Conservative councillors wanting to scrap a controversial £13 million road project have been told that they can’t try to pull the funding at the annual budget council meeting.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s Conservative group wants to halt “Valley Gardens phase three” – the final stage of a project that includes replacing the Aquarium roundabout with a traffic light-controlled T-junction.
The Tories called on the Labour-run council to scrap the scheme before the “budget council” meeting on Thursday (February 22).
They want to use £1 million from the capital budget for the Valley Gardens project on other transport projects such as fixing the roads.
But council officials have told the Conservatives that scrapping the final phase of the Valley Gardens scheme would mean returning grant funding to the government and the loss of money already spent.
The £13 million final phase is partly funded with £6 million from the government through the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) as well as £1.8 million from the council’s capital budget and a further £5 million from borrowing.
Conservative deputy leader Anne Meadows said:
“How much money are Labour going to keep throwing at ‘Valley Gardens three’ before they realise that it will only make matters worse?
“We are facing enough financial issues without continuing to spend and borrow to fund ‘Valley Gardens three’.”
Councillor Meadows added:
“If we scrap it now, we can cut our losses and have around £817,000 to invest in our roads. That sounds like a better idea to me – and I’m sure many residents would agree.”
Phase three was originally slated to cost £7.8 million but the bill has risen to £13 million because of significant delays caused in part by the coronavirus pandemic.
Labour paused the project for a review after winning a majority in the local elections last May, giving a glimmer of hope to the scheme’s critics.
But earlier this month, Labour councillor Trevor Muten, who chairs the council’s Transport and Sustainability Committee, said that the tendering process for the project had been started.
The redrawing of road layouts has gone through several incarnations under councils of all political colours since it was first mooted more than 15 years ago by former Labour councillor Gill Mitchell.
Work on the first and second phases of the scheme cost £11 million and finished in September 2020 when buses were routed along the western side of Victoria Gardens.
The final phase includes and outdoor events space and segregated cycle between the seafront and Victoria Gardens through a new pedestrianised area in front of the Royal Pavilion and another south of Old Steine.
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