Amex hotel proposal will be decided at BHCC Planning Committee 17th February

[Herr Tubthumper]

That artists impression makes it look like a cheap tacky carbuncle of a building. I'd have turned it down as well, it looks shit.

Have another go and try and be a bit more stylish next time.

I've finally seen some pictures of it and I have to say it does look a bit crap. I'd suggest having another go with something a bit more imaginative.

 

[Pondicherry]

Am I missing something here. When you are planning on building something like this, I assume it is normal to talk to the planning authorities to get their views on what is likely to be acceptable / not acceptable. I also assume the whole design process is quite expensive - why waste money designing something that was unlikely to get recommended for approval. Has the club (or the design team the club employed) messed up here?

 

[Cosmic Joker]

Am I missing something here. When you are planning on building something like this, I assume it is normal to talk to the planning authorities to get their views on what is likely to be acceptable / not acceptable. I also assume the whole design process is quite expensive - why waste money designing something that was unlikely to get recommended for approval. Has the club (or the design team the club employed) messed up here?

It certainly looks that way, unless of course the committee decide to ignore their officers' recommendation. In fact from the incredulous reaction by the club reported in the Argus it looks as if the club could be guilty of complacency and even arrogance in taking the Council for granted because they supported the stadium and recognise that the club is a major economic and cultural asset for the City. Just because the club is good for the City as a whole and providing a hotel on site with a medical facility is a good idea in principle, doesn't mean that they can then plonk something that looks like a cheap office block in Crawley right in front of the beautiful Amex stadium.

It's notable that the club's reported arguments for the hotel are pretty much about the principle of the development, not the design, whilst the reported reason for the objection from Council officers is about the design, not the principle or the activity generated. I'm fairly confident that if the club can come back with a design that complements the flowing lines of the stadium and nearby downland then they will get through second time around. In the meantime they will lose at least several months if not a year's potential hotel revenue and face additional design and other costs, which could largely have been avoided. Of course, I don't know how much engagement they actually had with Council officers before submitting the application, but to come up with a refusal recommendation suggests not enough. Council planning officers tend not to make recommendations which they don't think they have a good likelihood of sustaining through a potential appeal, especially with larger applications, so it won't have been made lightly.

 

[ewe2]

Mr Bloom has built an iconic stadium (God bless him )......The Pyramids have a lot of tat very close to them.......I don't think we should follow suit.The hotel complex is a great idea,a sort of sleep,park and ride to the city.......but porta cabins on top of each other.....really !!!!!

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Why refuse? It impacts on nobody and fills a need... What have they got against it?

Why refuse? Because it's an ugly monstrosity that detracts from our beautiful stadium, that's why. The Albion really need to literally go back to the drawing board and try a bit harder.

I wonder if anybody from the Albion reads this because, if they do, they might be surprised at the negative feedback.

 

[beorhthelm]

Why refuse? Because it's an ugly monstrosity that detracts from our beautiful stadium, that's why. The Albion really need to literally go back to the drawing board and try a bit harder.

the only aspect from whcih the stadium is particualy "beautiful" is driving over Falmer Rd, and this wont be impacted by the hotel location. when arriving by train its certainly pleasing to see the stadium, but its hardly a architectual wonder. dont get me wrong its very nice, but not something that will be imposed upon by a box attached to the east side where you only ever see it from the carpark.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Maybe the design isn't BORING enough, like the King Alfred.

As an aside, anyone know whats going on at that site north of the A27 just east of West Hove Golf Club. Lots of digger activity. I always thought it was a SWINE getting planning permission for sites north of the A27.

Yes.. They were granted permission to erect land banks to cut down on noise from the bypass. The council gave a grant of £350k and the waste that is being used is all " green waste" so attracting further grants. I believe they are also charging the companies who dump the waste .....

Great earner for the club and I also heard they are looking to put a roof over the practice bays too!
lol

 

[ringmerseagulltoo]

Maybe they want the design of the hotel to be more in keeping with that of the stadium?

I think this may be.a major part of the objection. From the illustration in the Argus you wouldn't think the stadium and hotel were designed by the same architects. The hotel is a very unimaginative and lacklustre pair of rectangular boxes wholly out of sympathy with the stadium. I am not surprised better is expected. Developers' policy is usually to go for the cheapest option first, then be driven to something better by the Planners.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Doesn't the hotel design blend in perfectly with the university box buildings next to the stadium ?

 

[Lincoln Imp]

Mr Bloom has built an iconic stadium (God bless him )......The Pyramids have a lot of tat very close to them.......I don't think we should follow suit.The hotel complex is a great idea,a sort of sleep,park and ride to the city.......but porta cabins on top of each other.....really !!!!!

Appearance-wise, might it be relevant that the stadium was designed under the previous regime and the hotel under the present one?

 

[Lincoln Imp]

the only aspect from whcih the stadium is particualy "beautiful" is driving over Falmer Rd, and this wont be impacted by the hotel location. when arriving by train its certainly pleasing to see the stadium, but its hardly a architectual wonder. dont get me wrong its very nice, but not something that will be imposed upon by a box attached to the east side where you only ever see it from the carpark.

If you drive along the A27 you can just about pick out the beautiful stadium from there.

 

[beorhthelm]

Doesn't the hotel design blend in perfectly with the university box buildings next to the stadium ?

that was what i thought too, its rather similar deliberatly block style.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Doesn't the hotel design blend in perfectly with the university box buildings next to the stadium ?

It doesn't mean we need to carry on down that road though. Brighton, both the club and the city, deserves better than a couple of crappy and unimaginative boxes. I'm pleased this got turned down. The planners have a duty to look after our built environment and they have got this right IMHO. And it won't be too much effort to ask the city planners what would be permissible and follow their guidance.

 

[pastafarian]

Hotels in this class of accommodation are never going to be architectural wonders,their function is mostly guided by what goes on in the interior.We are looking at a grade similar to an Ibis,Premier Inn or Holiday Inn Express,cheap but functional.
Saying that i agree with many on here,the design pictures in the argus are very bland and do not do justice to the stadium its going to sit in front of.I really think they need to go back to the drawing board and think again.I wonder though if planning constraints actually have limited what the designers can or cannot do and they are limited in their design against producing a facility that is viable (ie number or rooms versus a monorail and waterslide access)

 

[Hugo Rune]

Doesn't the hotel design blend in perfectly with the university box buildings next to the stadium ?

The closest buildings to the stadium are the oldest and if not temporary, will be demolished in the next few years. Gaining planning permission for the newer buildings on that site took considerable effort from the University. You may notice that many of the newer buildings have lawn roofs; this is an example of just one of the hoops the planners wanted the University to jump through to grant planning. These flat roofs containing various grasses and shrubbery are very expensive to build & plan and hugely problematic to maintain (we just have too much rain in this country for these Mediterranean designs).

The planners need to have their objections, it's what they do, especially in a site nestled within a national park. I anticipate the club will make changes to the design on the recommendation of planners and hopefully the schemes can get the green light ASAP.

 

[Notters]

Hotels in this class of accommodation are never going to be architectural wonders,their function is mostly guided by what goes on in the interior.We are looking at a grade similar to an Ibis,Premier Inn or Holiday Inn Express,cheap but functional.
Saying that i agree with many on here,the design pictures in the argus are very bland and do not do justice to the stadium its going to sit in front of.I really think they need to go back to the drawing board and think again.I wonder though if planning constraints actually have limited what the designers can or cannot do and they are limited in their design against producing a facility that is viable (ie number or rooms versus a monorail and waterslide access)

Pretty sure it's supposed to be four star not a premier inn! Aloft are supposed to be pretty classy.

 

[atomised]

Pretty sure it's supposed to be four star not a premier inn! Aloft are supposed to be pretty classy.

Aloft hotels as.a.chain are 4.star on the whole and.quite trendy. The excel ones quite nice

 

[Mr Putdown]

I'm pleased this got turned down.

It hasn't been turned down.

 

[Dave the OAP]

I am surprised they haven't just put a curving roof on it to mirror the footy ground. That would appease the whiners who say it is not aesthetically pleasing.

I think they have tried to copy the madjeski, but failed spectacularly.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I am surprised they haven't just put a curving roof on it to mirror the footy ground.

Quite. It's easily done.