More information about Valley Gardens is given below. This information is separated into the following topics:
- Phase 3 construction
- Phase 3 background
- Phase 1-2
Phase 3 construction
Phase 3 construction timescales
Construction is expected to last until summer 2026. We're completing work in sections to minimise disruption.
Find out more about the order of work and expected timescales.
This page will be updated as construction continues.
Dates are indicative and subject to weather and the progress of work.
Road closures
The main roads (A23 and A259) will be kept open throughout most of the works. Some closures will be necessary for overnight resurfacing. This will be for short periods and advertised in advance.
Side roads will need to be closed when work is happening next to junctions because of the space available. This will be for short durations, and alternative routes will be provided.
Access to premises during construction
Access to premises will be maintained. When working immediately in front of properties, the contractor will liaise with occupants and owners in advance.
Contact details for the contractor will be provided to frontages ahead of work starting in each section.
Temporary provision for loading will be provided.
Bus stop changes
Some bus stops have permanently moved.
Buses will be moved when work is being completed at the current bus stops. This will be signed at bus stops.
Pool Valley and coach stops
Pool Valley has been closed because of ongoing work at the Royal Albion hotel. This has meant coaches have required an alternative area to lay over. Coach parking is now available on Stroudley Road to the north of Brighton Station.
The changes are being introduced under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order. This means the changes to coaches at Brighton Station and the Old Steine can be monitored.
See details of the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order for Brighton Station (ref TRO-17-2025).
Further information will be published once the new stops are operational.
Night construction work
As roads in the area have high traffic levels and are used by most bus routes in the city, we'll need to complete some work at night to minimise disruption.
We'll keep night work to a minimum to reduce noise for residents. The night work will only be required for the resurfacing, which is essential maintenance work which would need to be done even if the rest of the project were not being completed.
Access for events
Events that pass through the area, such as Pride, Brighton Marathon, half marathon, London-Brighton bike ride and car rallies will continue to take place. Adjustments to work areas will be made as necessary in advance of these events.
Static events in the gardens will be relocated elsewhere.
Remembrance events will continue as normal.
Once complete, the work will provide a much more pleasant space to host events with more accessible routes to and from them.
Steine Gardens
Steine Gardens will be used as a construction compound during the works. Once construction is finished, the gardens will be re-landscaped with new grass and planting.
Old Steine Fountain
The Victoria Fountain will be switched off as usual over the winter, but will be working again in the summer when the newly re-landscaped gardens will be reopened. While the winter switch off is in place the site compound area will be extended.
More information
If you have any questions about the project, send an email to transport.projects@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
Emergency site contacts
The contractor has an out-of-hours phone number. This can be used to report any problems when contractors are not on site, such as damage to road work barriers.
The out-of-office phone number is 01732 600 888.
This can be used:
- after 6pm on Monday to Friday
- after 2pm on Saturday
- all day Sunday
Phase 3 background
Project funding
The project is funded by a £6m government grant, alongside:
- £1.8m contributions from the Local Transport Plan
- £5m council borrowing
The Local Transport Plan funding is annual funding we receive from the Department for Transport.
Consultation
The project was subject to extensive public consultation. This included 2 consultations on the design options and design development, in addition to statutory consultations required for Traffic Regulation Orders.
Find full details of the consultation undertaken and decisions made since 2018.
Changes in response to the consultation
Several changes have been made to the original designs as a direct result of the public and stakeholder consultation.
These changes include:
- additional bus stop and bus stand capacity
- re-routing the planned cycle lane to the west side of the gardens to provide more space for buses and traffic on the eastern side, including the addition of a northbound bus lane
- providing additional measures to segregate cyclists from pedestrians
- providing more signalised pedestrian crossings
- additional loading capacity, including an extra-wide loading bay for use by European coaches (to accommodate door opening on the right-hand side)
- additional disabled parking (an increase on pre-scheme provision)
- restricting access to Steine Street to vehicles accessing premises in this street only - this is to address concerns that some traffic will seek to use it to bypass the Aquarium junction
- allowing taxis to turn right from Little East Street
- changes to the seafront junction layout and an increase in capacity at other junctions to limit the impact on bus and traffic journey times
Impact of the new layout on buses and traffic
Unfortunately, much misinformation has been circulated on the impact of the changes on buses and traffic. Similar fears raised before Valley Gardens Phase 1-2 was completed have proven unfounded.
At the early design stage, different options were tested using traffic modelling. Some of the options considered would indeed have had a greater impact on traffic than others. However, these have not progressed, and in selecting the preferred design, we've sought to achieve a balance between:
- the benefits for pedestrians, cyclists and public space creation
- the impact on traffic
The option chosen is not forecast to have significant adverse impacts.
Changes to traffic restrictions
The main change is that north and southbound traffic will now be on the same side of the Old Steine (east).
The area between the Royal Pavilion and the war memorial will be closed to traffic.
Other changes to traffic movement restrictions are:
- no new bus gates will be added
- Westbound access from Old Steine into Castle Square will be for buses, taxis and cycles only at all times - currently, other traffic is permitted from 8pm to 8am and on Sundays
- Steine Street will be made access only, meaning traffic should only use it to reach properties and car parking along it
- taxis will be able to turn right from Little East Street, which they can’t at the moment
Changes to parking and loading
General car parking will be removed. Disabled car parking and doctors’ bays will be retained.
Planting trees
Up to 34 new trees will be planted.
The exact number of trees will depend on ground investigations and underground utilities.
Bus shelters in Old Steine
The Art Deco-style bus shelters in Old Steine will be kept alongside the new public space.
Conversion of these to other uses is not included in the project or is currently being progressed; however, maintenance work will be completed, such as painting and repairing windows.
Phase 1-2
Marlborough Place bus stop
Where commercial buses stop is a decision of bus operators and not the council.
Before the road layout changes introduced by the Valley Gardens Phase 1-2 project, there was no space for buses to stop in this location. Bus stop kerbs were installed as part of the Valley Gardens project to allow bus operators to use this location in future should they wish.
As part of changes to bus stops in the city centre from 19 October 2025, some Brighton & Hove Buses are now serving this stop.