Now Brighton and Hove City Council has at last successfully negotiated and approved a strategic triumph for the city, it is imperative to keep this momentum going for the improvement of the city for the benefit of all its citizens.
I refer to the planning approval of the £235 million development proposals by Brunswick Developments at Brighton Marina.
This development will bring the benefit of an additional 512 new homes and 341 new affordable homes, together with leisure and social/community facilities.
It will substantially enhance the leisure attractions of the city, with no adverse impact on Brighton and Hove's Regency heritage.
It will also provide a spin-off in contributing to sustainable transport and additional outdoor sports and educational facilities elsewhere in the city.
It is exactly this kind of strategic development the council should encourage and pursue with vigour.
This momentum must continue, as it would lead to substantially increased economic opportunities and major improvements in lifestyle quality in the city.
The council should now take the same approach with the King Alfred Centre proposals.
This would immediately allow the linking, via the seafront and West Street/Ocean Boulevard, of the King Alfred Centre, Brighton Station and the marina by dedicated bus lanes, using airport-style buses.
It would provide major transport improvements for conference delegates, commuters, shoppers, tourists and day-trippers.
In parallel with these structural improvements, the council must pursue, with vigour, its park-and-ride strategies at Braypool Lane in the north, Sheepcote Valley/marina in the east and the King Alfred Centre in the west.
Some of these park-and-ride proposals have very difficult and controversial environmental consequences but these must be addressed by the council with the same vigorous strategic thinking it used when addressing the marina proposals.
Only these kinds of strategic structural improvements to the city will deliver the expansion of economic opportunities, together with the substantial enhancement of the city's reputation as England's major conference, heritage and seaside leisure attraction on the South Coast.
-John Foley, Brighton
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