A lifesize fibreglass statue of a great white shark has fallen foul of the council’s planning department.
The 9.5m high sculpture was installed as part of the Jungle Rumble crazy golf course on Madeira Drive in December – without planning permission.
Now Jungle Rumble has applied for permission to keep it, after Brighton and Hove City Council got in touch.
It is also asking for permission for a pergola it’s put up over its rooftop terrace, and a staircase down to the Peter Pan’s playground next door.
The application says: “No existing building, historic structure or landscape feature was removed or altered to accommodate the shark.
“The shark is located within an established adventure golf course rather than as an isolated object on an otherwise undeveloped part of the beach.
“Its appearance is overtly theatrical. The painted moulded shark, timber gallows frame and rope detailing are immediately understood as part of a themed leisure attraction rather than as conventional architectural development.
From Madeira Terrace the shark is visible as an object within the recreational landscape below. However, the character of this lower seafront has long included seaside recreation, amusement and visitor attractions.
“The installation is therefore considered to be visually distinctive without undermining the ability to appreciate the architectural, engineering or historic significance of Madeira Terrace or the wider Conservation Area.
“Its conspicuousness is understood as part of the established leisure use rather than as competing historic architecture.”
It says Jungle Rumble was given permission to extend its roof terrace in 2021, and the plans included retractable shelters.
It concede the pergola has been built as a permanent strcuture, but says it doesn’t cause any harm to the heritage assets of the area.
And it says the staircase and toilet block are small additions to the existing modern building and also cause no harm to the surrounding area.
Were gonna need a bigger planning department…
Excellent.
Not very nice for the amount of vegeritians we have living in Brighton & Hove, im a meat eater, and i find it Repulsive. . .
Your just a humourless snowflake
I like the shark. Given the state of Madeira drive just now it serves as a distraction from the building works.
The shark is a revolting grisly thing. Celebrating the torture of a creature on a rack is vile and not a good look at all. Hoping the planners enforce its release.
Grow up. Its not celebrating anything. Best move any pirates or other animals from any other crazy golf courses. Of all the things to get bent out of shape over in the world, a fibreglass shark is least anyone’s concerns
We found a vegan snowflake
Absolutely nonsense
Shark it’s cool and kids loved
It’s fantastic place lovley service and good prices
I really hope they leave it. The council and courts have more important things to spend their time on and that stretch of the seafront needs investment to make it appealing. Not wrist-slapping those who have actually already spent money on it. I’m a marine biologist and work in marine charities. It’s true that the movie Jaws crested s fear of sharks amongst part of the public bit it also did a huge amount to raise awareness of sharks. (Ask any marine biologist what their favourite movie is and you will find out quickly). Keep the shark.
I actually agree with removing it. Not because of it breaching planning laws if it does but purely on what it appears to promote which is that sharks are dangerous animals and need to be strung up, rather than maybe redesigning it to show the beauty of sharks in its own habitat. Redesign it please!
Waste of energy perusing this beyond getting the paperwork in order. If this article didn’t exist, I would not have batted an eyelid at this being there, and I think pretty much all of us would be the same.
Wow , what a fuss over nothing , bigger fish to fry in Brighton than this x
I sea what you did there.
How about taking actions on things that really matter like that illegal encampment of tent dwellers who’ve set up home on the nudist beach for over a year and all the rough sleepers that have barricaded themselves into the alcoves making the area look very Unsightly!
How about taking actions on things that really matter like that illegal encampment of tent dwellers who’ve set up home on the nudist beach for over a year and all the rough sleepers that have barricaded themselves into the alcoves making the area looking like an I saw
The only person talking sense on these comments is chris payne and the only one who sees the wrong in displaying a cruelly strung up shark for all to see including kids …whats the message here? obviously none of you get it not even ALEX the so called MARINE BIOLOGIST.
Also we are talking about a CRUELLY STRUNG UP SHARK not the unfortunate people living in tents.
Its a shame that only some of us appreciate the planet and all of the wonderfull magnificent creatures we share it with. WHERES YOUR HEARTS…SHARKS MATTER WHAT ARE YOU NOT SEEING OPEN YOUR EYES A BIT WIDER PEOPLE…LOVE AND PROTECTION TO ALL CREATURES ON OUR PLANET.
Oh dear… one of those.
Yes he is one of those see’s bad in everything, probably does not work and goes onto any protest bandwagon.
Its not a real Shark you are so WOKE. If you want to complain , complain bout how the council has let the arch’s get to the state they need rebuilt in the area and for not looking after the largest living green wall in Europe in the area which they removed part of it by mistake. Plus the litter left to build up in the vast area that is fenced off a great harm to wildlife. A plastic shark is what it is plastic and actually looks quite good in a area the council let get into a rundown state.
ONE OF THOSE?… POOR JOHNNY
Yeah poor Johhny having to fund people like you out of his hard earned taxations and yes, you are one of those! One of those out dated people that bring bring this city down and stop its progrss but yet contribute nothing. The sooner you get priced out of Brighton and moved to Luton or Bradford, the better. The city can then prosper!
The council needs to take a DEEP look at itself and see the decay of listed structures in that area that it was responsible for. Plus its going to take decades to rebuild and repair what the council let happen. The council planning should be taking the council to court not business trying to survive in a area that the council neglected.
One must admire the exquisite priorities of local government.
Only last month the Council’s own King Alfred plans attracted a mere 613 objections and a petition signed by 1,917 people, whereupon the Planning Committee naturally approved them by eight votes to one.
Yet a fibreglass shark at a crazy-golf course has apparently stirred the municipal leviathan from its slumber.
I confess I rather like the creature. Brighton’s seafront has never aspired to the restrained aesthetic of Belgravia, and a 31-foot shark seems entirely at home among crazy golf, amusement arcades and the assorted eccentricities of Madeira Drive.
Perhaps Jungle Rumble has simply misunderstood the planning process. They should withdraw the application, submit plans for 400 flats and a smaller swimming pool, collect several hundred objections and await approval.
Do let the shark remain. At present it is not even the most alarming thing about planning in Brighton and Hove.
Perhaps if they sold overpriced coffee and put up some illegal canopies on a listed building, the Council might turn a blind eye?