This week Saltdean has been selected as the site for a new disability beach access ramp, the first to be installed in the east of the city.
The ramp, which has been an project of our local Conservative Councillor Team, is needed to address an accessibility gap in Brighton and Hove, with all the existing ramps currently located in the west of the city. A beach access ramp would help people with a disability in the east of the city enjoy access to the coastline and also opens up the possibility of Saltdean becoming a hub for disability access to the water given its proximity to the Saltdean Lido regeneration project.
The Conservative Group ensured a sum of £30,000 was included for a beach disability access ramp in the east of the city in the Budget last year and have been working since with the Council, Beach Access team and the local community to decide upon the best location for the new infrastructure. It’s really important to work with groups representing the local community and those with a disability to listen to where new infrastructure should go.
Our Rottingdean Coastal Conservative Councillors Mary Mears and Councillor Joe Miller were behind the push to secure funding and have spent the past year planning the project, including asking questions at Council meetings and liaising with the community and meeting with the Beach Access Team and the Seafront Manager Tony Emmanuel to discuss the project.
Talking to residents in the east of the city, it was clear many are very keen to see such a ramp at one of the eastern beaches to give disabled people in this vicinity access to the beach to be able to enjoy family outings, with Rottingdean Beach and Saltdean Beach the obvious options.
With funding available for the ramp in the eastern seafront, Cllr Mears asked the council and Beach Access Team investigate the options for a suitable design and location in Saltdean or Rottingdean. After all, securing the money in the City Budget is not the end of the process. It is important once these monies have been agreed that they are now spent well and in accordance with what the local people want and Councillors have an important role to play in that.
Beach Access Team Brighton & Hove is a campaign group run by a small number of volunteers, all of whom have a disability or who provide care for somebody who does. The council has been actively working with the Beach Access Team for several years to bring about access improvements on our beaches and seafront, however the east of the city has been left behind.
After due consideration and consultation, it was confirmed this week that Saltdean was the preferred location for the site, with the ramp to be located to the west of the underpass.
The Council is now awaiting a quote from the contractor which its hopes to have by the end of this week. Once the Council has agreed on the price and design they will be able to order the materials, with installation anticipated to take 1 – 2 weeks to complete, meaning that the ramp could well be in place for the summer season.
The Saltdean location will also have the potential to dovetail with Saltdean Lido on the other side of the underpass, to provide a single precinct to disability access to the water and water sports.
The redevelopment of Saltdean Lido is now underway following £1.135 million secured in the budget by Conservative Councillors last year. The redevelopment will include a water sports wing, spacious ballroom, coffee lounge and café; refurbished library; heritage learning zone; exercise studio; and community meeting rooms; which will greatly improve disability access to the Lido facility.
In terms of the longer-term strategy for the city’s east, an accessible boardwalk from Black Rock to Banjo Groyne is in the process of being built, with Conservative Councillor Mary Mears monitoring the project via the Black Rock Task and Finish Group. The Sea Lanes development is also due to be completed next year and this will include a Changing Places facility and pathway across the shingle to facilitate easier access to the shoreline.
The new Saltdean beach ramp and Lido is a credit to the work of our Conservative Councillors, the Beach Access Team and the local community and we are delighted that both are underway and will make a difference to the lives of people living with a disability in the east of the city.
