Councillors have voted through cuts totalling more than £4 million to the “Kingsway to the Sea” project on Hove seafront.
They agreed to an indicative list of changes that included scrapping some children’s play equipment, a sand sports area and the resurfacing of existing north-south paths to bring the project back within budget.
Other changes include seeding lawns rather than turfing them, using cheaper plants and using cheaper materials for paths which will be narrower than originally planned.
The new Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Bella Sankey, ruled out extra borrowing after contractors priced the project at £16.6 million compared with a budget of £12.7 million.
A report to councillors said: “Construction costs nationally have increased significantly since inception of the project.
“The council has seen increased sub-contractor costs on all construction projects due to the lack of availability of goods and labour.
“Allowances for inflation were factored into early cost plans, based on industry market rates. However, the scale of construction inflation (being) experienced now is unprecedented and beyond the early budget expectations.”
The report set out 18 features of the project to be scrapped or revised as part of a cost-saving drive.
Councillor Sankey said that if funding could be found, it might be possible to go ahead with some of the features that were currently due to be shelved.
She told a meeting at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Thursday 22 June): “We are very confident as an administration that this can still be delivered to a really excellent standard.
“It’s a very exciting project and a much-needed project. I believe it will be the first new park in the city for over 100 years.”
The council’s executive director for the economy, environment and culture, Donna Chisholm, spoke about the proposed changes to the scheme at the same meeting.
She told the council’s Strategy, Finance and City Regeneration Committee that construction could start quickly once changes were agreed to the project which was currently on hold.
Most of the project’s costs will be paid for with a £9.5 million grant from the government’s Levelling Up Fund. The money is meant to be spent by the end of next March.
The rest of the funding is due to come from existing council budgets for public toilets, developer contributions and borrowing.
The project is intended to revive the stretch of land between the A259 Kingsway and the sea from the King Alfred leisure centre to Hove Lagoon.
There is a time to spend and time to save. At the moment, getting spending under control seems like the wisest choice considering the several financial holes that need to be plugged up right now. Put it on the backburner for now at least.
Another Green vanity project that ends up costing the taxpayer millions.
Time to pull the plug on VG 3 which is currently estimated to cost the local taxpayer £6m and will clearly increase . How is this justifiable?
I fear this is going to never happen. This council has a history of questionable decisions. The useless i360 being placed on a Georgian sea front anyone? This project is not a green vanity project. The right are always suspect of anything that helps the many and not the few. It would create a huge amount of revenue for the area by attracting visitors and ensure the future for a dilapidated area. Outdoor and indoor facilities are integral in securing mental health and well being for a community. Unless we invest in our surroundings and our social environment then we will never improve the quality of life for so many who depend on outdoor activities.