Investment needed in Hove community facilities

Now that developers are considering bids once again, I believe Hove must seize this generational opportunity and use this valuable site to boldly tackle some of our future challenges.

First we must end the blame-game of what went wrong last time, but learn the lessons. I believe the main lesson is that we cannot ask too much from one site.

Last time round we expected the development to provide prestige homes, dining and entertainment, world-class leisure facilities, and 40% affordable housing. Combined, it stretched the limits of renowned architect Frank Gehry’s striking design and led to divisive opposition.

Experiences like this often make politicians timid. But I believe timidity is the biggest threat to the site, and Hove.

Visitors to our city have every reason at present to stay in central Brighton. The seafront space between the piers is well served with bars and entertainment and the council provides little incentive or reason to travel out of the centre. This effect will only be exaggerated by the i360, Black Rock and Brighton Centre developments.

But if we get it right, King Alfred will become a beacon that calls out to visitors and acts as a new gateway into Hove. The new King Alfred should fully exploit an asset central Brighton cannot match – year-round dining and entertainment that overlooks the sea and our stunning vista, and a waterfront piazza that is modern and fully accessible to residents and visitors alike.

To achieve this we will need a new approach that involves compromise. We should stop expecting too much from one relatively small site. I too want affordable housing, world-class leisure facilities, great dining and entertainment, and luxury homes – but to achieve this we may need to widen the site into a ‘zone’ that can do better justice to these constituent parts. As long as Hove gets them all, I will be happy.

For example, if it would ease pressure on the site, perhaps the leisure centre should be built elsewhere in Hove, giving dedicated space with better accessibility and parking. We should be open-minded and imaginative about other elements of the development too.

Getting it wrong by being timid or lacking imagination would saddle Hove with another second-rate King Alfred that generations to come would never forgive us for.

But if we get this right, Hove will have a fantastic new building that serves our community and is a real magnet for visitors too. It must be bold enough to pique people’s interest and we should view it as the start of a period of investment in Hove seafront and our retail areas in nearby Church Road and George Street. This is the sense of ambition that Hove is ready for and is about real investment in our communities that benefits visitors too. Now let’s make it happen.

Peter Kyle

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