Landmark Brighton building will be protected (From The Argus)
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Landmark Brighton building will be protected
3:30pm Thursday 18th March 2010 in
A landmark children's hospital will be protected against developers under new council guidelines.
Campaigners have fought to save the distinctive main building of the former Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital in Brighton ever since its NHS owners moved out in 2006.
Now a draft planning brief drawn up by Brighton and Hove City Council recommends the Victorian building should be retained in any redevelopment of the site.
New owners Taylor Wimpey had wanted to pull the hospital buildings down to make room for 149 flats and a new surgery on the site in Dyke Road.
However they were thrown out by the council and a subsequent appeal rejected by a planning inspector last year.
As well as keeping the main building, other key principles outlined by the council include retaining the open space to the south of the site, ensuring new buildings are not more than five storeys, and safeguarding any trees currently under preservation orders.
While the main historic building would be retained, according to the report, others in the middle of the site could not be kept without severely limiting development potential.
These include the Elizabeth Day Centre, the laundry building and the nurses home.
The guidance is expected to be approved by council cabinet member for the environment, Geoffrey Theobald, next week.
He said: “Ideally we need a policy which reflects the community’s desire to keep the basic character provided by the current buildings.
“I favour retaining a site’s existing character where it is valued by local people.
“At the same time we need to be wary of any policies that might cause buildings to lay empty for years and become an eyesore rather than an asset.”
Taylor Wimpey was unable to comment at the time The Argus went to press.
Comments(13)
miss_lad_pink
says...
4:41pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Tony0927
says...
4:56pm Thu 18 Mar 10
oldmarket
says...
5:30pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Rocker
says...
5:37pm Thu 18 Mar 10
I walk past this HUGE plot twice a day.Would be a crime if the developers went for profit maximisation over aesthetics.
Lady Smith
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8:59pm Thu 18 Mar 10
sussexone
says...
11:57pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Tony0927 wrote:It will be interesting to see what they come up with next, however I suspect it will remain empty for years to come until a more favourable planning policy is forthcoming... and don't forget these are only planning "guidelines" created by elected councillors NOT planning rules, they can always be challenged at appeal and overuled by a government planning inspector!
This is undoubtedly a landmark building, I would have said that the planners have done a good job. I do wonder thou about the developer being able to make it pay economically when such conditions are thrust upon them.
Personally I quite liked the new modern designs put forward, but hey, each to their own!
bug eye
says...
12:24am Fri 19 Mar 10
shrek's uglier brother
says...
8:10am Fri 19 Mar 10
Lady Smith
says...
11:00am Fri 19 Mar 10
shrek's uglier brother wrote:I fear you may be proved right.... there are certainly enough precedents!
What's the betting that a mysterious fire starts which ends up with the building becoming unsafe & therefore requires knocking down?
Granny
says...
2:12pm Fri 19 Mar 10
toldsloth
says...
3:04pm Fri 19 Mar 10
Lady Smith wrote:You're not for one minute thinking of those well known and respected masters of the art of arson the Noble's are you?!!
shrek's uglier brother wrote: What's the betting that a mysterious fire starts which ends up with the building becoming unsafe & therefore requires knocking down?I fear you may be proved right.... there are certainly enough precedents!
Tye
says...
7:30am Sat 20 Mar 10
Lady Smith wrote:Just what I thought
shrek's uglier brother wrote: What's the betting that a mysterious fire starts which ends up with the building becoming unsafe & therefore requires knocking down?I fear you may be proved right.... there are certainly enough precedents!
The perpetrator will not be caught and the council will not admit it BUT they will quietly be very happy that their friends -either those in the "lodge" or the Italian ones will make money out of it and might even show by their actions how happy they are
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4:26pm Thu 18 Mar 10