ANOTHER week and another conservation row has kicked off in our city.

I know, I know, not another one – but this one is interesting. Promise.

It all centres around a rather innocuous building right in the heart of Brighton.

Even if you walk through Old Steine every day, most of you are probably not aware of it.

It’s called Marlborough House.

And for those who spend a lot of time caring about these things, it’s sort of a big deal.

For those who don’t know, the home was built in 1765 – making it one of the oldest in the city centre.

It had a bit of a chequered life but over the years it was owned by both the third Duke of Marlborough and William Hamilton MP.

And it was the latter who invited the Prince of Wales to stay in 1789 and 1795.

While on holiday here, the future George IV realised he could get away with a lot more by the coast than in the capital.

So he bought a farmhouse across the road and after spending a few bob on remodelling it, this became the Royal Pavilion.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

But it was Marlborough House’s role in starting these chain of events which led to some describing the building as the second most important historic building in the city after the Pavilion itself.

Yet, as happens with these things, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

And while the Pavilion has flourished, Marlborough – a Grade I listed building in it’s own right – has not.

In the mid 1990s it fell into private ownership and was last used more than 20 years ago as offices.

Now, after being added to Historic England’s at risk register in 2014, a new planning application has come forward under the mystery guise of the Eurofile Pension Fund to turn the building back into a luxury private property.

And despite this glimmer of light that it might actually be brought back into use, still the conservationists moan.

Yes, it’s a shame that more do not know about this building Yes, it’s a shame that the building has sat empty for so long.

Yes, it’s a crying shame that this building is now a shell of it’s former glory.

But, we cannot cling on to the past forever.

While Marlborough House does play a part in our city’s history, time and events have moved on.

Walking through Old Steine as I do every day and surrounding this open space there are at least a dozen more buildings which look more attractive then the glum, plain manor house that some like to rave over.

Just next door, the former YMCA building is far more interesting and relevant on a social side of things to the city as we know it.

If we start to preserve everything with a link to history then we’d never be able to build anything for our future generations.

Heck, the Queen of Sheba’s dogs once took a piddle on the lamppost outside my house – but that doesn’t mean we should slap a blue plaque on it and leave it unaltered for generations.

Yes, Regency is important; but 250 years on, it shouldn’t take precedence over everything else in our city.

All those moaning about Marlborough House, what do you propose?

Buying the site itself would cost more than a million pounds.

And with public funds scarce, it would have to be an extremely generous private benefactor who intervened and paid for the restoration.

And then what?

It would either be a second rate museum or locked up to be enjoyed by those wealthy enough to move in.

Just along the seafront, and those living in another historic part of the city, are trying something a different.

About 50 years after Marlborough House was built, businessman Joshua Flesher Hanson snapped up a field to the west of the expanding Brighton.

Working with local architects, he drew up plans for 70 houses on three sides of the open space.

Regency Square was born.

It has been through numerous ups and downs over the years – which included the creation of a multi-storey car park at it’s heart in the 1960s.

Into the 21st century and at the bottom of the square, the i360 is taking shape - causing it’s residents to look to the future.

Aware that tens of thousands of eyes will be on their doorsteps, they want to make sure the area looks great.

Through hard work they have brought in the services of celebrity gardener Diarmuid Gavin and he has drawn up detailed plans.

The hope is that the income from the i360 can contribute towards turning these proposals into reality.

Regardless, it’s clear that people in this historic part of town know that they must look to the future and move with the times.

After all, conservation based purely on preservation has only one place – the history books.