Taxi! The pitfalls of Valley Gardens Phase 3

£8 would be the current, average additional cost of a taxi having to go the one way through Madeira Drive, from Brighton Palace Pier, up to Duke’s Mound and turning left back to the pier, and the added journey time would be over 5-10 minutes. In traffic congestion, this will be even higher. This is just one of the features of the new Valley Gardens Phase 3 design, which impacts on journeys for people trying to get into the city.

The improvement of the Valley Gardens area has proved to be a controversial plan, particularly Phase 3, which aims to move traffic from the West Side of the Old Steine to the East Side. Many businesses in the area fear it will add to traffic congestion and affect the tourist and local economy, as well as air quality. We took a drive around the area with Andy Peters, the GMB representative of the taxi trade in Brighton & Hove, to understand some of the pitfalls of the plan. No-one disagrees with improvements, but getting this area wrong will have significant consequences for the city for years to come. Many in the city are strongly urging the council to listen to them and to think again.