Long-awaited work to restore the first section of the Madeira Terrace is unlikely to start this year, supporters fear.
The project has been delayed and scaled back several times over the last 18 months, amid rising build costs and the new Labour administration’s decision to review the scheme in 2023.
Last month the cabinet approved injecting another £3 million into the budget for the first phase, which will see 28 arches restored and a new lift built, while delegating power to officers to appoint a contractor.
But the contractor is now not expected to be appointed until next month – which it’s feared will push the start date back until at least next year.
Councillor Jacob Taylor, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance and city regeneration, said: “We are finalising contracts, and plan on making an announcement about which company has been successful, and when work will begin, in October.”
In the summer of 2022, work was set to start in summer 2023. By then, the date had slipped to spring 2024. By June this year, the date had slipped to simply “by the end of 2024”.
Members of the Madeira Terrace advisory panel, which was set up to keep members of the public informed of the project’s progress, say they don’t think this latest deadline will be met.
Derek Wright, who helps run the Save Madeira Terrace Raffle Group, said: We have an advisory panel meeting in October supposedly with the contractor attending.
“In my opinion no dismantling or demolition will start until contractors come back after the New Year.”
Jax Atkins, who’s also a member of the raffle group and the panel, said: “We know absolutely nothing now but there is no way I can see work starting this year.
“Time after time it is deferred – there is always some ‘new’ problem they have found.
“It has been mismanaged from day one.”
The Madeira Terrace is a Grade 2 listed, 865-metre-long stretch of seafront arches on Madeira Drive.
Originally built in the late 1800s, it has been closed to the public since 2012 as the structure has been degraded by the marine environment and become unsafe.
The arches earmarked for the first phase stretch from Royal Crescent steps to the west to the shelter hall in the east.
So you wrote this based only on the “fears” of a couple orf people who aren’t involved in anyway shape or form with the assessment of tenders or the appointment of an actual contractor?
They are well informed people and will be proven 100% right. It was never going to be this year and by the time it does start, my fear is the scope will be reduced again.
Bunch of busy bodies who think they own the arches, usually found on the Brighton Past Facebook page endlessly complaining about any changes made to the city.
They were complaining about the proposed new lift recently. They don’t want “their” arches to be accessible to everyone apparently. I don’t know why anyone – least of all the media – would take any of them seriously. If anything they’re a hindrance to the arches being given a new life.
Just like the west pier this useless council will trash more heritage.
Brighton Council are a total disgrace. Letting this town go to rot and ruin. Pot holes, red lines, traffic flow, widen kerbs, electric charging points not been used. Housing repairs going down plug hole and closing school’s.
Brighton is in a bad state.
No road sweepers, or litter pickers. Weeds growing through every broken pavement slab. Blocked drains so roads flooding… I need a lay down made myself depressed… that’s without going on about the road resurfacing and painting of the yellow lines. Essex place area was a joke the tar was lofting within hours
The council should sell the terraces onto the private sector, I really don’t know why the council are hanging onto them, its not as if they haven’t sold off most of their other assests. Even if they were eventually all renivated the council would let them fall into disrepair again just like they do with all their other council owned buildings. This council have no vision, its run by a bunch of useless incompitant hippies with zero experiance in running a city and its funds.
The reason that the arches were closed to the public is not because of “marine degradation” but total lack of maintenance over a number of years. Kicking the can down the road does not solve the issue.
Well it does as at some point they become too far gone to restore. Just like other parts of Brighton
Absolutely disgusting news. Our precious heritage is not in safe hands with Labour.
How can they prioritise wasting millions on valley gardens 3, which no one wants, over restoring Madeira Terraces? The council are really showing their hate towards our tourists and visitors with these two actions.
VG3 will cost us, the local taxpayer, £6m and result in more congestion and pollution. Why is it going ahead?
Clearly cllr Muten is a lackey of the cycling lobby, Bricycles and Sustrans
I wonder if Marks Barfield will be involved?
They made such a success of the I360🤦♂️
I think the council needs to look for sponsors for the shelters along Brighton and Hove seafront as most of them are falling to bits, in return whoever sponsors the upkeep is allowed to advertise on them. Right along the seafront everything is in decline simply due to lack of maintenance.