RPC Projects

Rottingdean Parish Council Infrastructure Development Plan 2019/22

Air Quality Management

AIM: To improve air quality and mitigate existing pollution levels and pressures of new development – mitigation through Management Plans, equipment, data collection and other monitoring measures where appropriate

St Aubyns

Aim: To investigate the potential of setting up a Parish/Community Land Trust to manage any land holdings that are transferred or devolved to the Parish Council

Lower High Street

In the short term to create a pedestrian priority area with wider pavements with the potential for outdoor dining and spaces for evens. In the longer term we would like to see exclusive pedestrian areas. Not a shared space or a car free zone but a space with controlled vehicle access for loading, services and emergency.

Park Road Public Toilets

Refurbishment and improvements to public toilets to make accessible to wheelchair users. To improve health, well- being and quality of life for residents and visitors.

Proposals for the Lower High Street - Rottingdean

Exciting proposals for a new public space for residents, visitors and local businesses to enjoy

What are your views?

Look out for a summary of the proposal due to arrive through your door any day now with details of how to let us know what you think

In the near future...

There is an opportunity to create a Pedestrian Priority area with

wider pavements on the sunny side; outdoor dining; good lighting and seating; landscaping and spaces for events.
access for traders and residents with loading and drop off facilities.
better and safer access during the winter months.

In the long term...

We would like to see exclusive pedestrian areas. Not a shared space or a car free zone but a space with controlled vehicle access for loading, services and emergency.

We think this should include:

better access for all to the undercliff and beach;
terraces that can be used for a variety of events in all weather;
safe and attractive spaces for us all to sit and relax;
a quiet and calm environment for the local residents.

The Initial Concept

The Parish Council has worked with Urban Movement a specialist urban design team to provide some initial ideas. There has been ongoing dialogue with Lower High Street residents and traders, local ward councillors and people with limited mobility and sight impairment.

There are two phases:

Phase 1: (shown here) will focus on the Lower High Street from the traffic lights and the slope.
Phase 2: will look at improving the slope and the Terraces.

Phase 1 – The main design proposals

Widen the pavement on the east side to allow piazza style dining after loading.
Traffic lights a metre or two to the west to create a wide pavement all along the Lower High Street
Perhaps relocate all parking inc. disabled to either the West St or long stay car park
Restrict parking to loading at set times but consider different arrangements in the winter
Provide heritage lighting, attractive seating, art installations, soft landscaping
Maintain a clear central area for emergency and service access
Allow events such as fairs and markets

Have your say!

Adding in your thoughts and ideas now would give us a plan for the near and long-term future that we can all enjoy. Ideas for the first phase are shown here. This is a long-term project that has to be funded so the main benefits may be a while away but your ideas can help shape this scheme

You can submit your comments in the box below or if there is insufficent room you can email your comments to our Parish Clerk chris.hayes@rottingdean-pc.gov.uk or by post to:
The Gables, 6 Dean Court Road, Rottingdean, BN2 7DH

A downloadable comment form is here

Please see our Data Protection and Privacy that sets out how your data with be treated.

St Aubyn's

The Conservation Managment Plans (CMP) that set out the repairs required to restore the old Chapel and Pavilion and future maintenance requirements are now available. See here Chapel CMP. Pavilion CMP. These documents, agreed between the developers and Brighton and Hove City Council, will support and inform consideration of how these buildings will be used in the future.

Demolition Schedule

The developers have just advised that followinng following removal of interior structures, the team will demolish buildings as follows;

8-12 June. Headmaster’s house
15-19 June. Computer block
22-26 June. Design classrooms and science block
29 June-10 July. Toilets, swimming pool and other ancillary buildings.
13 July onwards. The school buildings not to be retained (see demolition map below).
Early-mid August demolition to finish.

It is important to note that this is a rough guide only which may change as the work progresses. For safety reasons, the demolition contractors anticipate that the Twitten will require a temporary closure for one week whilst the structures closest to it are taken down. Thus will probably be towards the middle to end of July. Prior notice will be given once an exact date is set.

A map showing the buldings to be demolished is here

The Demolition Phase Agreement

During the demolition phase of the work Brighton and Hove City Council and Rottingdean Parish Council will be working closely with Fairfax Properties and the demolitionn contractor to ensure that disruption to the village is kept to a minimum. This will include regular meetings and site visits.

As part of the the planning permission, certain conditions for the demolition have been agreed to manage the local impact. These cover how noise and dust will be managed, how entry and exit from the site will be arranged, the routing of demolition traffixc through the village and how any road or path closures will be managed.

A summary of the agreement is here The full agreement is contained in the Demolition Environmental Management Plan

Planning Brief

St Aubyns Planning Brief passed 15th January 2015

Air Quality Management

Councillors asked to extend Rottingdean Air Quality monitoring

Councillors are being asked to extend a trial scheme aimed at improving air quality in Rottingdean next week.

In partnership with Rottingdean Parish Council changes were made to the road layout in the High Street in October 2019, including a ban on right turns out of West Street, a planter north of Park Road to encourage free flowing traffic northbound and a no stopping (yellow hatched) box in the narrowest part of the lower High Street.

While the first 18 months of the trial have showed some positive results, travel restrictions as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic since March 2020 have significantly impacted how the data can be compared to previous years.

Therefore, recommendations will be put to members of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability (ETS) committee on Tuesday 16 March, that would further the trial for another 18 months. The ban on right turns out of West Street will be made permanent though having received no objections.

Data from the first 18 months of the trial scheme

Information from the air quality monitors set up in Rottingdean High Street and Rottingdean A259 in October 2019 has shown that:
• The first quarter of 2020 (before many travel restrictions were imposed) showed a significant drop in Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels
• Monitoring indicates outdoor NO2 levels did not exceed UK standards in 2020
• Relatively high roadside NO2 in July & August is likely to have been influenced by the end of travel restrictions and the release of pent up demand for vehicle journeys and local traffic with increased visitor numbers during established warm weather, without rain, strong winds and fresh air flow.

Analysis of the data needs to take into account the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on traffic movement. Further information can be found in the report

Next steps

Members of the ETS committee will be asked to extend the trial for another 18 months. It is also hoped that access to real time data will be made publicly available online during the extended trial period of the scheme. Signing and lining will also be enhanced on the High Street and a left turn ban out of Park Road will be considered to address local safety concerns.

Councillor Sue John, Chair of Rottingdean Parish Council said: “Extending the trial is a sensible move and will allow us to better compare the data.

“Air pollution in the High Street has been a concern for many years, but it’s important any long-term decisions are made with the best information available so that we can improve the health and wellbeing of our residents and visitors.”

Chair of the ETS committee Amy Heley said: “It’s encouraging to see that some of the data shows improvements to air quality in Rottingdean, but it’s clear we need more information.

“Reducing toxic emissions and improving air quality are two of our biggest priorities and we’re working hard on expanding our current Ultra Low Emission Zones and exploring a Liveable City Centre.

“The city’s Climate Assembly made it clear that we need to engage with neighbourhoods and communities when looking at the future of transport in Brighton & Hove and Rottingdean is a good example of how we’re doing that.