Agenda item - Chair's Communications

3.1         The Chair gave the following communications:

‘As you may have seen from the press I am making an announcement today on the Madeira Terraces which have lasted over 130 years. A remarkable testimony to the quality of Victorian craftsmanship, sadly the seaside environment has taken its toll on the iron work and major restoration is needed. I’m committing the Council today to a project that will fully restore or replace that iron work and return the Madeira Terraces to their original condition. Named for the Brighton Borough surveyor who created the terraces, our seafront rails and our famous bird cage bandstand, Phillip Cawston Lockwood, we’re calling it the Lockwood Project. The terraces were created as a covered promenade to attract tourist from London on the new railway of the 1800s. In the 21^st century we need something more and something that will help fund the restoration and upkeep of the terraces we are exploring ways of achieving this with colleagues at Mott McDonald and Historic England to protect the integrity of the terraces but also will provide new ways of generating income to pay for the restoration and provide new activity along this important stretch of our city’s coast line.

The option we are proposing is self-contained but serviced glass fronted units within the terraced arches. Structures that preserve the integrity of the terraces but allow new spaces to be rented or leased for use as cafes, shops, business or even overnight beach huts, but not permanent accommodation. None of this can be achieved without some public funding and we’re placing a bid at the end of this month for up to £4 million of Coastal Communities Funding to get the Lockwood Project underway. Further funding will be sought from grants, lottery funding and private investment and we’ll look at using the same public works loan board borrowing as for the i360 for some of the estimated £20-£30 million worth of costs. A report will come to the next meeting of the Policy, Resources and Growth Committee in July to begin what is likely to be at least a year long process of consultations with residents, planning and legal agreements and the procurement of a specialist contractor expert in this type of restoration. Ideally work will be underway by the end of next year if we’re able to secure the required funding.

A Madera Drive master plan will come to this Committee in the autumn with restoration of the Madera Terraces being an integral part of the multimillion pound regeneration of Madeira Drive as a whole with a new swimming pool, zip wire attraction, aquarium, terraces replacement, children’s play area and our new 10,000 seat arena and conference centre at Black Rock. From the Pier to the Marina the whole area will be improved and enhanced whilst restoring the wonderful Madera aches for future generations. It’s my hope that the Lockwood Project will preserve a much valued part of our local heritage whilst adding to our tourist offer in the same way that the terraces did in Victorian times. I’d like to think that Phillip Cawston Lockwood would have approved and I hope that this Committee will too when it comes in July.

Also I would like to send congratulations to all involved for delivering a fantastic 50^th Brighton Festival one of the most memorable not least for the success of the Dr. Blighty event at the Royal Pavilion. Thanks to officers for ensuring that the final performances went off without risks from overcrowding. The Festival and Fringe bring millions to the city and are a vital part of our annual calendar and an essential part of what makes our cultural life so rich and diverse so here’s to another 50 years of  Festival.’