A CAMPAIGN for businesses and residents to help pay towards the restoration of Brighton’s seafront has been put on hold because of the General Election.

Council leader Warren Morgan said the delay to a high-profile launch of the Madeira Terraces crowdfunder because of purdah rules was “frustrating but unavoidable”.

He said the delay until after June 8 would give the council more time to prepare the crowdfunding platform.

The news comes as a document outlining the future of Madeira Drive is published ahead of Thursday’s policy, resources and growth committee at Brighton and Hove City Council.

The 57-page document details £15 million of investment required in public realm and transport over the next five years.

The council has used £50,000 from its Coastal Revival Fund to partially cover the costs of the Madeira Drive Regeneration Framework - but that does not propose specific solutions and is only a “first step” to improving the area.

Council officers said the 2 km long stretch is a unique part of the seafront but is an “often tired and inconsistent public realm”.

Officers said the seafront was not fulfilling its potential with The Green Wall of up to 90 plant species overgrown and unmanaged while Duke’s Mound is an “unkempt “gardens alongside the dilapidated terraces and derelict Black Rock.

The report said there was “limited reason” to visit the area because the offering was “sporadic” and lacking in “must-see attractions”.

Current issues include a limited number of pedestrian crossings, barriers to the beach such as the Volk’s Railway and rows of parked cars, a lack of bus services and a shortage of groynes preventing the tide shifting beach material.

The framework recommends better lighting, signage, a greater focus on pedestrians and cyclists and a wider offer of leisure, retail, office and accommodation uses.

Eye-catching ideas for Madeira Drive include converting the wide road into shared space similar to New Road or Ann Street and pocket parks and hardstanding areas for pop-up businesses on the beach which would also improve access for wheelchair and buggy users.

Cllr Morgan said: “This is the foundation for hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment in over 2km of our seafront.

“This strategy sets out how we propose to tackle access and transport issues, and the business case for new funding to make the best possible use of the city’s biggest asset, our seafront.

“I want to preserve and enhance our seafront heritage, and ensure everyone benefits from the investment we are bringing in.”