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Steamin’ in Kent

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Me1 Sauna Rochester, Kent

ME1 Sauna is discreetly located at Foundry Wharf, just off Rochester High Street, close to the Ship Inn. This new, modern and friendly sauna complex on three floors in the heart of the Medway Towns has a lot to offer.

Me1 Facilities

Me1 has a large sauna area, hot tub room, and steam rooms as well as relaxation cabins and even and a themed construction zone room. There is also a free internet cafe, free tea, and coffee three lounge areas to enjoy. On top of all this, there are 93 personal lockers as well as power showers.   There is a designated smoking area and light meals are available on the second floor.

A loyalty card is available; visit just six times and get your 7th visit free of charge. Just remember to get your card stamped each time you visit.

WEB.600.ME1SaunaThe sauna opened its doors with a soft launch on November 24 last year and they will be celebrating their arrival on the Kent gay scene in style with a Grand Opening Party on Saturday, February 9.

A free buffet will be provided; plus you will be able to meet the owners Mark, Tony and Tim, one of the former founders of the Brighton Sauna.
The sauna is open from Monday–Sunday, 11am–9pm. Entry is £8 from 11am–1pm, £10 from 1–9pm, and students with ID cards are charged £8 all day. A same day re-entry pass is free of charge; a weekend pass covering Friday and Saturday costs £15.

Special nights include:

• Fetish Nights every Monday
• Club Pandora, an Underground123 organised night for straight men & women, same-sex, bi and transgender people to mix in a safe and secure environment on Thursday 7 from 6pm–midnight
• ‘Party Night Rochester’ on Thursday 14 and 28 from 6pm–midnight (no entry after 9pm), organised by Underground123
• ‘Naturist Night Rochester’ on Thursday 21 from 6pm–midnight (no entry after 9pm), organised by Underground123.

You will find the ME1 Sauna at Foundry Wharf, just off Rochester High Street, Rochester, ME1 1TH.

For more info view:

Or telephone: 01634 401226

Green plans to cut Pride grant puts future Parades at risk

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Brighton & Hove City Council ‘s Green administration has ear-marked the annual grant of £25,000 to stage Brighton Pride to be cut after the 2013 event. The Green administration, who are having to make cuts of 20 million pounds to balance the council’s books, say their proposed cuts will see no children’s centre’s close, all branch libraries remain open and they claim those needing help with council tax payments will continue to receive it.

Under plans for 2013, the new Pride organisers had ear-marked the council’s £25,000 annual grant exclusively to develop the Pride Parade creating a new Community Pride organisation within the main Community Interest Company (CIC). This Community Pride Parade would be administered exclusively by local LGBT/HIV voluntary sector organisations.

The withdrawal of the council grant will put future Pride parades at risk.

 

Cllr Jason Kitcat
Cllr Jason Kitcat

Cllr Jason Kitcat, leader of the council, said:

“In its current form, we’re not sure Pride needs it.”

Cllr Geoffrey Bowden, the Chair of the Council’s Economic Development & Culture Committee is a former Trustee of Pride in Brighton & Hove (Pride South East), which ceased trading with debts of over £250,000 in 2012.

Cllr Geoffrey Bowden
Cllr Geoffrey Bowden

He said:

“We are making provision to help Pride as in previous years. Not all the money set aside last year was required, but we still have the same amount set aside in a reserve in case it is needed, particularly to support the organisers of the street party. As ever the council will be continuing to work with Pride and will be devoting many hours of dedicated officer time during the planning and delivery stage of the event, as well as waiving parking bay suspension fees along the parade route. The city council looks forward to working with the organisers to help deliver a safe and enjoyable Pride that builds on the success of 2012.”

Cllr Geoffrey Theobald
Cllr Geoffrey Theobald

Cllr Geoffrey Theobald, Leader of the Conservative Group, disagreed with the administration, saying:

“We would not support a removal of the council grant for Pride. It is an example of where a relatively small amount of council funding brings huge benefits to the city in terms of tourists that visit for the parade weekend. We would rather see the council look at making savings by increasing efficiencies within the council or by scrapping some of the more bizarre and costly green policies.”

James Ledward
James Ledward

James Ledward, editor of Gscene, said:

“Any talk of removing the grant to Pride illustrates a lack of understanding as to how Pride supports LGBT community development 365 days a year and in the context of what the council pays to external community development consultants, £25,000 is in real terms peanuts and amazing value for money.

“Under Pride’s new plans, the removal of this grant could put future Pride Parades in jeopardy. This annual £25,000 grant should be ring fenced and used exclusively to help the voluntary sector develop the parade into a major tourist attraction, rather than allowing the funding to be diverted by stealth each year into the street party which has become a ‘Drink Fest’ rather than a ‘Community Fest’ with tacit support from the politicians.

“It’s so disappointing that this funding stream survived savage budget cuts under both a Labour and Conservative administration yet is being considered for axing by the Greens who masquerade as being ‘gay friendly’.

“Only in Brighton & Hove could the city’s largest public event and tourist attraction, which generates a fortune to businesses from all communities over the Pride weekend including hotels and guest houses, be punished in this thoughtless way by the political elite.”

Labour declined to be drawn on the issue.

New rental scheme will benefit tenants and landlords

Cllr Liz Wakefield
Cllr Liz Wakefield

Agents and landlords play a significant role in housing city residents and students with more than one in five homes in the city in this sector and this is double the national average. The new Letting Agents Accreditation Scheme aims to increase property standards, tenancy management and make agent’s fees more transparent.

Agents and landlords will be encouraged and supported to improve both their property standards and their service standards with advice and information on grants and other services.

The council will also work with the universities to promote accredited agents to students and parents.

With a growing private rented sector in Brighton the scheme provides reassurance to people looking to rent that the letting agent will not let them down. Agents will benefit through accreditation as it shows they are trustworthy and that they provide a quality service.

The scheme asks tenants to fill in feedback forms which are monitored by Brighton & Hove City Council. Through this evaluation it’s decided whether the agent can keep their accreditation status.

Cllr Liz Wakefield, Chair of the Housing Committee, said:

“This is a great scheme because it benefits both tenants and good landlords. We want to make sure that finding a place to live is as safe and stress-free as possible, and we want to reward good landlords with recognition.”

Jennifer Smith, Sussex Student Lettings Manager, University of Sussex Students’ Union, said

“As part of the University of Sussex Students’ Union, we welcome any initiative aimed at helping improve lettings service levels and standards for students across the city. We were pleased to be involved in the council’s development of the Letting Agents Accreditation Scheme, and hope that it will lead to increased confidence for tenants and landlords when choosing an agency to do business with in future.”

Barrie Alderton, of Brighton’s Barrie Alderton estate Agents, said:

We were very keen to be a part of Brighton & Hove Council’s accreditation scheme from its inception. Already members of the major trade bodies, and the only combined estate agent and letting agent in Brighton & Hove to be approved by Trading Standards in The Buy With Confidence Scheme, we continuously strive to offer the best possible service to both landlords and tenants alike.
“The Letting Agents Accreditation Scheme will enforce our company philosophy of always working to the highest standards. But most importantly tenants will now have the knowledge and peace of mind that dealing with an agent with the councils logo on their door, that they will be treated with respect and fairness at all times.”
 

Converting offices to homes to be made easier

Mike Weatherley, MP
Mike Weatherley, MP

The Government is going to make it easier to convert  empty offices quicker and easier into homes. Ministers are to make it easier for developers to convert offices into homes, without the need for planning permission from local councils,

Mike Weatherley, MP for Hove & Portslade, has praised the proposal saying that the current process is marred in red tape.

There is an acute housing shortage in England, particularly in London and the South East and Mike is keen to see empty properties in Brighton & Hove brought back into use as soon as possible. Estimates put the number of possible new homes at over 100,000 across the country.

Mike has been supported by the Prime Minister in campaigning for squatting to be criminalised since his election to Parliament in 2010. Mike claims squatting is a huge problem in Brighton & Hove, with numerous instances of this organised and frequently menacing behaviour blighting the lives of ordinary people.

Irate squatters have dubbed the new law “Weatherley’s Law” following Mike’s campaign to introduce the new legislation. Mike is now campaigning for the law to be extended to commercial properties.

Mike said:

“This move is an excellent way to help alleviate the housing crisis facing our country. I have always said throughout my campaign to criminalise squatting that I want the government to do more to tackle empty buildings. By doing away with planning permission for this change of use it will save money, unnecessary delays and help house tens of thousands of people.”

Public Inquiry for traffic reduction proposals

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Cllr Jason Kitcat

A Public Inquiry will be held into a proposed traffic scheme to reduce traffic in and around The Lanes area of Brighton this spring. The scheme was approved in principle by the council’s transport committee last October.

The proposals, which were advertised in December, call for a section of Ship Street to be pedestrianised between Duke Street and North Street from 11am, and along East Street between 11am and 7pm daily. Prince Albert Street will also be permanently closed to traffic between Middle Street and Bartholomews.

The proposals aim to reduce unnecessary traffic and improve the area for pedestrians and businesses. Previous research for similar schemes in city centre locations has shown retailers and restaurants reporting an improvement in business and a more engaging environment.

A number of objections  were received with regard to the prohibition of traffic in the city. The transport committee is meeting its statutory obligation by recommending a Public Inquiry into the scheme to ensure independent advice is taken on the balance between the benefits of the proposals and the interests of the objectors.

Council Leader,Jason Kitcat, said:

“While we are committed to following necessary due process, I’m disappointed by the delay and extra expense that will be incurred as result of these objections. The vast majority of the public supported these proposals in the consultation process; the plans are similar to restrictions seen in historic city centres around the world. Given the support for the proposals from the public and traders we had hoped to have them in place by this summer season. We hope to have the inquiry process start as soon as possible but the money spent on it could have been better spent improving the area.”

Anyone with an interest has the right to make their case at the Inquiry.

Three objections were received from local residents,  three from local businesses, and sixty two from the taxi trade.

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