Hove badly affected by merger 25 years ago

Valerie Paynter, from the SaveHove residents’ association, said that the merger with Brighton - which took place 25 years ago today, has resulted in the “crummification of Hove”, with litter, overgrowing tree roots and graffiti.

She said: “My first ‘post-unification’ jolt was the sight of a fly poster glued to a junction box on my street. Till then such things were not a Hove thing. Neither was litter, but that would soon change.

“Street-tree roots got carefully pruned to maintain pavement safety and tidiness. Regular rain drain gully suckers prevented basement floods - now seen when heavy rain pours over blockages.

“Graffiti soon followed, along with general neglect of things like street cleaning and Esplanade pebble sweeps.

“In the opinion of many, unification was about taking over Hove.”

Councillor Garry Peltzer Dunn, who led Hove Borough Council between 1987 and 1991, said that the majority of residents in Hove were against the merger at the time, and said that the ‘unification’ has worked in Brighton’s favour, claiming Hove inherited Brighton's deficit.

He said: “I suppose in the last 25 years, you have to ask what major improvements have taken place in Hove. 

“Whilst Brighton has been and is the subject of major works, with Valley Gardens, the Marina and Black Rock, what major improvement has the council carried out in Hove?

“You could say the King Alfred - but after 15 years, nothing has been achieved.”

He said that things look set to change soon with improvement works planned for Hove seafront, but that the money for this has come about from a government grant.

Cllr Peltzer Dunn said that a quarter of a century on from the merger Hove still has its own unique identity.

He said: “I don’t consider myself as living in Brighton and Hove - I live in Hove and if I want to go shopping, I’ll go down to Brighton."

“In my mind, I still think of us being separate and, for that matter, I don’t think many people say they live in Brighton and Hove.”