Regency building now showing its best side

A neglected Regency building in Brighton is now looking good thanks to the persistence of the council's planning enforcement team.

The impressive Grade 2 listed building at 67 Preston Street on the corner of Regency Square was built in 1818 in the heyday of Brighton's emergence as a fashionable seaside resort. Nearly 200 years later it was empty, crumbling away and windows had been boarded or bricked up, making it a prominent eyesore in one of the city's most prestigious conservation areas.

Over a period of more than three years planning officers served a number of formal notices and worked closely with the building's owners to encourage them to bring 67 Preston Street back to its former glory. Now the birthplace of early screen actor Eva Moore has had its rough edges smoothed, repairs made and a new coat of paint in the distinctive cream colour of the city's historic squares and terraces.

Councillor Julie Cattell, chair of the city's planning committee, said: “This is one of our most important and prominent historic buildings and the council's intervention has effectively stopped its decline. We are really pleased that the owners have met all the requirements we asked for to bring this lovely building back to its best.”

A new shopfront has been installed and a business is now operating from the office space at the rear of the site. The listed building also includes a three-storey bow-fronted terraced house.