A COUNCILLOR says he has a plan to start work on all the Madeira Terrace arches within the year – without relying on grants.

The crumbling Grade II listed arches on Brighton seafront have been locked away since 2012.

Brighton and Hove City Council, which owns the structure, has twice been turned down for Heritage Lottery Funding.

It is estimated it will cost £24 million to restore all 151 arches, money the council says it does not have.

But Conservative councillor for the Rottingdean Coastal Ward Joe Miller insists work can begin within the year – and has a plan how to do it.

He says that by selling some of the council’s assets, £20 million can be raised within six months.

Cllr Miller said: “Every time I walk from the pier to the marina, it makes me sad to be a Brightonian. The decay and degradation of one of our most precious heritage assets in our city disgusts me.

“Our city has been waiting too long for a solution to this. It looks worse by the week and there is so much potential between the Palace Pier and marina.

“It is about time the Council put its money where its mouth is and put its hand in its pocket for the east of our city for once rather than trying to rely on central Government or lottery handouts to solve our city’s biggest problems.”

Cllr Miller is calling of the leader of the council and its lead for finance to identify £20 million of the council’s £300 million portfolio and sell them.

He believes that selling the building which Marks and Spencer rents in Western Road would sell for more than £6 million alone.

He said: “The council will not be a loser by doing this, in fact it is risk free and will increase council coffers as the rent and business rates from the new units in each arch of the terraces will more than outweigh the rent from the current assets to be sold.

“It is truly a no-brainer, and what any sensible business would do.

“It is a huge revenue-raising opportunity for the council, would attract even more events and visitors to our wonderful city, make the east of Brighton proud again and most importantly, restore one of the crown jewels of our city. Now’s the time to put our money where our mouth is, as a city and save Madeira Terrace by selling the crown jewels in our asset portfolio, to fund the restoration of our crown jewels in our heritage portfolio.”

Yesterday, The Argus reported how a leading campaigner believed the council was letting Madeira Terrace “rot”.

A 2017 crowdfunding campaign, organised by the council, raised £463,007.

The aim of the fundraiser was to “restore at least three arches”. But more than 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, it does not have the money to fully implement the restoration of 30 arches. A council spokesman said it will be building the three arches funded by the public regardless.