Hedges on the lawns opposite the King Alfred are to be removed this week as work to replace it continues.
Brighton and Hove City Council has voted in principle to build a new leisure centre on the car park next door and knock down the existing one.
A planning application for the design and layout of the new centre is set to be submitted at the end of this month.
The council says it will include a green roof, sand baths and vegetation to the north of the current car park to replace ecological features lost elsewhere on the site, such as the hedges due to go this week.
This work is being done before the nesting season to avoid disruption to breeding birds.
A planning application to demolish the bowling alley underneath the car park has been approved. Another planning application for a temporary car park on the lawn is due to be submitted in the coming weeks. This space is currently being used as a site compound for the coastal protection work being undertaken on the beach.
The planting, removal of vegetation and soft landscaping work can take place while the application is being finalised as it comes under permitted development and does not require planning permission.
Cabinet member for sport Alan Robins said: “There’s real momentum to the project now and it’s crucial to get the timing right.
“Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll start to see more activity on site to prepare for the things to come. It’s important residents understand what this work involves and why it’s needed.
“Planting is an essential part of our environmental commitment to protect local wildlife and prepare the site in a responsible way. We need to replace vegetation that will be removed later in the project, and it needs to start now so we can safely remove hedgerows ahead of the nesting season.
“We need to demolish the old bowling alley to make the site safe for future construction. Now we’ve got prior planning approval, this can start in the spring.
“Final refinements are being made to the designs based on resident feedback and these will be submitted later this month. Then you’ll get to see the exciting plans for the new leisure centre and have a chance to share your views on the final design.”
The council says the planting mix has been carefully designed in partnership with landscape architects, council ecologists and its parks team and includes species best suited to the location that will include a mix of grasses, shrubs, hedgerow and wildflowers.
How are these works right and proper before the actual King Alfred Planning Application is submitted?
Will they have to rebuild the Bowling Alley and replant the hedge again if planning permission is declined?
The King Alfred redevelopment should be declined on financial grounds if the city is about to go bankrupt and the scheme is saddling the city with decades of further debt, debt already being used as an excuse to cut basic services such as children’s art facilities. As I understand it, the new centre is smaller with fewer family activities, so how is that an improvement, particularly for local families and children? There is already a shortage of youth clubs and community centres in the city. £65 million pounds for a smaller leisure centre seems like a crazy waste of money and not beneficial to residents who will lose the large and affordable leisure centre that we have.
That’s democracy!…. BHCC style
The King Alfred is a life-expired dump.
You should read the full design, Tracy, it explains a lot of your questions.
Maybe read the article before the comments start.
But I think the vast majority of the city would rather have a swimming pool that isn’t absolutely truly disgusting over ‘children’s art facilities’.
King Alfred regardless of a replacement is 20 years past bulldozing stage.
The large hedge right next to the pool building on the seafront attrack’s hundreds of sparrows each night to roost. Walking past early evening you can hear them.