A Story of Decay and Renewal
by Robert Head
IT’S FAIR to say that the Lewes Road area of Brighton has seen a certain amount of dereliction over the past few years.
Shops hither and thither open and close like ephemeral sign-posts which read: ‘Warning! Danger ahead’.
The warning signs come in the shape of small shops. A few have closed, but a majority have down-sized. Only a handful of shops still cling on.
However, the largest, albeit now non-present, indicator of the last ten years has been the closing of petrol stations. Stiff competition and other market factors meant that two former garages on Lewes Road and a third by the Hollingdean viaduct began to close one by one, leaving only a single garage on the gyratory opposite J Sainsbury’s.
The site of a long-since gone petrol station midway along Lewes Road which was left derelict six years ago has seen a recent burst of activity in the form of a community garden scheme. The project, championed by Duncan Blinkhorn, 47, is dubbed the Lewes Road Community Garden, and its roots are only just beginning to take stock. Duncan is a Brighton resident of 26 years and campaigned for various peace movements in the 80s.
On Sunday May 10th the lock on the gates was broken by Duncan's brigade. From thenceforth a clean-up operation was started. Sacks of rubbish, broken glass, and other bits and pieces were cleared from the 20 metres-squared area which is owned by agency, King Sturge. Unlike the land at the bottom of Coombe road, this land has been left undeveloped for six years.
It started with a re-shuffling of the stones strewn over the site and then grew to encompass several large, plant-filled, concrete bollards, a huge circle of turf which sits neatly in the centre of the site, and a portable toilet.
Local passers-by were encouraged to help out and that’s just what they did. Plants, and other items such as a pine bench, were donated by members of the public and friends of Mr Blinkhorn. It has even been said that a few members of the police force have been actively contributing to the project.
When asked what spurred him on, Mr Blinkhorn said: "I deserve better walking past this every day. I find it an insult that anyone could let this space rot and not intervene." He also cited a recent study which showed that, on average, residents of Lewes Road die 9 months earlier than the national average because of pollution problems.
A launching party on the evening of May 24th was amply attended and saw the ‘official’ opening of the area to the public.
A group of students sat relaxed on a section of the turf chatting away. They were Thomas, Becky and Dan, of Sussex University; Simon, of the Brighton Film School; and Thomas - a young man from Brittany, France, visiting the south coast of England for three weeks.
Thomas said that his home town is quite a small student town with few green spaces and, like Brighton, most of the green spaces are located out-of-town. He commented: "there is a nice ambience here and good community work is being done."
Earlier on the same day, Mr Blinkhorn exerted a half-day effort of asking passers-by their thoughts and he was met with unquestioning support. "I asked 40 or 50 people," he said, "and I videoed around 20."
Thomas Turbine-Tree, of Sussex University, said that he’s hoping artists from the university and Brighton will get involved and showcase their work - which may involve sculptures and paintings - for free.
An acquaintance of his, Daniel, commented: "it’s wonderfully symbolic that the site was run by a petroleum company and now it’s for the community."
Sarah Bargiela, a student studying post-graduate psychology, is the face behind the website. She was cycling past when she saw the site and enquired to satisfy her curiosity. She felt the scheme to be important and thought it deserving of some good publicity.
She commented: "using a derelict site to create a communal, green space has brought a fantastically diverse group of people together and resulted in a sharing of skills and a beautiful space to spend time - a focal point for Lewes Road residents."
The police have no qualms, but there have been a few petty grievances expressed by the Franklin Tavern pub, opposite. During the afternoon of May 24th, many drinkers enquired about the scheme with a certain degree of pessimism. Mr Blinkhorn commented: "the pub is supportive with regard to the spirit of the scheme but they fear anti-social behaviour."
Chris Lewis, the owner of the pub, has worries about the security of the site and the fact that drug users may congregate there. She said: "shops around here stay open ‘til 2 a.m. and I’m worried about the site’s not being monitored. It’s good that there is a toilet, though, as there are very few facilities around here."
When quizzed about the upcoming Euro-election of June 4th, a majority of people said they’d vote Green and support MEP Caroline Lucas. Although it sounds like the question may needn’t have been worth asking, many cite the need for urgent green action and feel that the only party representing them is said party.
For more information on the scheme and how to get involved, go to: www.lewesroadcommunitygarden.org. Alternatively, you can join the Facebook group of the same name.
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