Council accused of letting Madeira Terrace rot beyond repair

The accusation comes after copper and lead were stolen from the Grade II listed crumbling arches on Brighton seafront in a series of raids over Christmas.

Brighton and Hove City Council, which owns the architecture, said there was no CCTV in place.

The thefts came more than two years after a successful fundraiser to restore three of the 151 arches, which have been locked away behind a metal fence since 2012.

Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell Moyle said work has taken “far too long” and said the state of the decaying 2,837ft structure was a “stain on our city”.

In a plea for “greater leadership” at a local level, he pledged to try to garner support and funds for regeneration at a national level.

Jax Atkins, from the Save Madeira Terraces Campaign, said security work must be taken immediately and restoration of the three arches completed this year.

The activist, who was behind two raffles raising money to help save the historic structure, said: “If I was betting, I would say the council will not do anything.

“I would say they would like to see it rot, this is how I feel now and so do a lot of other people.

“It seems like they want more damage done so they will cost a ridiculous amount of money to restore.

“Then, they can decide that they might as well put it down and wash their hands of it.”

Campaigners accused the council of “delaying tactics” and pointed to a 2017 crowdfunding campaign, organised by the council, which raised £463,007.

The aim of the fundraiser was to “restore at least three arches”.

But more two years later, work has yet to start.

Instead, the council says that to benefit from “the economies of scale” a minimum of 30 arches must be restored at any one time.

However, the council does not have the money to fully implement the restoration of 30 arches.

Mrs Atkins said: “People have to remember the terraces are not the council’s, they are ours.

“They are acting in our interests.

“People just do not trust the council.

“Their biggest failure is that work has not started on the three arches. That is just terrible.”

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who was re-elected to the Brighton Kemptown constituency in December, said: “The state of Madeira Terraces are a stain on our city.

“This week I raised with the chief executive of the council both the continued copper theft from the lifts and the delays in building the initial arches.

“It is clear to me that we must complete the initial arches to show proof of concept.

“All of this has taken far too long and whilst it’s quite right that the centre and west of the city have had a focus, it is now time for us to invest in our part of the city.

“Action is needed and greater leadership is needed from both our local council offices and continuing rallying from the public.

“I will continue to push for the very best for our seafront and that’s why I will be requesting that a minister immediately looks to see whether there are funds available to support this vital work when I return to Parliament next week.”

It is estimated it will cost £24 million to restore all 151 arches.

The cost to repair the arches is increasing year on year as the ironwork structure is battered by cruel coastal weather and, now, theft.

In May, the worsening state of the Phillip Lockwood-designed 19th century architecture was revealed in a structural report.

Engineers found widening cracks, missing guttering, corroded bolts, pigeon excrement and a failing – possibly non-existent – waterproofing system.

They also found Brighton and Hove City Council failed to carry out a recommendation from a previous inspection.

Over Christmas, ten tonnes of lead was stolen from the seafront arches in a series of raids.

Copper was also stripped from a roof during the incident which a police chief described the act as a “crime against the city”.

The council now plans to install a temporary cover on the Madeira Lift, which is part of the structure.

And Sussex Police are appealing for anyone with information on thefts of copper and lead from the lift and shelters to come forward.

A council spokesman said: “We plan to install a temporary cover over the canopy roof of the Madeira Lift to prevent further deterioration.

“The council is now conducting a detailed assessment of the damage before deciding on the most appropriate course of action.

“Police are appealing for anyone who saw anything suspicious or noted suspicious vehicles in the area, particularly if they may have mobile phone or dash-cam footage, to report details online or to call 101, quoting serial 315 of 26/12.”

The council, which insists three arches will be restored, has twice been turned down for Heritage Lottery Funding.

In June, outgoing leader Daniel Yates said the council would give £2 million in match funding to help complete 30 arches.

A “major projects update”, which gives councillors an overview on developments in the city, states it aims to appoint a design team in March.

The council has set aside £550,000 for the design team and hopes work will start in July 2021.

A council spokesman said: “We will be building the three arches funded by the public.

“We’ve set out a target number of 30 to achieve an economy of scale – including the three crowd-funded arches which will be built with the funding we already have, even if we cannot raise enough money to build all 30 arches.

“The council are keen to maintain momentum on the project and are balancing speed of delivery against the most effective approaches in terms of technical considerations and cost.

“It is important to get the design and engineering right particularly as the arches provide a grandstand for many events in the city throughout the year.

“The next stage will be to work up designs and costs for the initial phase.

“We are appointing a design team who can explore options and produce detailed plans for the work needed to restore 30 arches whilst considering the council’s pledge to become carbon neutral by 2030.”