Breathe Brighton

Press release Friday, 3 September 2010

Council action to retain historic curved windows upheld by planning inspector

A homeowner with an historic terraced property in the North Laine has lost an appeal against a council enforcement notice requesting that the curved bay windows are restored.

Graham Jasper of 13 Cheltenham Place ignored repeated warnings from planning officers to stop building work when he began to replace the curved bay with an angled 'canted' bay and plastic windows, both of which were out of keeping with the North Laine conservation area.

In her report Inspector Katie Peerless noted that, although some other properties had angled bay windows, the appeal property had different proportions to the other bays in the street and therefore no historical precedent.

Early photographs of the property show that it originally had unusual curved sash windows, one above the other on each floor, forming a rounded bay.

The inspector added that the demolished bay was the last original survivor of an interesting and unusual design in the street and its loss is the kind of development that the council's planning regulations are seeking to prevent.

Councillor Lynda Hyde, chairman of Brighton & Hove's planning committee, said: "I am pleased that the planning inspectorate has supported the enforcement notice and dismissed the appeal. This action shows that we are keen to protect and maintain the conservation areas within the city.

"Unfortunately because Mr Jasper did not listen to advice to stop building work at an early stage he now has the expense of remedying this breach of planning control. As ever I would encourage residents to gain planning approval before carrying out building work and to make use of the free pre- application service the planning department offers."

The uPVC windows were also the subject of a refused planning application and dismissed appeal back in 2007. In his decision, the previous inspector considered the windows inappropriate to the style and period of the building and detrimental to the street scene.

Related information

The requirements of the notice are:
1. Remove the angle canted bay window from the front elevation.
2. Remove the uPVC windows from front elevation.
3. Reinstate round bay as original.
4. Reinstate paired curved single glazed painted timber sash windows, to match exactly the original.

Find out more about the work of the planning enforcement team.

Driving up reading standards in the city's schools

Dozens of children struggling with reading will receive extra support under an innovative drive.

Brighton & Hove City Council is one of 24 authorities in the country delivering early literacy intervention under the Every Child a Reader programme this year.

Eighteen teachers working in 15 schools across Brighton & Hove have been especially training to support children who are struggling to learn literacy using Reading Recovery.

This is an early intervention for children in Year 1 that provides intensive, individual help for children who are making slow progress after a year of classroom teaching.

The children receive daily half-hour lessons individually designed and delivered. The goal of Reading Recovery is to return the lowest achieving children to average levels for their age in reading and writing within 20 weeks of instruction.

Around 16 per cent of children, locally and nationally do not achieve the level that is expected for their age and this equates to around 360 children in the year group. This figure stays the same for children leaving school in Y6 which has long tem implications and costs.

Brighton & Hove City Council councillor Vanessa Brown, cabinet member for children & young people, said:

"Problems with reading and writing are caused by a whole range of factors and can seriously affect children's lives. So this initiative aims to identify the problem early on, working with specially trained teachers, ensure that those children are at the same level as their fellow classmates. A failure to provide the right support early can have long term implications and mean that our children do not reach their full potential when they come to leave school."

The schools taking part are Carden Primary, Coldean Primary, Carlton Hill Primary, Fairlight Primary, Goldstone Primary, Hertford Infant School, Moulsecoomb Primary, Rudyard Kipling Primary, St Mary Magdalene Primary, St Bartholomew's Primary, St Joseph's Primary, West Blatchington Primary, Saltdean Primary, Whitehawk Primary and Woodingdean Primary.

press release September 3 2010

Bumper crop of awards for city gardenders

Gardeners from all over the city will be picking up a crop of awards at the annual City in Bloom prize giving ceremony this Tuesday (September 7).

The winners will be celebrating another successful year for the campaign, run by Brighton & Hove City Council.

The theme of this year's campaign was 'go blooming wild' which celebrates the fact that 2010 is the UN year of international biodiversity.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "I am delighted that the campaign has enjoyed another successful year, attracting entries from gardeners all over the city and I am looking forward to meeting and congratulating the worthy winners.

"Despite the long spell of dry weather earlier this summer, city gardens, window boxes and hanging baskets are looking healthy and colourful and competition this year has been fierce.

"I would also like to thank our competition sponsors, who include some new faces this year. Their support is very much appreciated in helping to make our city bloom all year round."

Awards will be presented by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Councillor Geoff Wells.

press release September 2 2010

Licensing Committee considers improvements to taxi services in Brighton & Hove

A package of proposals to improve taxi services in Brighton & Hove for disabled people will be considered by councillors at a meeting next week (September 10).

The move follows consultation by Brighton & Hove City Council with groups representing disabled people and taxi drivers in the city.

Members of the city council's Licensing Committee will discuss a report containing a range of proposed measures to benefit all passengers, particularly disabled people, at a meeting at Hove Town Hall on Friday September 10.

Proposals include:

- Raising standards by improving the complaints procedure for any passengers who are not satisfied with the service they have received

- Increasing the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles available by ensuring that when a hackney carriage licence is transferred (ie when a taxi driver transfers his taxi licence to someone else) the new licence holder drives a wheelchair accessible vehicle. New licences issued would also only be for wheelchair accessible vehicles

- Installing CCTV cameras in all taxis from April 2011 as a safety measure for all passengers and drivers. (At present taxis can have CCTV, but it is not compulsory. The proposal, if agreed, would mean that from next April CCTV is required as part of all new taxi licences issued, and when existing licences come up for annual renewal during the year. As a result all taxis would have CCTV by April 2012.)

- Introducing a one-year pilot scheme to enable people to phone the drivers of wheelchair accessible taxis directly to book a vehicle

- Providing a wider choice of wheelchair accessible vehicles, by allowing the use of rear-loading vehicles

- Increasing the maximum age limit for wheelchair accessible vehicles from 10 to 12 years, subject to regular vehicle tests, so that they can be on the road for longer

Councillor Denise Cobb, chairman of the Licensing Committee, said: "Most of our taxi drivers are very professional and do a good job across the city, but we are not complacent and we know from feedback - particularly from disabled people - that there is room for improvement.

"We have worked closely with the taxi trade, private hire operators and disabled groups, and taken into account the views of all parties involved in drawing up these proposals."

The review of taxi and private hire services was originally carried out to tie in with new national legislation relating to accessibility of taxis and private hire vehicles. However the change of Government means the timetable has been affected and local authorities are awaiting guidance on any national legislation.

The Licensing Committee meeting takes place at 3pm and is open to the public. To view the report http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/ieAgenda.aspx?A=3060

Council keen to work with private landlords

Private landlords serious about renting their properties in the city have been urged to contact Brighton & Hove City Council.

The call comes as new figures show the council is hitting key housing targets including making better use of the city's private rented sector.

In the second year of the five year temporary accommodation strategy for vulnerable households, five hundred new homes have been sourced, families and pregnant women are being quickly moved out of bed and breakfast and rising numbers of landlords are signing up to the Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LAS).

A key part of the council's work has resulted in 82 new landlords signing up to the LAS receiving training, while latest figures show that on average 11 properties a week are being acquired which are matched to households needing homes.

The council wants to further improve contacts with private landlords and letting agents to work to target more properties or adapt properties for use and a 'direct let' officer has been appointed to quickly match households with available private properties.

Over the past six years the council has increased its supple of good quality self contained accommodation under 3-10 year leases to 525 homes. On top of this more than 17 overcrowded families have been re-housed under this process.

The council has steadily improved its service for private landlords because they play a key role in the city representing more than one in every 5 homes (21%) which is twice as big as the national average.

From the accreditation scheme, financial assistance to repair and improve homes or training to understand the new rules on subjects such as housing benefit, being a partner with the council is highly beneficial.

Under the landlord accreditation scheme the council aims to reward good landlords that maintain high standards. This scheme unlocks the ability to apply for energy efficiency grants, trade discount cards and be considered for the empty property assistance scheme.

Councillor Maria Caulfield, cabinet member for housing, said:

"The service we offer to private sector landlords is improving all the time. Not only do we provide a one stop shop for landlords and a dedicated phone line, but we offer training and advice on housing benefit as well as the availability of grants to improve homes. Currently our team is matching 11 properties a week with tenants and landlords."

The figures are revealed in the Temporary Accommodation Strategy annual update 2009-2010, which is being considered by Cllr Caulfield on 8 September. Other topics at the Cabinet Member Meeting include the homelessness Severe weather emergency protocol, the Local investment plan for housing and the Contract for communal digital TV systems for council housing.