Madeira Arches restoration work to begin in July

Brighton & Hove City Council leader, Warren Morgan, has expressed his “Delight, relief and gratitude” at the success of the crowdfunding campaign for Save Madeira Terrace.

It was announced last week that the project had smashed its target with just a day to go and raised £460,000 – believed to be a record, making it the largest civic crowdfunding project run by a local authority.

Had the campaign failed to hit its goal by midnight, none of the pledges would have been collected.

On Thursday, the policy committee approved a plan to use the money raised to renovate three of the arches.

The Grade II listed Madeira Terrace, completed in 1897, is believed to be the longest cast iron structure in the world.

Preparatory work is to begin next month. With work on the site to restore the first three arches, giving a glimpse into how the whole of the eastern seafront might look, is now scheduled to get under way as early as summer 2018.

The aim is to have that mini-project complete as early as next December.

However, the restoration of all 151 arches will be dependent on winning millions from sources including the Heritage Lottery Fund. The city’s bid to the Fund will now be submitted, greatly benefiting from the evidence that 2,000 city residents have donated to the campaign.

By Clare Calder