Dozens of crumbling seafront arches could be knocked down and rebuilt.
Brighton and Hove City Council has submitted a planning application to demolish and reconstruct arches 125 to147 under King's Road and the demolition of the facade and reconstruction of arches 148 to 149.
The stretch of arches, which run west from Shelter Hall, is home to businesses including the Copper Clam, Brighton Music Hall and the council's seafront office.
There are increasing concerns about the structural integrity of the arches following previous collapses.
In 2014 the A259 fell into the Fortune of War pub in the historic arches below.
“In recent times the road’s underlying arched structure has failed in numerous places and extensive highways repair works are needed to remedy this,” said planning documents.
“Resolving the arches’ weakened integrity is the primary driver behind this development scheme and requires a wholesale structural overhaul as opposed to a material renovation.
“The existing arched structures are beginning to show inherent signs of failure and will be replaced by a new concrete structure. The masonry facade has suffered irreversible degradation and is showing signs of cracking, spalling and discolouring.
“The arches’ historic fenestration pattern has also been altered, damaged and lost through the years and the elevation now presents a tired and disparate frontage onto the seafront.
“The internal conditions within the arches have also proven inappropriate for it’s current commercial tenants and suffers from damp and poor ventilation. In response to the issues the facade has become littered with surface mounted plant equipment to provide ventilation.”
The proposals will be the fifth phase of the project to regenerate the arches.
To date the King's Road works have included the erection of the i360, the redevelopment of arches 36 to 61 and 62 to 73, the redevelopment of arches 75 to 105, and the redevelopment of Shelter Hall. Planning permission has also been granted for the redevelopment of arches 17 to 35, which will mark the fourth phase.
Plans say the reconstruction would be sensitively and carefully done.
Matched red engineering brick will be used to blend into the seafront promenade and precast stone lintels and copings will be produced to match the existing stone present in the façade.
The listed railings above the arches will also be replaced as they are of an “unsafe height” and represent “a risk to the public”.
“New railings will be produced as faithful reproductions of the existing with only minor modifications to increase their safety,” said a planning statement.
“Detailed moulds will be taken from the existing to produce the new cast iron elements.”
The recently re-modelled stair structure in front of arch 124a will also need to be demolished and re-constructed as part of the works and plans said the historic WC building that the structure annexes onto is preserved, while the stair structure is reconstructed as existing.
The council is preparing a bid for funding from the Department for Transport for phase four and five of the scheme.
The business case will be submitted in March.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel