Thousands of people have made last minute objections to plans to open a Burger King restaurant in a disused building in Brighton’s Lanes.
Daryl Stutchbury, former franchisee of the fast food’s Aquarium Terraces branch, has applied to install air conditioning units, fridges and freezers on the ground floor of the Clarenden Mansions, formerly the Mariner Pub and which he says has been used as a squat and a drug den since it closed two years ago.
Just four hours after a petition was started by Brighton resident Liam Hardy this afternoon, almost 3,000 people have signed.
But the reasons it gives for opposing the plans – the homogenisation of The Lanes – are unlikely to be considered valid planning objections to the changes sought.
And as the building already has permission to be used as a pub, it will not need permission to become a restaurant – although it will need permission if it wants to offer takeaway food.
Mr Hardy said: “We believe the move to open more chain shops on East Street signals the beginning of the end on a irreparable slope of genericism, that sees our local elected council try ever so hard to turn our city centre into a carbon copy of every other British city, with more H&Ms, more Topshops, more Burger Kings and, ultimately, less of the Brighton we came here for and love.”
Mr Hardy previously started a petition to “Save Northern Lights” after the police requested a review of its drinks licence, which attracted 7,541 signatures. Northern Lights was subsequently allowed to keep its licence with just minor alterations.
The petition states that today, October 21, is the last day available to object to the application, which was submitted last month.
I do not think the Council is trying to turn the place into a carbon-copy of elsewhere. One of the reasons that Hove and Brighton have visitors is because the shops are different (except for Churchill Square, some of Western Road and North Street). That said, it is dismaying that naff Burger King is marching in. A stronger Objection was needed (the number of names on a Petition is irrelevant). The Use classes in Planning need revision nationally. A bank and a betting shop are the same Use – perhaps because bankers regard their trade as akin to betting?
Please get your facts right.
The building is not disused, the ground floor is.
The upper 4 storeys contain 12, fully occupied flats in good repair.
Don’t play Mr Stuchbury’s game with his claim that it’s been a drug den and squat for years. It hasn’t.
Stuart Lauchlan
Chair, Clarendon Mansions Residents Association
Btw. There are many objections that can and have been made. Not the least being the need for a change of use which hasn’t even been made yet.
Btw. There are many objections that can and have been made. Not the least being the need for a change of use for the ground floor which hasn’t even been made yet. The existing permitted use of the ground floor is not sufficient. Research?
Over 7000 names now actually
This is snobbery, if BK ‘isn’t brighton’ then let it go under. In the meantime let’s have a few jobs and a shopfront.
It is far more effective for people to write in to Planning with their objections. These get detailed in the Report which goes to the Committee, and such objections can continue to be sent in almost to the day of the meeting but the sooner the better.
A Petition does not cut anything like the same mustard.
It takes longer than adding a name to a Petition but it has greater meaning.
@Christopher – perhaps you should try the same approach with your petition to stop the move of library services in Hove and wait for the actual plan to be announced, rather than scareing people with your misleading campaign?
I suppose Stuart will be quite happy to have the bar returned to it’s previous state with drunks and smokers outside until the early hour.
It’s been a pub since world war 2. No issue there so long as licensing laws are observed. Noise, smokers etc. – well that’s down to the council to observe/maintain. #inyourdeeams
btw not sure where the drunks and smokers things comes from. But I do love the use of Ronnie Barkers pen name for ur posting. Gosh -who can u possibly ready be I wonder? (I’ll have a Whopper with cheese!)
Just wrote an email to planning.applications@brighton-hove.gov.uk politely expressing my concerns.