A Walk Down West Street: Sometimes I feel Like I’m In Barcelona

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Image Source: http://twentysomethingliving.com/why-you-need-to-visit-barcelona/

Ever since I first visited Barcelona, it has captivated my heart and imagination, compelling me to return time and time again. Even when I returned to the heart of Catalonia during a time of intense flooding, it didn’t fail to disappoint me and to this day I am able to find new corners of the city to fascinate and intrigue me.

Imagine my surprise then, when I read in the local paper that a “chavtastic” corner of Brighton is set to become the UK equivalent of La Rambla in Barcelona. If you are not familiar with Brighton, West Street is infamous in our seaside-city for being more than a little run down and despite the council’s best efforts, it continues to attract those who feel the desire to fight and cause other generally anti-social behaviour.

The plans to spruce up West Street include a Barcelona–style tree-lined boulevard with an abundance of hotels, restaurants and tasteful street furniture. As you can imagine, this news has been welcomed with open arms by those of us in Brighton who do not appreciate drunken brawling and pools of vomit.

I imagine that this jubilation will be shared by employment solicitors in Brighton who are certain to be facing an upturn in fortune now that numerous police officers will more than likely be out of work following the decrease in crime levels around the city.


Image Source: http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/images/uploaded/scaled/West_Street_2012_002.jpg

While it is certainly possible that the powers-that-be in Brighton are intent on transforming our city into the UK’s version of the world-renowned Catalonian hotspot, it’s nice to see that the football team are certainly playing their part this season. However, it is somewhat difficult not to be cynical about this and it appears to be more than a coincidence that this sudden rush to improve one of the most tourist-trodden streets is down to the construction of the i360 on Brighton seafront.

John McLean, director at the Architect Morgan Carn Partnership, who are behind the tentative plans commented in the Argus: “West Street suffers from a tacky image and many of the current uses are a magnet for anti-social behaviour, with the dead frontages created by the nightclubs and amusements arcades contributing nothing to the quality of the public realm”. 

“This is the primary route between the station, seafront and the eagerly awaited i360 and should Brighton’s equivalent of the Rambla in Barcelona, a wonderful, vibrant, tree lined avenue with street performers and alfresco dining, an attraction in itself. “
Perhaps us Brighton and Hove residents, who may I add, currently pay a level of Council Tax which is not too far off the London average, would have been treated to this exquisite transformation in one of the most depressed parts of the city without the appearance of the sky-dominating i360?

Sadly something inside myself tells me that this may not be the case and yet again we are seeing major improvements in our urban landscape dressed up as being for the city’s residents but really the true reasons are to appease wealthy individuals and corportations.

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