St Aubyns: Plans for a pocket park at the southern end of St Aubyns retain the strong support of councillors and it is hoped there will be some funding to help
make this a reality in 2024.
At the moment, the council is reviewing the plans for the Active Transport corridor on the A259, which will include improvements to the Kingsway/St Aubyns junction to make it safer for pedestrians. A decision is expected early in 2024 and once agreed we should know about the timeframe for delivering the pocket park.
In the meantime, the Council has been consulting residents of St Aubyns about the installation of cycle hangars and it is hoped these will be installed by
March 2024. Secure cycle parking is one of the key elements supported by residents and we are pleased to hear these will be positioned in line with the pocket
park designs we have presented.
Leighton Road: On the 25th November we run a community consultation event at Café Monella, to discuss ideas for a pocket park at the north end of Leighton Road. It was a morning that facilitated opportunity for the urban designer and the residents to meet, talk, voice any concerns and opinions. The residents were also encouraged to draw their own designs and to interact with mood boards provided. Overall, the event was a successful exchange of ideas and in building momentum for the scheme.
Since the consultation, we were very happy to learn that the Leighton Road Pocket Park was included in the list of projects proposed to be funded by Section 106. This is still pending formal agreement by the council; we expect to hear the decision early on in the new year.
Meanwhile, we are in the process of sourcing funding for initial underground services survey, which is crucial to progress with the design. Once we have the information on the services, together with the community feedback gathered in November, the design proposals can be developed. We plan to hold another interactive community event with scheme propositions; however, the timeline will depend on when funding becomes available.
Article by Heather James and Katarzyna Podhajska
Hove Civic Society
Vision is that Hove leads the way in preserving and creating attractive and sustainable Space for People to live work and enjoy now and in the future.
