Sarah Booker-Lewis

Heritage and civic groups criticised the design of the proposed £65m King Alfred Leisure Centre in Hove, calling it architecturally unambitious and potentially harmful to nearby conservation areas. Planning officials nonetheless support the development, which has received 49 letters of public backing. The Regency Society and Hove Civic Society argued the exterior lacks imagination and fails to reflect civic pride, while the council’s Conservation Advisory Group warned of negative effects on adjoining conservation zones. The planning committee is scheduled to review the scheme at Hove Town Hall.

Families and carers protested outside Hove Town Hall against plans to close Wellington House, a Brighton day centre for adults with severe learning difficulties. The proposed closure, intended to save £400,000 annually, raised fears of increased isolation due to limited alternative respite options. Councillors debated how respite access would be protected under financial pressures, with the Labour administration stating that services would be reprovided elsewhere and shaped with carers. Protesters warned that closing the centre would dismantle an essential community for vulnerable adults with high support needs.

Brighton and Hove City Council is consulting on six new public space protection orders that include banning drone take-offs and landings in all council parks and open spaces due to safety concerns. Other measures under consideration include prohibiting overnight recreational camping, extending bans on disposable barbecues, balloon releases and sky lanterns, and requiring dogs to be kept on leads in designated areas. Surveys on the proposals remain open until 7 August.