Road near fire-damaged hotel to close over safety risk

A stretch of the A259 Kings Road is to be closed with immediate effect over concerns about the Royal Albion Hotel

A stretch of a road in Brighton is to be closed with immediate effect over concerns a fire-damaged hotel may collapse.

Part of the A259 Kings Road is to close in both directions between the aquarium and East Street as the Royal Albion Hotel and its scaffolding are "at risk of catastrophic failure", according to an engineer report.

Brighton & Hove City Council said it had asked its owners, Britannia Hotels, to make the structure safe and erect safety barriers.

The work is expected to begin over the weekend and continue into next week.

The road closure is allow pedestrian and cycle access but no vehicular access, the council said.

It will also mean National Express buses will stop at the southwestern corner of the Old Steine rather than in Pool Valley.

Councillor Trevor Muten said: "While this will cause major disruption in the city centre, public safety is our biggest priority so it's vital we do everything we can to minimise any risk.

"I'd like to apologise for the inconvenience this will cause to residents and visitors, and thank everyone for their patience while this structure is made safe."

Traffic and coached will be diverted to use alternative routes during the road closure.