Hanover Open Air Open House

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Open Air Open HouseBrought to you by the Hanover Action for Sustainable Living ‘Streets are for Sharing’ group (following on from the Grove Street:Play Street event last year) Open Air:Open House will be turning different streets in Hanover into al fresco art galleries on Sundays in May.

To find out more, visit their Facebook Page, find them on Twitter or just turn up at the Hanover Centre and follow the red thread!

PS – Keep the last sunday free (26th) and dig out you own art for the special finale!*

* Clue HERE

April Hanover and Elm Grove LAT Meeting

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Our next meeting will be held on Monday 15th April 2013 at the Hanover, 242 Queens Park Road and 6.45 for 7pm. To view minutes from the last meeting, click HERE

AGENDA

  1. Welcome and apologies
  2. Minutes and matters arising
  3. Richard Roalfe manager of the Phoenix student halls
  4. Cllr Bill Randall on the problems associated with poorly managed tenancies
  5. Police report and priorities
  6. Any other issues
  7. Date of next meeting

New planning rules for HMO’s

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Much discussed at our LAT meetings, and commented upon HERE and HERE on this site, from Friday, 5 April 2013, new rules about small student lets and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), will come into force in five electoral wards within Brighton and Hove. The areas of the city to be covered by the controls are those most affected by large concentrations of student lets and HMOs.  These are:

  • Hanover and Elm Grove
  • Hollingdean and Stanmer
  • Moulsecoomb and Bevendean
  • Queen’s Park
  • St Peters and North Laine

The council has introduced a control, known as an article 4 direction, to help improve the management and quality of student accommodation and prevent over-concentration of HMOs in established residential areas. The direction means that a planning application will be required to change the use of a house (defined as C3 use in planning legislation) to a small house in multiple occupation (C4 use class).  Small HMOs are defined as properties lived in by between three and six people where facilities such as a kitchen or bathroom are shared.

The article 4 direction removes existing rights to change the use of a family house into a small HMO without seeking planning permission. The change will not affect existing HMOs.

The measure takes into account recommendations in the Student Housing Strategy made in partnership by the council, the city’s Universities, letting agents and private sector landlords.

Brighton & Hove City Council’s City Plan includes a policy that sets out how planning applications for new student lets and HMOs will be applied.  Changes of use will not be allowed where more than 10 per cent of dwellings, within a 50m radius of the application site, are already in HMO use.

The map below shows HMO and shared housing density in our ward – a larger version and further information can be found HERE on the council website.

HMO densityHanover & Elm Grove ward councillor Liz Wakefield, Chair of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Housing Committee, says: “Our universities and student population are important elements of the city’s demographic and we need to ensure landlords are providing them with suitable accommodation.  The new rules will help us to monitor HMOs and provide a balance of sustainable and inclusive communities across Brighton & Hove.”

Choosing the best wildlife sites in Brighton and Hove

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(A Guest post by council ecologist Mathew Thomas)

Dear Local Action Team,

I am writing to invite Local Action Teams in Brighton and Hove to take part in choosing the best wildlife sites in Brighton and Hove. Once chosen, these sites will be protected from development and will be the focus for future conservation work.

Over the past couple of years, around 150 potential sites in Brighton and Hove have been visited and surveyed in detail, both in the inner urban area and surrounding countryside. As well as recording important species and habitats, the surveys have taken account of the value of local green spaces as places simply to walk and enjoy nature.

The next stage is for the compiled survey information to be presented to selection panels. The panels will assess each site against pre-agreed criteria and decide whether they should be formally recognised as a ‘Local Wildlife Site’. The panels will also be able to recommend sites to go forward for designation as Local Nature Reserves, which are protected by law.

It is important that the selection panels take full account of local knowledge, views and values, as well as more ‘scientific’ criteria, so you do not have to be an acknowledged expert in a particular species or habitat to be involved (although acknowledged experts are very welcome too!).

The selection panels take place at the following times and venues:

  • 7pm, Tuesday 23rd April, Portslade Town Hall, Victoria Road, Brighton, BN41 1YF (for the Hove, Mile Oak and Portslade areas).
  • 7pm, Monday 29th April, Saltdean Community Centre, Saltdean Park Road, Saltdean, BN2 8SP (for east Brighton, Rottingdean and Saltdean).
  • 7pm, Tuesday 30th April, Brighton Town Hall, Bartholomews, Brighton, BN1 1JA (for central Brighton, Wild Park and farmland to the north).

If you, or a member of your Local Action Team would like to attend one or more of the selection panels, please reply to me by e-mail, indicating which (or all) panel meetings you would like to attend.(see below for contact)

Each selection panel is limited to 20 people and places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, so please reply promptly to secure your place. All confirmed panel members will receive more information shortly.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the SNCI project, please contact me by e-mail or on 01273 292371.

Thank you for your interest

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Thomas

Ecologist

Brighton & Hove City Council

Email: matthew.thomas@brighton-hove.gov.uk

 

 

The Return of CityCamp

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IMG_1079On March 22nd-24th people from across our city will be coming together for CityCamp 3 to work on their ideas for how to create a better future for everyone. It’s a free event, and people from every area of life come along, including community groups, digital professionals, council employees and education professionals. Everyone is welcome!

Why Attend?
you should attend because:
  • You can have great ideas
  • It’s free
  • It’s fun and inspiring
  • It is full of interesting people who all share a passion for Brighton & Hove
  • It doesn’t matter whether you’re someone with an idea or a problem to solve, or if you have skills you can bring. CityCamp is for people who are passionate about our city and want to find new ways of doing things.
Inform: Presentations about the issues that face the city. Friday 22nd March 2-5.30pm, Sallis Benney Theatre
Discuss: Come and discuss ideas to make the city better. Saturday 23rd 10am-5.30pm Brighthelm Centre
Do: Turn those ideas into actions. Sunday 24th 10am -5pm Hove Town Hall
For Saturday 23rd we are providing a free crèche for children from 0-8 years old. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis and are limited so please book your place and ticket asap at http://citycampbtn3.eventbrite.co.uk/. This is kindly provided by the Brighton and Hove Parents’ Forum.

March Hanover and Elm Grove LAT Meeting

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Here is the agenda for this evenings meeting:

  1. Hanover and Elm Grove Local Action Team
  2. To be held on Monday 11th March 2013 at the Hanover (pub), 242 Queens Park Road, from 7pm sharp.
  3. Welcome and apologies
  4. Minutes and matters arising from the last meeting
  5. The manager of the Phoenix students hall will attend to talk about issues raised by residents
  6. Update on communal bins
  7. Police report and setting new LAT priorities
  8. Any other business
  9. Agree the dates for the meetings in 2013

Minutes from last meeting are available HERE