Well, the construction equipment has finally arrived and we have started! Just to remind everyone – Kingsway to the Sea is our first brand new park in over 100 years.
The rejuvenation project aims to transform the land from the west of the King Alfred Leisure Centre to the eastern end of Hove Lagoon by providing facilities to meet current and future community expectations.
Here are just a few of the key points about the project.
The work programme is due to start with enabling work this month and with construction beginning in April or May.
The enabling work will include the removal of some sections of hedges before the bird nesting season.
Bird nesting boxes will be installed nearby in the short term to further offset any short-term impacts and help protect the important wildlife population from the necessary reduction to existing hedgerows.
The current project completion date is summer 2024.
You can find more details about the project plan, and its progress both along the site and online here.
Not far from that stretch of the seafront, thanks to a determined resident and her neighbours, and together with a very supportive tree officer, we have managed to get the go ahead for five trees.
This is subject to consultation, funded from developer contributions. They will be planted on the highway at the top end of Westbourne Street in Hove.
As the resident has also collected a significant sum of money, there should be funding available for more trees.
Street trees make such a difference to our everyday life as well as creating an important habitat for birds and insects.
I am very proud of this initiative and think this is a very good example of how we can all work together to make things happen in our communities.
There is also a demand for a large number of street trees to be planted to help offset the impact of major developments in and around Hove, again funded from developer contributions.
The main new developments are the Moda scheme, in Sackville Road, and the Hove Gardens scheme, in Ellen Street, though we are still working on that.
A recent submission from a number of local organisations is asking the council to explore street tree planting designs, particularly for pits and buildouts and to work towards establishing a city landscape design code.
Unlocking locations where trees might be planted (or re-planted in case of old removed trees) could improve the majority of our streets.
There are many locations across the city, such as those identified in Westbourne Street, where there might be spaces along the highway which are unused and could be reallocated to street trees.
Councillor Carmen Appich is the joint Labour opposition leader on Brighton and Hove City Council.
How is this park a priority? We need to focus on the basics – rubbish and recycling collection, clean streets, and ongoing maintenance of the Victorian era seafront (to name a few).
The greens only like new and shiny. Like the Level, just a new space for junkies and dealers.
Bhcc blagged a grant for £9.5 million.
It is (currently) expected to cost £13 million.
So….who pays for rest?!
Tom Harding
1 Million from contributions from businesses.
2 million loan and the rest council tax.
Seems funny that Councillor Appich all of a sudden has come out of the woodwork to take credit for the development in her ward.Where have you been for the last four years when l have been Email you without reply?.In any case you are supposed to be leaving in May.
Leave it alone!
Stop trying to fix what isn’t broken!
Empty the bins, clear the weeds, deal with the beggars and graffiti; and stop wasting my money on pointless vanity projects!
Seriously? You think that area isn’t broken? Have you seen it lately? So much that can be done with what is currently a virtually desolate area.
Andy Richards
Hmmm, The whole City of Brighton and Hove is a complete shambles.
Rubbish, recycling, weeds, dirty and filthy.
Sorry, rather spend the money we’ve put in cleaning the place up rather than on yet another vanity project.
So trees are good. I agree to a point. Trees that are close to a walkway are often a hazard. What? Yes, please try to walk down Elm Grove on the south side. I’m 65 with both hips are replaced with prosthetic hips. My knees are feeling they might fail. I have if I can walk very carefully around the roots that are poking through the pavement. The pavement is very uneven. How I haven’t fell I don’t know. So what trees are going to be planted? Are we going to be able to sue the council for uneven pavements in 50 years after a fall?