Hove Lagoon gym equipment deemed unsafe by council

The outdoor gym at the Lagoon in the Kingsway, Hove, has insecure bars in the ground and in the air which are “dangerous and pose a significant risk to users”.

Brighton and Hove City Council said repairs “are not viable” due to there being no maintenance fund granted to keep the equipment maintained.

An inspection happened on Wednesday and the equipment is set to be torn out this week. The council added that it was looking at options for new outdoor gym equipment to be part of the Kingsway to the sea regeneration scheme.

A cracked wooden post which held an iron bar

Robert Nemeth, chairman for the Friends of Hove Lagoon group, said it was “sad that complete abandonment” of the existing outdoor gym is proposed by the council.

The Conservative councillor for Wish Ward noted that the space could be without gym equipment until 2024, which is when the Kingsway to the sea regeneration project is set to be finished.

Last month, the council locked off another popular outdoor space, four tennis courts used by the King Alfred Tennis Club, stating that it would pledge money for the courts to be restored within six months using levelling up funding from the government.

A council spokesman said: “A recent independent inspection of the outdoor gym equipment at Hove Lagoon has unfortunately found it to be unsafe. 

Hove seafront has been given £9.5 million as part of the government's levelling up fund

“The level of deterioration is high. There are insecure bars in the ground and in the air, which means the equipment is dangerous and poses a significant risk to users.  

“As repairs are not viable, the whole structure now needs to be removed as quickly as possible and this has been scheduled to take place this week. 

“Funding for the gym came from developers who wanted to give something back to the local community.  

“There was no maintenance fund granted for the upkeep of the equipment – and with the weathering and materials used, it wasn’t designed to last forever.  

Robert Nemeth and Garry Peltzer Dunn said they would have liked "local wood and locally-crafted iron fittings" to make sourcing new parts easier

“Currently there is no funding to replace the gym. But we know the equipment has been a popular amenity for some people.

“So we are now exploring options for some outdoor gym equipment to be part of the Kingsway to the Sea regeneration scheme.”

Cllr Nemeth said: “Cllr Garry Peltzer Dunn and I fully backed the idea of a gym using local wood and locally-crafted iron fittings so are upset that it is due for removal at what seems a very early stage.

“It made sense to us to avoid expensive corporate fittings on the basis that repairs would be cheap and easy whenever they become necessary. Now that the moment has arrived, it is sad that complete abandonment is proposed rather than a series of tweaks and adjustments.

“It is indeed the case that works are required but the purpose of this way of building was to facilitate such works without fuss. We feel that there is still some mileage in examining what can be temporarily repaired before the Kingsway to the Sea project can bring a replacement in two years.

“We have contacted the Council and hope to hear back shortly.”