NEWS!

Latest news! (03/02/2010)

POLICE WARNING: Police are warning residents to secure basement doors thoroughly as burglars seem to be targeting these areas. The police advise lights and radios to be left on while residents are out. If anyone notices suspicious activity, please phone 999 or 0845 60 70 999.

PARKING PETITION: The parking petition to merge parking zones M, N, O was on the Agenda at the Environment Cabinet Meeting on January 26th 2010. It was agreed that the Council will consider the merging of M and O and in due course consultation will take place.

BICYCLE RACKS: The bicycle racks at the bottom of Lansdowne Place, north, and Lansdowne south are nearing completion, after long lobbying by LARA for these.

20 M.P.H: LARA has been invited to send a representative to the 20 m.p.h. Scrutiny Panel to give evidence regarding this proposal.

REAL ESTATE BOARDS: An informal hearing will be held at Hove Town Hall in March to discuss the Community's response to the Estate Agents' Objections. LARA has written to the Department of Communities and Environment reiterating our strong support for the Council's proposal to ban the boards in Brunswick Town.

The new Chief Executive, John Barradell, accompanied by the Councillors, visited Brunswick and Adelaide Ward at the end of January, and walked all the different Resident Associations' areas; he listened carefully to all of our comments, both positive and otherwise.

This is our blog!

Welcome to our blog!

Today we start our much needed blog.

We will endeavour to bring you the latest news on our area.

We welcome any news, pictures, videos, adds and articles dedicated to our area... send them and we will publish them here.

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY...

Lansdowne Place, known before 1834 as Wick Lane, was originally a path which led down to the sea from Wick Farm. It was renamed after the 3rd Marquis of Lansdowne, who had helped Jewish emancipation. Isaac Lyon Goldsmid acquired the Wick Estate (later known as the Goldsmid Estate) from the Reverend Scutts.

In 1827 Charles Augustin Busby designed a number of unique houses at the bottom of Lansdowne Place. On the west these have pillars holding the head of Hermes. On the east these are bow-fronted and are named Stanhope Place, after Busby's son. Busby died penniless but was allowed to live out his life at 2 Lansdowne Place (1 Stanhope Place). This building had a connecting passage to his drawing office, Brunswick Cottage, round the corner in Brunswick Street West.

There were 11 private schools in the whole of Lansdowne Place, mainly catering for children whose parents were in the colonial service. The Dudley Hotel, originally a school, was converted around 1866 into a boarding house. In 1878 it was known as the Dudley Mansion Boarding House. At this time it was at No. 57 but expanded to include 55 and 52.

FAMOUS PAST RESIDENTS

Anthony Vandyke Copley Fielding (1787-1855) - artist who resided at No. 2. Hove Museum has two of his works. The British Museum, Tate and Victoria & Albert all have copies of his water colours. He is buried in St Andrew's Old Church, Hove.

John Leech - illustrator for Charles Dickens, resided at No. 16 when it was a lodging house. They both had to leave in the middle of the night due to the landlord and his daughter suffering a severe mental breakdown. They moved on to the (original) Bedford Hotel.

Captain O'Shea - husband of Kathleen, later wife of the MP Charles Stewart Parnell, resided at No. 19, which was then a nursing home, and died there in 1905, aged 65.

Bill Pertwee - actor, lived at 65 Lansdowne Place, when he first got married in the early 60's.

And those who refuse to leave:

The Wick Woman - when Lansdowne Place was just a rough track, this ghost terrorised little boys venturing down to the beach at night.

Bow Street Runner - the old police station/jail at the top of Brunswick Street West is purported to be haunted by a woman who was arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour.

The Brunswick Pub - a poltergeist who threw bottles around in the cellar and turned the lights on and off.

CURRENT ISSUES!

ENVIRONMENT:

Communal bins: This matter is still at the top of our agenda.

Maintaining the area's unique character: The area has a concentration of historically interesting Grade I & Grade II listed buildings.

Litter-pick days: With the help of volunteers from Holland Road Baptist Church, we clear weeds, sweep pavements and dispose of rubbish, to enhance and support the greening activities.

GREENING PROJECTS

Securing funding: A result of successful campaigning in 2005 to neighborhood action groups and via our councillors.

Planting of elms on the western side: A result of the initial funding. Due to the problems with service beneath the kerb/pavement on the eastern side, proposed greening options for this side are under review to find a workable solution.

City in bloom: We strive to involve as many people as possible in the City in Bloom event. Our thanks are extended to many residents and traders in the Lansdowne Place/Western Road area who have made generous contributions and resultantly paid for four beautiful planters on the corners of the Western Road entrances and in 2005, the stunning flower baskets seen on several lampposts. A number of residents have had awards in various categories during the past few years.

TRAFFIC AND PARKING

Shared access with zone O parking: We are striving for Zone M parking permit holders to be allowed use of a specific number of roads in the adjacent Zone O area.

Reducing the waiting lists for resident's permits: We have previously worked with the council to find ways of reducing this substantial wait.

Parking review: We initiated a review of parking and double yellow line areas to increase the overall number of spaces (southern side).

Increasing traffic and heavy lorries: We intiated a traffic count by the council following changes to traffic flows and access in adjacent areas (e.g. Waterloo Street). We continue to monitor the impact of heavy lorries using the road. Any residents noticing new damage to their properties (e.g. falling ceilings, cracks in walls etc.) who believe it may be due to increased traffic or heavy delivery lorries should contact LARA.

Recognising the needs of cyclists: We are encouraging cycles lanes and secure racks to discourage locking to property railings.