IN the highest level acknowledgement yet of the crisis facing our Victorian arches, Government Minister Mark Francois has invited Brighton and Hove City Council to apply for a £90 million fund available later this year.

The intervention offers a glimmer of hope – but it was no easy feat to get the minister for coastal communities to even discuss the issue, after an official at the told The Argus there would be no comment on the severely corroded Madeira Drive terraces.

It was only when interviewing Mr Francois about grant money for Bognor he offered the commitment-phobic suggestion, which was careful to avoid off the cuff promises of cash.

What was surprising about the interview, was despite the hand-wringing from politicians over the state of the seaside landmarks, no one has bothered to invite the minister to see their sorry state with his own eyes.

Earlier this week, Conservative MP for Kemptown Simon Kirby cautioned: “We have got to come up with a plan.”

A good start could have been to invite the Tory minister who actually has some influence the seafront’s fate.

Meanwhile, city council leader Warren Morgan said it will be a challenge to secure funding to fix the arches, because as a free attraction it could not generate income, and so has a weak business case.

This is short-sighted and unhelpful – exactly the kind of can’t-do rhetoric we could do without, and an assumption that seems to have already been undermined by the minister’s offer of grant money.

Two businesses have already been forced to move.

Concorde 2, a venue with plenty of heritage in its own right as the place Fatboy Slim cut his teeth, could be next.

No one doubts Mr Morgan and Mr Kirby are sincere in their hope of reaching a solution and saving the arches.

But they must do better. Stop thinking as politicians for a moment and put their privileged position of influence into demonstrable action.