A crowdfunding campaign has started to save the Madeira Terraces lining Brighton seafront between the Palace Pier and the Marina.
Brighton and Hove City Council aims to raise £432,000 in four months after putting in £100,000 itself to get the ball rolling.
The aim is not only to raise money but to show public support for the restoration project before applying for £4 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
A similar application to the Coastal Communities Fund was turned down earlier this year in part because no match funding was in place.
The new crowdfunding campaign is being hosted by Spacehive and can be found here or at www.savemadeiraterrace.org.
Council leader Warren Morgan said: “Being able to demonstrate real public commitment and support for the project will help us win funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund in the autumn.
“The council has cleared litter and weeds, and soon a community clean-up day will make it even tidier for the summer.
“Madeira Drive has been an iconic location for events and films for decades but it isn’t being used to its full potential.”
The council said: “Help us restore our iconic arches to their former glory. We will save this historical structure from falling into disrepair, in the process creating a new lively quarter for Brighton.
“Madeira Terrace, a grade II-listed structure running half a mile along the seafront, is falling into irreversible disrepair.
“This crowdfunding campaign is the crucial first step in a £24 million plan to save the arches.
“This campaign aims to restore at least three arches but it will also do a whole lot more, helping the community to reimagine how all 151 could be used, unlocking £1 million from the council and proving a strong public mandate for future funding applications.
“With your pledges, ideas and volunteering we can return them to their former glory, and beyond.
“Once restored, Madeira Terrace will become the catalyst for regeneration of the eastern side of Brighton’s famous seafront.
“Pledges will be refunded if planning permission and listed building consent cannot be obtained.
“Project costs are estimates based on the latest surveys. The council will cover any shortfalls if final works come in above cost.
“This is a giant team effort by the people of Brighton, sourcing ideas as well as donations to create a vision for a Madeira Terrace that we can all get behind.
“This project will harness the city’s energy and creativity and allow the people of Brighton and Hove to make the country’s coolest new estate – on our beach – together.
“It’s about galvanising support to preserve something old while at the same time providing something exciting and different that we can all use and enjoy, for years to come.”
The crowdfunding campaign went live yesterday (Wednesday 26 July and runs until the end of November.
The Regency Society and The Brighton Society are both sitting on cash reserves which I hope will be dipped into for this project.
A very worthwhile venture but what is the COMMITTED end plan? BHCC needs to be clear about what that is going to be in order to get public confidence that blank cheques to do whatever are not being donated. Simple reinstatement? Or opportunistic redevelopment (as well…)
What cast-iron (no pun intended) heritage promises can BHCC undertake to provide?
Use some of the 26 mill that the council is getting for the sale of King’s House?
Already spent and committed to investing in council services to save money and generate revenue – Government cuts to our service funding mean we have to cut our running costs and generate revenue to prevent job and service cuts.
I don’t understand why they didn’t use the 1.5 million they spent on the crappy zipline for this!
Why do you not get sponsor,then put little plaques on the wall like the hove mini railway in hove park have done.?
I don’t understand why they didn’t use the 1.5 million they spent on the crappy zipline for this!….You are joking!!!
Aren’t public spaces the responsibilty of Brighton and Hove council? Yes they are the biggest bunch of see you next Tuesdays and can get anything wrong but isn’t it up to them to organise it?
As Brighton i360 is NOW known as British Airways i360 and that the council gave a loan of 36.2 million, And as publically stated the i360 is doing a lot better than ever was predicted, Shouldn’t the Brighton & hove city council ask BA for some funding to reduce their loan and kick start the cities Madeira
https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/press-release/i360-%E2%80%93-councillors-approve-tower%E2%80%99s-loan-planWalk Rebuilding.
We were Never told it was going to be Called or promoted by British Airways, It’s time to Call in Part of the Loan from the company….. Or Add Penalties to their loan agreement.
Raffle tickets with fantastic prizes are currently on sale to support this campaign at https://m.facebook.com/groups/123426644980311