On Friday 12 December at 7pm after a marathon 5-hour session the Council rejected Explore Living's ‘towering nightmare’ planning application for Brighton Marina by nine votes to three.

Many thanks to all the savebrighton members (including the heads of all the major local residents' associations and other members of the savebrighton steering group) who have worked so hard during the past year and helped in so many different ways to achieve this great victory, and to the thousands of petitioners, emailers and letter-writers, from all over Brighton and beyond - the furthest in Melbourne - who hammered home the myriad reasons why the application should be rejected.  Wonderful support has been given by the editors of Kemptown Rag and Regency magazine, council leader Mary Mears, councillor David Smith and prospective parliamentary candidate Simon Kirby.  Those who have campaigned with such determination are not, as some mischief-makers suggest, just rich nimbys; they are people from all walks of life who love Brighton and want it to enjoy continued success as a great place to live in and visit.

We are indebted to the nine councillors in the planning committee who saw past the superficial attractions of the tempting offer dished up by the developers and realised it was shark-infested custard. They said no to the developers, no to their own planning officers and yes to the people of Brighton. Their courageous and correct decision will hopefully be a real turning point for the relationship of the citizens with their council, and for the future of Brighton and Hove. 

Explore Living say they will appeal, but we have a message for them: if they do so, they will be throwing good money after bad.  We are not going away and we will not let them succeed.  This campaign will continue to grow in membership and in strength, and we will make sure their disgraceful scheme stays where it belongs: in the dustbin of failed ideas.

We look forward to the day when an honest and enlightened developer will come forward with well-considered proposals to improve the western end of the Marina, by building good quality attractive homes - including high specification affordable homes - in an attractive development, of sympathetic design, density and scale, with adequate car parking, leisure space and infrastructure, and with the genuine intention of enhancing the Marina and seafront rather than merely exploiting it for profit.

There will be much to do in the New Year to safeguard and improve Brighton and its Marina, and I invite visitors to this website who approve of what we are doing to join us in savebrighton. Membership is free of charge and free of obligation.

With very best wishes to all our members, and their partners, families and friends, for a happy celebratory festive season and a peaceful healthy and successful 2009.