Councillors have agreed to drop a requirement for increased biodiversity at the Royal Pavilion because it would mean having to plant more than 100 extra trees in the grounds.
Members of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee unanimously backed removing the condition attached to the planning permission for a revamp of the grade II* Royal Pavilion Gardens.
The planning permission was granted in August last year and allowed the removal of modern trees and hedges with the aim of restoring the original views created by the Royal Pavilion’s architect, John Nash.
Some replacement trees are planned but the original planning condition required a 10 per cent increase in biodiversity within 30 years of the changes to the gardens.
This was estimated to require the planting of 148 trees, negating the “long-term heritage and cultural benefits” of the restoration.
Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Mark Earthey asked whether the condition helped to preserve the heritage.
Councillor Earthey said: “He’s got an early 19th or late 18th century view of this. And if we … insist there are going to be a lot more trees, we are fundamentally changing John Nash’s vision. Is that what we’re looking to achieve here?”
“Do we have an obligation to uphold the original vision of the architect from 200 years ago or are we imposing a 21st century view of the environment on the 19th century design.”
Labour councillor Alison Thomson, who chairs the Planning Committee, told the meeting at Hove Town Hall today (Wednesday 1 October) that the proposals were a cause of conflict when the application went through last year.
Councillor Thomson said: “Personally, I found it really upsetting that so many trees were going to be cut down to guard or reinstate the vision. We’re now in the 21st century and would rather have trees than vision.”
Labour councillor Julie Cattell said that the only change would be a couple of words in the conditions.
Councillor Cattell said: “We know we’ve got a world-class heritage site here. It’s known all over the world. Why would we refuse this?”
Conservative councillor Carol Theobald said that she did not like the loss of trees and wanted the gardens to be locked at night but there had been no objections.
Councillor Theobald said: “I’ve been around that way a few times recently and the gardens look an absolute mess so this would be an improvement.”
The Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust secured £4.4 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to revamp the Pavilion Gardens and public toilets.
Councillor Theobald added: “I wouldn’t like to lose the money on this so hopefully this will go through today.”
Work has already started on the changes which also involve removing the bench in New Road and, controversially, installing railings around the grounds.
With respect to the factual reporting of what happened at the meeting here, there’s so much else going on.
This starts with the fact that the Pavilion is in the hands a Trust nowadays, because the council could no longer afford to run it.
The Trust now has to make ends meet, whilst also seeking funding for changes that it deems necessary.
The Trust has already got funding to build a high fence around the grounds, which could, if the council allows this, mean the Pavilion Gardens are closed off at night – or indeed for any daytime private functions held, where people then have to pay to get in, for daytime concerts or in the evening.
No surprise that the Tory councillors want the gardens closed off at night, unable to understand the city’s night time economy, or us workers who aren’t home by 5pm.
If, like me, you have lived here all your adult life, this sounds like a privatisation of a popular city centre public park and gathering space. I do understand the need for the Pavilion/Dome complex to earn money, but the Pavilion Gardens are our city centre park. This park is also a thoroughfare for those of us walking home, in daytime, or during the evenings after work.
It’s also a place for people to gather after work, without the financial need to go to a pub or restaurant.
The Pavilion ‘Trust’ have been keen to develop the narrative that the Pavilion Gardens are unsafe or even violent after dark, and so should be closed. I go there all the time, and that is a total unsubstantiated lie.
In this article, the council, in full waffling mode, are discussing trees, and without defining how big a tree is. For sure they don’t want trees if there is to be a big open air concert place, closed off except for those who pay. The tree planting fantasy is also a gobbledegook Green party thing, from the last decade. The truth is they have cut down some of the trees recently.
It’s a bit sad it has come to this, and where no voice on the council seems to have a grip with what’s really going on, or is prepared to speak out on what are major changes. If you believe in those proposed changes, then you should own them.
We already know that the benches in New Road are being removed – and that is sad, as they are public seating – but the truth is that a new entrance to the Pavilion Gardens is being created, to face New Road better. The distraction that the ‘drunks and druggies’ are to blame is only half true.
Some of these proposed alterations to the Pavilion Gardens will actually be good, but those lobbying for change need to present their ideas better, and more openly.
This is such a depressing time for politics – and for weak leadership.
It does need locking at night though. To many rapes and drug deals going down
Unfortunately the gardens do need locking at night to deter the junkies and rapists. Pity the same can’t be done for the Level. Both once safe spaces but part of the overall decline of Brighton and Hove.
Spot on Billy Short. As usual. And sense from the Independent Councillor.
Also as usual, it’s clear that noone involved in this planning has the faintest clue how the area works. And have no interest in finding out from users what works and what isn’t working. Just knee-jerk decisions on political soundbites to snatch crumbs of central government funding.
Next thing will be that the design and project management will go out to private consultant contractors based anywhere but Brighton.
As usual….
After the Hove Beach Park fiasco where the council left hundreds of newly planted trees to die, maybe they don’t want to run that risk again since they don’t seem to know how to look after trees anyway.
I am very distressed to learn, that trees are being removed in the royal pavilion gardens.surely, in the 21st century, we have a duty to look after nature, an example of this is that there is a very rare butterfly breeding on the elm trees in the gardens.it is called the white letter hairstreak.It only lays its eggs on elm,so if any of these trees are removed, then important colonies of this butterfly would be lost.Please save nature in this beautiful place.