A contractor has been chosen for the first phase of the restoration of the Madeira Terraces although no date has been given for work to start.
Brighton and Hove City Council has picked Shoreham firm JT Mackley and Co, the principal contractor for the building of the i360.
The council said this evening: “Civil engineering contractor JT Mackley and Co has been appointed by Brighton and Hove City Council to undertake the first phase of the restoration of the grade II* listed Madeira Terrace.
“Mackley has been appointed following the launch of a public ‘invitation to tender’ process in December 2023.
“After bids were formally assessed in the spring, Mackley emerged as preferred bidder and commercial discussions to agree the detailed contract have now been concluded.”
Councillor Jacob Taylor, the deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for finance and city regeneration, said: “I am delighted to announce that Mackley has been appointed to this iconic project and that plans are being finalised to the start the necessary preparation work on site.”
“We are committed to the restoration of Madeira Terrace and are determined to proceed with it as soon as possible.
“Once the contractor has all the necessary machinery, equipment and materials assembled, we will be able confirm when restoration work will start on site.
“We expect to be able to confirm that date later this month and are working closely with Mackley to ensure a start on site as soon as possible.”
The council added: “Mackley specialises in tackling challenging schemes along our coastlines, rivers and in the water sector, delivering complex projects to protect and enhance the coastlines of the south of England.
“Mackley’s experience of heritage structures includes working on world heritage sites, scheduled monuments and listed buildings.
“In Brighton and Hove they have carried out repairs to Madeira Terrace in the past and constructed the Black Rock sea wall and link road.
“Phase 1 of the project will see 28 of the 151 ornate arches and bays restored. It will also include
- A new lift – a key component for the scheme that will ensure access for all
- Full replacement of the upper deck with a waterproofed deck, infrastructure for canopies / shades and for pop-up events
- Painting with a system guaranteed to perform better in coastal conditions than traditional materials available to the Victorians
- Refacing and regreening the Green Wall although much of this will take time to recolonise
- Retaining several of the best specimens of the Japanese spindle plants which are older than the terrace itself
- A new staircase down from the deck near Concorde 2 / Shelter Hall
- Reinstatement of the planted verges at Madeira Drive level
- A more pedestrian-friendly layout in front of the Terrace, providing beach access for all and including two new crossing points and
- Restoration of the original seating to the upper deck, encouraging people to sit and enjoy the views
“The new lift will provide 24-hour access and be capable of being used by all.
“Earlier this month Heritage England announced a £750,000 grant towards the first phase of the restoration.”
Councillor Taylor added: “The restoration of Madeira Terrace is an ambitious and unique project. Following the backing we have received from Historic England this month, the announcement of Mackley as our partner to deliver this first phase is another important step forward.
Mark my words. We will end up with a lift that is unsustainable while the arches disintegrate.
We will also end up owning the i360 once its debts have grown to unmanageable levels.
We will then be faced with the cost of demolition of the i360.
Well Chris, seems your postive in your outlook.
What is an unsustainable lift?
I can’t wait for the scheme to start.
Unsustainable = not maintainable, not fixable, too expensive to run. We all know it will get used as a toilet when the normal ones are closed, vandalised and tagged by graffiti. CCTV will not deter anyone as it does not on buses or the rest of Brighton.
How can there have been a tendering process is there is no date to start?
Tenders are related to current prices and labour costs, so there must be a qualifying timeframe due to inflation factors.
What’s going on here?
Good question – it all sounds a bit like “spin” to me…
It sounds as if the contractor has been chosen on the basis that they will spend the allocated money until it runs out. In which case, there is no control by the council on what they will actually get.
I seriously hope that this is not the case.
We will have to watch this very closely.
Thats why the council found £3m for that very reason. any delay and the tender would be out of date . The contractors decide the start date once everything is in place. That involves erection new barriers, fencing, hoarding, installation of site office and removal of parking spaces
Because no contractor is going to committ resources and a start date until they know they’ve won the contract.
All the matters you refer to can and are regularly built into tender documents. You think they knew the exact time frame on the tunnel ftom UK to France? There are simple, precise legal mechanics to deal with such matters. This is nothing new.
Could they just move the I360 and use that as a lift?
New public transport idea: attach a zip line, use that as a fun way to travel to East Brighton.
Have they still goty the decking timber and steel work in storage fromn the restored section of the west pier, that was subsequently dismanteled and taking into storage?
What’s the West Pier got to do with Madeira Terrace?
And in any case if such items are still around they are the property of the SWest Pier Trust not the Council.
Have they still goty the decking timber and steel work in storage fromn the restored section of the west pier, that was subsequently dismanteled and taking into storage?
Ask West Pier Trust they own them
The irony of the word Trust to refer to those that administer the West Pier.
Oh come on, think we need a more positive attitude, it’s great that the thing has got this far and hopefully a start date imminent. This is a major undertaking and although it has been said that there had been a lack of maintenance, in years gone by the council just slapped a fresh coat of paint on top of obviously deteriorating iron work. This sounds like a good restoration plan. Hope more funds will become available before the end of this first phase so, it can continue. Agree we need to hold the council to account.
Tbh I don’t know why it isn’t being replaced with cafes and restaurants as a thriving link to the drab marina, which would benefit greatly.
Concorde2 could be rehoused into a great new venue. Not sure why it never relocated to The Hippodrome. The sound at Concorde2 is awful and gives me a headache. I like the 70s-80s vibe, but it doesn’t now cut it as a small venue like it should.
The arches are only Victorian. It isn’t as if they are an ancient monument, and they actually serve no real practical purpose. I’d personally have preferred to see an exciting new urban village, with emphasis on arts.
Excellent news. The council should add lots of parking bays on the seafront to generate more money for the restoration and add a council tax levy on all properties from the old Steine along this stretch to get this area repaired as quickly as possible.