Minutes from Madeira Terrace Restoration Advisory Panel 21 January 2021

Present

Abigail Hone, Project Manager (Chair) (AH) 

Alasdair Glass, Conservation of the Built Environment (AG) 

Bill Puddicombe, Events (BP) 

Bill Smith, Tourism (BS) 

Dan Lake, Events (DL) 

Derek Wright, Residents (DW) 

Rupert Radcliffe-Genge, Conservation of the Built Environment (RRG) 

James Farrell, Conservation of the Natural Environment (JF) 

Alan Towler, Business (AT)

Sarah Jones, Panel Secretariat (Notes) (SJ) 

Donna Chisholm, Assistant Director, Culture Tourism & Sport, Brighton & Hove City Council (DC)

Apologies

Jax Atkins, Residents (JA)

James McKeown, Events (JM)

Rebecca Bunker, Residents (RBr)

 

• Create poster to advertise in Peter Pan café for parents to become reps. (RBi)
• Forward feedback received from Dan Watson of Events Team about events organisers to IT and AH. (JM)
• Contact CityParks for help with vegetation maintenance at the eastern end of the Terrace at Dukes Mound before spring 2020. (AH)
• Contact Brighton Access Disability and Possability People about disabled users’ access. (AH)
• Approach Sea Lanes to nominate for Business rep. (BP)
• Contact Tourism Alliance for nominees as Tourism rep. (BS)
• Send November minutes for publication. (SJ)
• Contact Katharine Pearce to discuss tamarisk removal. (JF)
• Find out when access to Marina from Black Rock will be installed and report back. (SJ)
• Remind Purcell to address DL’s drawings. (AH)
• Ask Purcell to confirm they have fully considered the options for incorporating solar panels, e.g. solar walkways. (AH)
• Ask Purcell if they have considered spiral ramp. (AH)
• Those Panel members who do not have a photo or biography on the Advisory Panel website page to please provide directly to SJ. (Various)
• Please submit any ideas on how we can use RRG’s new community contacts directly to RRG. (All)
   

• Circulate CIO Trustee opportunity to JF. Done. (BP)
• Re-circulate CIO objectives for comment. Done. (All)
• Circulate draft Constitution for review for next meeting. Done. (BP)
• Comment on draft Constitution. Done. (All)
• Create poster to advertise in Peter Pan café for parents to become reps. Carried forward. (RBi)
• Forward feedback received from Dan Watson of Events Team about events organisers to IT and AH. Carried forward. (JM)
• Send supporting material for Levelling Up Fund application to RRG. Done. AH had learned that government is not looking at funding projects in the south east region. Any funds made available will be distributed by Coast to Capital, the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP); AH will keep a lookout for opportunity. (All)
• Circulate NLHF pro forma. Done. (AH)
• Contact CityParks for help with vegetation maintenance at the eastern end of the Terrace at Dukes Mound before spring 2020. Abby has made contact but not received a reply. She will chase. Carried forward. (AH)
• Contact Brighton Access Disability and Possability People about disabled users’ access. Carried forward. (AH)
• Contact council GDPR advisor to get information on how to consult with third party contacts. Done. (AH)
• Invite Assistant Director Culture Tourism & Sport to the next meeting. Done. (AH)
• Advise AH of any business nominees. Carried forward. Action: BP will approach Sea Lanes to nominate Business rep. BS will contact Tourism Alliance for nominees.  (All)

Panel approved minutes of November meeting for publication.

• Action: SJ to send minutes of November meeting for publication.

DC briefed the Panel on her role in the council. 

JF asked for DC’s reflections on how she sees the environment as part of the heritage of the city. JF noted that over the years the environment has been ignored or placed secondary to heritage. This is an opportunity to put the environment at the heart of the regeneration of the eastern seafront. The design team has recognised that and incorporated it into their plans. 

DC recommended building communication with the Seafront Team who will be custodians of the completed major projects on the seafront; as the ‘internal client’ within the council they can have a strong voice. The advisory panel should talk to politicians via the Project Board, local ward councillors and the administration as politicians make decisions on funding. Environment is at the heart of the current leadership’s approach to the city; for example, the work on the Whole Estate Plan reflects this.

AG asked if DC agreed with the Panel’s view that they do not want to see permanent structures introduced into the Terrace. DC advised  that she has never advocated permanent structures other than what is already there; the Terrace is part of the essence of the city, the business case for collecting revenue for new permanent structures doesn’t currently stack up and there may not be a local appetite for this. She would like to see the arches used more innovatively in the future and the space more animated: pop-up events or structures; grandstanding for large events; extra leisure space to play a meaningful part in the city.

RRG asked if value of restored Terrace has been quantified, both tangible, e.g. visitor numbers, plus intangibles, e.g. health benefit on local health services. DC replied that we are not yet at that stage. It is important now to show its value through the repair and restoration of the first 41 arches.

In reply to a further question from RRG she agreed that appropriate well-sited infrastructure is essential to the success of the Terrace so that it can be used for events.

DL asked if the Terrace’s value as part of the community wealth of the city will make it economically viable. He identified as a challenge and a risk, disabled access from Marine Parade down to Madeira Drive as current ramps don’t conform to regulation and new ones will be difficult to fit. DC advised that Seafront Team works across the seafront in its entirety.  Some elements generate income and some elements cost money to maintain, but if you consider the whole area, the community wealth generated is very significant  The Terraces may not directly have a value in terms of making lots of income, but when restored their contribution to the city, for example for tourism, is important. DC recommended considering whole life cost for maintaining the Terrace as part of the considerations regarding restoration. DC confirmed that she sits on the Madeira Terrace Project Board, regularly communicates with AH and would be happy to attend the meeting regularly to update if requested.

BS was keen to exploit the potential of the space for large events which could bring in higher rental revenue than is currently being generated; he recommended raising funds via dedicated fundraiser or via the new CIO Trust and asked DC how we could market the space. DC expressed her preference to raise public sector funding as she saw the Terrace as an important tourism and heritage project. She thought perhaps government funding might be made available through various sources in the next few years and recommended having business case ready. BL recommended applying for National Lottery Heritage Fund.
 

A start on site for main project, including sea wall, is now targeted for April.  There are 4 separate works packages, but they may get one contractor bidding for more than one. Once appointed they will be announced.

Once appointed the project team will work on final programmes and methods of working and this information – including ongoing public access throughout – will be on the new website which is due to go live in about two weeks.

Early Works are starting in advance of the main contract, to beat the nesting season, at Dukes Mound. The Project Team is working with stakeholders and Parks’ teams, to remove the overgrown Tamarisk bushes along the full length of the area. Some of this will be machine-led and some by hand.  The improvement to the biodiversity in the area will come from this removal and replacement with native species.

Early works will also start to improve the junction at the top of Dukes Mound on the A259 and the bottom of Dukes Mound mid-February.

The main contract is for 12 months: April 2021 to end of March 2022.

Once completed, the site will be available for a range of events until final redevelopment starts in an estimate 4 years, post-completion.

The Project Team is due to start consultation this summer on a development brief for the Black Rock site.  This will also be informed by the Eastern Seafront Masterplan.

JF was surprised to see tamarisk marked for removal as this wasn’t part of the consultation. JF has concerns about what it will be replaced with. He cautioned that the replanted area will need to be managed and maintained and it remains to be seen how much this will cost.

• Action: JF will contact KP to discuss.

RRG asked when the punch-through into the Marina is scheduled to be installed.

• Action: SJ to ask KP and report back.
   

AH briefed the meeting on the Design Team’s progress in RIBA 2 Concept design.

DL pointed out that the impact of setting aside 12 arches to accommodate a ramp would not be felt within 150 arches. He emphasised the importance of a ramp as a mode of disabled access from Marine Parade to Madeira Drive, the Terrace and the beach.

DL made the point that temporary tiered seating at the back of the grandstand would allow more people to view events; this seating would not obstruct access. He agreed that sight lines would need to be considered by the designers.

• Action: AH will remind Purcell to address DL’s drawings.

JF welcomed the introduction of modular planted units with interchangeable elements. RRG wondered where the parts would be stored when not in use.

RRG drew the Panel’s attention to the use of solar panel walkways in China. Action: AH to push back on Purcell to confirm they have fully considered the option of using solar panels.

AG asked if Purcell had considered the option of a spiral ramp.

• Action: AH to put this to Purcell.

JF wondered if the design would survive cost consultants’ analysis at this early, exploratory stage. AH felt that as they had been contracted to do this, they would achieve it.

Eastern seafront masterplan has been tendered.

CMP won’t be adopted as it doesn’t have legal status. In order to ensure it remains visible AH will organise workshops to discuss the document and get feedback. Data Projection Impact Assessment is being prepared and TECC committee date selected.

A site visit to the Laundry Arch has been scheduled.

Fourth Street are working on draft Business Plan and liaising with DC on this.

Draft Riba 2 report due first week in February. AH will circulate the report before the next Advisory Panel meeting on 25 February and invite Purcell to present to the Panel at the meeting. Nick Hibberd and Project Board will decide if the project can move to the next stage.

BP asked Panel for their decision on whether he could go ahead and submit the application for CIO. BP advised Panel he would give them a week to submit any comments to him, after which he would go ahead and make the application.

BP advised the Panel that he had received self-nominations for Trustees from BS, JA and RBr.

JF advised there was a stretch of green wall to replant at Dukes Mound slope. Due to Covid-19 restrictions he is unable to use volunteers. He will try and get the plants in the ground before the spring. 

• Action: those Panel members who do not have a photo or biography on the Advisory Panel website page to please provide directly to SJ.

RRG advised he has recently come into contact with a lot of local community groups and he has their membership email addresses.

• Action: if anybody has any ideas how we can use these new contacts please let RRG know.