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Vibrant? No, it's noisy and smells
10:18am Thursday 26th July 2007
Frustrated residents of an area described as a "vibrant new urban quarter for the 21st century" have spoken of their disgust at its festering bins and antisocial behaviour problems.
Families in the New England Quarter, near Brighton Station, say the issues have been bad enough to make them consider moving out. Now they have formed a residents' association to try to resolve some of them.
One resident, Chris, who asked for his surname to be withheld, said overflowing bins had made life a misery for him, his partner and her two children.
He said: "We live directly above the area where they keep the communal bins for our block of flats and have had to live with the smell throughout the height of summer."
He said there was a dispute between the developers and refuse collectors, which meant bins were not emptied for four weeks.
He said: "There were maggots everywhere and the most disgusting stench. It was so bad we would avoid coming home. The way they have built the place meant the smell came straight through into our living room and bedroom."
The couple called environmental health officers and asked for action to stop the fumes coming into their home.
Brighton and Hove city councillor Ian Davey said he went to examine the problem last week and there was rubbish piled from floor to ceiling in the bin room, which was the size of a flat.
Coun Davey said: "The bin store has been built in a place refuse trucks can't get to and no one is willing to take responsibility for moving them."
Residents have also complained of problems with skateboarders and BMX riders congregating in the precincts and walkways of the development, also known as City Point.
Mr Davey said: "It seems as though it has been perfectly designed for them. There are plenty of ramps, handrails and open spaces."
He said it did not appear there was any malicious behaviour by skaters but they created a lot of noise close to people's homes, often until late at night.
Moat Housing, which owns the flats in Chris's block, said it was not responsible for their management.
A spokeswoman said management had recently been taken over by Peverell OM.
A city council spokeswoman said an agreement had been made before the block opened that the building managers would take the bins out to somewhere a dustcart could collect them but that agreement had not been upheld.
Your Say YourArgus
fred, Brighton says...
11:20am Thu 26 Jul 07
pj, Brighton says...
11:22am Thu 26 Jul 07
This should have been a garden for residents of the block, of for the flats next to this "illuminated alleyway"!
Ken Hoad, says...
11:58am Thu 26 Jul 07
good old days wrote:Absolutely. The current governing generation just haven't a clue about organising fundamental basics. All we have today is the change this, change that nonsense right throughout government. Going back 30 years it was just about right at the local level. Today council rates have soared and we have useless services. What a pathetic lot they are.
I remember when they used to enter your back garden, hoik the metal bin on their back, empty it and bring it back. Now they expect us to do half the job for them.
Terry Ruth, Marina says...
12:43pm Thu 26 Jul 07
Daily Mail reader, says...
1:18pm Thu 26 Jul 07
Terry Ruth wrote:Exactly. And kids repected their elders and no-one drank alcohol excessively!
And while we're at it, let's bring back rickets, World War One and children up chimneys. We was poor but we was happy and you never had any of this progress nonsense getting in the way.
Graham Hannaford, hove says...
1:19pm Thu 26 Jul 07
ben, Dieppe/Brighton says...
1:31pm Thu 26 Jul 07
Nick, North Laine says...
1:42pm Thu 26 Jul 07
I would hate to live there though, truly awful design anybody who couldn't tell it would be a mecca for skeateboarders are completly out of touch.
Paul, Worthing says...
2:26pm Thu 26 Jul 07
Brian, Brighton says...
2:32pm Thu 26 Jul 07
Nick wrote:Good for you (Nick)!
I applaud the development, it's cut my walk to work at Preston Park by five minutes and the new Sainsbo's is ace.
I would hate to live there though, truly awful design anybody who couldn't tell it would be a mecca for skeateboarders are completly out of touch.
saved 5 minutes walk and Sainsbury's. What a great life you must lead! Expect you would be happy with loads of people walking past every day to/from work and Sainsbury's, around your house-eh! or is it "as long as it's not in my back garden"
And when all the little shops have closed, you will wonder why! AND yet you would hate to live there - a touch of being two-faced i think!
Frankie, Brighton & Hove says...
2:36pm Thu 26 Jul 07
Ronald K, Brighton says...
4:02pm Thu 26 Jul 07
Daily Mail reader wrote:Indeed they did. But the Brits have always drank alcohol excessively, only then they knew how to handle it and still behave civilized instead of the useless rabble we have today.
Terry Ruth wrote: And while we're at it, let's bring back rickets, World War One and children up chimneys. We was poor but we was happy and you never had any of this progress nonsense getting in the way.Exactly. And kids repected their elders and no-one drank alcohol excessively!
Nick, North Laine says...
4:57pm Thu 26 Jul 07
Brian wrote:Brian - A Sainsburys moving 200 meters from around the corner is hardly a threat to local shops.
Nick wrote: I applaud the development, it\'s cut my walk to work at Preston Park by five minutes and the new Sainsbo\'s is ace. I would hate to live there though, truly awful design anybody who couldn\'t tell it would be a mecca for skeateboarders are completly out of touch.Good for you (Nick)! saved 5 minutes walk and Sainsbury\'s. What a great life you must lead! Expect you would be happy with loads of people walking past every day to/from work and Sainsbury\'s, around your house-eh! or is it \"as long as it\'s not in my back garden\" And when all the little shops have closed, you will wonder why! AND yet you would hate to live there - a touch of being two-faced i think!
If the people who live there didn't see this coming they are surely ultra dim. I mean, a supermarket as the centrepiece of a housing development! Thanks for the shortcut though! Ha ha!
Steve ES, Hove says...
9:02pm Thu 26 Jul 07
le processes the guiding principle is profit. I all live in a new development (keyworker homes) as it was the only option if we wanted to buy in the area (working in the social sector makes you a 2nd class citizen in B&H). The build quality is poor, the maintenance is worse and often not worth it and it has brought us significant stress. We ahve recently taken the descision to move North, and will miss the area, but not the absolute lack of common sense that is going into the development of the city. I fear for the future of this city with its lack of parking, poor roads and ever increasing population without the incrase in resources. London by the Sea ?? Notting Hill perhaps.......
SM, says...
9:22pm Thu 26 Jul 07
and when exactly was that ?????
marion, hove says...
12:37am Fri 27 Jul 07
Arnold, Brighton says...
8:52am Fri 27 Jul 07
Alex, Brighton says...
11:06am Fri 27 Jul 07
marion wrote:You poor stuffy old woman, your probably one of those fools who stop little kids kicking a ball around a patch of grass!
Skateboarders and bmx riders are the new homeless druggies of Brighton and Hove, every where you go and a bloody nuisance. You cannot ride bikes on pavements as it is dangerous, why do these brainless boring naff morons not realise this and get a life.
To compare people partaking in a sport to homeless druggies is ridiculous.
You my dear sound like the 'naff brainless boring' one, why would you deem to insult a colective of people you so obviously know nothing about. Im disgusted by people like you, you really lower the tone!
G, Brighton says...
11:47am Fri 27 Jul 07
"It seems as though it has been perfectly designed for them. There are plenty of ramps, handrails and open spaces."
Looking forward to seeing future developments containing plenty of open-sided staircases and cramped corridors...
Oh, and "the big shortcut" as a nickname for the place amuses me no end :)
fred, Brighton says...
11:54am Fri 27 Jul 07
mystified, far far away says...
12:18pm Fri 27 Jul 07
Steve ES wrote:Steve when you sell up are you going to put your flat on for more than you paid for it..seeing as its such a bad development poor maintenance/services etc surely you'll be selling for less now...it would be nice to know if any of the builders/planners bought into the place as well..somehow i doubt it
The one thing all new housing developments have in common is that in every descision taken during the development/build/sa le processes the guiding principle is profit. I all live in a new development (keyworker homes) as it was the only option if we wanted to buy in the area (working in the social sector makes you a 2nd class citizen in B&H). The build quality is poor, the maintenance is worse and often not worth it and it has brought us significant stress. We ahve recently taken the descision to move North, and will miss the area, but not the absolute lack of common sense that is going into the development of the city. I fear for the future of this city with its lack of parking, poor roads and ever increasing population without the incrase in resources. London by the Sea ?? Notting Hill perhaps.......
from, Reality says...
11:26am Sat 28 Jul 07
ex-brightonian, says...
5:10pm Sat 28 Jul 07
Fits in well with the rest of the TOWN then.
Foul place that it has become over the last ten years. Glad I moved out. Druggies, chavs, homeless, anti-car brigade, lONDONERS, spivs, scum...... Yep, really nice place now.
Ben, Dieppe/Brighton says...
8:02am Sun 29 Jul 07
ex-brightonian, says...
11:54am Sun 29 Jul 07
Ben wrote:Just because I don't live there anymore, doesn't mean I don't work there. And have done for many years and have been witness to it's seedy demise into the gutter.
You don't know what you're talking about, you don't live here anymore so shut up. Brighton is still a great place: vibrant, funky, cool and cultural. It is still one of the coolest cities in the UK.
It USED to be vibrant, funky, cool and cultural.......until everybody realised how vibrant and funky it was then the plebs started descending. It's now tacky, dirty, seedy, smelly and full of scum. And londoners. More's the pity
Ben, Dieppe/Brighton says...
1:25pm Sun 29 Jul 07
Stu, Brighton says...
3:47pm Sun 29 Jul 07
ex-brightonian, says...
12:17am Mon 30 Jul 07
Then again, compared to Dieppe, so is Basra.
Oh, btw, my company is still based in Brighton, as it has been since 1993 when I set it up.
Fortunately, made an absolute packet by selling my house to some moron from london that enabled me to take my family to a rather nice village near(ish) to brighton. And it doesn't smell there. Isn't that noisy either.
Pete Bennett - Formerly Daddy Fantastic, Brighton says...
3:32am Mon 30 Jul 07
I USED TO BE THE LEAD SINGER IN A LOCAL BAND CALLED DADDY FANTASTIC. SINCE MY TIME ON TV I'VE GONE SOLO WITH MUCH SUCCESS.
EX-BRIGHTONIAN, I PROBABLY EARN MORE IN A MONTH THAN YOU DO IN A YEAR PILGRIM. AFTER YOUR PASSING I'M SURE YOU'LL BE FORGOTTEN ABOUT AFTER A MATTER OF MINUTES. I WILL UNDOUBTABLY BE REMEMBERED WITH GREAT FONDNESS BY MILLIONS OF MY ADORING FANS.
ALWITE!!!!
Kelly, Brighton says...
9:02am Tue 14 Aug 07
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Councillor Ian Davey with some New England Quarter residents at the bin store
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good old days, the past says...
10:37am Thu 26 Jul 07