IN YOUR front page on of September 5 entitled “This is what we could have”, I note your comment that “It is a no-brainer and therefore The Argus is fully behind businessman Roger Wade’s ambitious plans for Madeira Terrace.”

The singular and historic Madeira Terrace belongs to the people of Brighton and to the nation.

Its conservation and enhancement must be supported logically, artistically and, not least, emotionally.

There are lots of great things about the Boxpark proposals. The vision of residents and visitors spilling out of the new cafes and bars onto a new public piazza to enjoy an array of events and then riding on the Volks Electric Railway is one that we can all share.

But these difficult heritage projects take time to come to fruition because the cost of repair needs to be found from one purse or another.

One purse is subsidy from bodies such as the National Heritage Lottery Fund, or what is described as “enabling development” which is building around or, in this case, on top of a historic asset.

The extent of enabling development required, as demonstrated by the Boxpark proposals, is disproportionate to the historic value of the Terrace and will cause significant harm to its character.

Brighton and Hove City Council is doing the right thing in seeking funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other sources to secure the future of the Terrace for future generations rather than for the financial reward to a private property developer.

As John Ruskin said: “Old buildings are not ours. They belong, partly to those who built them, and partly to the generations of mankind who are to follow us.”

I pray that Brighton and Hove City Council will stick to their guns on this most important of issues.

Russell Miller
Address supplied