Part of Madeira Drive’s green wall will be cut back in preparation for work to start on the terrace this summer.
Some of the Japanese spindle above and below the terrace deck, mainly by the Royal Crescent steps, will be removed, starting this week.
The council says removing the vegetation will reduce the risk of birds nesting in plants that are in this area prior to the main work starting, which could delay the start of renovation work.
Work is now due to start on the first, reduced phase of the Madeira Terrace next summer – with the hope it will be complete by summer 2026.
Brighton and Hove News revealed in September the council was considering scaling back the first phase from 40 arches to 28 to keep it in budget amidst spiralling costs.
The cost of restoring the 28 arches, and putting in a new lift from Marine Parade to Madeira Drive is set to cost £11.6 million.
Councillor Julie Cattell, lead member for major projects, said: “As part of this landmark restoration project there is a comprehensive regreening strategy that will revitalise the wall so when work is finished it can again be enjoyed by all, including our local birds and wildlife.
“We have to start with the removal of some vegetation, but we are restricting this to the absolute minimum necessary to be able to start the repairs to the cliff face and Terrace which supports the green wall.
“We are determined to restore this amazing asset so that it’s healthier, more diverse and more accessible. Madeira Terrace will be a place to enjoy nature in the heart of our city for generations to come.”
Over the last year expert surveys of the plants forming the Green Wall have been undertaken to help the project team understand their health and how best to ensure the restored Terrace has a thriving Green Wall.
Much of the appearance of the wall comes from the evergreen spindle plants that were planted over 150 years ago and are now showing significant signs of decline.
All of the individual plants have been surveyed and individually tagged by plant specialists. Each specimen has been mapped, assessed and given a score of stem health both above and below the elevated walkway.
Through those surveys it is apparent that all the plants have rooted into the wall at various points, allowing them to grow so tall. These plants now get most of their nutrients and water from the wall through their aerial roots, rather than from the ground through their main stems.
The East Cliff wall protects the chalk cliff behind it from weathering associated with wind, rain, frost and thaw, and supports the elevated walkway.
Engineering work on this section of wall goes back as far as the early 19th century when the cliff face was stabilised to protect the new buildings of Kemp Town. Today the cliff wall’s role also includes protecting the A259 highway above it.
The successful restoration of Madeira Terrace requires strengthening and resurfacing the cliff face on which plants are currently growing.
A comprehensive plan has been produced to protect as much of the green wall as possible during the restoration work, and to regreen the wall after work is completed.
This plan will see the best of the spindle plants retained. New planting with a variety of wall shrubs and climbing plants at the base of the cliff wall will increase biodiversity.
The use of specially designed planters and trellis fixed to the resurfaced wall will enable the plants to cover the repaired surface without damaging the wall behind.
The technical report on the condition of the spindle plants and the plan for protecting, repopulating and maintaining the Green Wall has been published on the council’s Madeira Terrace project web pages.
The survey reports and plans have been presented to the Madeira Terrace Advisory Panel, which brings together a mix of community representatives who work with the council to move the Madeira Terrace restoration forward.
Advisory Panel Member James Farrell, of Brighton and Hove Building Green, said: “Madeira Terrace is a fantastic piece of Victorian architecture that is sadly in very poor condition.
“Its renovation will be immensely complex and one of the biggest challenges will be protecting and restoring the Green Wall, which is currently home to over 100 species of plants and is a designated local wildlife site.
“The council has used experts to produce detailed plans for the green wall, which have been discussed with the Advisory Panel and they have listened to our advice.
“It isn’t possible to renovate the terrace without the removal of some vegetation, which will be restored, and without some disruption to wildlife.
“But if we get this right, a revitalised green wall will be a key part of restoring this special part of our city.”
No mention of the rats : will the rodents be protected?
What do you mean? The article definitely mentions the Council!
How much money for this project has been spent on DEI? aka Discrimination, Exclusion and Inequality.
In my opinion, far too much emphasis is put upon not disturbing wildlife when such building projects are proposed … the council needs to get on with the necessary work … the wildlife will fly away to another site, and when the work is done, the site will soon be repopulate with wildlife again … how do you think the site attracted wildlife in the first place all those decades ago ? …. birds and insects don’t read council building plans !!!
Its a protected area
And still the council insists on erecting a brand new lift that looks just like a gun tower & has no bearing whatsoever on the renovation of the existing Victorian Terraces! Disgraceful. And they are very happy to ignore our original Victorian Madeira Lift – all so very sad. This is not what we have spent years toiling towards. Extreme disappointment all round…
Just a thought, couldn’t the council apply for some Government money from the abandoned HS2 as the terrace is effectively holding up the A259 above? I understand this is happening further west. Otherwise i agree with Jax, however at least it looks like it might be starting….. soon, don’t hold your breath!
The terraces aren holding anything up.
They aren’t integral to the wall that protects the cliffs.
As stated in the article it’s the cliff wall that supports the terraces.
Further west along Kings Road the arches there do support the road (technically the road there is on a viaduct from roughly the pier to Hove Lawns) but I thought all the arches had been repaired in the last 15 years or so (the shelter hall scheme was mostly about reinforcing the road above the junction with West Street than the hall itself)
The retaining wall holds up the road
Thank goodness work is starting on the arches at long last
You’d think it might be wiser to leave the restoration of the lift & get more of the arches restored first ?
Exactly !!
Why the hideous additional lift shafts? They are gross and an unnecessary expense in the proper restoration of a Grade II star listed structure.
Presumably it’s cheaper than renovating the old Victorian structure which nobody alive seems to be able to replicate or repair. This country is well past it’s best in so many ways.
English heritage wont allow replication
Why not get local trades & involve new apprenticeships ?
To improve access to the terraces and Madeira Drive for those with mobility issues!
It might be flat to access the drive from the pier end but the slope at Dukes Mound is quite steep and not wheelchair or pram friendly.
The wall needs repairing also if the roots of the Japanese spindle have got into it, stop trying to be clever. Anyway looks like there may be more Government funding available. Our Labour council don’t even try. Or maybe they have since my last post! I think it’s the bit between shelter hall and the improvements around the i360 (no comment) which still needs reinforcing.
The council has tried for Lottery finding twice and LUF once . Hove Lawns got LUF funding and Pavilion Gardens got the Lottery funding
I’m not trying to be clever. I’m trying to be accurate.
The terraces simply do not support the cliff wall (or the road.)
Ok, when I said terrace, I meant the whole restoration project, which includes repairing the wall, which protects the cliff face upon which the road runs above. Hence the grounds for more government grants.