Benches in the city centre which have been branded a magnet for anti-social behaviour for many years are being taken out this week.
The wooden benches were installed in New Road in 2007 when it became Britain’s first shared space where cars, cyclists and pedestrians could all access, with none having right of way.
Since then, the benches have been used not just by regular pedestrians but also by street drinkers, drug dealers and occasionally by large groups of teens partying in the early hours.
Brighton and Hove City Council said that the area has recently seen even more anti-social behaviour and, now the benches were at the end of their life, they were being taken out and not replaced.
Councillor Jacob Allen, the council’s cabinet member for customer services and the public realm, said: “We’ve listened to business and residents and we recognise there’s a number of issues to be addressed around New Road.
“This is a central part of the city connecting some of our key tourist attractions.
“The benches are old and have reached the end of their life. Removing them is the first step in wider plans to improve the look and feel of the area and address the anti-social behaviour.
“We’re also working with partners to reimagine the way the space is used and enjoyed in the future. This could include markets, street installations or more commercial activations.
“This will pave the way for real transformation as the Royal Pavilion Garden begins to be restored to its regency splendour from the end of next year.”
The temporary fencing which has been put in place so the benches can be removed safely without the need to close the road is expected to remain in place until the end of October, unless further structural issues are identified.
Alternative seating remains available nearby for anyone who needs it elsewhere on New Road, in Jubilee Square and in the Royal Pavilion Gardens.
Sussex Police set up a community policing hotspot on New Road in October last year to tackle anti-social behaviour and violence. The day safety marshals are now being withdrawn.
Chief Inspector Simon Marchant said: “The extra hotspot police patrols in New Road have been effective at deterring anti-social behaviour. This change, alongside the work of multi-agency partners, will help to further transform the use of the space.
“For anyone who experiences anti-social behaviour in this area, or anywhere else in the city, it’s important to report it so services can target resources effectively, support those who need it and keep the city safe.”
I wonder if it was really the benches or a perceived lack of visible policing?
Its not a police issue
Of course it’s a police issue, if there were police patrolling, there would be less anti-social behaviour.
I agree with Dave here. Outside of the end of the lifespan of the benches, it is fair to assume that the area seeing regular ASB is potentially the result of a perceived lack of visible policing.
There is a semi manned police booth near the Studio theatre in New Street
To any street drinker that wall looks comfortable to sit on. Just another example of council waste. Probably awarded the contract to a good friend.
In Wilson Avenue camper and were moved on and the parking spaces blocked off from legitimate use. Now we have useful benches removed because the drunks/ junkies cannot be controlled by the invisible police.
What next? Close shops because shoplifters go in and steal and the police/courts are invisible and ineffective r.
Why not remove traffic lights and pedestrian crossings because so many cyclists ignore red lights?
Bikes living in your head rent free, as always
Agreed, the benches were not the problem, the crusties were. And the police did nothing about it.
If we are going to be ripping things up, I suggest the YMCA in north road gets ripped down, that’s where 90% of this lot live that full the area with complete ****holes
Just like everything the council proposes and does but is never followed up with any maintenance. The wood was beginning to rot as it was never maintained and the small blue decking lights stopped working years ago.. People genuinely used to sit on those benches for normal reasons. It seems a bit extreme that only way to tackle antisocial behaviour was to remove them! So we will have to suffer for a handful of drunks and druggies. Surely a police presence and moving these people on would have been a better solution. Police in Brighton seem to be non-existent.!
its not a police issue
yes it is!
This is like paving over the beach because Addicts sit on it or levelling The Level for the same reason. Deal with the actual issue rather than what people are sitting on.
Where will the street drinkers go now, outside the library, that park behind Aldi, or the clock tower or even outside Churchill Square. Place your bets now please.
Number one contender.
Old Steine Gardens and The Victoria Fountain. There already seems to be an advance guard that have been colonising that area, especially on Saturdays when Sussex Homeless Support hand out food to the homeless community.
That’s a really good first impression for when you come into Brighton seeing all those alcoholics and junkies queueing up for food whilst swigging booze out of a carn or a bottle and behaving really aggressively .and just bringing the place down To their dump of a level. Can’t they do it in some church hall somewhere out of site! It’s bad enough with Brighton looking uncared for without this added on to its appearance!
The thing is, Drunk and Disorderly is something that police can act on, but seem reluctant to do so.
How on earth will this change their behaviour? They will just go somewhere else. Brighton could be a nice place but too many people treat the city like a free for all.
You’re right that people are displaced when you tackle an area like this, but do you feel that justifies not bothering at all?
Now looks like an ideal spot for a few tents
Making an area car-free seems to be Step 1 to turning that area into an ASB no-go area.
It’s harder to hide with traffic passing by.
Its not a car free area
Elaine, it’s a shared-use space. Both cars and pedestrians use it.
I suppose it’s easier to rip them out than to deal with the problem. Typical of B&H council and Sussex Police.
Can’t argue with that.
As per usual, council not thinking right, they have taken away a bench i use quite regularly as I am partially disabled, also they say there are seats in pavilion gardens, I have seen only 2, it is upto the police and the council to sort out the bad behaviour, not picking on the rest of us.
Seems like, at least in the short term, this has just pushed the crusties into the shadows of the Pavilion Gardens and it’s noticeably less safe at night.
This should have been done as late as possible, preferably after the gardens were sorted with more lighting, but obviously they’ve gone with the low hanging fruit first to be seen ‘doing something.’
I suppose it’s easier to rip them out than to deal with the problem. Typical of B&H council and Sussex Police.
A lot of the people we see would have been in the old psychiatric hospital system, getting help for their mental health and addiction issues before that system was replaced by care in the community, and those hospitals were sold off for flats. Now we have prisons and park benches where our mentality I’ll and addicted spend their time. Our Prisons are full, and the park benches are being removed. Nobody seems to be looking at the cause of the problem. Why not?
Deep seated inequality in society which is heavily resisted by the billionaire classes.
But The Theatre Royal finished a multi million pound renovation last year. This is simply a Turkish bath, as Max Miller might have said.
It had absolutely nothing to do with anti social behaviour why the benches were removed its all part of the pavilion gardens restoration program they needed the benches gone so that they could put the iron fencing that was removed and scraped during world war 2 back in place the gardens will be fenced off once the first stage of the restoration is completed then they will start with removing modern trees and widening the pathways and putting seating in the garden the all the flower beds will be restored to what they were ehen the pavilion was a royal residence.