Brighton & Hove has a clear vision for its seafront – to create a vibrant, accessible and sustainable seafront that enhances tourism, supports local businesses and celebrates the city’s rich heritage.
Stretching for 13 kilometres, the seafront is one of the UK’s most recognisable waterfronts and is central to the city’s identity. It supports everything from tourism and culture to small businesses and everyday leisure.
However, like many historic waterfronts across the country, it faces growing pressures from an ageing infrastructure, the impacts of climate change, and balancing conservation with the needs of a modern coastal city.
The city’s new seafront investment prospectus responds to this challenge. It treats the seafront as one connected place and sets a shared direction for how public and private investment should be guided over time.
It brings together existing projects, identifies new opportunities and sets out a clear, long-term, coordinated approach to regeneration. It’s not a fixed masterplan, but a framework that sets priorities to help ensure development reflects the character and values of the city.
The prospectus invites investors, communities and partners to help shape the future seafront, while ensuring development supports wider goals such as sustainability, wellbeing and economic resilience.
Different parts of the seafront already offer distinct experiences.
In Hove, investment in sport and leisure is taking shape through the development of a new leisure centre and the creation of Hove Beach Park.
More centrally, social and commercial spaces such as Shelter Hall attract people year-round.
To the east, the new boardwalk and the undercliff walk supports a stronger connection with nature and the environment.
Looking ahead, there are also opportunities.
Black Rock, in particular, stands out as a key site where something new could take shape. With space for a potential seafront gallery, cultural venue or leisure attraction, it offers the chance to introduce a new destination that reflects the city’s creative spirit while complementing what already exists along the coast.
At the heart of the prospectus are five simple missions: better placemaking, clearer identity, improved connectivity, stronger environmental stewardship and more sustainable investment. Together, they set a clearer direction for thoughtful and sustainable change.
The aim is to create high-quality spaces along the coastline while respecting the distinct character of each area. Improved routes and accessibility, including roads and active travel, will make it easier to move between key destinations and support local communities and businesses.
Public feedback shows support for restoring pride in existing structures in the seafront. Caring for historic and natural assets is as important as new development, with a focus on maintenance, resilience and heritage protection, alongside carefully planned development that complements its character and supports a diverse economy year-round.
The council cannot deliver this vision alone, with both public and private investment needed to drive long-term change.
The Seafront Development Board will provide strategic oversight, champion investment and help turn ambition into deliverable projects. Bringing together expertise and influence, the board will guide priorities, align partners and support a coordinated approach, ensuring change is well planned, high quality and rooted in the city’s needs.
Read the Brighton & Hove Seafront Prospectus.
Join the city’s Seafront Development Board for a discussion about the future opportunities for our seafront on Saturday 31 January.
The 12 members of the our Seafront Development Board are now in place ahead of the first meeting in the autumn.
Lord Bassam of Brighton, will chair a new seafront development board to shape a vision for transformation of the area and encourage investment.