Project Brighton: Madeira Drive Project launches

Following on from our English Tourism Week Project in March this year, tourism businesses across the city will be working together again on a new project to help improve the appearance of Madeira Drive.

Madeira Drive is a key location for tourism in the city; since 1905 it has been the focal point for many major events that take place throughout the year including: London to Brighton Bike Ride, Brighton Marathon, Veteran Car Run and Burning the Clocks. This year it was the starting point for Brighton & Hove Albion’s open top bus parade, awash with blue and white flags, scarves, curly wigs, and painted faces as the city turned out to celebrate the Albion’s promotion to the Premiership!

In addition to a long history of hosting events, Madeira Drive has had a starring role in several films over the years, most notably Brighton Rock, Genevieve and of course the iconic Quadrophenia. It’s also home to Madeira Terrace, a Victorian Grade 2 listed cast iron structure spanning 152 arches and reputed to be the longest structure of it’s kind in the world!

Madeira Terrace now needs substantial and costly restoration work and on Wednesday 26th July a crowdfunding campaign was launched, aimed at raising £400k to kick start a restoration project. The launch event was held at another of our iconic Victorian structures – Brighton Palace Pier. (www.savemadeiraterrace.org)

The recent opening of Brighton Zip, and works progressing on the Volk’s Railway station and visitor centre has also helped to renew interest in this area, and the team and volunteers behind the Madeira Drive Project want to build on this momentum and work with community groups and businesses to bring more life to the area. The aim is to encourage more visitors to Madeira Drive and ensure the area remains an attractive part of the city for both residents and visitors.

One part will focus on making visual improvements to the area

The project is a collaboration between Brighton and Hove’s Tourism Alliance, VisitBrighton, Brighton & Hove City Council Events Team and Seafront Team, and with support from CityClean, Madeira Terraces & Black Rock Past, Present and Future Facebook Group and local businesses and volunteers. It will begin Monday 7th August, with work and activities planned on an ongoing basis from that date.

One part of the project will focus on making visual improvements to the area, for example, repainting beach chalets, removing weeds, cutting back overgrown hedges, and removing rubbish.

A number of local businesses and community/environmental groups have offered their help, and Crown Paints and Brewers Decorator Centres are kindly donating paint and decorating materials for the project – but we still need some more volunteers.

The Madeira Terraces and Black Rock Past Present & Future Facebook group, in conjunction with City Clean, organised a clean-up of Madeira Terrace last year: they will be doing the same this year and organisers Jax and Derek are also looking for more volunteers to help with this.

Another aspect of the project will involve looking at how to ‘join up’ the whole of Madeira Drive so the area ‘East of the Pier’ flows more seamlessly to incorporate the leisure facilities further east such as Yellowave, Jungle Rumble, Grace’s Place Cafe, Peter Pan’s playground and Concorde 2.

Initially we’d like to explore some ideas for the stretch of Madeira Drive between the landing area of the Brighton Zip and Yellowave Beach Sports, and how the old Peter Pan’s site could be used as temporary space for pop-up events, and possibly photographic displays and art installations.

Brighton Palace Pier has offered to sponsor or stage a summer event in Madeira Drive and hopefully this will be over the weekend of 19th August, if the site is ready in time, and weather permitting.

By Julia Weeks of Brighton and Hove Tourism Alliance
www.savemadeiraterrace.org
If you would like to get involved with the project in any way at all, whether you can spare 30 minutes or 30 hours, we would love to hear from you!
Email Julia at brightontourismnetwork@outlook.com
Follow on Twitter @BrightonTourism