Conservative councillors are calling for an apology for the delays in restoring the Madeira Terraces after Labour ordered a review of the engineering techniques.
Restoration work was originally planned to start this summer for the arches from the Royal Crescent steps to the west to the shelter hall in the east but was pushed back to the autumn.
Conservative group leader Alistair McNair is expected to propose a motion on the topic at a Brighton and Hove City Council meeting on Thursday (20 July).
Councillor McNair plans to ask councillors to “note the disappointment” felt by campaign groups and residents that the work has been delayed and to seek an apology.
He wants those attending the town hall meeting of the full council to acknowledge the potential increased costs arising from the delay – and he is expected to ask that work starts in the spring to renovate all 151 arches.
The council said: “To ensure we’re managing potential future escalation of costs as effectively as possible, we’re doing further work to consider which engineering techniques offer the best value going forward.
Councillor McNair is also calling for regular updates on the restoration process and a report about funding.
He said: “In the past, day-trippers would have promenaded among them (the arches), looking in at the shops, enjoying the sea breezes or sheltering from the rain.
“They were designed to encourage walking along the seafront, to encourage dawdling, to encourage relaxation.
“Now, all they encourage are complaints. They stand, barely, as a reprimand to the city – look how far we have fallen.
“On one side, we have the West Pier, falling into the sea, and the i360 – endlessly in debt to the tune of millions.
“At the other end, the arches – a crumbling relic of our glorious past. And the arches have been closed for 10 years.
“Residents are rightly upset that the council has yet again postponed the restoration of the arches. And when I say restoration, I only mean 40 of the 151 arches.”
Save Madeira Terraces campaigner Jax Atkins, who is also a member of a council advisory panel, spoke out after the delay was announced.
She said: “I’m really upset and so, so cross – and a large proportion of Brighton will be too. Nothing has been done – just loads of talk.”
Labour councillor Alan Robins said that the project was not under review. He said that increases in the cost of building materials and labour were affecting the project.
He said that the council was checking to make sure that the engineering would give good value for money.
The council granted planning permission for the work last November and preparations including “propping” work started in January.
The grade II listed Madeira Terraces stretch for just over half a mile, or 865 metres, along Madeira Drive.
The arches were built in the late 19th century but have been closed to the public since 2012. The marine environment, notably the salty sea air, has degraded the structure which has become unsafe.
The council is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 4.30pm on Thursday (20 July). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast on the council’s website.
Easy to throw out unsubstantiated comments like a large proportion of Brighton residents will be upset but I suspect the majority of Brighton will not be remotely bothered. More concerned about how much council taxes are costing them
So, a Conservative Councillor criticises delays caused by lack of money (how about the Govt gives us back the £110m /yr in funding they took away since 2010?), and also studiously neglects to mention the very same Tory Govt in the last couple of wks rejecting an application of around £8m to central Govt for funding to pay for repairs to the remainder of the arches….
So laughable, you couldn’t make it up… which I haven’t!
“He said: “In the past, day-trippers would have promenaded among them (the arches), looking in at the shops, enjoying the sea breezes or sheltering from the rain.”
What shops?
He makes it sound like there were shops along the full length of the arches on all the levels when that simply isn’t the case.
If he has issues with the state of the West Pier then he should address those to the Trust that owns it.
As for his comment re the i360 has he forgotten the loan only went through because the Tories voted with the Greens to approve it? He might have forgotten that but there are plenty of people who will remind him of it.
Why is the focus on visual qualities?
The arches support the Victorian frame work that holds up what is probably the busiest road in Brighton.
It is literally a teal frame work over a sandstone cliff that still resides underneath it.
Forget the esthetics, what about the supporting structure that the arches originally created?
The council should reconsider adding a revenue generating element to the arches so they are self funding and not a huge maintenance burden on the city. They could be quite easily incorperate a box park type offering or even a hotel, particularly if they were moved forwards into the road by a few metres. The parking spaces also need to be removed so that millions of pounds aren’t wasted on something which becomes hidden behind a car park.
Absentee Labour council