THE SECOND phase of a £5 million transformation of Brighton seafront will see a new generation of beach huts brought to the city.

Plans have been submitted to breathe new life into a section of seafront arches, which have been untouched for 15 years.

The work will mirror the already successful creation of 11 shops in the arches on the opposite side of the i360 site, which opened earlier this summer.

The plans, made public this week, will see 25 of the Kings Road Arches to the east of the i360 site converted into beach chalets.

The plans include two shops and three arches to be converted into a large storage unit for the i360 at the western end of the development.

The refurbished arches will open in 2016 when the i360 is also expected to be completed.

The new arches will be made from bricks specially-made for the project to closely match the original Victorian seafront.

Some concrete sections of the 125-year-old seafront have badly deteriorated, requiring the urgent structural repairs which first began in November 2012.

The second phase will cost about £2 million to complete.

Council officers said the renovated section will compliment the bars and club entertainment further along the seafront towards the pier.

The plans for the beach chalets will be finalised at a later date.

Mark Brady, owner of the nearby World Famous Pump Room, said the development would be good for all seafront businesses.

He said: “They have done the other side of the arches so well and I think they have learned from doing that side to make it easier this time.

“It will be good for us all in the long run.

“It has been quite tough here in the past but it is slowly improving and the council is injecting some money into it and doing some maintenance, so it is all good at the moment.”

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: “This came about when surveying showed we needed to strengthen the arches in order to keep the A259 open, because of structural decay. “The new structure presented a great opportunity to create useful premises. “The council is facing a £100 million budget shortfall in the next five years so it will become increasingly vital to get maximum income from public assets such as these. “It will also make the place look fantastic and have this section of the seafront buzzing with activity, year-round.”