Further delays in work starting on the Madeira Terrace restoration are a result of “needless point-scoring” by the Labour administration, the Greens have said.
Before Labour won a stonking majority in last year’s local elections, work was set to start on the first phase of restoring the Victorian terrace in autumn last year.
The plans had been agreed with a cross-party working group ahead of the election. But weeks after they seized power, Labour announced it was calling in the plans for a review.
The tendering process was meant to have concluded at the start of this month – but now, it is unlikely to be concluded until next month, with the start date now “hopefully this year”.
Elaine Hills, a member of the Green administration who is currently the party’s parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown, said Labour’s “unnecessary” delays because of a “desire to control everything and claim credit” were to blame for the project being scaled back.
She said: “Under the last Green administration, we identified and engaged with a small number of contractors with the expertise necessary to carry out the works, so they would be ready to put forward bid proposals when the tender process commenced.
“Due to the complex and unique nature of the project, it became clear that a two-step tendering process would be necessary. So we put this in place, working to a schedule agreed by Green and Labour councillors in a cross-party working group, which Labour has since disbanded.
“Had Labour continued with this original schedule, rather than carrying out a needless ‘review’, work would already have begun and we would be a step closer to having the beautiful arches restored to their former glory.
“Instead, the Labour administration has caused unnecessary delays to the project, resulting in a dramatic scaling back of the initial phase, all while the arches fall into further disrepair and the cost of restoration rises.”
In May 2023, the first phase of a two-part tendering process had concluded with a number of contractors putting themselves forward to be invited to the next phase, which was due to start in October.
The review – which at the time Labour said was “to consider which engineering techniques offer the best value going forward” meant this did not start until December, when it was for a reduced number of arches.
Deputy council leader Jacob Taylor said: “It’s notable that Elaine Hills has tried to wriggle out of her original lie. She said the Greens had “lined up the contractors and work was ready to start” – but now acknowledges that there would always be a two-stage tender, and they hadn’t even started the (main) second stage.
“On what planet can you say ‘work is ready to start’ when the council hadn’t even put out the tender, let alone received bids? She lied and should apologise for undermining a public procurement process, and misleading residents to try and gain cheap political advantage.
“The council had to consider the financing of the project, alongside all capital projects, to avoid a potential section 114 [bankruptcy] notice – but were very clear that we are proceeding with this important restoration.
“Further details on the tender will be announced in due course.”
A council spokesman said the second tender stage was delayed due to the need to review all capital budgets to avoid a potential section 114 notice.
Very good to review it, if we still had the Green clowns in charge Western Road would be shut in one direction until 2035.
Councils, or an alternative body, should be run by professionals not politicians who can’t get a job doing anything else
Totally agree ! They should leave it to the grown-ups.
Councils have professional officers who do this sort of detailed work,
Councillors aren’t on the phone to contractors or writing specifications for what works are required.
Councillors make the decsions and officers then implement those decisions
Respectfully, I think your comment demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding of how councils work. I don’t think you’re likely the only one either. This reminds me of a conversation I had the other week about should we teach children politics more comprehensively as part of the curriculum?
The Green Party is a spent and totally discredited rump in B&H.
This is really desperate last hurrah stuff from the relics that did such damage to our city.
They were the epitome of a point-scoring and gesture ridden administration dictated only by dogma.
That attracted and promoted some pretty unpleasant intolerant and authoritarian individuals who should never have found a place in public life.
Don’t give them any second chance!
Gosh – what a nasty and vicious comments from Councillor Taylor. Rather than accept any responsibility for the failures of his Labour council regarding the delays he continues his attack by unpicking the language that Councillor Hills used to deflect attention from his own failures.
From the tone of his overly aggressive comment it’s him who should apologise, and whilst he’s at it, perhaps he should finally accept his Labour council’s atrocious handling of the St Bart’s school closure has caused needless stress to many vulnerable children, staff and parents.
There’s only so long he can finger point like this, Greens ran the council for abt 2.5 years during the pandemic over the last decade, with Labour being in control for most of that time, yet Councillor Taylor is determined to carry on the pretence that any local authority issues are down to Greens, and nothing to do with Labour – which is insane when most poor decisions and pressures both parties have faced have been down to Tory cuts and austerity.
Councillor Taylor’s attitude and tone is really ugly and the nasty side of politics in action.
I’d personally couble check anything the Greens did as well, considering how they seem to be the gift that keeps on giving with financial incompetence.
The nasty side of politics is when a council like the Greens lie and cheat and have no regard for democracy or the welfare of the city, only interested in furthering the ambitions of their puppeteers, like Sustrans. Any attempt to pull things back into any responsible management of the city requires transparency, and if that requires explaining the mess that was inherited, then so be it.
We will never again tolerate authoritarianism by a far right dictatorship like the Greens ever again. I am only voting Labour in the General Election to help make sure Sian Berry does not become an MP here. Let’s not overlook that the Institute for Fiscal Studies has just announced that the Green manifesto makes “unattainable pledges on tax”.
Can you imagine the damage done to Brighton under the Greens on a national scale? It’s terrifying. We’d be China. Democracy would disappear overnight.
Remind us what the Greens did for Madeira Terraces restoration during their nearly 2 years in power.
Sweet Fanny Adams as I recall.
Ever bit as guilty as Labour for this criminal neglect of one of the only ‘land piers’ in the world.
The Greens are literally the last ones that should speak up. They single handed killed off some of the longest running events in the city by their actions
Not defending Labour and Conservatives either.
All parties together are responsible for the decline, none stand up unless there’s public uproar
How much money has been wasted on consultant fees by now?
The Greens got it as far as the final tendering process, costed and budgeted for 40 arches. Labour’s big achievement has been to unpick all that work, despite having been consulted all along, allowing inflation to take over, and all we have now is ‘back to the drawing board’ to restore just 28 arches, using cheaper materials, and work still not started. Not smart.