Brighton and Hove City council has been accused of neglecting its sports facilities.
More than six months after a special project group was set up to look into renovating the King Alfred leisure centre in Hove, the group has failed to even hold its first meeting.
Brighton and Hove City Council said that £40,000 had been put aside to support a cross-party project team to start looking at options for the King Alfred in April after a damning report condemned the city’s sports facilities.
But despite several rival entrepreneurs suggesting schemes to improve the dilapidated centre, no further action has begun.
Hove MP Mike Weatherley has accused the council of failing to take action.
He said: “For far too long the King Alfred has been left to rot, spoiling Hove’s beautiful seafront.”
Brighton and Hove’s sporting facilities were rated as “poor” by a council report in April.
The facilities rated far worse than other coast cities such as Portsmouth, Southampton, and Plymouth.
School or arts
Insurance company boss Rob Starr wants to knock down the current buildings and replace them with a performing arts centre.
The Russell Education Trust has put forward plans for a free Christian secondary school on the site.
Simon James has proposed building a temporary ice rink on land next to the King Alfred.
He suggested creating a 24mx48m skating area, around two-thirds of a full sized rink, for three years, in the hope it would protect the site from residential development and encourage any future permanent redevelopment would include an ice rink.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s city plan lists the site a “key” location for development and says the council wants 400 homes on the site, including shops, a café, a restaurant or community facilities.
At the council’s economic development and culture committee last week, chairman Geoffrey Bowden said that they had been looking at the site over the summer and hoped to organise a meeting of the King Alfred Project Board in the coming weeks.
A council spokeswoman said: “The council is committed to improving sport facilities within the city.
“A project board for the King Alfred has been set up. The first meeting will take place in the near future.”
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