New Hove Seafront Project 'On Hold' As Council Tries To Save £4m

Eighteen cuts are proposed to save more than £4 million from a new park project.

Councillors are asked to reduce spending on the Kingsway to the Sea park project after inflation saw the cost of the project increase by more than Brighton and Hove City Council can afford.

A report to the council’s Strategy, Finance and City Regeneration Committee next week (Thursday 22 June) lists 18 facilities that need to go that once formed part of the £13 million project.

Until councillors agree, Kingsway to the Sea is “on hold”.

Facilities for the chop are:

1. Regeneration of event space next to the King Alfred.
2. Regeneration of the sunken garden next to Rockwater
3. Sand sports areas – unless the potential operator is willing to build at their own cost, which will mean a loss of future income to the council.
4. Children’s play area slide and scramble.
5. New art
6. Hove Lagoon stairs – but a proposed new ramp remains part of the project.
7. One “Changing Places” facility either at the new Outdoor Sports Hub or Hove Lagoon. The report states there is a facility at Rockwater.
8. Public lockers at the outdoor sports hub – saving on maintenance and supervision.
9. The Western Esplanade accessible toilet will not be demolished but will close when new toilets open.
10. More expensive plants will be removed from the planting plan.
11. Some secondary paths will be removed, and those remaining will have a darker, “less attractive” surface.
12. All park “amenity lighting” leaving pathways unlit.
13. Sports lighting – leaving the sports areas unable to operate during daylight hours.
14. Park furniture – described as limiting opportunities for relaxation.
15. North and south pathways would not be resurfaced.
16. Meadow areas and laws would be seeded rather than turf installed, which will take longer to establish.
17. Irrigation points would be reduced, which potentially increases maintenance costs.
18. Terrace flooring for the Outdoor Sports Hub would be the new tenant’s responsibility which risks putting off smaller operators.

The project has already seen the outdoor sports hub shrink to save money, as well as reusing sports court sub-bases and reducing the site area in the west of Hove Lagoon.

The bulk of the project’s budget came from a £9.5 million grant from the government’s levelling up fund, with a further £1.191 million from developer contributions and £300,000 from the council’s toilet budget.

Councillors agreed to borrow a further £2 million to complete the project.

Since then, a further £700,000 was contributed from the council’s Carbon Neutral Fund and £70,000 from the levelling up fund, taking the current budget to £13,761,000.

Without the omissions, Kingsway to the Sea would cost more than £16 million after contractor tender prices came in over budget.

The report going before councillors, said:

“Construction costs nationally have increased significantly since the inception of the project.

“The council has seen increased sub-contractor costs on all construction projects due to the lack of availability of goods and labour.

“Allowances for inflation were factored into early cost plans based on industry market rates. However, the scale of construction inflation experienced now is unprecedented and beyond the early budget expectations.”

The Strategy, Finance and City Regeneration Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall from 4pm on Thursday 22 June. The meeting is scheduled for webcast on the council website.