Category:North Laine Community Association

Ken Fines Tribute, North Laine Runner [image info]

The North Laine Community Association (NLCA) started out in 1976 as the Central Brighton Community Association, and was renamed later in the year to reflect the impending creation of the North Laine Conservation Area, which was established in 1977.

North Laine Conservation Area

The creation of the conservation area, the brainchild of Borough Planning Officer Ken Fines (1923–2008), is generally considered to have rescued the area from the threat of extensive inappropriate redevelopment, and has allowed North Laine to consolidate its identity as an architecturally unique and diverse part of Brighton, partnering The Lanes. The North Laine region fiercely protects its status as a region of independent shops, and with very few exceptions, has managed to be remarkably effective at resisting the incursions of the chain retailers that have turned so many towns into lookalikes with no real local character of their own.