Brighton and Hove councillors want say over Brighton Sealife Centre licence

1:00pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter

The world’s oldest operating aquarium could have its fins clipped by council chiefs.

Tens of thousands of people every year visit the Grade II listed Brighton Sealife Centre, opposite the Palace Pier.

But leaked town hall papers seen by The Argus show elected representatives on the Green-run Brighton and Hove City Council want to take control over the granting of its zoo licence in future years.

Local authority bosses also believe it is “desirable for the proper conduct” of the attraction for a councillor to sit on its ethics committee for the first time.

It comes after a number of Green party members criticised the animal welfare standards at the attraction, which helps bring in millions of pounds into the city’s economy every year.

This is despite a number of Government inspectors repeatedly finding no fault with how it is run.

Max Leviston, general manager of the Sealife Centre, refuted any suggestion that granting elected members the power to grants its licence would put the attraction on an unstable footing.

He added he hoped any councillors would take any decision on “professional rather than an opinionated view”.

Mr Leviston said: “The fact it’s a Green council may have something to do with it but there is a precedent from other areas.

“From our point of view there’s absolutely nothing to worry about and we look forward to discussing it with the council.

“There’s certainly no conflict.”

The Sealife Centre is the only classified zoo in the city and has to apply for a licence every six years.

Council officials have recommended the licence be automatically renewed when discussed next week.

However, when it returns in 2019, councillors have recommended the cross-party licensing committee has the final say over whether it can operate.

Ben Duncan, chairman of the council’s licensing committee, claimed it was about improving democracy.

He added: “At the moment if someone opposes an alcohol premises then that has to come before a panel.

“It seems entirely appropriate that this, or any other zoo in the city, is taken the same way.”

When last done in 2007, leaked documents show the Government inspector praised the work of the Sealife Centre’s bosses.

A number of Green party members have previously been critical of the animal welfare standards in the aquarium.

In the party’s 2011 election manifesto it listed a successful campaign to stop a new seal and otter enclosure at the centre as one of its victories.

It added members had since challenged the independence of government veterinary inspections to the local authority.

A council spokeswoman said: “There are no proposals to change the Sealife Centre’s licence terms or its conditions.”

Comments(23)

Maxwell's Ghost says...
1:06pm Wed 6 Mar 13

This is the council which killed fish in a pond.
I hope the sea life centre employs some good lawyers to take on these dictators.
They have gone power mad and they aren't even good at it.

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paul76 says...
1:11pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Ben Duncan, chairman of the council’s licensing committee, claimed it was about improving democracy.

He added: “At the moment if someone opposes an alcohol premises then that has to come before a panel.

“It seems entirely appropriate that this, or any other zoo in the city, is taken the same way.”

So what he is saying is residents in Brighton & Hove will be able to raise an objection to the Sea Life centre based on what? It's location, the amount of noise the fish make after 10pm.

What a total stupid idea. This green administration gets worse every day.

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paul76 says...
1:11pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Ben Duncan, chairman of the council’s licensing committee, claimed it was about improving democracy.

He added: “At the moment if someone opposes an alcohol premises then that has to come before a panel.

“It seems entirely appropriate that this, or any other zoo in the city, is taken the same way.”

So what he is saying is residents in Brighton & Hove will be able to raise an objection to the Sea Life centre based on what? It's location, the amount of noise the fish make after 10pm.

What a total stupid idea. This green administration gets worse every day.

Report this post »

toldsloth says...
1:25pm Wed 6 Mar 13

This would be the same council that employed a bunch of half-wits to drain the Rookery Pond and then ended up killing most of the fish? This beggard belief - this adminstration cannot be gone soon enough. I am absolutely fed up of this travesty of a council sticking it's nose in where its simply not needed.

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fred clause says...
1:30pm Wed 6 Mar 13

The greens,The party that keeps on giving..

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Crystal Ball says...
1:35pm Wed 6 Mar 13

BHCC are planning on influencing whether you walk on the cracks in the pavement, the rotation of the sun and the southerly migration of birds during winter.

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kopite_rob says...
1:44pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Ben Duncan, chairman of the council’s licensing committee, claimed it was about improving democracy.

He added: “At the moment if someone opposes an alcohol premises then that has to come before a panel.

I'm glad the licensing panel considers itself so effective at licensing and regulating the off licences of our city, and ensuring there isn't a proliferation of unscrupulous and reckless owners committing offences, as and when they like without fear of prosecution or removal of their license to trade.

Unless the Argus is wrong in it's often reported tales of repeated off license offences for; selling to the under age, street drinkers, selling dangerous counterfeit and stolen alcohol and cigarettes & selling alcohol at ridiculously low prices, disruption to residents lives and increasing crime & disorder and health problems in Brighton, adding to the policing and NHS costs of Brighton taxpayers.

But obviously Ben Duncan now has bigger fish to fry than letting Brighton continue it's every weekend descent into Soddam & Gamorrah.

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wexler53 says...
1:44pm Wed 6 Mar 13

God help the fish...

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rolivan says...
2:09pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Will the UFO Centre have to apply for a license for Passport Control.

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Kate234 says...
2:21pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Could we have an egg timer on the Argus website which counts down the day to the next council elections?

It would be more positive than having to hear more depressing news about the Greens in Brighton every day.

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downbythesea says...
2:57pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Oh look, the Greens wanting to stick their fat fingers into something that is running perfectly well without their influence, they don't like NOT having control of everything it seems...

Roll on the next election, and shame on everybody that doesn't vote to get these idiots out and stop them wrecking Brighton!

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BiggerH says...
4:19pm Wed 6 Mar 13

I haven't been there since the dolphins were removed over 30 years ago, and won't go back until they are returned.

I write to the company on a monthly basis questioning this decision, but have yet to receive a sensible reply.

dolphin NIMBY's the lot of them

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thevoiceoftruth says...
4:26pm Wed 6 Mar 13

You simply could not make it up! Fish killing council complain about animal welfare standards.

BiggerH - Dolphins are very intelligent creatures and shouldn't be kept in tanks simply for your entertainment.

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SuzieB says...
4:37pm Wed 6 Mar 13

I'm quite shocked by some of the comments here. Bring back the dolphins??? Even experts agree that dolphins in concrete pools is wrong and that dolphin shows are a thing of the past. Lulu the turtle was captured from the wild over 60 years ago and has spent her life in captivity, most of it in an underground pool. If readers here think that these creatures are just here to entertain them and bring money into the City from tourists then perhaps we're not the enlightened place that we like to make out we are. Perhaps readers should ask the Sealife Centre how many fish have died due to silly mistakes over the last few years.

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BiggerH says...
5:06pm Wed 6 Mar 13

thevoiceoftruth wrote:
You simply could not make it up! Fish killing council complain about animal welfare standards.

BiggerH - Dolphins are very intelligent creatures and shouldn't be kept in tanks simply for your entertainment.
I have very happy memories of the dolphins singing 'happy birthday' to me in my youth (even though it might not have been my birthday on that day !!) - cheeky I know

What do I get now when taking my kids out?? Queues and stinky boiled sausage smell - no thanks!

FWIW,the dolphins seemed pretty ok back then in quite a large pool - you can't feign that sort of happiness (or are you saying they're that smart that they can fool us!!")

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Phani Tikkala says...
5:47pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Bonkers

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Idontbelieveit1948 says...
7:16pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Greens, who'd have them ?

Somebody's putting marijuana in their muesli again !

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george smith says...
7:25pm Wed 6 Mar 13

kopite_rob wrote:
Ben Duncan, chairman of the council’s licensing committee, claimed it was about improving democracy. He added: “At the moment if someone opposes an alcohol premises then that has to come before a panel. I'm glad the licensing panel considers itself so effective at licensing and regulating the off licences of our city, and ensuring there isn't a proliferation of unscrupulous and reckless owners committing offences, as and when they like without fear of prosecution or removal of their license to trade. Unless the Argus is wrong in it's often reported tales of repeated off license offences for; selling to the under age, street drinkers, selling dangerous counterfeit and stolen alcohol and cigarettes & selling alcohol at ridiculously low prices, disruption to residents lives and increasing crime & disorder and health problems in Brighton, adding to the policing and NHS costs of Brighton taxpayers. But obviously Ben Duncan now has bigger fish to fry than letting Brighton continue it's every weekend descent into Soddam & Gamorrah.
Oh no they are not interferring in fish and chip shops are they, mind it would be the natural progression after they killed the Preston park fish .... and they could sell the old oil to the yellow bus co, when it isn't using diesel. I now can see the big green picture

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den friend says...
8:25pm Wed 6 Mar 13

The Council owned building occupied by the Sealife centre was built in the 1870's, it is a museum! It is no longer fit for purpose and it is an absolute travesty that animals are kept in such inappropriate conditions. The animals aren't in there for their benefit, they are imprisoned purely to provide entertainment for selfish people who should know better. The Sealife centre is owned by Blackstone, the 2nd largest entertainment group in the world. Why do they not provide a better, more suitable environment for the animals they insist on keeping in an underground water prison?
I sincerely hope that our 'Green' led council will get rid of this overpriced animal abusing tourist attraction.

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Dave At Home says...
9:55pm Wed 6 Mar 13

OMG and this from the very same people that killed fish in Preston Park and the RSPCA didn't do anything about it, now I know the World has gone mad.

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bikerjimbo says...
12:03am Thu 7 Mar 13

My flabber (or should that be flipper) is gasted. What are the Greens doing, they are screwing everything up and then want to take on added areas of responsibility. I agree we should have a count down to the next local elections so that we can try to stay positive. My main concern is that any party taking over will have to spend a vast amount of money to return our city to normal. AND IT IS OUR MONEY they will have to use.

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mnairb says...
7:16am Thu 7 Mar 13

Kate234 wrote:
Could we have an egg timer on the Argus website which counts down the day to the next council elections?

It would be more positive than having to hear more depressing news about the Greens in Brighton every day.
What a good idea, Kate234, the Argus could put insert it instead of the photo of 'Great Leader' Kitcat that it insists on putting in almost every day.

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Fight_Back says...
3:37pm Thu 7 Mar 13

SuzieB wrote:
I'm quite shocked by some of the comments here. Bring back the dolphins??? Even experts agree that dolphins in concrete pools is wrong and that dolphin shows are a thing of the past. Lulu the turtle was captured from the wild over 60 years ago and has spent her life in captivity, most of it in an underground pool. If readers here think that these creatures are just here to entertain them and bring money into the City from tourists then perhaps we're not the enlightened place that we like to make out we are. Perhaps readers should ask the Sealife Centre how many fish have died due to silly mistakes over the last few years.
Woooosssshhhhh !!!! You might want to learn how to identify serious from non-serious posts !!!!

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