To the Chair, vice Chairs and Members
Policy and Resources Committee
Brighton & Hove City Council,
King's House Grand Avenue
HOVE BN3 2LS

Dear Member

POLICY & RESOURCES COMMITTEE : Development at Black Rock

We have contributed to the consultation process for the development brief and we have been represented on the advisory panel for this development. We note that this project will be discussed at your meeting on 22 October 2003.

From the beginning we have favoured a low key, low height development which respects the architectural character of the unique and exceptional back-cloth of Grade I listed houses which form the original Kemp Town development, a town planning achievement of international importance.

May we now sum up our views, already expressed at the advisory panel meetings, on the two short-listed schemes, as follows :

HOTEL and HEALTH SPA proposal by the RH PARTNERSHIP

with the ROCCO FORTE HOTEL GROUP

The hotel and spa option seems to us capable of meeting the planning brief criteria fully and, in our opinion, would be an exceptional asset to the city's leisure and tourism portfolio. Traffic implications are low and operational and guest car parking is included within the site. The buildings and their interesting roof gardens are arranged in a planning form which is immediately complementary but subservient to the crescent and terraces of Kemp Town behind it. This low key, quality development seems to us to be admirably suited to this quiet area of seafront.

The Bi-ome winter garden is outside the council's development site and the development brief but would restore the southern edge, beyond the Kemp Town enclosure of the crescent, square and terraces in an admirable and beneficial way with another unique but relatively low-key tourist and leisure facility. If there are financial implications with its realisation we fervently hope that they may be overcome.

ICE STADIUM / EVENT ARENA with associated facilities and FLATS by S & P Architects

The alternative short-listed proposal is for an ice rink/sports arena with a separate dedicated ice-rink, retail, bar, café and restaurant facilities with a low block of flats as enabling development. Although these buildings are also low, we consider that the large, somewhat amorphous mass of the main building, with its prominent masts, is less successfully integrated with the existing listed Kemp Town buildings and its large expanse of roof (even if it is grass covered) will not, in our opinion preserve or enhance the setting of the listed buildings and the adjacent conservation area or provide a pleasant prospect from the coast road or from the houses behind it. Additionally, and even more importantly, the noise and transport problems arising from the egress of more than 10,000 fans from sporting events seem to us insuperable. We are aware of the extreme parking problems already existing in the Wilson Avenue and Marina car park areas, arising from existing retail, leisure and sporting uses and we believe that this proposed intensive use is totally incompatible with the planning brief and the existing residential use around it.

We believe that at this stage neither proposal is wholly acceptable and that further information is required from each competitor. Will the hotel scheme be acceptable to the council without the Bi-ome winter garden and will the developer wish to proceed with it on this basis? (This brings up the question of the very necessary restoration of this area, outside the development site). How will traffic and parking problems caused by the events arena be solved and how will the noise and disturbance be contained sufficiently to comply with policy QD2 of the local plan?

On the basis of the information at present available to us we would support the Hotel and Spa scheme, subject to adjustments to meet the points set out above, but we would object to the Ice Rink/Arena proposal.
END