Madeira Terraces

severnside gull · Jun 6, 2015

It's been many years since I lived in the city but every time I return I find myself giving another little sigh and a shrug at the wilful neglect of some of the most imposing seaside architecture in the world and the wholesale failure to either maintain what it has or regenerate with imagination or style.

Herr Tubthumper · Jun 6, 2015

severnside gull said:
It's been many years since I lived in the city but every time I return I find myself giving another little sigh and a shrug at the wilful neglect of some of the most imposing seaside architecture in the world and the wholesale failure to either maintain what it has or regenerate with imagination or style.

Who is financially responsible for its upkeep though? Is the local council, government or a bit of both?

El Sid · Jun 6, 2015

severnside gull said:
It's been many years since I lived in the city but every time I return I find myself giving another little sigh and a shrug at the wilful neglect of some of the most imposing seaside architecture in the world and the wholesale failure to either maintain what it has or regenerate with imagination or style.

But there's a lovely new roundabout at the Seven Dials.

severnside gull · Jun 6, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
Who is financially responsible for its upkeep though? Is the local council, government or a bit of both?

I guess it's a bit of everyone but principally the local authority and in particular the planning committee who are at least responsible for the dross that does go up as well as for preventing sensitive regeneration. Instead of challenging architects and designers to build for the future but with sensitivity for the past they insist on uneconomic like-for-like copies, which as a result just don't happen. The outcome is that rather than an evolving heritage of which the people can be proud, Brighton&Hove is turning into a rotting mausoleum for what used to be.
I spend a fair bit of time in Holland and in France where historic street scenes are being enhanced by vibrant new designs. Knowing it can work makes coming home even more depressing.

ofco8 · Jun 6, 2015

Even more galling is that the council own hundreds of commercial properties, let to others, that could be sold to finance this neglect.

beorhthelm · Jun 6, 2015

severnside gull said:
I guess it's a bit of everyone but principally the local authority and in particular the planning committee who are at least responsible for the dross that does go up as well as for preventing sensitive regeneration. Instead of challenging architects and designers to build for the future but with sensitivity for the past they insist on uneconomic like-for-like copies, which as a result just don't happen.

in the case of renovation, i dont believe planning committee is responsible here, unless listed they dont have that remit. the various societies and groups that exist to preserve historic buildings insist upon authentic replacment, with prohibitive costs, and the deteriment of actual preservation. they'd rather something rot than be replaced with a visually identical item made of a different material (this is why the West Pier ended up collapsing). guess what, cast iron isnt the best material to make seaside structures from.

severnside gull · Jun 6, 2015

beorhthelm said:
in the case of renovation, i dont believe planning committee is responsible here, unless listed they dont have that remit. the various societies and groups that exist to preserve historic buildings insist upon authentic replacment, with prohibitive costs, and the deteriment of actual preservation. they'd rather something rot than be replaced with a visually identical item made of a different material (this is why the West Pier ended up collapsing). guess what, cast iron isnt the best material to make seaside structures from.

You're right of course although I worked for Brighton Council 40+ years ago when some of the minarets on the Royal Pavilion were replaced using fibre-glass. I sometimes wonder if they are still up there :lolol:

Herr Tubthumper · Jun 6, 2015

severnside gull said:
I guess it's a bit of everyone but principally the local authority and in particular the planning committee who are at least responsible for the dross that does go up as well as for preventing sensitive regeneration. Instead of challenging architects and designers to build for the future but with sensitivity for the past they insist on uneconomic like-for-like copies, which as a result just don't happen. The outcome is that rather than an evolving heritage of which the people can be proud, Brighton&Hove is turning into a rotting mausoleum for what used to be.
I spend a fair bit of time in Holland and in France where historic street scenes are being enhanced by vibrant new designs. Knowing it can work makes coming home even more depressing.

I very much agree with this especially the last bolded bit. But, I also think a lot of the residents are also guilty of preventing building for the future as well. Brighton has a strong NIMBY attitude, the arcane Regency Society and locals with a bizarre idea that everything must fit in with it's surroundings but the reality being the city is a mishmash of architecture. It's a recipe for....well nothing.

As an aside I was close to the proposed Gehry scheme and some of the opponents were just mental. One bloke set up a stall in George Street to explain and demonstrate that the wind whipping around the buildings would cause a vortex and drag the towers down 9/11 stylee. He said the council were negligent, or covering up, and no wind studies had been undertaken and this was a disaster ready to happen. I asked him how he knew the wind would act in such a disastrous manner given there had not been any studies and he said "you can just see, look at the design." This lunatic had pages of fellow nutters signatures. Then there's the freaks in The Regency Society who have way too much clout.

symyjym · Jun 6, 2015

Preserve one section of it and modernise the rest.

gregbrighton · Jun 6, 2015

Don't forget that the Green's pencil dick erection is going up opposite the West Pier. That's gonna be all shiny and new. :moo:

maltaseagull · Jun 6, 2015

brighton bluenose said:
I've been banging on about the state of our city for ages - there are so many areas that have been left to rot:
Black Rock
Madeira Terraces
London Road
Preston Barracks
Coombe Terrace
Circus Street
Anston House
The Seafront Arches.......and more!!

It is truly shocking that such important sites in our city have been literally left to rot by both private developers and the successive councils over DECADES!!

But you have bus and cycle lanes

Actually, although I don't live there anymore it is sad to read about all these sites falling into disrepair although not sure about Preston Barracks and Coombe street.

paul-brighton · Jun 6, 2015

jay d said:
discusting isn't it. Take a look at the grand hotel next time u drive past it, how they can still charge premium rates when they cant even be bothered to paint it is a discrase.

but we did spend millions on a bus lane on lewis rd thar has worked wonders.

You guys voted the greens in = unwanted cycle / bus lanes and nothing spent on renovation or repair

Herr Tubthumper · Jun 6, 2015

beorhthelm said:
in the case of renovation, i dont believe planning committee is responsible here, unless listed they dont have that remit. the various societies and groups that exist to preserve historic buildings insist upon authentic replacment, with prohibitive costs, and the deteriment of actual preservation. they'd rather something rot than be replaced with a visually identical item made of a different material (this is why the West Pier ended up collapsing). guess what, cast iron isnt the best material to make seaside structures from.

A bit of internet research suggests the funding for restoration is a mix of local and central funding. So governments are as much to blame for the rot.

super-seagulls · Jun 6, 2015

SouthCoastOwl said:
Absolutely discraseful

You mean discustingly discraseful

dejavuatbtn · Jun 6, 2015

Successive councils don't know their arses from their elbows. There is a reluctance to maintain our heritage but a reluctance to change anything. We then have a giant spike going up on the seafront, a rotting carcass of a pier and a future outlook of a host of wind turbines to adorn the horizon. Whether he money came from central government or not, the cycle lanes and narrowing of arterial roads has been bother disaster and an unacceptable expense. For a town dependant on tourism, too little has been spent or budgeted on infrastructure, and they have made is more difficult to visit. I predict a big drop in tourism - people just won't bother to put up with the delays, parking costs and lack of facilities. The town is filthy dirty. What a mess. Nice stadium though &#55357;&#56847;

brighton bluenose · Jun 6, 2015

Herr Tubthumper said:
And my big bug-bear is that you can't build any new, exciting and challenging architecture in the city.

And the problem with a lot of what is being built is that it is clad in insulated render with timber panelling and galvanised steel balconies that end up being discoloured and look disgusting after just a few years - the worst example being the block on Preston Road at the bottom of Springfield!

brighton bluenose · Jun 6, 2015

paul-brighton said:
You guys voted the greens in = unwanted cycle / bus lanes and nothing spent on renovation or repair

Dont be so ridiculous - the deterioration of the areas I listed has been going on for DECADES and has sweet FA to do with the Greens who had to suffer budget cuts of tens of millions of pounds!!

brighton bluenose · Jun 6, 2015

dejavuatbtn said:
Successive councils don't know their arses from their elbows. There is a reluctance to maintain our heritage but a reluctance to change anything. We then have a giant spike going up on the seafront, a rotting carcass of a pier and a future outlook of a host of wind turbines to adorn the horizon. Whether he money came from central government or not, the cycle lanes and narrowing of arterial roads has been bother disaster and an unacceptable expense. For a town dependant on tourism, too little has been spent or budgeted on infrastructure, and they have made is more difficult to visit. I predict a big drop in tourism - people just won't bother to put up with the delays, parking costs and lack of facilities. The town is filthy dirty. What a mess. Nice stadium though ��

But tourist numbers and overnight stays are up?!

dejavuatbtn · Jun 6, 2015

brighton bluenose said:
But tourist numbers and overnight stays are up?!

Unfortunately the arches won't be much longer.

jackanada · Jun 6, 2015

The problem with the Madeira arches is actually that no one knows how to repair them.

What you may believe to be a solid chalk face behind them is actually a ginormous unstable swiss cheese of rat holes and engineers have yet to propose or test a satisfactory way of fixing into it, at least without pulling so much of it down that the A259 would be closed entirely for the duration of the works. The complaints about nimbyism, the regency society and council eejits have foundation but are so far not a part of the problem.

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