AN activist who raised £27,000 for a crowdfunding campaign says the money is not being well spent.

Brighton and Hove City Council set up a public crowdfunding campaign in 2017, raising more than £450,000 to restore three arches of the crumbling Madeira Terrace on the seafront.

But Jax Atkins, from the Save Madeira Terrace Campaign, believes the council is going to restore the “wrong” part of the Grade II listed structure.

She said: “It’s disappointing. Not just for me who raised money but all the people that have given money, because they feel it’s under false pretences.

“When residents and businesses gave money for the restoration, people were not expecting it would be used for the arches the council are planning to restore.

“What they plan on doing is not what people expected.”

The council currently proposes to use the money to restore the arches on the most western side of the terrace, on the side of the Palace Pier.

But Mrs Atkins, along with other campaigners such as Derek Wright, say these are not “typical” and the money would be better spent restoring those nearer Concorde 2.

They believe that by restoring more typical arches, the council could better understand the cost involved in fixing the others.

They argue that businesses near Concorde 2 would benefit by the regeneration of their nearby arches and it would promote greater use of the Volks Railway.

They also say the repair of the Concorde 2 roof, public toilets and the Madeira Lift are more urgent then the current proposals.

Derek Wright said: “We are not happy with what the council is planning.

“These arches are not a representative sample, so when the council asks for funding for the other arches, they will not know how much it’s going to cost.

“Nothing has been settled so were are hoping we can make them think again.”

A petition get to the council to reconsider their proposals has been signed by more than 400 people.

It will go before council at a meeting on March 7.

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: “The petition about the Madeira Drive arches is due to be considered by our tourism, development and culture committee.”

“It would not be appropriate for us to comment on the petition before councillors have had a chance to consider it.”