Kingsway to the Sea - work to start on new tennis and padel facilities
The development of the new Kingsway to the Sea park is continuing to move forward with a further phase of work due to start next week.
The creation of the Outside Sports Hub by the bowls greens is well underway and in October works at the former Pitch and Putt area also started. This area will be transformed into a garden in the east with ramps into the space and pathways for improved accessibility. The westerly section will include the new wheeled sports area.
The next phase of work begins on 13 November at the existing tennis and multi-use area opposite Langdale Gardens and Carlisle Road.
New tennis and padel tennis facilities
Six new traditional tennis courts will be constructed, providing improved facilities and playing surfaces built to modern standards. Additionally, 4 padel tennis courts will recognise the increase in popularity of this relatively new sport.
Padel could be described as a mix between tennis and squash, it is played on an enclosed court, about 25% smaller than a tennis court, usually with 4 players who use racquets with no strings. The sport combines action with fun and is easy to learn for players of all ages and skills.
A new tennis pavilion is also being built and the whole area has been designed to be inclusive with ramps and steps to increase accessibility for all.
Councillor Julie Cattell, member of the Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism & Economic Development Committee said: “Kingsway to the Sea is creating excellent new sports facilities for our residents and visitors to enjoy. The new tennis pavilion and courts will provide a great base for a traditionally popular game. The padel tennis courts will significantly increase opportunities to play one of the fastest growing sports in the UK.”
Work on the tennis areas will continue through to early summer 2024. It is currently expected that the wheeled sports area and westerly garden will be completed in early summer 2024 and the Outdoor sports hub in the autumn 2024.
Additional funding for the project
The overall project is set to benefit from £1.27m of additional funding to put back into the scheme facilities that would otherwise have been scaled back because of financial cost pressures.
Earlier this year the Council Leader requested a public consultation on which elements cut from the scheme might be reinstated if funding could be found. As a result, key leisure and parks facilities have been re-introduced using future Section 106 funds that could be committed to a live project. We are now obtaining quotes and talking to contractors to assess costs and how the extra budget could be spent in what remains in a financially constrained programme.
Section 106 agreements ensure that developments in the city support the cost of local improvements to benefit both their new residents and the existing community. They set out the financial and non-monetary contributions a developer must make and the council decide how these will be used.
A review of potential pending Section 106 receipts from schemes already in development also identified agreements where funding was due in 23/24 which was not yet allocated to projects. £56,000 from Sussex Cricket Ground Eaton Road Flats, £210,000 from Unit 1-3 Ellen Street Hove (Hove Gardens), £387,164 from Anston House, 137/147 Preston Road Brighton, and £806,000 from the Moda Sackville Trading Estate scheme was identified.
The contribution from the Moda development will be in addition to the £220,000 already used in 21/22 from the Moda Section 106 receipts already received. It also ensures that there remains circa £400,000 of receipts available to be spent on the small neighbourhood project priorities that the Community Liaison Group have been identifying.
You can keep up-to-date with news about the scheme and works taking place on our Kingsway to the Sea web pages.
