Artist’s impressions of what a new Brighton Youth Centre will look like have been released.
The centre has submitted a planning application for a complete revamp of the centre, just weeks after a council grant was approved to boost the budget to £6.6 million.
The existing centre, in Edward Street, would be redeveloped and extended, and clad in gold fluted perforated aluminium.
The planning application, submitted to Brighton and Hove City Council last month, says the main youth club will stay on the ground floor, and include a cafe, gym and theatre.
The layout of the first floor will remain largely the same, with offices let to outside organisations still on the second floor.
The skate park on the third floor will double in size, with a significantly larger viewing area and with lifts, making it fully accessible.
The new centre will also include a climbing wall.
The application, written by CMK Planning, says: “The proposal represents the opportunity for redevelopment and regeneration of the site and is a clear opportunity to raise the standard of architecture in the immediate and wider area.
“The youth centre has historically been a valuable community facility and the redevelopment will not only secure its retention but significantly improve the facility.”
The council approved a £2.3 million grant for the redevelopment in March, to add to the the £4.3 million already secured from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, through the Youth Investment Fund.
The intention is that it will act as a central hub, with smaller projects in suburbs such as Moulsecoomb, Portslade and Hangleton.
Brighton Youth Centre started as Brighton Boy’s Club in 1917 in John Street, when it was known as St John Street.
The service moved into a purpose-built youth club in Edward Street and opened to girls and young women in 1977.
Today the youth centre offers a wide range of activities and services to children and young people from 5 to 19, with a focus on teenagers – the 13 to 19 age group.
Let’s hope it can control the anti social behaviour which occurs now, the leadership has no control over what is happening with the membership even has arsonist in there membership which they stand and watch it happen
TF you talking about Dawson
I don’t know about arsonists but there’s definitely an arse around
Why are you calling D Dawson an arse? They are absolutely right. Were you there the night of the fire? I was & even called the fire brigade. I can’t prove it, but I know it was the youths from the centre who started the fire. I saw them come out of the centre & take shelter under the alcove at Tyson place. 10 minutes later there was a huge explosion. My students & I ran out to see a massive fireball, right up to the 1st floor, with black smoke engulfing the building. If not for the prompt arrival of the fire brigade, there could have been a real disaster. Many of my students refuse to train with me at the centre because they “Don’t want to train in the middle of a war zone.” Dawson is also right that the Youths run rampage round the area outside the centre & the staff do absolutely nothing to stop them. It doesn’t matter how much they improve the centre, if they keep the same team in charge, give it a couple of years & it will be a pit again.
I agree. The staff have no control over the youths who run rampant round the area causing distress to locals. I ran white crane martial arts from the youth centre for 20 years but had to leave due to sustained harrassement from the youths at the centre. In my opinion a new building won’t stop the problem of anti social youths until the entire byc team are replaced by a new team who are more capable of dealing with the situation.
Looks lovely, things are looking up for youth services locally and cannot praise BYC for the work and all the groups who are based there and projects!
This looks fantastic. So glad there will also be places for our younguns to go in various suburbs too.
In the marine environment? Aluminium? The pock mark windows remind if acne too. The materials need a rethink.
Interior looks great. Exterior looks like a piece of Emmental married a shipping container.
I’ve been looking at the costs, that’s an expensive place to go to.
I have run white crane martial arts out of the Brighton youth centre for 20 years. While I agree the centre needs refurbishment, the way the centre has gone about it is terrible. No provision has been made for me either during the rebuild, or once the new building has been finished. In effect i have been thrown out of the business premisea i have used for yhe last 20 years.
Surely this cannot be legal?