Seafront streetlighting restored to its glorious best

Repaired, restored and renewed, the first of 5 heritage streetlighting columns has been installed back on the city’s seafront.

Complete with new brackets and lanterns, the Grade II listed column has been returned to its original location near the Palace Pier.

A second was reinstalled further along Madeira Drive with 3 more along the seafront coming in the next couple of weeks.

Image: The newly restored heritage streetlight near the Palace Pier

After decades of exposure and decay, the columns were sent to Cast Iron Welding Services (CIWS) for repair and restoration. They also restored the decorative brackets while lighting experts CU Phosco manufactured new lanterns to light up the skyline.

Approved by Historic England, all were restored using original designs, manufacturing techniques and, where possible, materials.

We’ll now be reviewing the pilot before deciding on the project’s next steps.

Lighting up our skyline

Councillor Birgit Miller, Cabinet member for Culture, Heritage and Tourism, said: “It’s great to see this iconic lighting back in all its glory - the column feels brand new and the brackets and lanterns look absolutely stunning. The craftsmanship and expertise should be applauded.

“This is such an important project for restoring and renewing the heritage of our fabulous seafront. The columns, lanterns and brackets are part of the city. Whether silhouetted behind the setting sun or lighting up a darker evening, they’ll remain a feature of our skyline for years to come.

“Along with our new programme of maintenance and improvement, piece by piece we’re restoring our seafront to something our residents and visitors can enjoy and be proud of.”

Image: (left to right) Kemptown Ward councillor Gary Wilkinson, Council Leader Bella Sankey, Councillor Birgit Miller, Cabinet member for Culture, Heritage and Tourism and Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport and City Infrastructure.

The restoration and manufacturing process

Columns and brackets

Cast Iron Welding Services completed the restoration of the first 5 historic lamp columns and brackets

• The process began with thorough cleaning and detailed inspection of each column.
• Using a unique gas fusion welding and precision machining, the columns were restored to original specifications, permanently repairing corrosion and other historic damage.
• Decorative brackets underwent full restoration with structural modifications via gas fusion welding, enabling compatibility with new lantern design.
• The restored columns received a durable paint system suited for the harsh coastal environment while their bases required on-site machining for reinstallation by expert engineers.

Image: Cast Iron Welding Services restoring the cast iron column

Lanterns

Construction of the distinctive lanterns was carried out by CU Phosco, combining heritage sensitivity with modern engineering.

• The work was designed to preserve the original architectural character while improving long-term durability, particularly in the challenging seafront environment.
• Extensive testing, including salt spray assessments, were carried out to ensure the structures could withstand coastal conditions and reduce future maintenance requirements.
• As part of the upgrade, the lanterns are fitted with energy-efficient LED lighting, carefully specified to replicate the original colour temperature and visual appearance.

Image: One of the new lanterns on display in Jubilee Library last year