The Kings Road playground is set to get a revamp as a result of a £25 million project to strengthen more seafront arches.
The plan to reinforce arches under the A259 between the bandstand and the i360 and west of Shelter Hall is due to be signed off by Brighton and Hove City Council’s cabinet next week.
The work is essential to avoid a “catastrophic failure” of the arches, and the road above. In 2014, the arch housing the Fortune of War pub collapsed, closing the road for several months.
The report before the committee says there is currently cracking in some of the unrestored arches, and without the works it’s likely they would be unusable within ten years.
It also asks councillors to approve a consultation on reworking the playground, which will need to be closed during the works.
Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport and City Infrastructure, said: “The arches have served the city well, but they need strengthening so they can support the road, pavement and cycle lanes above for the next 100 years.
“The new arches will create an improved space for local businesses on a busy and vibrant part of the seafront, which gets hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
“It also gives us a great opportunity to look at the future of the King’s Road paddling pool. This is a hugely popular space and we want to make the best use of it.
“We’re going to work closely with the community to make sure we create an area for the benefit and enjoyment of everyone.
“The first three phases of this project saw the creation of new shops, toilets and Shelter Hall.
“These next two will see the culmination of years of work for a better and lasting seafront.”
The Department for Transport would fund more than £22 million to complete the scheme – which forms phases four and five of an arch strengthening project begun in 2012.
The council would contribute a further £3.9 million, with £1.8 million of that coming from public borrowing.
The arches underneath King’s Road were built in the Victorian era. King’s Road carries an average of more than 25,000 vehicles and 2,100 cyclists a day.
It’s going to be inconvenient for everyone, but it’s necessary work. It needs to be completed fully, on time, to budget and of high quality.