Brighton green space nominated for major project award

One of Brighton & Hove’s newest open spaces, Valley Gardens, has been nominated for the Major Project Award at the UK Highways Awards.

The two-year, £11m project was completed last summer, allowing residents and visitors to enjoy improved open space and better, safer routes for road users, walking, cycling and public transport.

The project transformed the area from St Peter’s Church to the Old Steine, with 135 new trees, wildflower and perennial planting and green areas.

Chair of the Valley Gardens Working Group, Cllr Steve Davis, said: ‘The city has spent the last year getting to know and love this new look part of the city. The whole project has been a great success. The new trees, flowers and open spaces make it a wonderful place to walk through or relax in and there’s plenty of space for pedestrians, cyclists, buses and taxis to access, not to mention public events.

‘This was a part of the city that lacked access to green space but is now a real asset for residents and I can’t wait for phase three of the project to begin next year. Valley Gardens is an example of how we can transform a space into something beautiful, sustainable and practical and I wish everyone involved the best of luck at the awards.’

Velley Gardens contains 2,900m2 of additional green space and 1,300m2 of wildflower meadow, as well as new footways, seating and lighting, surfaced roads, segregated cycle routes and public event spaces.

Phase three of the Valley Gardens Project, which incorporates the area from the Old Steine to the seafront, is scheduled to begin construction in 2022.

In related news, a restoration scheme at one of Salford’s historic sites has been awarded a British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI) National Landscape Award for regeneration.

Photo supplied by Brighton & Hove Council