Antisocial behaviour, street drinking, parking and greedy seagulls are the main issues concerning residents in the St James’s Street area of Brighton.
We set up shop outside Morrisons yesterday (May 16) as part of The Argus – It’s Your Voice.
Over the three hours we were on site we heard about everything from drug dealers and graffiti to blocked drains and the planned global communist revolution.
Ros Preston, from the Queen’s Park area, wanted to raise the issue of seagulls ripping apart rubbish bags on her street.
She said: “We have to put them out the night before and they get into them before the morning.
“We then get rats and foxes looking for food. Something needs to be done about it.”
Julie Barnes, 49, from Whitehawk, was concerned about the mindless vandalism and arson attacks at her local park.
Janet Tait, from Essex Street, Kemp Town, wants the council to do something about the state of her road.
She said: “I call it the ‘Forgotten Street’. It’s dirty, the drains are always blocked, there’s dog dirt everywhere – it’s just the general demeanour.”
But far and away the most common issues raised were antisocial behaviour and street drinking.
Roger Rolfe, who compiled a ‘Noise Diary’ as featured in The Argus in January, told us that nothing had changed.
The architectural designer, who lives in Kemp Town, said: “I’ve now recorded more than 1,000 disturbances, some at 5am or 6am.
“I don’t know why pubs have to be open all hours. If you’re not drunk by 2am then you’re not trying hard enough.
“The problem has reduced parts of this city to the type of sink estate you see in northern towns.”
Justin Murphy, a former professional boxer and now security guard at the Morrisons store, agreed late night drinking was out of hand.
He said: “I start work at 7am and there are often people still around from the night before. They come in as soon as we open and start causing trouble.”
Readers praised the paper’s coverage of local politics and transport.
Tomorrow The Argus is at City College Brighton and Hove, Pelham Street, Brighton – not Wilson Avenue as previously stated.
If you are unable to get along to the sessions, don't worry. You will be able to have your say on our website and our Facebook page.
More sessions will be organised
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