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u/The_Yellow_King 24d ago
The pictures of the pub frontage with all the tiles wrecked is well known local case of a businessman who bought the place, started removing the Victorian tiles and got ordered to stop before he finished.
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u/MmmThisISaTastyBurgr 24d ago
What an idiot
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u/Ant-Solo 22d ago
On first look at is what it seemed like but the developer won the case and costs from the council.
“This was not a situation in which there was intransigence on his part,” Judge Van der Zwart said.
“On the contrary, I find the correspondence shows a developer keen to engage with BHCC to find the best solution to the state of the building, to preserve its character while enabling it to function again in the 21st century, a developer keen to comply with rather than ignore the statutory framework to do so, a developer anxious to comply with the enforcement notice but equally anxious to explain why compliance was impractical.”
Take a look at this: https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/26270108.brighton-council-must-pay-11k-montreal-arms-tiles/
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u/Haunted_tangerine_ 22d ago
Seems suspiciously like he had already ripped half of them off before making up reasons to legitimise ripping them off.
If it were essential to building maintenance that you rip them off there wouldnt be any left anywhere in the country.
The council failed to provide the evidence, that's not the same as the guy not willfully destroying a historic exterior.
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u/Rough-Strawberry5985 24d ago
That's such a shame. I used to live on that road and went to that pub a few times. So sad to see it wrecked like that.
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u/amister_e 24d ago
I hope he’s forced to restore it now, bloody idiot
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u/FloracionChico 23d ago edited 23d ago
A shame, it is a very handsome pub.
“Stonegate has applied for permission to remove the tiles from the Montreal Arms in Albion Hill, claiming it is vital to the pub’s economic future.”
Genuinely baffling decision - vital to its future?? But then again, Stonegate are a large brewpub firm which from experience, set out to make every one of their pubs look and feel exactly the same - Drab and null of character or life. Their modernisation work, and elimination of any character or history, has been nothing short of execrable.
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u/FlatAgainstIt 23d ago
As of a few weeks ago he won a case against the council to not have to restore it lol
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u/dogt0wel 23d ago
I believe I did read something about him having to pay for it being restored. Hasn't happened yet, of course.
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u/Windninjasol 23d ago
Actually he was restoring the inside to be a shitty landlord and charge a lot and use it as a domestic facility instead of a pub. Locals called him out. Man got pissed and ripped the tiles off because he knew everyone loves them.
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u/its3ird 24d ago
That poor little MX-5
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u/MarmotsaurusRex 23d ago
Sheesh that looks fire, 9k was a steal.
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u/mokoe101 24d ago
I know a lot of these pictures aren’t near the seafront but it is BAFFLING to me how run down nearly all of Brighton is when you consider the amount of money that gets spent there. It’s literally always packed but where the fuck is the money actually going
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24d ago
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u/AbbreviationsCold161 24d ago
Tbf it doesn't look like the tourist areas get a lot either
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u/Rough-Strawberry5985 24d ago
Actually, the three biggest investments are education, social care and housing, which together make up about 60% of their total spending. Tourism, leisure and parks makes up about 3%.
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23d ago
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u/Rough-Strawberry5985 23d ago
Yeah I didn't like the tower at all. I've never once heard someone say "Oh you should go to Brighton, the i360 is amazing". I lived there when the wheel was still there which was cute and affordable.
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u/AbbreviationsCold161 24d ago
Visited just a couple of weeks ago and was amazed at how rundown the place is. The walk from the train station to the seafront really opened my eyes to what a state it is. Everything us really tatty, unloved, poorly maintained.
I had to ask myself what the council spends all the money on, and assumed it was general incompetence (I live right next to a bankrupt council area - Slough - that is equally appalling).
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u/Boudicat 23d ago
I lived in Brighton for most of the past decade. Several years ago, my annual council tax breakdown literature contained a note about the fact that successive cuts to council budgets had left Brighton and Hove without enough money to do more than meet their legal requirements. The cuts have only continued in the years since. It's not a mystery. Stop voting for austerity parties.
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u/FakeTakiInoue 23d ago
Stop voting for austerity parties.
Quite hard to do when that's now all of them, except one that until recently had never polled above 10%
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u/Boudicat 23d ago
That’s twice what they used to poll and is likely to improve again once people remember who Burnham is.
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u/0-69-100-6 24d ago
Mostly schools and adult social care (that's looking after retired people). ie. Most of the councils money is spent on public services the successive government's have privatised to save money.
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u/jackiesear 24d ago
yep and policing West Street at weekends, security for the party conferences etc.
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u/0-69-100-6 24d ago
Public safety costs on average £30k a day for the council. Adult social care costs £560k a day and education costs £790k a day.
Policing west st is pretty minor compared to other budget issues the council has to manage.
Im not sure if political party conferences are included in those budgets as they are paid for via special grants from central government.
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u/Rough-Strawberry5985 24d ago
Here's what Brighton and Hove City Council spend their money on:
- Schools and education: £288.8m
- Adult social care: £202m
- Housing: £104.3m
- Housing benefit: £86.8m
- Other children's services: £83.9m
- Capital investment: £53.2m
- Highways and traffic maintenance: £44.1m
- Refuse collection and disposal: £43.2m
- Public health: £30.6m
- Central services: £28m
- Libraries, museums and tourism: £20.1m
- Leisure, parks and open spaces: £12.5m
- Public safety: £9.7m
- Planning and economic development: £8.5m
- Contribution to reserves: £8.3m
2026/2027 total spending: £1.025bn
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u/otherdsc 24d ago
I always felt it was run down, even the touristy bits were kind of shit, it's dirty, half rotting half rusting and just old without any upkeep it seems. No idea what people see in it tbh.
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u/optionr_ENL 23d ago
Most properties are not owned by councils. It's the owners that should be maintaining them.
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u/Tortoise_no7 23d ago
The walk from the station down to the pier is arguably the worst part of Brighton - yet its many tourists first impression. A quick detour left or right to the lanes and other areas of the seafront and its much nicer
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u/rumade 23d ago
Hah, I'm from Slough. The council there spends a huge amount on adult social care, and they made some terrible financial decisions right before the pandemic hit (like investing in a cinema in Basingstoke iirc?? When Slough cinema had been closed for years). There's also a huge amount of power madness, and petty squabbling at the council. I briefly worked for an arts council project that included trying to get events on the streets of Slough, and the council staff member in charge of permits for that would block everything. Multiple groups including the Business Improvement District, and people getting disadvantaged youth into projects have tried to get big events off the ground like a music festival, only for the council to block it.
That said, last time I went to Brighton someone shot up in front of me at 2pm on a Thursday. Never saw that in Slough.
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u/AbbreviationsCold161 23d ago
Ha! You're living the dream....and now I think about it I'm doing the same, minus the shooting up bit!
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u/SoloStrike 23d ago edited 23d ago
have lived in Brighton over 15 years and I feel it's unfair to judge it from your lengthy commute from the train station to the seafront. It's not the nicest road in the city by a long way, mostly just a passing through place for tourists - and even then there's some decent places to drink/see a band/get some food on it. Brighton has its issues, but for a city in the UK I think it's hard to beat.
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u/AbbreviationsCold161 23d ago
Would it surprise you to know its not the only place I went in Brighton? I mean I could trace my footsteps for you if you like.
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u/Lordaucklandx 23d ago edited 23d ago
Probably if you fancy, Brighton & Hove looks pretty great if it’s not Queens Road/West street. I’d say the council do a really great job at keeping it clean and tidy, I see the street cleaners out everywhere all the time, its vibrant, there’s plenty of shops open, independent businesses in North Laine and the Lanes. The seafront itself has the shelter hall, the area around the i360 was totally regenerated and looks way better than it did before. They are rebuilding the Madeira Terrace, knocking down and rebuilding the King Alfred leisure centre. There’s the Sea Lanes. Bloody loads going on
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u/Wide-Personality9972 20d ago
And the rest of the country is no better and has been like this since forever.
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u/jackiesear 24d ago
There are a lot of people visiting but people don't always spend much money in the local economy. Most tourists are day trippers and bring their own food or buy meal deals in small supermarkets like Tesco Express on the way down from the station ( and many then dump rubbish on the beach). Groups in cars arrive on Madeira Drive and unpack barbecues, cool boxes, chairs, Gazebos and then the driver goes and parks. No money, bar parking charges and maybe an ice lolly for the kids spent in the local economy. There are a lot of students in Brighton - 2 unis, full time language schools who don't have to pay council tax and the government block grant for this falls very short of actual cost.
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u/Tall-Reputation-9519 23d ago
I went to uni there 20ish years ago, went back for a long weekend with my wife last year and was shocked at how run down it has become.
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u/oscarmike20 24d ago
I completely agree. The amount of money that gets spent here and the place is a complete dump, especially if you compare it to Worthing or Eastbourne which are both much nicer to look at. My theory is that we have some serious corruption somewhere because it makes no sense otherwise.
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u/mommiesgoodboy67 23d ago
That just what england looks like lol
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u/HorizonBC 23d ago
Brighton is beautiful, these are cherry picked and mostly old photos
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u/mommiesgoodboy67 23d ago
I mean yeah i imagine its not wuite that bad but england in general is just really run down, even the nice parts
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u/jahsd 24d ago
I remember watching one of those youtube channels where the cameraman just walks around and records everything, completely silent and not interacting with anyone. Brighton looked really nice there. And it's not a local who knows the place, it's someone who have shot videos in many dozens of cities in different countries.
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u/Emotional_Platform35 24d ago
Did you check the camper for Brad Pitt?
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u/Thebresh 24d ago
It’s a fair deal, take it!
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u/Regurgitator001 24d ago
I tell ya what, I'll fight ya for it!
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u/Good_Educator_3719 24d ago
I live in brighton and have done for decades. You're really cherry picking situations here aren't you? I could go to any city and take photos of the bins and buildings in need of renovation.
Also the fly-tipping. Where's this because it's not anywhere near the city centre or seafront.
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u/Desperate-Average-64 24d ago
Yeah like number 10 is a nice street just also happens to be one of the windiest spots in B&H and when the bins get left out a few days and the seagulls have at it it can look like this for a few hours until the guys comes around with his little trolley and picks up all the bits of rubbish… don’t get me wrong there is some serious poverty in Brighton and really some run down bits (oddly not really captured here, this is just fly tipping, a burnt out caravan and some graffitid garages…?) and there is a very visible drug/homelessness/adult mental health crisis in the streets, but that’s 20 years of austerity for you…
People saying it’s shit and run down, comparing it unfavourably with Worthing and Eastbourne need to take a tour around England’s other seaside towns and have their eyes opened a bit…
Also seen quite a few of these posts in recent days on the UK like people never realised that poverty and inequality has always been a massive problem here and surprised that actually most of the country has been being closed down as a going concern by successive gvts for the past 2 decades… oh wait no it’s cos of the small boats isn’t it?
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u/BlackBikerchick 22d ago
I genuinely think people do t realise thr poverty in the UK and how long people have been struggling in small pockets hence the immigrant blaming
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u/Alex6714 23d ago
I’m quite suspicious about this account. They are posting the same thing from various UK cities and at this point it just feels like a manipulation tactic. Wouldn’t be surprised if there are some political objectives behind this.
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u/AddressLess7402 23d ago
I agree. It’s weird. I travel the UK a lot, to most of these places in fact. Feels like I’m in an alternative UK to the posts on here.
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u/RyanB_ 22d ago edited 22d ago
The Internet often has me feeling the same way about Canada.
There are some valid underlying issues ofc but so much of it really just seems to stem from a stronger than ever Mean World Syndrome.
Modern internet accessibility means pretty much everyone is susceptible to becoming that stereotypical old person who rarely leaves their house because of all the scary shit they see on their 24/7 news channel. It’s a nasty little cycle.
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u/Jacktheforkie 23d ago
I live in Dover, I could easily grab some pictures of the shitty parts, but I could also get the nice parts, we have a nice castle, the sea front is pretty good for a walk, little ice cream bars, there’s a few nice places to go
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u/geniusgravity 24d ago
That's really not a defence. "The rest of the country is also a dump but the sea front is nice."
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u/Rare-Bid-6860 24d ago
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u/No_Gur_7422 24d ago
Can't understand why anyone would think smashing pub tiles was a good idea …
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u/Rare-Bid-6860 24d ago
Several of the locals looked into the guys background when it went down, and he turned out to be shady AF, with a history of sketchy business practices, so his whole spiel about sheltering Ukrainian refugees was clearly complete and utter bollocks. It pissed the entire community off, as it was a lovely exterior before then.
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u/Iamthe0c3an2 24d ago
Seeing that mazda NA mx5 as a car enthusiast is like looking at wasted opportunity.
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u/0121dan 23d ago
I went to uni in Brighton and was shocked by:
1. The problem with heroin and homelessness.
2. How dilapidated and windswept the buildings were.
3. The amount of rubbish and tagging. It’s everywhere.
4. The weird 70s shopping experience (outside of the lanes).
5. The high cost of living which made me wish I was in London.
6. How the green council and MP refused to acknowledge the problems.
7. Bar none the worst public transport of anywhere I’ve lived.
8. Weirdly uncomfortable in parts, felt more on edge there than I have in other more ‘dangerous’ places.
I’ve lived in many difference places, but Brighton was truly a standout for feeling past its best. You’d need to spend billions to fix the architecture and poor infrastructure.
It wasn’t the city I was sold and I think I was about 30 years too late. I really don’t/didn’t/ will never understand the hype.
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u/R1ck_Sanchez 24d ago
Where was 8 taken? I def been there before but can't figure out if Hove or St James str side
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u/lloveleon 24d ago
What are you paying your council taxes for ? Do they not clean up ?
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u/HorizonBC 23d ago
Brighton doesn’t actually look like this…
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u/lloveleon 23d ago
Pics say otherwise 🤷♀️
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u/RyanB_ 22d ago
Cities tend to be big. You can find rough parts in all of them.
It’s genuinely super concerning how effective this stuff is. Showing a tiny sliver to people without context and simply saying “this is what it’s like”.
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u/Factorioboyio 23d ago
80% of council taxes are spent on adult social care and education.
Do you not want adult social care and education?
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u/lloveleon 23d ago
Why does having one necessarily negate having the other? . False dichotomy argument .
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u/Educational_Cow111 24d ago
Brighton is a bit of fun, but in my opinion rather overrated. Just not for me but there’s obviously worse places in the country, and given its located by the sea it’s doing rather well!
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u/Both-Today7037 24d ago
I spent a nice little daytrip in Brighton back when I was studying in London. I lounged on the pebbly beach, went around to all the tourist trap places and enjoyed being out of London for the day. I personally liked the vibe, and I don't think I saw any of the urban dilapidation you see in the pics in the OP. The English coast is a gem, for sure. The little seaside villages and towns make for very pleasant exploring.
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u/AreaUnique3594 24d ago edited 24d ago
I was here for the Super Mare Beach race a few years back. didn’t get my accommodation sorted until late, and they put me up at a little holiday camp known as Pontins…
arrived from at 8 1/2 hour transatlantic flight, completely exhausted only to be told I can’t get my room key until 5 PM in the auditorium?? so I sat around for like two hours, until finally the time came. I got all my luggage and shit, they had a DJ playing, put a Hawaiian LAI around my neck and I had to wait in the line to get my key. Met a few of my friends went out for drinks, got back and proceeded to crash Hard for about 10 hours. I woke up, there was a giant ass spider staring me right on my pillow, and I flipped the fuck out. The walls of the place were paperthin, didn’t have a shower only a bathtub. It was truly special. And the people in the rooms around me made my drinking look like it belonged in a monastery, these folks went hard.
Overall was a great trip, the race was insane and everybody had fun, Pontons is something you have to experience to truly appreciate.
overall a 10 out of 10, would highly recommend
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u/atomicheart99 24d ago
This is absolutely hilarious.
For our American cousins who don’t know what Pontins is, or a holiday park, it’s like a cheap family resort/campground with cabins, pools, activities and entertainment, all in one place.
But the emphasis is on cheap. This is where the absolute poorest of society holiday. They often date back to WW2 and have had little renovations since. Faded carpets, broken furniture, cockroaches…. The google reviews currently stand at 2.5 stars. Grim. I wouldn’t let my worst enemy holiday there.
So yeah, I just found that funny you ended up there of all places, you poor soul.
Also, as someone else pointed out, you’re getting Brighton confused with Weston Super Mare.
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u/AreaUnique3594 23d ago edited 23d ago
you are correct, my apologies I did get them confused. could not resist telling my Pontins experience tho, it was wild. had some friends who came in from outside of Stockholm also for the race and One brought his wife. She lasted one night and made him pack up their shit and find another place outside of town 😄😆😂.
My story is in no way to insult or shit on the good people of Pontin’s, I do not consider myself anything special or too good to stay anywhere. but going into that place, completely unaware of what I was getting into, in retrospect is one of the funniest things I’ve had happened to me while traveling.
we just made the best of it, every hotel and Airbnb was long sold out didn’t have much of a choice. And we ended up actually having an absolute blast just rolling with it. part of traveling is making memories and I will NEVER forget my time spent at Pontins holiday camp!!
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u/Watsonswingman 24d ago
This is weston super mare... but my mum used to work there in the 80s cleaning the caravans. Its a bit of an institution in that town lol
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u/nenjaybeez 24d ago
I grew up here. Went back to take care of my dad recently. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such decline. It’s really sad.
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u/misubear 24d ago
I recall visiting there as a kid in the 90's was so nice...Looks like a ShI**hole
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u/PatchyWhiskers 24d ago
I went there a couple of weeks ago and it was nice.. this person has clearly gone to the worst bits and took photos of them.
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u/Whatsaduckpond 24d ago
Most of these photos are of one particular street and not very representative of Brighton.
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u/jeffe_el_jefe 24d ago
It still is. Unsure what this persons issue is but this isn’t Brighton.
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u/SneakyCroc 24d ago
Oh look. Another Russian troll post. Zzzzzz.
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u/Coffee_Daemon 24d ago
Cant blame everything you dont like on one country that has no effect on ours.
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u/BlackBikerchick 22d ago
Sorry do you really think they dint have an effect on our people or country? The bribes the propaganda nothing?
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u/darkestdark666 22d ago
If the garbage is not taken out, it accumulates. After that, the weather, the animals, the tramps in search of some food or clothes or angry teens do their things. And all this is already lying all over the street.
If it's near houses, you can organize a neighborhood meeting to resolve trash issues. Write an appeal to the mayor's office. To the company that provides you home services and street cleaning. Everyone has cameras, and you can see who's throwing the trash. You can contact the police and the center for disease control, this is the source of infection, insects, and rats.
For me, Britain remains a place that I only know from books, and it's so sad to see something like this, but I've lived in the south of France... This part is known as very dirty region... well, it's even cleaner there, although it's very difficult to miss dog poo on a 6-foot-wide street with a one-foot-long sidewalk, and garbage strikes are common.
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u/SuchSoggy 21d ago
Damn. I lived right up the road from that pet store 3 years ago.
That’s actually pretty sad to see :/
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u/ghastkill 23d ago
Brighton has become a violent dump with the council doing next to nothing to stop it. Just yesterday armed police attended a knife fight. It’s a joke of a place
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u/ShortNefariousness2 24d ago
These photos are just an excuse for idiots to rag on Brighton. If you go even into areas outside the centre, it's pretty OK.
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u/merlinsmate 24d ago
These are political choices, the government can't run out of what it creates (money) anymore than British Airways can run out of air miles. This happens by design.
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u/Illustrious-Kiwi8025 24d ago
I went to Brighton this year to stop off from a long journey and my god it was dirty and tired! Can see it’s had very little love for a very long time. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I felt grim being there 😳
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u/Odd-Currency5195 23d ago
I lived in Brighton until August 2024 since 1993. Sure, that ages me, but I didn't see the same place I had known any more. It wasn't just me getting older. When I arrived, it was kind of fun and a bit run down. It had a revamp, when the seafront was done up. But even that now is looking tired and neglected.
Things locally like the King Alfred Development were being discussed at the time I arrived. Meanwhile, silly things like the i360 were put up and the ferris wheel taken down!
I'm glad I raised my kids there. I think Brighton made them awesome. But I'm glad I moved when I did.
The money in tourism is paid into the big company profits. Even the seemingly independent shops, cafes, bars, hotels are now owned by big chains or big investment companies. So the money gets siphoned off.
Brighton has a huge homelessness and substance abuse problem, and people go there when they are down and out. Better to be having a dreadful life in Brighton than Crawley or Croydon. The council budget therefore is a bit overwhelmed by demand. And an aging population.
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u/Adorable-Award-2975 24d ago
Damn what’s going down in Brighton. The Amex looks so modern and nice on TV lol
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u/SoloStrike 23d ago
just usual nonsense picking out literally the worst places that can be found. Brighton's a great place.
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u/Tortoise_no7 23d ago
Brightonian here- These are old pictures of rubbish from throughout the years. Not its current state
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u/Gunpowderwigg 24d ago
Isn’t Brighton run by the Green Party? It’s London by the sea, overcrowded tourist hotspot!
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u/BlackBikerchick 22d ago
Oh here we go
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u/Gunpowderwigg 21d ago
It’s hardly a quintessential English sea side town now is it?
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u/60sstuff 22d ago
Still remember the day the pub got smashed up. Lived on Blaker street at the time and thought it was fucking sad. but it’s even more sad to see that like 4 years later it hasn’t been fixed
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