The next stage of the restoration of the King’s Road arches is hoped to begin next summer, subject to funding.
Brighton and Hove City Council is bidding for £24 million from the Department for Transport to pay for the next two phases – behind the playground, and west of Shelter Hall.
If successful, phase four will start in June 2025, and phase five in May 2026, with completion scheduled for November 2027. The A259, which is supported by the arches, will remain open throughout, as will the lower promenade, but the upper promenade may sometimes be closed.
Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for public realm, said: “This is an important restoration and refurbishment project on a vital part of our seafront.
“Once complete, the existing tenants will go back into the phase four arches, with current layouts remaining the same and we will also be advertising for a new tenant of the former Breakpoint Café when the refurbishment is completed.
“In phase five, the leases will be brought to an end and the arches fully remodelled and redeveloped, subject to planning. Some tenants will then have the option to return.
“If planning permission [for phase five] is approved next month, we will begin a tender process expected to run until February, with a full business case expected to go to the Department for Transport in March and, all being well, initial construction for phase four getting underway in June 2025.
“This is anticipated to last for 12 months, with phase five then likely to begin in May 2026 and last 18 months.
“Phases four and five are forecast to cost around £27 million, the majority of which, around £24 million, is expected to be provided by the Department for Transport.
“When work begins, the A259 will be kept open. The lower promenade will also be open, although there may be times when it will need to be narrowed, and every effort will be taking to keep the upper promenade as open as possible and any inconvenience to residents and visitors kept to an absolute minimum.”
The phase five arches run from just west of the Shelter Hall to the next set of steps – including Brighton Music Hall. A planning application for this next phase submitted by the council to itself last month.
Another one to replace listed railings above the phase five arches was submitted last week.
The project to redevelop and restore the arches began in 2012 – and became more urgent when the arch housing the Fortune of War pub collapsed in 2014, closing the seafront road above for several months.
The first phase saw the arches just west of what is now the i360 site redeveloped. After that, arches to the east were redeveloped, followed by the Shelter Hall.
It would be nice it they finished Black Rock and Hove lawns first ? – just so we have some usable seafront next summer.
Let’s hope the council manage to use a contractor this time who uses the right equipment. Recent issues with Kemptown yellow line fiasco and the ones who used the wrong type of tarmac on the tennis courts, suggests they give contracts to clowns. Yet they say it’s #valueformoney
This project will actually be under the control of the department of transport, because they ensure the safety – and in this case – the structural support of our roads.
The majority funding will also come from the DOT and not from council tax.