A project to restore Brighton & Hove’s historic seafront lighting is set to begin in the coming weeks.
The first stage of the project will involve making safe the heritage listed lanterns and brackets, which have deteriorated following decades of exposure to the harsh seafront conditions, as well as suffering corrosion and general wear and tear.
These will be taken down and replaced with temporary lighting (see picture below) which will be in place for at least 18 months.
The lanterns and brackets will be safely stored while restoration and design work is carried out in partnership with Historic England and leading industry streetlighting experts. The lamppost columns, which hold up the brackets and lanterns, will remain in place.
Once the first phase of making safe and the design work is completed the second phase of reinstating the iconic design will begin in early 2022.
The project, which will take at least 2 to 3 years to complete, will mean a significant investment in the region of £2 million which will come from the City Transport Capital Programme.
Find information and updates about restoring heritage lighting on the seafront.
Inspections of 80 of our seafront lighting columns on Marine Parade and Madeira Drive carried out last year found that more than half posed a significant health and safety risk.
Having taken expert advice and consulted with Historic England, 20 columns had their brackets and lanterns removed and replaced with temporary replacement lighting in October 2020.
We are now having to do the same with 40 more. Temporary lighting is needed to ensure pavements and roads are well lit for the safety of the public.
All materials, including the 40 brackets and 80 lanterns will be safely and securely stored in steel shipping containers in secure locations until decisions are made on what can be reused and what may need replacing.
While we will be looking to reuse as many of the materials as possible, many of the lanterns have suffered irreparable damage through decades of exposure to harsh, salty weather conditions which may mean we are unable to reuse them.
In addition to this work, 50 streetlight lanterns are being replaced as part of our ongoing maintenance programme on the north side of Marine Parade.
The lanterns are not listed by Historic England and are being replaced with new like-for-like LED lighting.
Again, these materials will be safely stored while it’s determined if any of the materials could be reused or recycled.
