News: Council

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Jason Kitcat on the city’s roadworks

I know how frustrating roadworks are for everyone, no matter how they travel. Unfortunately our transport network can’t be mended or improved without some disruption.

For example, historic under-investment in our seafront means the Victorian arches holding up our seafront are coming to the end of their life and risk collapsing. We’ve undertaken the first major seafront rebuilding programme, starting near the West Pier and moving eastwards. The result is brand new properties for small businesses, new public toilets, and a seafront that will stand for years to come.

The Vogue Gyratory has long been one of the most difficult junctions in the city – but with government funding we’re redesigning the junction to make it safer and simpler. Government funding has also helped pay for improvements to make Edward Street much more civilised for those who live and work in the area. These three council schemes are expected to finish shortly.

Meanwhile the private utility companies are able to dig up the roads whenever they need to, and are responsible for all the other roadworks in the city.

Most are done without central planning. As a result we have sometimes seen the same road dug up, relaid, then dug up again a few weeks later.

However, using new powers we’ve won from government, we’re introducing a new scheme to better coordinate utility companies’ roadworks to reduce disruption. This will expand on the powers we already use every Christmas to limit non-emergency roadworks.

Whether it’s fixing potholes or building a safer road network, these kinds of major projects are essential to make sure we have the infrastructure needed for our successful, growing city economy. It’s only through investing in our future that we can continue to build the Brighton and Hove of the future and we thank the city’s residents for their patience.