I was reading in the paper yesterday that The Labour Party are shunning seaside towns. In 2006 they’re holding their conference in Manchester. I think one guy hit the nail on the head when discussing Blackpool: “It amazes me that the Labour party, which is a working-class party, doesn’t want to come to the main working-class resort in the country”. Yeah, that’s right, it probably is an image thing.
“Unlike other seaside destinations, Brighton has always been popular with delegates, and Labour signed a two-year deal to stage the 2004 and 2005 conferences on the Sussex coast”.
By coincidence 2006 is when the council plan to start the demolition of the conference centre (huzzah!). It’s going to be replaced with a new combined conference and concert venue. So, basically, the same thing only less ugly, presumably.
From what I can gather, the area under development is pretty big, and by 2008 could include flats, an extra floor on top of the Churchill Square shopping centre, and the planning options I’ve seen use words like “bold”, “holistic” and “landmark” — but they would, wouldn’t they.
The new conference/gig venue will be smaller (under 2,000 seats compared to the current 5,500) but “state of the art”. Which sounds a little odd until you realize that the International Ice Arena at Black Rock, near the marina, will be an 11,000 seat venue. That’s scheduled to open in 2007, assuming it’s even started. I’m guessing the ice part can be covered over, because the prospect of filling an 11,000 seater stadium for some ice skating sounds… challenging.
It also raises the question of why the council would allow something that size there, but not a 22,000 seater football stadium in Falmer. But that’s a whole other story.
