I've lived in town all my life bar a few stints abroad, and am relieved that something has finally been done on that site. It was a derelict, shitty wasteland for years, crying out for investment. The council never had the means to develop the land so obviously it had to go to a developer. REMEMBER, we live in a capitalist society - we buy, we sell, there's two sides to a deal (and a deal is only agreed if BOTH parties think they're getting something) and people make money. This isn't Cuba or Venezuela. Someone was always going to make money out of the site, and good luck to them. At least they bothered. I don't buy the "ooh a leisure centre" argument - I don't see people clamouring to campaign for a new set of badminton courts in the letters page of the Argus, nor do I think we need more tennis courts / gyms in the town - there's plenty. We have two swimming pools, and it's never "one-in-one-out". We do need a decent "02" gig venue (but then hey, most cities in the UK would love an "02"!) and that will be largely dependent on... guess what... developers' money, to take on the risk, and maybe convert the old Bingo hall (Carling Academy?) and the Brighton Centre. The Blackrock development looks interesting, as does the King Alfred.
Remember, we need tourism (and hence hotels). It drivess the economy down here. It's the reason Brighton is the conurbation it is today, fuelled by Dr Richard Russell's exploits in the late 18th c.
"Plus a smattering of cheaply built massively overpriced flats that Londoners will buy up again forcing people with average incomes off the property ladder. " - well, actually, prices only go up if demand goes up without supply changing. Build more, and build the correct number, and market forces dictate that prices don't change. Quite simply, house prices have gone up by 281% (source: Halifax) in the last 10 years down here because (a) demand outstrips supply (b) it's a f***ing great place to live. Luxury city centre living is NEVER cheap and so I doubt it's ever a first rung of the property ladder anyway. If Londoners want to buy these dwellings by the station, then great. Bothered. More "London" money down here will get pushed into the local economy. Londoners occupying 'new-builds' implicitly says that no one is being moved out to the suburbs, as there were no residents in the new-builds to displace in the first place.
I remember how shit the seafront and town centre was 15 years ago - but the council worked with developers to sort out Churchill Sq and did some great EU-money sourcing to completely overhaul the seafront, and now we've got a great area in the spring / summer / autumn to drink, play sports and chill out. We even have a designated floodlit beach volleyball facility near the marina, so I don't buy your argument that we've been let down and nothing is being done for "residents". This place is a heck of a lot better than it was 15 years ago, and if it takes capitalist market forces to provide investment / development in what was a SHIT area, then i'm all for it. Next phase should be to get in the developers and completely demolish London Road/Lewes Road area and regenerate it. I don't care if they make a zillion quid doing it - it's shit now and i'd like to see it improved.
Remember, we need tourism (and hence hotels). It drivess the economy down here. It's the reason Brighton is the conurbation it is today, fuelled by Dr Richard Russell's exploits in the late 18th c.
"Plus a smattering of cheaply built massively overpriced flats that Londoners will buy up again forcing people with average incomes off the property ladder. " - well, actually, prices only go up if demand goes up without supply changing. Build more, and build the correct number, and market forces dictate that prices don't change. Quite simply, house prices have gone up by 281% (source: Halifax) in the last 10 years down here because (a) demand outstrips supply (b) it's a f***ing great place to live. Luxury city centre living is NEVER cheap and so I doubt it's ever a first rung of the property ladder anyway. If Londoners want to buy these dwellings by the station, then great. Bothered. More "London" money down here will get pushed into the local economy. Londoners occupying 'new-builds' implicitly says that no one is being moved out to the suburbs, as there were no residents in the new-builds to displace in the first place.
I remember how shit the seafront and town centre was 15 years ago - but the council worked with developers to sort out Churchill Sq and did some great EU-money sourcing to completely overhaul the seafront, and now we've got a great area in the spring / summer / autumn to drink, play sports and chill out. We even have a designated floodlit beach volleyball facility near the marina, so I don't buy your argument that we've been let down and nothing is being done for "residents". This place is a heck of a lot better than it was 15 years ago, and if it takes capitalist market forces to provide investment / development in what was a SHIT area, then i'm all for it. Next phase should be to get in the developers and completely demolish London Road/Lewes Road area and regenerate it. I don't care if they make a zillion quid doing it - it's shit now and i'd like to see it improved.
