This is what a 200-year-old park will look like if a £2.7 million redevelopment gets the go-ahead.

Brighton and Hove City Council has revealed its masterplan for a huge overhaul of The Level that they say will transform the park.

It has applied for £2.1 million of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Big Lottery Fund to improve footpaths, planting, seating and lighting.

The money has also been earmarked for a new café, water fountain and toilets.

A new playground has also been drawn into the plans.

However, elements of the plan have caused controversy and a petition has begun opposing a new sunken skatepark north of Rose Walk.

The council wants to build a £400,000 skate ramp that they say will be easier to maintain than the current structure, be less noisy and have a “lower visual impact.”

However, some residents including Friends of the Level and Park Crescent residents are so angry about the move that they have started a campaign to keep the skating area where it currently is.

The council, which has been consulting with the public for the past two years, said more than half of the 3,300 residents surveyed supported the move, although more than a third opposed it.

Money for the skating area is not included in the lottery bid and the local authority would still need to find £250,000 to fund the current plans.

The size of the park will be determined by how successful they are in finding the extra cash.

Environment cabinet member Pete West said: “Residents told us they feel strongly about plans to move the skatepark but the vast majority prefer to see a state of the art skatepark fit for the 21st century and support plans to move it to the north of the Rose Walk."

The council said the park urgently needs a cash injection, without which will see The Level “decline further”.

The park has a reputation for attracting high numbers of street drinkers and vandalism and half of those surveyed said they felt it was unsafe.

However funding has not been secured for the ambitious project and the council is not expecting a lottery decision until January next year.

They say that if their bid is unsuccessful only “very limited” improvements will be carried out.

A final decision on the masterplan and skatepark location will be made at the council’s environment cabinet member meeting on July 5.

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