New Hove seafront park named following public vote

The new park will stretch from Hove Lagoon to the King Alfred Leisure Centre

A new seafront park in East Sussex has been named following a public vote.

Hove Beach Park will be used for the site, which stretches from Hove Lagoon to the King Alfred Leisure Centre.

Brighton & Hove City Council's lead member for major projects Julie Cattell said: "It's great that so many residents have helped choose the permanent name for this wonderful new park."

Almost 3,900 votes were made, with 23.48% being for Hove Beach Park.

Mary Clarke Park, which looked to honour the co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union, came second with 18.71% of the votes.

Following an appeal for suggested names in December, nine options were put forward to voters in an online poll.

The other most popular choices were Kingsway Park, West Beach Park, and Sassoon Park - to honour Flora Reuben Sassoon who was a member of a Baghdadi Jewish merchant family who contributed to the development of St. Ann's Wells Garden.

The new park will include sports and leisure facilities, activity and relaxation spaces, new toilets and increased biodiversity, Brighton & Hove City Council said.

Work commenced on the park in October last year after construction on the £13.7m Kingsway to the Sea project had been suspended in June.

Predominantly funded by the government's Levelling Up Fund, work is expected to be completed towards the end of this year.

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