Temporary fencing around a city centre garden is set to become permanent in a bid to stop drug dealing and violent behaviour.
The Brighthelm Centre management fenced off its gardens in May last year after a security guard was threatened at knifepoint – the culmination of months of rising antisocial behaviour there.
While the Queens Road and Church Street entrances have remained closed, the North Road entrance by the centre itself was only closed for a week, meaning the gardens have been accessible while the centre is open, but not able to be used as a cut-through.
Now, the centre has applied to install permanent fencing with gates where the temporary fencing has been, in a style which matches the existing railed fence.
Centre manager Katie Love said: “We’ve been delighted by how much safer the space has been for all to use. We’ve had a 90% reduction in antisocial behaviour.
“We are looking now to install gates so that the space looks more in keeping with its listed railings. This will be more attractive than the current heras fencing and more fit for purpose.
“We look forward to hosting a range of events in the garden in the future, as well as continuing to welcome anyone to enjoy our gardens during our opening hours.”
The application, written by JohnD Clarke Architects, says:”The closing off and screening is to prevent access for undesirables and unauthorised activities within the Brighthelm Church and Community Centre and Rest Gardens
“The proposed works will provide a solution that will significantly improve the quality and viability of the current garden area, particularly in terms of improved security.
“The proposals will have minimal impact on the building itself and the new sections of railings will match the historic design of the existing in terms of materials, copings and the detailing of the railings.”
Another garden nearby, Pavilion Gardens, is also the subject of a current planning application to install fencing and gates around it, but the trust which runs it has said it has no plans to close the gardens.
Used to be a graveyard
Good. Time to stop the yobs from spoiling this open space
By making the gardens less open, just like the Pavilion gardens.
Railings, high enough to discourage scaling, will be much better than the existing fencing, as it will leave the enclosed space viewable by passers by, which should discourage dodgy goings on.
All it will do is push the behaviour/dealing elsewhere. Treating the symptom and not the cause….
How about clearing the (fairly old looking) graffiti from the wall – whoever owns it? I presume the cardboard was in use until the photographer arrived.
If only we had a police force that patrolled places like this eh ? None of this would be needed.
I think there will always be opportunities and guarding every square inch of Brighton is unfeasible.
Wow. Who would have thought that putting up a fence would be the solution to drug dealing in our city.
I hope the rest of the world is watching and will learn from this.