Reopen Madeira Drive Campaign, Part 2

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Sunday, 9 August Update:

Great protest today by Mods and Rockers at Madeira Drive!

Large numbers of Mods and other scooterists and Rockers and other bikers gathered from 10am - and were interviewed and filmed by BBC South East TV.

Helen, the charming presenter, and her cameraman Graham did a smashing job on covering the all angles. Thanks, guys!

Here is their excellent report.

And here's a fantastic video of the day by Rob Henderson. Thanks, Rob! And here and here are more videos.

The police were very helpful, particularly WPCs Sarah and Lucy, who somehow helped to negotiate for us to ride down Madeira Drive for the cameras. 

It was fabulous - Rockers and Mods in the same convoy, fighting for the same cause.

When we were parked up, I made a speech, as did leading South Coast Mod Diggers, my partner Laura King and biker Brian. In my speech, also here, I stressed out how we had come in the Campaign and said we were winning the argument.

Quadrophenia star Gary Shail, who played Spider in the cult Mods and Rockers film, sent a message of support to the assembled Rockers and Mods, also reported in the Brighton Argus.

Gary said: "Sorry I can’t be with you this Sunday for the protest to keep Madeira Drive open. 

"Madeira Drive was, of course, one of the key locations for the film Quadrophenia in which I played the character of Spider.

 “Madeira Drive is an incredibly significant place for Mods and bikers alike, who have been regular visitors to the shops, the restaurants, the bars and all the other places since the early Sixties. 

"And I think it’s incredibly sad that all these businesses will suffer, definitely, and, perhaps, even have to close if the planned road closure goes ahead. I believe this is a misguided and terrible decision to restrict this fantastic destination to specific interest groups at the expense of others.”

 

He added: “I really hope that this Sunday protest is well supported by Mods and Rockers alike, who with all the other supporters now have a petition with nearly 11,000 people.

 

“So let’s just hope that they might open the eyes of Brighton & Hove City Council and convince them that Madeira Drive is a cultural gem that must be reopened for all visitors."

Many thanks, Gary, for your support and to the South Coast Mods, of which I am proud to be a member, and to everyone else who attended or helped. 

Here's a nice video of the event made by South Coast Mod Diggers.

I will update this blog post with images and any other video clips as they come in.

* Black Friday, 14 August 2020:

Still reeling from the Green and Red wall that we hit last night - at the Special Meeting of Brighton & Hove City Council.

The Greens and Labour made it abundantly clear that they have no interest in saving the traders' season by reopening Madeira Drive or, indeed, ever doing so, and between them told just about every fib in the book to justify their prejudiced decision.

It became clear during the Madeira Drive petitions debate that Phelim Mac Cafferty and his Green group and Labour leader Nancy Platts and her colleagues do not really care about local jobs, the views of local people including the disabled, the history and traditions of the city - or the Council's finances. 

Between them, they could well end up leaving Brighton & Hove morally and financially bankrupt.

It was a real shock to realise just what a blinkered and extremist set-up we are up against.

Later in the meeting, every one of the Green and Labour councillors voted against Councllor Wares' very generous compromise motion to reopen Madeira Drive one way. 

Indeed, the only votes in support of the motion came from Tory councillors and one independent councillor, Bridget Fishleigh.

The only possible solution I can see now is for the Madeira Drive traders in the parade, who have been despicably betrayed by the Labour and Green councillors, to take legal action against the Council for the breach of their leases. (Yes, the Council is THEIR landlord - you couldn't make it up!)

Sadly, we haven't been able to make Phelim (who I am ashamed to say is my local councillor), and Nancy (whose decision makes me ashamed to be a Labour Party member) and their colleagues see reason.

This is the statement we put out after the painful debate on the Petitions last night:

Ollie Wilson and Laura King, the founders of the Reopen Madeira Drive Campaign, said: "The petitions' debate by Brighton & Hove City Council on the reopening of Madeira Drive has made a mockery of democracy.

"Green and Labour councillors were totally partisan, favouring the minority view and accepting statements that are simply untrue, such as the nonsense that Madeira Drive has been busy with cyclists and pedestrians or still needs to be closed because of the Covid-19 crisis. Our 1,360-strong Facebook group, Reopen Madeira Drive To All, has been uploading daily photographs of Madeira Drive at peak times which show this to be patently untrue.

"While hypocritically claiming to support local businesses, they have thrown Madeira Drive's traders under a bus, refusing to have an early decision on this issue at Committee or even commission a report, as Councillor Bridget Fishleigh sensibly proposed, to establish the true facts on the impacts - environmental and others - of the closure.

"Our Petition to reopen Madeira Drive has been supported by more than 10,600 people - yet Councillor Pete West gleefully cited the rival petition, with a paltry one third of the number of signatures, as evidence for keeping Madeira Drive closed, without making any reference to our much larger petition."

Ollie and Laura added: "The views of the motorcyclist and Mod community were entirely ignored by Green and Labour councillors - not even mentioned, despite the four successful protests that have taken place to reopen the Drive.

"And Council Leader Phelim Mac Cafferty revealed the Greens' real intention - to keep Madeira Drive closed while seeking investment by private developers, while at the same turning away millions of pounds of income in parking revenue, rent from traders and visitor income.

"Presenting this petition left us feeling completely disrespected and disenfranchised by Brighton & Hove City Council. 

"Only the Conservative group and two independent councillors listened to the voice of the people. It has made a travesty of justice on this issue for all those who work on Madeira Drive and may now lose their jobs, and the ordinary people of Brighton & Hove and visitors, who believe in equality, diversity and inclusivity and in sharing Madeira Drive with all user groups."

And this is the very reasonable Speech that Laura and I made, despite the Council's cranky technology and the Mayor rudely preventing me from reading the final paragraph (although, later, he allowed Phelim Mac Cafferty to go way over his allotted time):

[OLLIE] We speak to you today as representatives of more than 10,600 people who have signed our Petition to Reopen Madeira Drive to all users. We started it because we’d become aware there were no plans to reopen Madeira Drive, which was closed to motorcyclists and cars as a supposedly “temporary” measure to provide exercise space. When lockdown restrictions were lifted, it became apparent Madeira Drive would stay closed, impacting the enjoyment of the mods and bikers who meet there. It’s also badly hurting Madeira Drive’s traders, as trader Trevor Archard has made clear.

 

[LAURA] It’s clear a few individuals want a permanent closure of Madeira Drive as a stepping stone to making Brighton and Hove car free - without a city-wide public consultation. Despite the great length and width of Madeira Drive, it’s been deemed suitable for exclusive use by cyclists and pedestrians, many of whom prefer to use the existing cycle path and pavement. This is not inclusivity. And it is not busy as daily photographs from our 1,350-strong Facebook group evidenced.

 

[OLLIE] The Mods and Rockers are now united in the Battle to reopen Madeira Drive, where they have met at the parade of cafes and shops toward the Pier end of the Drive since the early Sixties. Four protests by Mods and Rockers have been held, attracting local, regional, national and, indeed, international media coverage. We welcome the Council’s decision last month to continue to allow official motoring events. However, the ongoing closure casts doubt on the less-official August Bank Holiday Mod Weekender, which attracts thousands of Mods, and over the years has brought in millions of pounds to our city and given pleasure to hundreds of thousands of people – locals and visitors. Madeira Drive is not purely the property of Brighton and Hove people. It’s a national and international destination – the spiritual home of Mods and Rockers and, of course, the setting for the iconic film Quadrophenia, a star of which, Gary Shail, has backed our campaign, describing the decision to keep Madeira Drive closed as ‘misguided and terrible’.

[LAURA] Our more than 10,600 supporters don’t want to consign our traditions and culture to the dustbin of history. Disabled people have also said the closure makes it hard for them to enjoy Madeira Drive and use the facilities provided for them.

Moreover, I work for the city’s heritage and believe the continued closure of Madeira Drive is detrimental to the prospects of restoring Madeira Terraces, which would reopen substantial pedestrian space and provide commercial opportunities. We welcome the Council’s decision to give all revenue from Madeira Drive parking toward the cost of restoring the Terraces and urge you to maximise that income.

 

[OLLIE] We endorse the Compromise Motion that Councillor Lee Wares is putting to your meeting today: to reopen Madeira Drive one way from the Aquarium Roundabout to Duke’s Mound, allowing a new cycle lane on the south-side of the road and between Duke’s Mound and Black Rock. It would allow access for mods and bikers and help the traders.  

 

[LAURA] The Motion is a fair solution to a highly controversial issue at a time when the Council should be trying to unite the people of Brighton & Hove and those who visit us. Our Petition has received almost three times the number of signatures of its rival cited by Councillor West with no reference to ours, and done so through the passion of stakeholders who use and visit Madeira Drive – not those who do not know where Madeira Drive is.

 

[OLLIE] Finally, when you vote on the Motion, we ask you to set aside party politics. Please think of all of the people you serve. Think about the local economy and local jobs. Think about our history, culture and traditions - and what makes people visit our fine city. Madeira Drive is a treasure. All the people who love it should be allowed to enjoy it equally. Tonight, YOU can make that happen.

[LAURA] We present our Petition of well over 10,600 signatures to Reopen Madeira Drive to all users.  [LAURA AND OLLIE] Thank you.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has helped in the Reopen Madeira Drive Campaign and Petition. Things will one day surprise us and come good again. 

What goes around comes around!

* Friday, 28 August:

Private Eye magazine has written a good article about the closure of Madeira Drive and the heritage implication (below).

Meanwhile, Mods are arriving for the Bank Holiday Weekender - and Madeira Drive is still shut!

Shame on you, Green/Labour Brighton & Hove City Council!