The A259 King’s Road, by the Royal Albion Hotel, just west of the Palace Pier, is to close with immediate effect over safety fears.
The fire-damaged section of the building and the scaffolding that holds it up are at risk of catastrophic failure, according to an expert report.
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Following the Royal Albion fire in summer 2023, part of the fire-damaged section of the building still remains standing.
“The council has received a report from a structural engineer working for the contractor on site that states that the structure and attached scaffolding is at risk of ‘catastrophic failure’.
“The council’s priority is the safety of the public, so we have instructed Britannia Hotels to carry out risk assessments and make the structure safe.
“They will put up safety barriers around the structure to ensure people don’t enter areas that may put them at risk
“Unfortunately, this means that a small stretch of both carriageway of the A259 between the Aquarium roundabout and East Street will need to be closed.
“This is expected to allow pedestrian and cycle access but no vehicular access.
“This will also impact access to Pool Valley. National Express buses will stop at the southwestern corner of the Old Steine rather than Pool Valley.
“The road closure and barriers need to remain in place while risk assessments and demolition work take place to prevent unnecessary risk to pedestrians and road users.
“The work to make the structure safe is being carried out by Britannia Hotels and their contractors. It is expected to start over the weekend and will carry on into next week.
“While roads are closed, traffic and coaches are being diverted to use alternative routes. Signs will be in place.”
Labour councillor Trevor Muten, the council’s cabinet member for transport, parking and the public realm, said: “While this will cause major disruption in the city centre, public safety is our biggest priority so it’s vital we do everything we can to minimise any risk.
“The responsibility for making the structure safe, informing affected residents and businesses and the cost is with Britannia but the council will be overseeing the work to ensure safety of the public.
“We’ve stressed to Britannia the urgency of this work and getting the road reopened quickly.
“I’d like to apologise for the inconvenience this will cause to residents and visitors, and thank everyone for their patience while this structure is made safe.”
What an absolute joke! WE suffered enough last time the road was closed. A plan to get the go ahead to knock it all down, by Britannia and the scaffolders I think.
We need an update on whether Britannia have repaid the council yet for the cost of the demolition and other works plus interest and if not what the council are doing to get it repaid.
It’s been over 18 months since the fire.
Ongoing demolition, insurance pays nothing until final estimates are in, and then the arguement begins about liability. Couple of years at least until some numbers appear.
That would be a matter between Britannia and their Insurance.
It’s Britannia that owe the council and the council shouldn’t have to wait to be repaid.
Britannia can take out a bank loan if necessary.
The council would have known Britannia would dither on this – they could have applied more pressure. The public safety aspect is down to the council to monitor, I find it quite alarming that nearly 2 years on from the fire it’s only now that concerns of this scale about the structure are coming to light – why wasn’t a structural survey undertaken sooner. The council should have insisted on it before now.
Are both sides of the road closed?
In other words, can we still travel east to west? And is the dual carriageway closed completely in the west to east direction?
Note that the A259 is an A road and the last remaining cross city route, so what diversions are possible?
The A270?
Obviously the A270 or the Old Shoreham road, is not a viable option for anyone hoping to get east of Seven Dials, or indeed, as in my case, when travelling in a van from Hove to Kemp Town.
They certainly won’t be diverting seafront traffic via Seven Dials.
Risk of catastrophic failure and they’ve only just noticed? Can anyone manage anything in this country nowadays?
AD410 is coming around again
Yes, but what have Romans ever done for us?
Exactly – the fire was July 2023 and a structural survey which points out such serious hazards seems to have only just taken place now – why??
Just a note to say that, as of 9pm Friday, the seafront road is actually unchanged and is still fully open in both directions.
There will however be a massive problem in re directing traffic that uses this busy road – and I’m dreading being back at work next week.
The Palace Pier roundabout is already slowed up by the VG3 works, with narrowed lanes – and with near impossible pedestrian crossings north of the Royal Albion Hotel.
Hey don’t worry, the traffic will be slowed down enough once the roundabout is removed and the traffic lights are put in place, for the marvellously well thought out VG3!
Shame on the council and Britannia, both have left this two star listed building un protected and open to the elements for 19 months. This building should have been covered immediately to protect the lime mortar that’s holding it together. English heritage were making such a fuss about how it was demolished and now they’ve allowed Britannia and the inexperienced contractors to cause further damage.
Fines should be levied against them and certainly interest for the 1.5million owed to the council.
…or more pragmatically, knock it down and build something more appropriate and financially viable?
I’m due to get the National Express tomorrow
They are using ‘Stop Z’ on Old Stein. Which is about half way between St James’s Street and and roughtly across from the fountain
So the road barriers went up overnight – or early this morning – but they haven’t put any diversion signs in place.
So if you arrive from the west then you need to turn up West street, but there’s no sign advising that.
I was on a long walk, and all the cars heading east were driving as far as the Queens Hotel and then having to do a U turn.
What signage there is, is made more confusing because there are other road signs already in place, warning of road closures ahead of next weekend’s Half Marathon.
Cars arriving from the east have to turn off the seafront at the palace Pier roundabout and their next option heading west is to go up Church street.
The knock on effect to all this is that the buses throughout the city centre today are in long and non-moving queues.