Bollard repair bother in Brighton

10:00am Monday 28th January 2013 in News

Grade II listed bollard replaced with a stump Grade II listed bollard replaced with a stump

A council is considering whether to piece a historic bollard back together after it was damaged in a vandalism attack.

The listed bollard outside the Regency Tavern in Russell Square, Brighton, which appeared in the opening scene of the 1948 film Brighton Rock, was damaged on New Year’s Eve and replaced days later with a much shorter bollard.

Part of the broken bollard was taken to the council’s highways depot in Hollingbury, Brighton, and the other half was taken by private contractors to their depot in Poynings.

The two sections have now been reunited and council officials are working with the Regency Square Area Society to decide whether to repair the original or replace it. Experts have advised that the cast iron bollard cannot simply be welded.

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Comments(13)

668 The neighbour of the beast says...
10:10am Mon 28 Jan 13

We need an independent expert to advise on both welding and smelting techniques.
I hope the council has set up an oversight committee to advise the management consultants about their latest project. We'll need aerial photographs and a group of council officers might benefit from a 2 week educational trip to see how they cope with such disasters in Hawaii.

No expense is too great when it comes to the council talking bollards.

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censored says...
10:14am Mon 28 Jan 13

My first reaction was a sneery chuckle. It is, after all, only a bollard.

But this is how heritage disappears. It's only a phone box, only a gate, only some paving, only a bollard, on a plaque, only one building. Eventually, there's nothing left of character or interest.

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668 The neighbour of the beast says...
10:34am Mon 28 Jan 13

Here, here. Our future generations are already having to live without ever having the joys of listening to cassette players, Betamax video recorders and etcha-sketch toys are now only used by those employed to set the timers for traffic lights throughout the city.

I think they're planning an elite 'World of Warcraft' academy so that our greatest hopes for the future do not forget their formative years.

All that said, the bollard pictured seems quite cheery.

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Crystal Ball says...
10:52am Mon 28 Jan 13

What a load of bollards.

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qm says...
11:54am Mon 28 Jan 13

The Council don't have a choice, they are subject to the same rules to which we are all subject when our heritage is concerned. Besides, it's not their expense, they are purely custodians of our wealth, no matter how great or small that may be! It's not their city, it's ours!

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leobrighton says...
12:21pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Why not have all new bollards made in the same style.

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Bob_The_Ferret says...
1:14pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Since they have all (or most) of the pieces, it shouldn't be a difficult job to make a pattern and cast a new identical one. We do still have pattern makers and foundries in this country. If it was badly broken, a welded repair would probably be difficult and end up looking messy, and leave the thing liable to break again in the future.

I can imagine that problems arise in that a new bollard, even if a replica, probably has to be made to some current standards and the regulations are probably too inflexible to allow a like for like replacement, without changing the design.

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Hoarder12345444 says...
1:15pm Mon 28 Jan 13

668 The neighbour of the beast wrote:
We need an independent expert to advise on both welding and smelting techniques.
I hope the council has set up an oversight committee to advise the management consultants about their latest project. We'll need aerial photographs and a group of council officers might benefit from a 2 week educational trip to see how they cope with such disasters in Hawaii.

No expense is too great when it comes to the council talking bollards.
Are you serious? Jeesus it's just a bit of iron sticking out the ground!!

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PaulOckenden says...
1:21pm Mon 28 Jan 13

Gaffer tape.

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Crystal Ball says...
1:43pm Mon 28 Jan 13

668 The neighbour of the beast wrote:
We need an independent expert to advise on both welding and smelting techniques.
I hope the council has set up an oversight committee to advise the management consultants about their latest project. We'll need aerial photographs and a group of council officers might benefit from a 2 week educational trip to see how they cope with such disasters in Hawaii.

No expense is too great when it comes to the council talking bollards.
You jest but...

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MuammarQaddafi says...
1:44pm Mon 28 Jan 13

If this were China, you could have a factory tooled up and turning out excellent replicas by the score in about four weeks. Don't tell me there's nobody in Britain who could make even one.

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chilliman says...
3:19pm Mon 28 Jan 13

The bollards should at least match each other whether in cast iron, asteel or fibreglass.

I don't live in the town centre so the old, cast iron, lamp post outside that got smashed by a careless driver parking on the pavement is being replaced with a steel post that doesn't look anywhere near as nice as the old one or the other old ones nearby.

The length of time it's taking would indicate that, as "668 The neighbour of the beast" was postulating, committees are meeting, consultations being carried out and regular site visits to check on the progress made.

So far the new base has been set in grey concrete, when the pavement is in red slabs, so maybe an optometrist is needed as well with subsidised spectacles (concreting, for the use of).supplied at the ratepayers' expense.

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serial says...
3:20pm Mon 28 Jan 13

nothing better to spend council tax money on?

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