History & Heritage · 3 min read
Chalk, Flint and the Ground Beneath the City
Explain how chalk, flint, dry valleys and the coastal plain shaped settlement, water supply and building traditions.
Read the storyIndependent city recordBrighton · Hove · PortsladeEdition 001 / 2026
THE ARCHIVE
The complete city collection
History, neighbourhoods, civic explainers and environmental stories — independently researched and organised for unhurried reading.
History & Heritage · 3 min read
When the Brighton Coastline Lay Somewhere Else
Use raised-beach deposits and changing sea levels to reconstruct the prehistoric coastline around Black Rock, Hove and Portslade.
Read the storyHistory & Heritage · 3 min read
Whitehawk Camp and Brighton’s First Monument Builders
Explore what the Neolithic causewayed enclosure reveals about gathering, exchange and community more than five millennia ago.
Read the storyHistory & Heritage · 3 min read
The Hove Amber Cup and a Bronze Age Burial
Follow the discovery and interpretation of the internationally important amber cup and the long-distance connections it may represent.
Read the storyHistory & Heritage · 3 min read
The Black Rock Bronze Age Hoard
Reconstruct the discovery, contents and archaeological importance of the prehistoric metalwork found in east Brighton.
Read the storyHistory & Heritage · 3 min read
Hollingbury Hillfort Before Brighton
Examine the hillfort, nearby barrows and debated evidence for ritual activity on the commanding downland site.
Read the storyCoast & Environment · 3 min read
Ash Dieback and the Future of the City’s Woodlands
Explain safety work, tree loss, regeneration and why woodland response extends beyond replacing individual ash trees.
Read the storyTransport & Infrastructure · 3 min read
Red Routes, Loading and Keeping Key Corridors Moving
Explain the intended traffic-management function and the implications for deliveries, parking and enforcement.
Read the storyCivic Life · 3 min read
The Temporary-Accommodation Crisis Behind the 2026/27 Budget
Explain how rising demand, limited supply and nightly-paid accommodation affect families and council finances.
Read the storyCivic Life · 3 min read
The Council Plan 2023–2027: Promises, Measures and Accountability
Turn the council’s headline priorities into a readable guide to commitments, delivery measures and public reporting.
Read the storyArchitecture & Conservation · 3 min read
Falmer House and the Making of a Modern Campus
Explore Basil Spence’s design, materials and landscape setting as the architectural centre of the new university.
Read the storyNeighbourhoods · 3 min read
Preston Village Before Brighton Reached It
Recover the parish, manor, farms and roadside settlement that predated suburban absorption.
Read the storyHistory & Heritage · 3 min read
How Hove Lawns Became Public Space
Trace the preservation and civic management of the open seafront lawns amid intense building pressure.
Read the storyHistory & Heritage · 3 min read
The Brighton Improvement Commissioners
Show how the 1773 commissioners tackled paving, lighting, cleansing and order before elected borough government.
Read the storyCoast & Environment · 3 min read
Green Infrastructure: Joining Parks, Verges, Trees and Water
Show how connected green and blue spaces can support health, wildlife, cooling and flood resilience.
Read the storyTransport & Infrastructure · 3 min read
Valley Gardens Phase 3: A Project Backgrounder as Work Reaches Completion
Trace the scheme’s objectives, layout changes and delivery timeline without treating forecasts as measured outcomes.
Read the storyCivic Life · 3 min read
Community Safety Strategy 2026–2029: Priorities and Evidence
Describe the partnership’s agreed priorities and how crime, harm and resident experience inform them.
Read the storyCivic Life · 3 min read
What the JSNA Tells Us About the City’s Needs
Explain how the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment combines population, health and service evidence to guide local decisions.
Read the storyArchitecture & Conservation · 3 min read
Two Town Halls, Two Civic Traditions
Compare Brighton and Hove’s municipal buildings as expressions of distinct government, taste and local identity.
Read the storyNeighbourhoods · 3 min read
How Preston Park Changed the North of Brighton
Connect the creation of public open space with surrounding transport, housing and civic improvement.
Read the storyHistory & Heritage · 3 min read
Goldstone Bottom Before the Suburbs
Reconstruct the downland valley’s agricultural landscape before housing and public infrastructure transformed it.
Read the storyHistory & Heritage · 3 min read
How the Old Steine Became Brighton’s Public Stage
Trace its evolution from an open green beside the fishing town into a ceremonial and transport landscape.
Read the storyCoast & Environment · 3 min read
Biodiversity Net Gain and the Local Nature Recovery Strategy
Explain how national development rules and Sussex-wide habitat priorities interact with local planning.
Read the storyTransport & Infrastructure · 3 min read
The A259 Active-Travel and Bus-Priority Programme
Explain corridor proposals, consultation history and links between coastal travel, safety and public transport.
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