The heart of your city is under threat… have your say!

There is MAJOR work being planned for the city centre, which includes 4 lanes of two-way traffic PLUS a southbound bus lane carving through the heart of Brighton to the east side of Old Steine, right opposite the Royal Pavilion.

Did you know? Despite the extensive scale of the work, few people seem to be aware of the plan which has been submitted and approved to go ahead in Summer 2021 by Brighton & Hove City Council.

We can’t understand why the people who live and work here were not properly consulted, engaged and thoroughly involved with such a drastic reconstruction of the city centre. The plans have only been published on the BHCC website long after all the critical decisions had been taken and few residents or businesses were surveyed or consulted before the scheme was drawn up. The ‘detailed design’ consultations finally happening now are revealing major flaws in the plans.

We are fully supportive of regeneration and development and we welcome potential government funding, but this proposed design for Valley Gardens Phase 3 has not been thought through and it causes more harm than good. Our extensive membership, including most of the operators of our visitor, tourism and retail sectors, have very serious concerns about the failings of this scheme.

For our own Council to further damage our city's Covid-devastated economy by deliberately increasing traffic congestion, strangling bus, taxi and delivery routes and compromising our world famous tourist destination for ideological reasons - and for which it has no electoral mandate and little public support is just not acceptable.  We must think again.

We call on the council to do the right thing and pause the planning now. Don’t write off a vital visitor season in 2021 with another minefield of roadworks and jams. Carry out the essential surveys and assessments and enter with an open mind into proper stakeholder engagement and public consultation on making a new plan so that the city can move forward together.

Updates

VGF campaign poster

Download and print!