[Brighton] Would you move back to Brighton?

[Machiavelli]

NSC is a wonderful Smörgåsbord of opinions so when seeking advice from complete strangers it's a good place to start.

I've been living abroad for a number of years now but recently I've been feeling strong desires to move home to the fine city of Brighton and Hove. My girlfriend is pretty keen as she wants to improve her English and I own my flat here in Valencia with a mortgage of about a hundred quid a month so I always have that safety net. I work from home for a British company so no problems there.

Anyone done something similar and care to share their experiences? I've made a loose list of pros and cons so please feel free to jump in.

Pros
- Can actually watch the Albion live (one day, hopefully)
- Can play more golf
- Pubs
- Friends and family to spend more time with
- Pubs
- Decent international food
- More agreeable summers rather than unsticking my balls every 10 minutes
- Pubs

Cons
- Cost of living is absurd
- Partner might struggle to find work as the UK slides into a recession and she will start doing my head in
- Gammons now more vocal although Brighton is relatively gammon minimal
- Every time I go home it seems much dirtier than I remember
- Weather is terrible most of the year
- Whatever mad shit the Tories decide to do next

Thanks in advance for your input!

To your pros, may I add:
fantastic live music
improving restaurant, street food scene
dynamic culture
brilliant range of natural resources on outskirts of city

 

[jamie (not that one)]

To your pros, may I add:
fantastic live music
improving restaurant, street food scene
dynamic culture
brilliant range of natural resources on outskirts of city

Live music and multiculturalism are both definitely massive pros. Not much live music here other than organised concerts and everyone looks the same. Dull.

 

[The Clamp]

The Tory council are intent on turning Shoreham into a mini Hove. Which is what it will be like after even more high rise apartments will be built near the harbour.

Yep. But you’re not allowed to say that here, “not in my back yard“ and all that. Not supposed to like things the way they are, we must embrace gentrification and high rise flats and everywhere looking identical. I’ve been told by a man who lives in Leeds.

 

[jamie (not that one)]

Yep. But you’re not allowed to say that here, “not in my back yard“ and all that. Not supposed to like things the way they are, we must embrace gentrification and high rise flats and everywhere looking identical. I’ve been told by a man who lives in Leeds.

Is infrastructure being improved with the attempt to grow the town?

 

[GOM]

Yep. But you’re not allowed to say that here, “not in my back yard“ and all that. Not supposed to like things the way they are, we must embrace gentrification and high rise flats and everywhere looking identical. I’ve been told by a man who lives in Leeds.

How far back would you like to go on the 'keep things as they are' ? 50s, 60s 70s 80s etc or would you like to go even further back. You are now living in the 21st century and you are in Shoreham not St Mary Mead.

What has my location go to do with anything ? (other than demonstrating your astounding observational skills)

 

[hoof hearted]

Is infrastructure being improved with the attempt to grow the town?

No. There will just be more traffic congestion (on an already congested main road) and more overcrowded trains. There's only so much growth a small town can take. Shoreham doesn't need growing any more.

 

[hoof hearted]

Nice looking... and I hate what I'm about to say.... "condo" style high rises, or minging 60's council block types?

https://www.facebook.com/AdurWorthingCouncils/photos/a.226040510757476/3656381267723366/

I'd say somewhere closer to the later. Generic looking high rises spoiling a once peaceful town. As long as the Tories rake in more council tax, that's all that matters..

 

[Beanstalk]

How far back would you like to go on the 'keep things as they are' ? 50s, 60s 70s 80s etc or would you like to go even further back. You are now living in the 21st century and you are in Shoreham not St Mary Mead.

What has my location go to do with anything ? (other than demonstrating your astounding observational skills)

 

[zefarelly]

Is infrastructure being improved with the attempt to grow the town?

The A259 is a 10mph car park, the link to the A27 through Shoreham is the same . . . . . both get worse by the day, The A27 will get significantly worse when the IKEA site is full developed as they got a total ****wit to plan the roads.

 

[jamie (not that one)]

The A259 is a 10mph car park, the link to the A27 through Shoreham is the same . . . . . both get worse by the day, The A27 will get significantly worse when the IKEA site is full developed as they got a total ****wit to plan the roads.

I'll take that as a no from you then

 

[zefarelly]

I'll take that as a no from you then

TBH If you don'r travel in the obviously bad hours or need a car its perfect . . . . cycling to BTN is half an hour tops, even for an ageing geriatric . . . . scooters are quick and efficient, plenty of electric options, and global warming means the climate gets better every week. An older property in central Shoreham still ticks a lot of boxes.

 

[The Clamp]

How far back would you like to go on the 'keep things as they are' ? 50s, 60s 70s 80s etc or would you like to go even further back. You are now living in the 21st century and you are in Shoreham not St Mary Mead.

What has my location go to do with anything ? (other than demonstrating your astounding observational skills)

You’re refusing to take in what people are saying. Forget about my personal taste in buildings/pathways/brick colour. The point is there isn’t infrastructure to support the development. That’s a simple fact and it’s going to be a huge problem.

 

[GOM]

You’re refusing to take in what people are saying. Forget about my personal taste in buildings/pathways/brick colour. The point is there isn’t infrastructure to support the development. That’s a simple fact and it’s going to be a huge problem.

I'm not refusing to take in what people are saying, I'm refusing to take in what YOU are saying. YOU don't like it.

Tell us all, what infrastructure would you like to be put in place to facilitate the development ? or would you prefer neither ?

 

[zefarelly]

I think the fact is, most areas being developed Here are high density, compared to previous. There is no way the roads can be improved without monumental investment and disruption, And even then I do'nt see how they could be made to accomodate more cars/vans/buses, as we know them they are not the future.

40 years ago the A259 from Shoreham to Kingston beach/lighthouse. Was Victoriam terraced houses on the North side and harbourside industry on the south . . . There were sidings for rail transportation also.

Now the harbourside industry has all gone, Developed/developing for housing, both sides of the river, look at the beach! we have no rail freight, all the industry, well, retail, is the north side.

5 times more people, 5 times less jobs, and Probably more than 5 times more traFfic on the very same roads.

What's not to like?

THe solution was a different outlook 30 years ago.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Tell us all, what infrastructure would you like to be put in place to facilitate the development ? or would you prefer neither ?

It’s difficult to say at the moment; the pictures aren’t clear as to the type of development. If they’re condos then a few hipster coffee shops, a craft beer bar and a nice Italian should suffice. Something a more lower-end maybe a Greggs and a knife-amnesty bin?

 

[jamie (not that one)]

It’s difficult to say at the moment; the pictures aren’t clear as to the type of development. If they’re condos then a few hipster coffee shops, a craft beer bar and a nice Italian should suffice. Something a more lower-end maybe a Greggs and a knife-amnesty bin?

Those last two suggestions made me homesick

 

[Live by the sea]

Greggs is like the McDonald’s or Burger King of chavy bakeries . Most of what Greggs sell is unhealthy , some of it is very unhealthy . Many of their well known bakes & pies contain between 50 % & a huge 80% of a persons daily saturated fat allowance .

Eat this type of stuff regularly and you are likely to have serious problems when you get to middle age and beyond .

Greggs are clever because they make their food taste nice ( for some tastes anyway ! ) but keep the price cheap by using a lot of cheap oils and lard etc - all bad for you .

If it’s cheap , it usually cos they are saving money by using poor quality ingredients..

If you are lucky enough to live in Brighton & Hove there is no excuse in my mind to darken a Greggs doors . This is not Crawley or Luton ..We have lots of far better quality bakeries that sell healthier food , many of which are independent and those are the ones we should be supporting . Rant over ....

 

[The Clamp]

I'm not refusing to take in what people are saying, I'm refusing to take in what YOU are saying. YOU don't like it.

Tell us all, what infrastructure would you like to be put in place to facilitate the development ? or would you prefer neither ?

Jesus wept. Use your loaf, man! Within the next 3 years, the area running between Kingston beach and Salt Farm Road will have housing for over 2000 more households, a new housing estate, an Ikea and numerous cafes and restaurants. On beach side we will have a cafe 1/3 bigger than Perch plonked on the small green (that area could use a cafe but something of sympathetic size).

Now, have a think. What infrastructure do YOU think that would require?

I’m sorry, but I cannot see why YOU are struggling so much with this.

 

[Bodian]

Jesus wept. Use your loaf, man! Within the next 3 years, the area running between Kingston beach and Salt Farm Road will have housing for over 2000 more households, a new housing estate, an Ikea and numerous cafes and restaurants. On beach side we will have a cafe 1/3 bigger than Perch plonked on the small green (that area could use a cafe but something of sympathetic size).

Now, have a think. What infrastructure do YOU think that would require?

I’m sorry, but I cannot see why YOU are struggling so much with this.

We have one narrow high street through our small town. Almost 20 years ago it was identified that the place was becoming unpleasant for pedestrians/cyclists, and that the car was beginning to dominate and therefore this needed to be resolved. This was a study by the District Council.

Since then, we have had hundreds of additional homes built on the green spaces on the edges of the town, a caravan park 3 miles away that has doubled in size and now has a transient population the size of our town that changes every week, and planning permission for another 200-300 houses a mile or so away, plus a Tesco and other developments. All this generates additional traffic, all of which has to pass along the narrow high street that was identified as being unpleasant and in danger of ruining the town 20 years ago.

The same District Council has passed all these plans, despite objections about the impact of traffic each time. Guess what infrastructural improvements have been made? Yes - the childrens playground was improved by one developer to help save the kids having to walk to the other one through town. That's it.

The problem with all these councils is that each development is seen individually, and there's no actual 'planning' - it's all piecemeal. 'Those 35 houses won't add much..' 'Those 25 houses won't add much...' 'Tesco's won't add much traffic...' - and suddenly you've ended up with the levels of development, that if planned all at once, would not have succeeded.

 

[The Clamp]

We have one narrow high street through our small town. Almost 20 years ago it was identified that the place was becoming unpleasant for pedestrians/cyclists, and that the car was beginning to dominate and therefore this needed to be resolved. This was a study by the District Council.

Since then, we have had hundreds of additional homes built on the green spaces on the edges of the town, a caravan park 3 miles away that has doubled in size and now has a transient population the size of our town that changes every week, and planning permission for another 200-300 houses a mile or so away, plus a Tesco and other developments. All this generates additional traffic, all of which has to pass along the narrow high street that was identified as being unpleasant and in danger of ruining the town 20 years ago.

The same District Council has passed all these plans, despite objections about the impact of traffic each time. Guess what infrastructural improvements have been made? Yes - the childrens playground was improved by one developer to help save the kids having to walk to the other one through town. That's it.

The problem with all these councils is that each development is seen individually, and there's no actual 'planning' - it's all piecemeal. 'Those 35 houses won't add much..' 'Those 25 houses won't add much...' 'Tesco's won't add much traffic...' - and suddenly you've ended up with the levels of development, that if planned all at once, would not have succeeded.

You get it. You’ve experienced it. Shoreham is very similar.