the Tesco reputation for quality and prices:

- A wide variety of fresh foods and groceries, with dedicated counters for delicatessen products along with fresh meats, wet fish, hot chicken, and some of the finest supermarket beers, wines and spirits.

- Upstairs, customers will be able to shop for clothes, beauty accessories, home furnishings, cooking products, goods for the home, electricals, toys, sports goods, CDs, DVDs, clothing range, cosmetics department, books, magazines and greeting cards.

A better place to live

OPEN SPACES, NEW HOMES, JOBS, CAFES & RESTAURANTS



A town centre needs to be a better place to live too, with lots of public space and things to do on your doorstep. Would you like facilities such as these?

- Cafés and restaurants
- Better community facilities
- Better health facilities
- Attractive open spaces
- Linking in with other developments on London Road
- New jobs for local people
- Safe and secure environment
- Entertainments and leisure
- Improved educational facilities

A place for business to grow



If we get this right, other businesses will want to be here. This could include:

- offices for media and creative businesses
- workshops for arts and crafts busineses
- an art gallery
- large corporate offices
- standard office units for small to medium-sized business units
- small business start up units

Problems getting there?



The one-way systems, through roads and the railway line cutting the community in half, traffic congestion, difficult access routes for pedestrians and cyclists – just a few of the problems which make London Road as a destination almost impossible to get to!



But on the plus side, the area has frequent public transport linkages, which we can build on, to make this route in and out of the city easier to get to.

If we can make it easier to get to London Road, then we can start to think of building a really exciting future.


[B] Comments and reactions

What is happening about The Open Market?

The proposal for the £11 million makeover of The Open Market is yet to be registered. The Tesco proposal could clearly effect the trading environment, though if the proposed location does not involve the former Coop Department store, as originally rumoured, the effects may not be so direct.

Could increased traffic volume turn Preston Circus into something akin to The Vogue Gyratory on Lewes Road, causing further congestion, pollution and risk to the detriment of pedestrians and cyclists?

Preston Circus is already one of Brighton's busiest traffic intersections. Residents may remember that when Cruise missiles arrived in Greenham in 1983, demonstraters brought traffic in Brighton to a halt by blocking both The Clock Tower and Preston Circus intersections.

Tesco would very likely want some integral parking, resulting in more motor traffic being drawn into the area.

Two years ago, residents who took part in the Urban Initiatives consultation on regeneration of London Road shopping area, identified the existing volume of traffic as the major obstacle in making London Road user-friendly to pedestrians and shoppers. The stakeholders who attended the three sessions, organised by Urban Initiatives are likely to watch St James's investments' vision very closely.

Will this be a sustainable development?

St James's Investment has trailed the possibility of incorporating some sustainability features into their proposal. Local campaigns and community groups concerned about the environment, are also likely to scrutinize the actual plans, if and when they come to be registered.

Some residents already sense that Tesco is keeping a low profile, even though they have been earmarked as the "anchor company" in this development proposal.

What are the local environment concerns likely to be?

With the enlarged Sainsburys having led the New England development, and Waitrose interested in The Preston Barracks site on Lewes Road, residents who prefer to support small traders, green box deliveries, Fair Traded products, and companies which source more of their stock locally, may not welcome another large supermarket development.

The supermarkets may respond by promising to support local suppliers, but their relentless drive to capture market share will not be welcomed by some small retailers.

Conservation Groups' Reactions

The Brighton Society is among the local Groups which have already raised concerns. They note on their website that St James's Investments, the developer, has said that sufficient car parking would be needed to make the area (a Tesco superstore?) financially viable.

1) 'how many spaces' is 'sufficient' car parking?
2) How will London Road, already congested, cope with the extra traffic which would be generated?

The Brighton Society also hopes for:
a) an open and honest public consultation, which helps guide proposals for the area
b) a genuine opportunity to influence those proposals - Will the new proposal promote the use of public transport?

What happens next?

When St James's Investments register their planning application, residents will have (at least) a 3-week consultation period in which to make our views known to the Council. If local residents feel that a proposal involving another large supermarket (with provision for more car-parking) would be detrimental to the area, as several felt in relation to the Sainsburys Store which opened last year within the New England Quarter, then there is likely to be a campaign.

Residents' Reactions

1. Some regeneration is clearly needed to make London Road a pleasanter area to shop. It will be interesting to see if the plans proposed by St James's investments favour public transport users & pedestrians or invite more car-users into the area.

2. I think that the area is run down, and I believe the Open Market will thrive if people want it, whatever Tesco do. But I do have some thoughts on the type of development:

- There should be lots of homes, and every one should have a southern quadrant facing open space of 10% of the internal floor space and a minimum of 5 square metres, to include soil for growing stuff.
Almost none of the homes will be ground floor, but above other uses, set back one above the other.

- All the developments should have photovoltaic panels and a mixture of ground source heat pumps and solar water heating for hot water and space heating.

- The London Road should retain and improve at least half of the existing architecturally pleasing buildings, but push back the building line to the original one, not the front of the property line as now.



This will widen the pedestrian area, allow for small squares and outdoor leisure areas, plus planting and probably a new cycle lane adjacent to the road, but not on it, nor on the pavement.



- Private personal transport should be for the elderly, frail and disabled, and its access should be kept to the margins, though I would retain the parking built beneath Mayflower Court (this is an example of homes over another use, though not as clever as it could be).