James Gray: A very ordinary street, with little to distinguish it from many other of Brighton’s back streets. It had undergone hardly any change during its life of nearly 120 years. The houses were built early in the 1850s and the large building seen above was Belmont Street School, run in conjunction with the nearby Congregational Chapel, but converted to business use recently. This street will be cleared away before long. Photograph taken 12 February 1967. jgc_25_254
James Gray: A very ordinary street, with little to distinguish it from many other of Brighton’s back streets. It had undergone hardly any change during its life of nearly 120 years. The houses were built early in the 1850s and the large building seen above was Belmont Street School, run in conjunction with the nearby Congregational Chapel, but converted to business use recently. This street will be cleared away before long. Photograph taken 21 July 1968. jgc_25_253
James Gray: This and the next photograph date from 25 June 1978. They show the cleared site of Belmont Street, and the empty, derelict houses in St. Peters Street. For many years controversy has raged over this site. Brighton Corporation wish to use it as a lorry park, albeit temporarily, while opponents of this scheme prefer housing or an open space suitably landscaped. In late 1980, the problem is still unresolved. jgc_25_256
2018: This area which is at the eastern end of the recent New England Quarter redevelopment, was redeveloped for what is mainly social housing in the 1980s and 1990s. Belmont Street now consists only of the two buildings on the right of the 1978 image. (Photographer: Chris Nichols)