Planning permission granted for new seafront Shelter Hall
Planning consent has been granted for rebuilding the historic Shelter Hall on Brighton seafront
The council’s planning committee agreed the proposal, subject to conditions, at its meeting in Hove Town Hall today (14 September 2016).
The £11m project is essential because the Shelter Hall has become structurally unsound – a serious matter as it partially supports the A259 seafront road.
Rebuilding will double the commercial space of the building, helping earn revenue for the council which could contribute to future upkeep of the seafront. The West Street junction above will also be remodelled to improve safety and the environment.
The new structure will be visually similar to, but larger than, the original Shelter Hall, which dates from the 1880s. To create more space it will be moved several metres towards the sea, protected by a new sea wall, which is already complete.
Commercial space inside the buildings will increase from 718sq metres to 1530 sq metres, The main building would be two storeys including a partial mezzanine. Permission has been granted for restaurant use, plus a shop to house an existing tenant and new toilets to serve the seafront.
Above, at upper prom level is a new rotunda, providing a café / restaurant space of around 100 sq metres. The listed wooden kiosk which once stood on the spot is being rebuilt for installation on the seafront near East Street – subject to planning permission.
The project will involve closing the pedestrian tunnel under the seafront from September 19 until next spring, prior to Easter.
Most of the funding – around £9m - has come from the government, with the remainder coming from council transport budgets.
Planning committee chair Cllr Julie Cattell said: “This is a vital project to keep the seafront road operating. At the same time it will greatly improve the environment around the bottom of West Street and generate revenue which could help maintain the fabric of the seafront into the future.”
Conditions applied to the development are in the planning officer's report, elsewhere on this website
More information and a video about the project are on our Shelter Hall web pages
Drawing of the proposed new Shelter Hall