Seafront park plans to be scaled back

The proposed Kingsway to the Sea project will provide seafront parkland in Hove

Plans for a new seafront park are to be scaled back due to construction costs, a council said.

The Kingsway to the Sea scheme in Hove, East Sussex, that includes plans for outdoor sports facilities and a new café, was approved by councillors in July 2022.

But Brighton and Hove City Council said rises in construction costs and inflation, plus a shortage in materials and labour, have led to a funding gap of almost £4m.

Councillors will now be asked to "further reduce the scope of features in the park and the associated costs", a spokesperson said.

The scheme, to be built on land between King Alfred Leisure Centre and Hove Lagoon, had a budget of almost £13m, with £9.5m coming from the Government’s Levelling Up fund.

It includes plans for outdoor sports facilities and a new café.

Work started in February preparing for a new outdoor sports hub building.

Bella Sankey, council leader, said: “Our fantastic community and residents have inspired and led this project from the outset and worked closely with council officers at all stages to ensure we’re delivering what people want.

"We’ll be using this information to prioritise what features we should retain and we’re also asking residents to provide any further feedback on how we adapt to these increased costs."

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