Madeira Terraces restoration - the extra funding

RSCH development, Mar 2017 - Jan 2020.

Petition - Re-wild Hollingbury & Waterhall golf courses.

The leases of both golf courses expire in March 2020. The Tourism, Equalities and Culture Committee (TECC) will meet on 16 January 2020 to review tenders with a view to granting a 25 year lease. Extinction Rebellion Brighton urge TECC to take this unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ensure that the internationally endangered, wildlife-rich and diverse chalk grassland ecosystems of the two sites can re-generate and flourish, and that eco-friendly community food production and public health, wellbeing and recreational activities are promoted.

Read more & sign petition.

Shelter Hall - June 2019

The Rotunda at Kings Road level now has its windows.

The first of the Neptune head decorations is being fitted to the arched openings on the lower promenade.

From what can be seen of it so far the design looks excellent and highly sympathetic to the existing seafront arches. The quality of the brickwork is particularly striking.

The work is scheduled to be completed this year. It looks as if it might be a close thing.

Hanningtons Lane progress

From Meeting House Lane

From Brighton Place.

Hanningtons Lane viewed from each end is only now beginning to emerge from the scaffolding although completion was originally expected mid-2018.

Shelter Hall taking shape.

December 2108

Previous post: Shelter Hall progress.

Shelter Hall progress

West side 

South

From east

Corn Exchange development update

New glass roof sheds light on redevelopment project 

A new glass roof is now in place between the west wall of the Corn Exchange and the Studio Theatre. This will create a first floor circulation space and Gallery Bar with views into the Corn Exchange through reopened west windows.

More information and photos.

Shelter Hall progress 4

Beginning to take shape above the ground. Remote control crane being used. 

Appeal from Saltdean Lido CIC.

March 2017

Saltdean Lido is one of the finest remaining examples of modernist lidos in the UK.  The pool has been saved by local residents who  set up a Community Interest Company (CIC) and successfully secured a 60-year lease from Brighton & Hove City Council (the freeholders) to operate the lido site. 

After the restored pools re-opened in June 2017 and were used by over 35,000 visitors last year the Lido picked up two Brighton & Hove Business Awards - Best New Kid on the Block & Best Hospitality Leisure & Tourism.

The next phase is the renovation of the building.  Brighton & Hove Council has pledged £700,000 and the CIC is working with the Heritage Lottery Fund (National Lottery) to secure £4.2 million. 

Now, to demonstrate to the HLF that there is local and national support for the project, a crowd-funding scheme has been launched. The aim is to raise £100,000 before the end of May which is when the HLF bid is assessed. This money will be used to rebuild the historic café in the main building. The whole restoration project will cost £6.8 million.

Rights of way consultation

Footpath to the Chattri

The city council is responsible for maintaining around 159km of public rights of way all over the city, and has recently published a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) setting out its 10 year plan.

Now a public consultation asks those with an interest in the countryside what they think of the council’s proposals to manage footpaths and rights of way in the city.

The plan sets out how the council is planning to improve provision for walkers, cyclists, horse riders and those with mobility issues.

Proposals also include plans to create more opportunities for volunteering and explore new funding sources.

To see a copy of the Brighton & Hove Rights of Way Improvement Plan 2017 - 2027 and take part in the consultation visit the Rights of Way pages at:

www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/rightsofway

The consultation closes on 18th May.

Stanmer Nursery closing

Stanmer Nursery will cease trading from 1st March 2018.

The nursery is closing to make way for the restoration of the Walled Garden. This has been made possible due to the success of a bid by BHCC to the Heritage Lottery Fund, part of the Stanmer Park Restoration Project.

The old walled kitchen garden  which housed the Nursery will be restored, and a new nursery offering training and education opportunities and enjoyment for the public, will be created.

The Dome - new venues for 2019

The £21M redevelopment of the Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre currently underway will provide space to hire for between 50 to 1700 people with new, state-of-the-art facilities. The work is also  restoring long-lost heritage features.

For a large scale conference,  company meeting or grand banquet 

contact brightondome.org/newvenues2019 to find out more.

Shelter Hall site - extra money needed

Councillors are to discuss investing extra money in the scheme to save Brighton’s seafront road and  to recreate the 1880s Shelter Hall as a seafront centrepiece. The authority had originally been working to a budget of £10.6m.  So far £12.2m has been spent.  Now a new report recommends an extra £7m is needed for two key reasons:

• To upgrade the quality of the Shelter Hall replacement building to make it more attractive to investors. It is likely to be a quality restaurant. 
• To cover the extra cost of complex engineering work needed so far to stabilise the ground, overcome underground obstacles and deal with historic structures in a worse state than expected. 

As well as costing more, the project’s complexity means it will take longer.  It had originally been expected to complete this summer. It is now likely to be autumn 2019.

A finance report to the policy, resources and growth committee on 8th February suggested mainly raising the cash from central government.  The total would comprise £4m of Department for Transport grants, £2m of borrowing and £1m from other council sources.

Council officials say at the time the bid was made in 2015 it was not possible fully to assess risk factors such as ground conditions, the full state of historic structures and uncharted underground services.

Examples of factors which require extra funding include:

• A huge engineering operation to stabilise the ground and structures – involving sinking dozens of metre-thick concrete piles up to 17 metres into the ground
• Maintaining traffic flows on the A259 in order to preserve access to local businesses and avoid damage to the local economy caused by the works 
• Improvements to the replacement Shelter Hall’s specification to boost its revenue-generation by increasing its floorspace with a larger building and mezzanine floor.  Following advice from Historic England and the council’s planning service there are additional costs arising from conservation and design improvements
• Provision of larger public toilets
• An historically faithful restoration of the Grade 2 listed kiosk above the Hall, which was much more rotten than anticipated
• Other costs arising from things such as obstacles hidden underground – including three old sea walls – and the building and road structure being in a worse condition than could have been foreseen.  This has required extra work and complex engineering solutions.
• Additional demands on mechanical and electrical services for the project. Examples include a beefed-up ventilation system for the premises and a new electricity sub-station.

King Alfred redevelopment

How it might look from the south.

After many years of delay it looks as if the King Alfred redevelopment might actually get under way. The proposal has won £15.2m from the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund – the second highest in the country. The Fund is aimed at kickstarting major housing projects where financial viability is in question.

The city council bid was submitted last December with developers Crest Nicholson. Crest Nicholson are teaming with  the Starr Trust on the project, which will include community space.

Proposals for the site include:-

A sports centre with:

• 25 metre, eight lane swimming pool with moveable floor and 352 spectator seats
• 20m by 10m teaching pool with moveable floor and a 400sqm leisure pool
• Sports hall, the size of eight badminton courts and multi-purpose hall. 
• 120 station gym, bike spinning room, workout studio, quiet activity studio and a sauna suite 
• Gymnastics centre
• 3 rink indoor bowls hall
• Martial arts dojo
• Café
• Crèche and soft play room
• 200 space car park for sports centre users.

Housing:

• Around 560 flats in four main blocks, the highest block on the SW corner being 18 storeys.
• 20% of flats will be affordable homes - for rent or shared ownership.
• Proceeds from the sale of private flats would fund a new public leisure centre.

A provisional timetable for the project is subject to concluding contractual arrangements in the first half of 2018.  It is hoped planning public consultation could  commence by mid-2018 with a view to a planning application later this year. Details of the longer-term programme will be published once contractual arrangements are finalised.  An indicative timescale would be see the sports centre open in 2023.

See also: Save Hove post.

Shelter Hall progress

RSCH redevelopment - stage 1 progress

Bird's-eye view of the construction site for the Stage 1 Building that will open in the winter of 2020/21. It is the larger of the two new buildings the redevelopment will provide. Eastern Road, the main road past the front of the hospital, is at the top of the picture.

The foundation piles for the building have been completed and the excavation work is well underway. Most of the site, except the area immediately adjacent to Eastern Road, will be dug down two and half storeys. This is to accommodate underground car parking and the building’s plant rooms.

Excavations are complete across the north of the site (the bottom of the picture). The buidling’s foundation slab is being constructed in that area. Looking carefully it is possible to see the places where some of the building’s lifts will be installed, towards the bottom of the picture.

Two of the four tower cranes that will be used in the construction of the building are already in place. A third crane is on top of the tower block, working on the construction of the helideck.

Over the next three months: excavations will be completed, the foundation slab will be nearing completion and the other two tower cranes will be set up on site.

City gets more cycle stands

Last autumn 74 stands were installed in the Hanover/Elm Grove zone

The city council has just started a last phase for 2017/18 which will see stands installed for 124 bikes, mainly in central Brighton & Hove. Among 10 locations are Western Road, West Street, The Level and Palmeira Square. Two hundred new cycle parking spaces will have been installed in central Brighton & Hove by the end of this financial year.

Since 2006 the council has installed parking for almost 2000 cycles.

Anyone can submit suggestions for locations for cycle stands using a form on the council website www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/cycleparking. New requests will be considered for the 2018/19 financial year.

Abandoned bikes occupying racks – or anywhere else - can be reported on 01273 292929.

Cycling to work across the city doubled between 2001 and 2011 according to the census. Just under five per cent of its population cycle to work. Nine per cent of adult residents cycle at least once a week.

The local BTN Bikeshare scheme, launched last September, is reportedly the UK's most-used outside London.

The East Street Kiosk

The kiosk before restoration. (West St.) 

Restored and relocated

The former Shelter Hall kiosk at the bottom of West Street has been nicely restored and relocated to the bottom of East Street. A good job seems to have been made of the decorative cast-iron finial and cresting but, so far,  the pendant frieze hasn't reappeared.

Tourism 2016

Latest figures released by Tourism South East show the city attracted a total of 11,234,000 visitors in 2016, an increase of 6.4% on 2015.

On a regional and national level, the overall picture shows that Brighton & Hove is performing well, while England saw visitor numbers increase by 4%, the South East, overall, recorded a decrease of 2%.

Total expenditure by visitors to Brighton & Hove is estimated to have been in the region of £885.9 million in 2016, an increase of 3.2% compared to 2015.

The data also shows the city had  9,627,000 day trippers,  a 5.8% upturn on 2015, while the amount of money spent during their trip increased by 6.2% to £353 million.

The number of overnight stays in the city showed the biggest increase at 1,607,000, just over 10% up on 2015.  Domestic visitors were shown to be the group that had contributed most to this growth with almost 15% more overnight trips made by UK travellers compared with 2015 figures. 

The only figure to have dipped slightly is the number of overnight trips made by overseas visitors, which was down marginally, by 2.1%, though both the length and value of each trip has increased.

About Tourism South East (TSE)
TSE is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to provide services and expertise that supports the performance and growth of tourism businesses and destinations. Services provided include:  domestic and international marketing campaigns, PR and web promotions, training courses, research and visitor information services, networking opportunities and advocacy.

Read more about the Economic Impact of Tourism Study, Brighton & Hove