Plans for 'attractive, sustainable and safe park' at Valley Gardens revealed

Plans for the green areas of Valley Gardens between St Peter’s Church and the Royal Pavilion will go before the environment, transport and sustainability committee on Tuesday, June 27.

Traffic layouts for the area were approved by the committee last November, and it includes changing the layout to make the east side of Valley Gardens a north/south road for general traffic, and the western side would be used by public transport only.

The council's blueprint aims to improve the green space, increase public use and make the area easier to travel through - especially by walking and cycling. Changes also aim to improve air quality and community safety, and reduce flood risk.

Committee chairman Cllr Gill Mitchell said: “The main purpose here is to create an attractive, sustainable and safe park from what is currently a series of isolated, unpleasant roundabouts. All the time we’ll need to be mindful that we must keep the city’s roads moving – and part of that involves making cycling, walking and public transport more attractive and viable.”

In the council's current design, the Mazda Fountain remains, and the report notes a 1,000-strong petition in 2015 for it to be retained.

New footways and cycle paths would improve access both north-south and east-west, the council said, and these would enable traffic-free travel interrupted by just one formal crossing between St Peter’s Church and the Royal Pavilion.

There are also plans to reclaim one busy junction - at Richmond Terrace between St Peter's Church and Victoria Gardens - as a public space. The council said a new diverse range of trees would be introduced to future-proof the area against risks of Dutch elm disease and ash die-back.

The scheme involves a transfer of highways to parks space of 5400 sq m – roughly the size of five tennis courts.

If early designs are approved in principle at next week's meeting, detailed plans will be drawn up. A planning application would then be needed, requiring further public consultation.

Brighton and Hove City Council said £9.7m is budgeted for the scheme: £8m is government money via the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), and the rest is from council transport funds. The report says that if the project were cancelled the LEP money would have to be repaid.

The project is scheduled to start in March 2018, beginning with the roads.

The council said the long-awaited scheme should be complete by December 2019, 'depending on weather and any unforeseen events'.