Valley Gardens Phase 3 improvements

Safety improvements

The Valley Gardens area has the highest collision rate in the city which has seen 154 collisions over 5 years, 30 of which resulted in serious injury. Collision data also indicate a higher risk for vulnerable user groups, particularly at the A23/A259 junction (Brighton Pier Roundabout).

Conditions for cycling are particularly dangerous with cyclists disproportionately likely to be involved in a collision.

The council’s preferred junction arrangement at Brighton Palace Pier predicts significant collision savings compared to the existing roundabout. The arrangement also predicts better journey times than an equivalent signalised roundabout option.

The council’s junction arrangement at Brighton Palace Pier is the best option in terms of efficient use of space. The arrangement will enable the introduction of direct cycling and walking crossing points ensuring sustainable transport links are introduced to help shape a sustainable future.

Completion of a sustainable transport corridor

The Valley Gardens Phase 3 project will help towards achieving a carbon-neutral city by:

enabling sustainable transport choices with new segregated cycle lanes that connect to existing cycle lanes
creating more direct, and traffic-free, walking routes, enabling everyone to move around more comfortably

Public and green space improvements

The Old Steine Gardens and War Memorial are surrounded by poor-quality public space. The current layout limits the movement of both vehicles and pedestrians, reducing access by visitors to areas on either side of the A23.

The scheme introduces a simplified road layout which will encourage pedestrians and cyclists to use the space. The new layout will also enable barrier-free access between the eastern and western sides of Valley Gardens, whilst still maintaining vehicle access.

Continuing the approach adopted in the northern Phase 1 to 2 section of Valley Gardens, all general traffic will travel along 2 northbound and southbound lanes on the eastern side of Steine Gardens. Buses will go around Steine Gardens.

A new 2-way, segregated cycle lane will also stretch from the Royal Albion Hotel along the eastern side of Steine Gardens.

The proportion of land designated for pedestrian use will increase from 45% of the scheme area to 64% of the scheme area. This will be helped by the creation of a new public space in front of the Royal Pavilion Estate which will be completely closed to vehicular traffic.

The improvements will reinstate Valley Gardens as a central hub for the city. The improvements will link together major areas in the east such as St James’s Street and the hotels, bars and visitor attractions along Marine Parade and Madeira Drive to the key areas to the west of Valley Gardens such as the city’s Cultural Quarter and shopping areas including the Lanes.

Approximately 8,800 m2 of new public space will be created. Much of this will be in the area between the Royal Pavilion and the War Memorial but new spaces will be created throughout, including next to the Royal Albion Hotel.

There will be more areas for people to sit and relax in the area and new trees will be planted.

The War Memorial itself will not be altered but its overall settingwill be improved alongside new public spaces.

Air quality improvements

The 2022 Air Quality Annual Status Report highlights that over the long term pollutant levels in the Valley Gardens area are steadily improving. Within the Phase 3 project boundary air quality readings are well within legal limits and are predicted to remain so following the construction of Phase 3.

To support Phase 3 project monitoring, an air quality monitor has been located on the A23 junction at St James’s Street.

Find out more about our priorities for improving air quality.

Events

New events infrastructure will be installed so that diesel generators are no longer required. This will:

ensure that events are cleaner and quieter
support the aim of achieving a carbon-neutral council by 2030