A COUNCIL’S £140,000 renovation of a roundabout which is set to be scrapped has been slammed as a “colossal waste of money”.

Repairs totalling £140,000 were carried out on the Palace Pier roundabout in Brighton last week.

But the area is set to be transformed into a T junction as part of phase three of the Valley Gardens project, which is revamping the area from St Peter’s Church to the seafront.

Brighton and Hove Conservative group deputy leader Lee Wares said: “If the council is intending on removing the roundabout and replacing it with a T junction it seems incredible, if not a colossal waste of money, that they would spend £140,000 on resurfacing the road in an area which they will be replacing in less than 12 months.

“Why was it not possible to carry out localised repairs to any patches that may have been dangerous or in disrepair, no different to what takes place elsewhere around the city? To spend £140,000 seems absolutely mad.

“For that amount the city could have provided at least 14 crossings around schools to make crossing the road much safer for our children.”

Residents were left scratching their heads when the area was sealed off and teams of workers moved in with diggers and other machinery.

Some feared work had started on phase three of the Valley Gardens project without warning.

But Brighton and Hove City Council said the work was nothing to do with the project and phase three will not begin for about a year.

A council spokesman said: “The roadworks at the A259 Palace Pier roundabout have now been completed, on schedule, after five days.

“The work had nothing to do with Valley Gardens phase three, but was carried out as essential resurfacing repairs that were needed to reduce the risk of accidents, especially in the run up to winter.

“The cost of the repairs was £140,000.”

The council spokesman said these were necessary repairs and aspects of Valley Gardens phase three were yet to be decided.

He said: “Funding for phase three is set to be decided by the Local Enterprise Partnership next week.

“If funding is confirmed then the phase three detailed technical design and construction programme will begin, with the construction work beginning after autumn next year.

“Details of planned highway maintenance and statutory utility works are publicly available on the one.network website.”