Work begins on Brighton park project to support biodiversity

A Brighton regeneration project, Kingsway to the Sea, which will deliver leisure facilities and improve biodiversity has broken ground.  

The new park will stretch from King Alfred Leisure Centre to the Hove Lagoon and will provide accessible green space, ‘oasis’ gardens, a new café with public toilets, and space for a range of sport, such as bowls, tennis, roller-skating and sand sports.  

Construction work has begun on the Bowls areas which will have a clubhouse to allow players and spectators to reach the bowling greens.  

The rest of the work will be carried out on a phased basis to allow existing facilities to remain open over the summer, with plans for building to begin on the Outdoor Sports Hub next.  

The regeneration scheme focuses heavily on improving wildlife habitats, with new gardens to act as relaxation spaces and a target to deliver a 20% Biodiversity Net Gain compared to the previous site.  

A new accessible path will run through the park which means some existing hedges will need to be removed to install a slope, ramp and step arrangements.  

To reduce the impact of this on the local wildlife, bird nesting boxes will be put in place nearby and new trees will be planted in the area to off a more long-term habitat.   

Plans for the park were originally approved by Brighton & Hove Council in early December last year after a public consultation on the project received largely positive feedback.  

The consultation held in 2021 saw 84% of respondents give their support to the scheme, with feedback used to help shape plans and determine what facilities and sports would be included.  

Project Landscape Architect Fenella Griffin said at the time: ‘This work will be supervised by an ecologist and the reductions limited to what is absolutely necessary. The proposed new tree, grassland and perennial garden areas will compensate for the loss of this habitat over time.’  

Photo by Hert Niks