TWO major transport schemes in Brighton and Hove are moving forward following a committee meeting.

Councillors on the environment, transport and sustainability committee last night approved the latest roll-out of 20mph zones  after the final round of consulting was completed.

Phase three of the programme includes hundreds of roads in Portslade, Mile Oak, Hangleton, Rottingdean, Ovingdean and Saltdean and will be operational from June.

Hove seafront roads Medina Terrace, King’s Esplanade, Sussex Street and St Aubyns will also be included after 63% of residents expressed support.

Councillors also agreed to progress with the £18 million revamp of Valley Gardens despite opposition from Labour councillors.

The committee gave consent to council officers to begin drawing up technical designs for the first two phases of the project before they return to the committee in the summer for approval to begin construction.

Part funding from the council on the multi-million pound project will be discussed at tomorrow’s policy and resources committee while further discussions on the project’s development will be held at Friday’s urgency sub-committee.

Labour committee spokeswoman Gill Mitchell said she had concerns that the council would have to allocate almost £4 million over five years and that there was no budget to maintain the newly revamped gardens.

Transport lead Ian Davey said Labour were trying to make “cheap political gain” from opposing the transformation of Valley Gardens which Coun Mitchell first launched in 2006.