Progress on Malvern Garage Site

As many readers may remember, in January a planning application for the Malvern Garage site in Montgomergy Street was turned down by Brighton & Hove City Council’s planning committee, on the grounds that the proposed flats would have been an overdevelopment of the site. There was no appeal against this decision by the applicants and, to date, no new applications have been received.

However, I understand from council officers that a new application is currently being put together by the owners. Whilst Council officers have received no details at this stage, I am hoping that it will be submitted very soon

Until the site is developed it is very important that it isn’t allowed to deteriorate visually with rubbish dumping as happened when it first became vacant. Council officers I have spoken to are happy that this is not happening now and that it is all properly secured. The importance of keeping it this way has also been stressed to the site owners.

Ward Surgery Dates

Denise and I will be holding our regular two Advice Surgeries in September.  The first is on Saturday 6th and will be held at the TalkShop in Stoneham Park.  The time for this surgery is from 10am until 11am.

The second date is Wednesday 10th September at the Hove Museum from 5pm until 6.30pm.  No appointments are necessary at either surgery.

In the meantime, if you want to contact me on this or any other matter, my email address is: brian.oxley1@mac.com

Gala Bingo Hall site - GP relocation proposals

Brighton & Hove Primary Care Trust are holding a public meeting on Tuesday 16th September to obtain views from patients and the wider public on their proposals to relocate the Sackville Road and Central Hove GP surgeries to the Gala Bingo Hall site on Portland Road, Hove. The meeting will take place between 6.30-8pm at West Hove Junior School. I would urge anyone who has an interest in this proposal to go along and make their views known.

Tree problems update

Further to my blog entry on 21st August on the various tree issues in Pembroke Crescent, I have received the following information from officers:

1) The Council's arboriculturalists will shortly be reinspecting the offending trees and will tend to any sucker growth that is obstructing the public highways.

2) The Council's street cleaners have recently swept up the fallen leaves

3) The elm tree that had to be felled in the grounds of Hove Museum is to be replaced during the next planting season - i.e. autumn/winter.

If anyone has any other problems with trees please get in touch and I will ask council officers to look into it - brian.oxley1@mac.com

Improved bus services in Westbourne

I am delighted to report that from September 28th there will be increased frequency of some bus services run by Brighton & Hove Bus Company serving the ward. These are:

• No. 1 & 6 routes, which serve New Church Road;
• No. 2 & 49 routes, which serve Portland Road;
• No. 5, which travels along the Sackville Road boundary of the ward.

Further details can be found on the Brighton & Hove Bus Company website.

Furthermore, I met recently with the manager of the Bus Company, Roger French, and I raised with him the concerns that have been expressed to me by residents over the lack of a convenient bus route serving all parts of Hove and east-west along the seafront. Roger pointed out to me that the 11x service travels this route, leaving from Hove Town Hall and terminating at the Thistle Hotel on the seafront. The 11x operates Monday to Friday every half hour. Please do make use of this service!