Council approves another seafront investment scheme

Councillors have approved a planning application to redevelop and renovate the Aquarium Terraces, above Brighton’s Sea Life Centre, at the west end of Madeira Drive.

The council’s planning committee approved the scheme by The Soho House to create a café, restaurants and members’ club today (9 December 2015).

It will see seven vacant units replaced with modern and sustainable buildings.  The new buildings will have large areas of glazing and green roofs.  Historic buildings and structures would be retained and refurbished, along with balustrading and iron railings.

The scheme proposes that an oval glass pavilion on the lower level of the site is demolished to create a new café. The circular building on the upper level will also be demolished and replaced with two new pavilions with a 10 metre gap between them.

The cafe and restaurants will be open to the public, while the members’ club would have a bar, open air plunge pool, changing rooms and a terraced area.

More than 200 jobs would be created, according to the developers.

Under a planning agreement, the council has secured from the company £50,000 to improve transport locally – including real-time sign boards at three bus stops, plus better footways and cycle parking.

A further £32,000 would go to boost local employment and the developer would detail an employment and training strategy.  It would also undertake to maintain current pedestrian access to and across the site.

Planning committee chair Councillor Julie Cattell, said: “Brighton & Hove’s seafront is of vital importance to the city’s tourism economy. We have a huge amount of seafront investment in the pipeline or being delivered right now.  It would be good to see yet another scheme get off the ground.”

Find out about developments in progress, planned or proposed for the seafront.