10 signatures reached
To: Brighton & Hove city Council
Hands Off The Brighton Royal Pavilion
The application for Lottery Heritage Funding to improve and maintain the Brighton Royal Pavilion should not jeopardise the position of the Pavilion as being central to the heritage of all Brighton and Hove citizens. We wish to ensure that the City Council always place the views of the people before that of any commercial considerations and any "sweetheart deals" that might be concocted between the Council and private companies.
In particular we wish the people to be properly and regularly consulted on major changes and that we should be canvassed on the maintenance of the existing cafe structure
Why is this important?
This is taken from an article in the Pensioner, which is a local Brighton and Hove magazine, specifically for older people, and was written by local activist Fancis Tonks.
From time to time someone comes up with the idea to tear down the Royal Pavilion and build a hospital or build houses, yet the Pavilion, quirky and whimsical, made Brighton what it is today, originally a farmhouse the new Pavilion was designed by John Nash for the Prince Regent 200 years ago.
Almost as if the Taj Mahal had been picked up and plonked down by the seaside, the Royal Pavilion is Indian outside and Chinese inside, it is a part of our history. The dining room has a massive dome complete with dragons and was lit with gas for banquets. The music room housed concerts as the Prince Regent had his own band of 70 musicians and on one occasion, welcomed Rossini.
In the great War of 1914 to 1918 the pavilion was a hospital that housed Indian soldiers injured in the conflict that is all part of our heritage. It was bought by the city fathers from Queen Victoria for £50,000 in the middle of the 19th century and this makes it the only Royal Palace owned by the people through the local authority.
I believe the Royal Pavilion estate as we know it is under threat. A Heritage Lottery Funding bid has gone in and the outcome is not known yet. There are some proposals that are disturbing, the cafe that has being run by the Sewell family for 70 years will be replaced by a " visitor welcome building in the cafe facility that can be operated indoors and outdoors", cutting through the jargon this means the outdoor cafe, loved by residents and visitors, would go.
The main entry would be from New Road there and are also worrying references to pay events taking place on the lawns; it is essential we maintain the lawns as with the rest of the glorious gardens.
There have been consultations, for what they are worth, now let the people decide, old and young. We must preserve this lovely and historic part of Brighton from the developers, Hands off our Royal Pavilion
