THe groundwork for a wholesale reworking of the roads around the Old Steine will start next week with the resurfacing of Castle Square.
The improvements to the road at the bottom of North Street, which begin on Monday, also include installing a new bus stop.
This will be the first stage in the third stage of the Valley Gardens project, which has already seen road layouts changed and a central park created between St Peter’s Church and Edward Street.
The final stage will see a new square created between the Pavilion and the war memorial, and the replacement of the Aquarium roundabout with a T junction.
For the Castle Square work, overnight closures are planned from 8pm on Monday, 25 to Wednesday, 27 November and Monday, 2 to Wednesday, 4 December
Diversions will be in place.
Work will then start on the rest of the Valley Gardens project leading up to the new year. This will begin with the removal of the large traffic island south of the Old Steine which will take place before Christmas.
Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport, Parking and Public Realm said: “The construction of phase 3 of Valley Gardens is going to begin very soon. Improvements made ahead of the main works will minimise disruption and help make the scheme a success.
“Castle Square is in desperate need of resurfacing and improvement, so it makes sense to do this work now so bus passengers and other road users can enjoy smoother journeys through the area.
“I’m really pleased to see work getting underway on this project. It’ll complete the transformation of the heart of the city, making it a much nicer place for people to visit and travel through.
“New greenspaces, trees, lighting and plants will link phases 1 & 2 with the seafront, while better junctions, pavements and cycle lanes will make for safer, accessible, more pleasant journeys for everyone.
“Once finished, Valley Gardens will be a place our city can be proud of and our residents and visitors can enjoy. I can’t wait to see it finished.”
The project will also include:
Wider pavements and more direct crossings
New trees, plants and green spaces
Space and infrastructure for events
Priority traffic signals designed to manage and reduce queues
An off-road cycle lane connecting The Level with the seafront
New bus stops and shelters with the latest electronic bus time information
An extra taxi rank near the Palace Pier junction
Improved lighting around Old Steine
Councillor Muten continued:
Project preparation
An indicative construction schedule for phase 3 of Valley Gardens has now been confirmed. Work will be completed in stages and has been developed to take account of bus and traffic routes, busy visitor periods and events. Information will be provided to residents and businesses ahead of work starting on each stage.
The work is expected to last until summer 2026. Major roads will be kept open for the majority of the construction and buses will continue to run through the area.
We have also organised drop-in events at the following times if you would like to find out more:
Jubilee Library on Friday 22 November 2.30pm to 5pm
Jubilee Library on Tuesday 26 November 4pm to 6pm
From January, the contractor, FM Conway, will be setting up a construction compound in Steine Gardens. People will still be able to access the fountain and northern part of the gardens. Once the work is complete, the gardens will be landscaped with new grass and planting.
Councillor Muten added: “We’ve worked very hard to produce a plan that will minimise the disruption to residents and businesses during construction of Valley Gardens phase 3.
“Our contractor and council staff will be in regular contact with people living in the area to ensure they’re kept up to date on the work programme, ease any inconvenience and be available to answer any questions and concerns.
“We’re confident our plans during construction will keep traffic flowing and people moving and limit the impact on events and the city. We realise there will be some disruption, and I want to thank people for their patience. I know the end result will be worth the wait, transforming this gem of our city.”
For every privileged person who feels their entitlement is threatened, this will make them so cross. For the rest of us, it’s come not a moment too soon.
Absolutely.
Interesting comments already. How in this case do you define ‘entitlement’ and how is that relevant here?
In my case I’m happy that the VG3 project is progressing and the area should look better after the refurb, not least after the neglect of recent years.
But the removal of the Palace Pier roundabout is madness and an act of self harm for the city.
No alternative route is being offered for essential delivery, commuter, and tourist traffic, and the bus services will also suffer from the new design, making public transport even slower.
There was no reason to direct all pedestrians and cyclists straight at the busiest ‘A’ road junction in the city centre, and that’s why it’s a bad design.
I suspect the people who will come off the worst will be those travelling in from landlocked Peacehaven and Saltdean – with most already having to use a bus or a car. The new junction offers no real benefit for cyclists or pedestrians either – so who is this for?
I’ve always thought a turbo roundabout is the way forward there to allow continuous East/West motion, with bridges over the road to minimise stops. Adaptive Signal Control Systems are going to be so important to this design to work efficiently, adjusting green light phases accordingly.
The reason to direct pedestrians and cyclist towards that junction is simply that that’s where visitors want to go – why direct them somewhere else?
If you think the new design “offers no real benefit for cyclists or pedestrians”, consider this: how does a pedestrian, or a family cycling with children, get from the Old Steine fountain to the Palace Pier?
Martin, thanks for replying, but my point is simple – namely that when we head into town along Valley Gardens we might be heading to the shops, or else we might be heading to various points on the seafront, including the beach or the various cafes and bars.
We are not all heading to the Palace pier or the Sealife centre, so why direct pedestrians or cyclists straight at the city’s busiest road junction?
Note that those in cars and vans or buses have no option but to cross that junction, whereas pedestrians and cyclists have a huge number of route options. If you drive, you’ll know that the seafront A259 is the last cross city road open to tourists and commuters and for some of our bus services.
For sure we want cyclists and pedestrians to access the seafront, and that’s me by the way, but why deliberately create a pinch point which is bound to be dangerous for all users, and which will inevitably cause congestion?
People may want to access the seafront through many routes, yes; most of the routes still prioritise motor vehicles: East Street, Black Lion Street, West Street.
In the past we’ve said to pedestrians and cyclists that if they want to access the Palace Pier or any of the seafront amenities east of it, they need to use less convenient alternative routes because the area outside the pier is for motor vehicles; it’s time to change that priority.
How do pedestrians get from Old Steine fountain to the Palace pier, the same way they have done for hundreds of years and will continue to do.
They walk to the various pedestrian controlled crossing points and push a button and wait for the lights to change.
Removing a roundabout makes no difference to pedestrians getting from A to B.
How do cyclists get from the same, one would hope they wouldn’t be riding on a pavement therefore should walk their machines to the various fore mentioned crossings or take to the road where they should be.
Cycling there at the moment is super dangerous, and it’s not really the fault of the roundabout, rather them impatient behaviour of a minority of drivers so unfortunately traffic lights are needed. Stand at the 7 dials and watch how many m0ngs don’t use indicators, it’s really very depressing.
For hundreds of years pedestrians could walk all over that area, as you can see in historical photos. It’s only in the last 100 years that we’ve prioritised motor vehicles more and more, and now the area is covered in tarmac and barriers and it takes 7 light-controlled crossings to get from the fountain to the pier.
The new layout rebalances priority between drivers and everyone else. Of course removing the roundabout makes a difference: it introduces direct crossing points opposite the pier.
The answer to “how do we enable people to cycle” can’t be “we make them get off and walk”.
Gridlock you green loons🤦♂️
When comments start with an ad hominem toward those who may later express an opposing view, the abject frailty of the argument is already exposed.
Well said, Atticus. Open, amicable discourse, and a collaborative, solution-based approach to tackling concerns should be the norm. “Us and them” proves constantly to be ineffective, in my experience.
How is 18 months of travel disruption and business damage legal or serving the occupants and workers of the city?
The business damage will continue with fewer people coming to Brighton to spend their money.
Contractors are already moving out of this city in their droves as it’s getting too difficult to travel, park and work here.
This city council should hang their heads in shame as they are serving their own agendas, not the needs of tax paying occupants.
Persecuting vehicle use also makes no sense when they are switching to hybrid and electric and buses are also getting discriminated against
We are discussing this in Valley Gardens Past Present and Future group on Facebook
Let’s not have any bus in the city centre then
Let’s walk through the town centre
Muten’s folly