City centre roads closed as helicopter works on Dome roof

A helicopter hovering over the Dome this morning could be heard for miles as it lowered two dry air coolers into position .

Any idea what this #helicopter is doing over #Brighton? pic.twitter.com/s4ekKiuxE4

— David Preece-Phillips (@preecephillips) October 10, 2018

Church Street and New Road were closed this morning while the helicopter was in place.

The operation was part of ongoing work to restore and refurbish the Royal Pavilion Estate.

The coolers will provide climate control for Brighton Museum and the Dome Concert Hall. They replaced units that had to be taken out to allow restoration of the building to create new public galleries and a creation space.

Phase One of the Royal Pavilion Estate project involves improvements to the Dome Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre. Reviving long-lost heritage features and creating new state-of-the-art facilities, key developments include a magnificent Corn Exchange viewing gallery, a dedicated creative space for workshops and rehearsals, and a new street-facing café opening out onto New Road.

The lower end of Church Street and New Road were closed for around half an hour to allow the helicopter to fly overhead so that contractors could carefully position the units.

Council leader Daniel Yates said: “It is exciting to see this project taking shape. This is such a well-loved area of the city and a unique central space for arts and culture.

“Teams from the council and Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival are working together to refurbish these iconic buildings for all to enjoy now and in the future.”