One of Brighton’s most respected campaigning groups has revamped its website.
The Brighton Society aims to conserve and improve the amenities of Brighton and Hove and encourages the preservation of architecturally and historically interesting buildings.
The society was set up in April 1973 at a public meeting to oppose British Rail’s plans to demolish Brighton Station and replace it with a 14-storey hotel. The station would have been moved underground.
The society later succeeded in securing a Grade II listing for the station.
It also successfully opposed the proposed Beetham Tower on the station site, giving influential evidence at the planning appeal.
One of the founders, Selma Montford, is the society’s honorary secretary – a frequent and authoritative letter writer to The Argus newspaper.
The new website was flagged up on the Brighton Bits blog.
Selma Montford has become the first director of Brighton Town Press. The publisher, recently set up by a steering group, has developed from Brighton Books Publishing.
Brighton Books Publishing began 21 years ago from publications produced by a joint venture between the Lewis Cohen Urban Studies Centre at Brighton Polytechnic (now Brighton University) and QueenSpark Books.
The venture continued for five years. It led to the publication of books that included Backyard Brighton, Back Street Brighton, Brighton Behind the Front and Blighty Brighton.
In 1995 Brighton Books Publishing was formalised as a partnership between Jacqueline Pollard and Selma Montford. A further 12 books were published until Brighton Books Publishing was dissolved earlier this year.
