Western Road Redirection Action Group

16/03/2026

BT has suspended parking in permit areas of Upper North Street from 0600 today to midnight tomorrow. Home owners have received no notification of what this BT work is. Surprise, surprise, no one is doing any work from 0600 today. Will the BT manager who is supervising this work please meet with us, or at least put a notice through our letterboxes, and tell us why they are a “no show”, what do they want these spaces for, will they be totally restoring the street to home owners who have had their permit parking, for which they have paid dearly, suspended. Your parking suspension is essentially from 15th March to 18th.

11/01/2026

This seems like a good idea. How many of us find rough sleeping in our Brighton winter highly disturbing?

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=746678198480638&id=100094153928531

What if an old car could become a place to sleep instead of scrap metal?
In Detroit, that idea is quietly reshaping how cities think about shelter.

In Detroit, an inventive urban project is transforming damaged car frames into compact steel sleeping capsules placed along quieter city sidewalks. Instead of sending unusable vehicles to junkyards, the frames are stripped down, reinforced, and rebuilt into enclosed pods shaped like small protective cocoons—each designed for one person.

These capsules are built with care and practicality in mind. The steel shells are lined with insulation panels that block wind and rain while helping maintain a more stable interior temperature. Sealed seams keep moisture out, while small ventilation openings allow fresh air to circulate without cold drafts. A simple door or sliding panel provides privacy but remains easy to open in case of emergency. Inside, there’s just enough room to lie down comfortably and keep a few personal belongings close.

The pods are typically installed in visible but low-traffic areas, often near community centers or outreach hubs. Local volunteer groups help monitor, clean, and maintain the capsules, making sure they remain safe, respectful spaces rather than neglected structures. Because the units are made largely from recycled materials, each capsule costs far less than constructing new shelters, making the model more scalable for cities with limited resources.

Beyond practicality, the project carries a powerful message. A vehicle once designed for movement becomes a place of rest. Scrap metal becomes shelter. It’s a reminder that urban waste doesn’t have to be discarded—it can be redesigned to meet human needs.

In Detroit, these steel capsules stand as quiet examples of how design, recycling, and social care can intersect—turning forgotten materials into dignity, protection, and renewed purpose within the city.

Source:
Local Detroit community design initiatives and urban sustainability projects reported by regional media and nonprofit organizations focused on recycling-based shelter solutions

26/12/2025

Do you agree that these pilots are a good idea? If so, let’s send thanks to Community Engagement - Brighton & Hove City Council! We may get more useful pilots!!!

A pilot project to install rainwater harvesting stations on allotment sites has just been completed.

11/12/2025

Has anyone, who lives in a home constructed from bungaroosh, had a heat loss survey undertaken by Octopus Energy, only to be declined for an air source heat pump with its significant government grant, because of excess heat loss over the Octopus' limit? The formula given to their surveyors does not include a box for bungaroosh so they tick 19th century brick. 19th century brick has greater heat loss than bungaroosh because of trapped air in bungaroosh and the increased thickness of bungaroosh walls compared with brick. Brighton University has been asked whether there are any research projects in which some of us could participate to establish the real time heat loss from bungaroosh. PM us if you want further information..]

07/12/2025

What a huge delivery lorry. Do you need to use such huge vehicles on our tiny streets Marks and Spencer?

02/09/2025

Marlborough Mews, a quiet haven where the houses are relatively affordable, a primary school is at each end of nearby Upper North Street and it's a short walk to the bus stops and shops in Western Road and Churchill Square. In fact, you would think it is the perfect place to bring up a family safely but not if the 'Holiday Lets' application for one of the houses before the Council is given the green light. That would lead to a BIG LOSS of:
😢community feeling with the loss of trusted neighbours;
😥housing for local people because once this house is allowed to become a business, it will probably always be one;
😥privacy.
To this ADD the:
😥deterioration in the viability of local schools;
😥disturbance from the constant turnover of transient visitors with no investment in the community;
😢car parking causing obstruction and nuisance.

You can help to stop this by objecting to the application by 10 SEPTEMBER with an email "I object to ... [email protected]" Make sure you include in your email your name, address and the planning reference number BH2025/01767. Now you are reading this post is a very good time to send your email!

26/08/2025

Brighton & Hove City Council has advised ’householders’ that work is scheduled to begin on Monday 1 September on the D**e Road/Upper North Street junction design. It will last 9 weeks. The outcome of last year‘s consultation can be found at the link where you can also follow progress by pressing ’Follow‘ at the top right hand corner of the page.

Roads will be kept open for the majority of the work, although there will be overnight road closures when the central islands are being installed. Access to properties will be provided.

Brighton & Hove City Council has thanked us in advance for our patience during the construction period. Hopefully the Council recognizes that our patience is dependent on no further deterioration in the quality of the air we breathe as the amount of dust that accumulates on our vehicles in a matter of hours is testimony to the amount of particulate matter in our air. Construction workers also need to make every effort to avoid noise pollution. Permit holders for street parking in this area are hopeful that the Council will not further reduce the availability of this scarce resource.

We are all wanting to prevent further deterioration in the health of our neighbours with chronic conditions and those who have recently been in hospital. When we click the ‘Follow‘ button, updates on air quality monitoring (especially for. particulate matter), noise pollution, and alternatives for permit holders should parking spaces be reduced, will be particularly helpful to avoid the irritation and impatience we would otherwise experience should the Council take our ‘patience‘ for granted.

Thank you for your feedback on the proposed changes to the junction of D**e Road and Upper North Street in Brighton.More informationAfter a review of the area, we're planning to remove the traffic lights and replace them with a new 'T' junction.Th...

07/08/2025

Our very own Windmill positively reviewed by the Financial Times!!! Well deserved too!

https://www.ft.com/content/bf4b535b-a719-4e52-97f5-0bd801ac7abf?

There’s a new brand of gastropub pop-ups where the pop never stops

05/08/2025

Did you know that “It costs, on average, £200/m2 to repair a pothole in a failed road but just £10/m2 to treat a good road and prevent potholes from forming in the first place.”?

Find out how we plan to improve roads, pavements and transport infrastructure.

04/08/2025

Don't forget to complete this survey by 10 August. We desperately need more options for charging our EVs that include self-closing pavement gutters. These are included at the end of the survey. Brighton is supposed to be leading the way in on-street charging for 83% of residents who live within a 5-minute walk of a public charge point. BUT...
✅ The Government has issued guidance for councils to assist them in adopting a policy for self-closing cross pavement solutions. Brighton & Hove City Council have ignored this guidance to our knowledge.
❌ Nearest charge point may be in use or blocked by a fossil fuel car or not working;
❌ Public charge points are expensive (55p / kWH compared with about 9p/kWH for 5 hours overnight from domestic supply companies) and then a £30 start up fee, refunded if all works;
❌5-minute walk does not factor in the time it takes to get a car charging - often x 2 apps needed to get cable out and plugged in to car and lamp post, then started; Charge point times out unless you are standing by the side of it in what may be the cold and wet;
❌ Slow, particularly in winter when it can take 17 hours to go from 50 - 80% battery charge.
❌ Unreliable charge point - often cuts out overnight.
❌ Unreliable app. Blink has a permanent message when you call for help that says they are experiencing high volumes. Really, or do they just employ too few call centre staff? If you get through you may be told to delete your app and download it again. What, out in the cold and rain?
❌ Potentially risky for some car owners having to walk distances alone over uneven pavements, particularly in winter when it may be cold and wet resulting in a risk of falling. Phones have to be their hands to operate the apps standing by their cars with risk of phone theft. Older residents are at risk of slipping and breaking a bone, leading to loss of their independence.
❌ Lamp post chargers can never provide sufficient charging capacity for the uptake of EVs needed to improve air quality that residents with pre-existing lung disease desperately need. For example, some streets only have parking on one side with houses on the other side that open directly on to the pavement so the lamp posts on the latter side cannot be used for EV charging. Previous Council decisions, such as allowing dropped kerbs and crossovers, have led to double yellow lines next to lamp posts so even more cannot be used.
❌ The Council receives revenue from the on-street chargers, but the detail is still to be worked out for the new chargers.The profit from lamp post chargers currently goes offshore. EV charging invoices are from the Netherlands. The combination of perverse incentives for the Council and the role of offshore companies, works against the decisions needed for cross-pavement solutions for EV owners without off-street charging available at their homes.

https://yourvoice.brighton-hove.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/electric-vehicle