Huge boost for famous UK seaside city as £750k to be splashed out on ‘abandon…

Part of one of the most popular UK seaside towns is getting a revamp as part of a multi-million-pound renovation plan.

Madeira Terrace in Brighton will have £750k spent on remodelling the terrace, which has been closed for 12 years.

The 865m stretch of seafront arches was deemed unsafe for visitors, and now, as part of Historic England’s grant, it will be completely transformed. 

Maderia Terrace will first see 28 of its 151 arches and bays fixed.

It will also have a brand-new, fully accessible lift installed, and construction work is scheduled to start this month. 

The Terrance, designed by Philip C Lockwood, was built between 1890 and 1897 during Queen Victoria’s reign to provide a spot for locals and holidaymakers to admire the sea views.

Now, the renovations to Maderia Terrance are part of a bigger project to develop the seafront around Brighton Centre, a conference and exhibition centre.

The venue has seen worldwide bands perform there, including The Jacksons, The Who, Queen, and Bob Marley and The Wailers.

Plans for the waterfront also include an extension to the Churchill Square shopping centre, which will provide a new replacement conference centre and entertainment venue in Brighton.

Tom Foxall, Regional Director of Historic England, said: “The restoration of the Madeira Terrace is an ambitious undertaking but one that is needed to secure the future of this extraordinary structure for the people of Brighton & Hove.

“The essential funding will assist in de-risking the initial stages of the project. We fully support the council’s repair strategy and look forward to work beginning on-site imminently.”

Planning applications were also submitted to Brighton and Hove Council to widen the beach in Hove, which was also submitted after fears of flooding and erosion across the city.

If accepted, the extension would see a new shore protection structure built on the beach, involving a groyne field, with bays filled with thousands of tonnes of shingle between each groyne.