By Helena Murphy
Residents are being invited to have their say on the redevelopment of Brighton's Valley Gardens from Wednesday, September 16 to Tuesday September 29..
After public consultation and a series of talks on the grand redesign with stakeholders, temporary changes aim to upgrade public spaces and improve transport routes for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
A "borrowed" garden created by Brighton and Hove Food Partnership will be hosted for two weeks on the lawns around St Peter’s Church.
A pop-up café with seating designed by University of Brighton’s architecture students will also be built.
These improvements are likely to be delivered in phases over the coming year.
Councillor Ian Davey, lead member for transport, said: “We are listening and developing the vision from what people are telling us they would like to see. Our aim is to improve the whole of Valley Gardens as a public space so that people can enjoy spending time there.”
The area of 23 acres running from The Level to the sea by the Palace Pier is a junction for three major routes into the centre.
The plans aim to redress the congestion of traffic and make the space accessible for both pedestrians and motorists.
Last year, 83% said they would like to spend more time in Valley Gardens if facilities or the environment were improved.
Mr Davey said: “Valley Gardens is one of Brighton and Hove’s hidden gems, part of the city’s heritage, which has been somewhat lost with busy roads on both sides cutting the area off from the communities around it.”
While the specifics of the main plans are to be developed later in the design process, key principles of the remodel have already been established.
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