• Conservatives’ plan for large entry gateway signage for City, including at Patcham roundabout, train stations and on the Brighton and Hove seafront
• Volk’s Electric Railway capacity and signage to be boosted; plus more money for Madeira Arches restoration
• Capital investment to upgrade Brighton and Hove’s seafront railings to improve the state of the city

 

Conservative Finance Spokesperson Joe Miller has today announced a package of Conservative proposals for the 2021 Brighton & Hove City Council Budget to activate the City’s heritage and put tourism at the heart of a post-Covid recovery for the city.

 

The proposals, which will be presented to the Policy & Resources Committee on Thursday night, include large gateway entry signage to the City including at Patcham roundabout, Brighton & Hove train stations and on the Brighton and Hove seafront to boost the City’s tourism profile as well as better local signage to promote tourist attractions such as the Volk’s Electric Railway.  These large gateway signs will be similar to those in other iconic cities around the globe which people take their photos next to and will promote Brighton & Hove around the globe.

 

The Conservatives will also look to activate the City’s heritage assets to boost the recovery, including by an expansion of the capacity of the historic Volk’s Electric Railway and further investment in the restoration of Madeira Arches.

 

Additional Conservative proposals include capital investment to upgrade Brighton & Hove’s seafront railings to restore pride in the City and community infrastructure upgrade to Hove Lagoon Skate Park and Hove Beacon Lighting.

 

Conservatives championing the City’s tourism and activating heritage

 

Announcing the package, which would be funded by savings identified in the Senior Management Team budget, Conservative Councillor Joe Miller said that the proposals built on the work the Conservative Group had been doing across the year to champion the City’s heritage and tourism industry and put it at the heart of a post covid recovery.

 

“We are concerned that the City’s administration has been talking down and targeting the City’s £886 million tourism industry with a series of ill-advised policies this year.

 

“Over the last 12 months Labour and the Greens have closed Madeira Drive, creating problems for local businesses, whilst also repeatedly throwing the future of the City’s historic motoring events into question, with one Green councillor comparing them to the 100 Years’ War.

 

“Our Conservative team has been consistently standing up for the tourism industry and reminding councillors of its key role and also putting forward proposals to properly activate our city’s heritage to boost the industry and our Budget proposals follow through on this work.

 

“Our proposal for Volk’s Electric Railway, including a new platform, shelter and better signage, follows detailed discussions with the Volk’s Electric Railway Association including a site visit from Cllr Wares and Cllr Nemeth that culminated in a well-thought out business case.   

 

“Our proposal for Madeira Arches restoration builds on the £11 million investment brokered by the Conservatives at last year’s budget and the work of Conservative Transport Spokesperson with local businesses to get Madeira Drive reopened through the Conservative compromise.

 

“The proposal for large gateway signage will increase civic pride and allow visitors to promote the city in an age of social media.  Patcham Councillors Lee Wares, Carol Theobald and Alistair McNair have long championed the need for an entry statement to the City at the A27 Patcham Roundabout and Cllr Peltzer Dunn has been calling for better Geographical signage across the city to recognise the distinctive parts of the City.  This proposal also includes an iconic public artwork for the Patcham roundabout.

 

“All these measures will help attract overnight visitors, with more to do, rather than just day visitors to the city, with a flow on boost to the tourism sector.

 

Fiscally prudent proposals

 

“This capital investment will be funded by only £40K of outlay from savings identified in the Senior Management Leadership Team staffing budget. 

 

“The result of this £40K outlay will be £735,000 investment in total for the City – a great return”

 

It is a fiscally prudent approach, consistent with Conservative principles of good financial management, that will deliver a good return for the City.

 

“I hope that the package will be supported at the Budget Policy and Resources Committee meeting on Thursday night” Cllr Miller added.

 

Full details of the Conservative Proposals are provided below:

 

PROPOSALS FROM CONSERVATIVE FINANCE SPOKESPERSON JOE MILLER:

 

£0.005m revenue to fund:

1. £0.050m borrowing from £0.004m revenue, to support capital investment into a gateway welcome to Brighton and Hove on and adjacent to Patcham A27/A23 Roundabout to include a piece of iconic public artwork.
2. £0.001m revenue to maintain this gateway welcome

 

£0.005m revenue to fund £0.100m borrowing to support capital investment in upgrading Brighton and Hove Seafront Railings.

 

£0.005m revenue to fund:

1. £0.040m borrowing from £0.0035m revenue, to support capital investment into gateway welcomes at both Brighton and Hove train stations to include an iconic welcome to ‘BRIGHTON’ and ‘HOVE’ sign at each relevant station – similar to that in other iconic global Cities, which are photographed and shared on social media.
2. £0.0015m revenue to maintain these gateway welcomes

 

£0.005m revenue to fund:

1. £0.040m borrowing from £0.0035m revenue, to support capital investment into iconic welcome to ‘BRIGHTON’ and ‘HOVE’ signs on Brighton and Hove Seafronts – similar to that in other iconic global Cities, which are photographed and shared on social media.
2. £0.0015m revenue to maintain these

 

£0.003m revenue to fund:

1. £0.040m borrowing to support capital investment in Volk’s Railway in line with the VERA business plan presented to TECC, namely £10,000 for additional signage, £25,000 for the North Siding, £5,000 for the halfway shelter.

 

£0.002m revenue to fund:

1. £0.050m borrowing to support capital investment in a new Hove Lagoon Skate Park.

 

£0.001m revenue to fund:

1. £0.015m borrowing to support capital investment in the Hove Beacon lighting scheme.

 

£0.014m revenue to fund:

1. £0.4m borrowing to support capital investment in the Madeira Terraces Phase 2.

 

ENDS.