Work is now underway on the Kingsway to the Sea park project; an area stretching from the King Alfred Leisure Centre to the Hove Lagoon.
Once complete, the park will provide a space for activities and relaxation, including sports such as bowls, croquet, tennis, roller-skating and sand sports. There will also be a new café with terrace, public toilets and changing facilities. Improved accessible and biodiverse green spaces will be available within the park, with new gardens designed as ‘oasis areas.’
Work has started in the Bowls area, with hoarding in place to allow preparations for the construction of the Outdoor Sports Hub. Construction across the rest of the site will be carried out on a phased basis, with the aim to keep existing facilities open during the summer while works continue.
Increasing local habitat and wildlife
To improve access throughout the park some existing hedges will be removed to install slope, ramp and step arrangements which are essential to create accessible routes. It is also necessary to remove the hedge that runs along the esplanade to the east of the Bowls Pavilion to meet the construction requirements of the new Outdoor Sports Hub.
The hedge removal will be completed by the end of February, before the bird nesting season starts. Bird nesting boxes are being installed nearby while the hedgerows are removed. Many new trees will also be planted to offer more long-term foraging, cover and nesting habitat.
As the landscape develops, the new planting will more than make up for the immediate loss of hedgerow habitat and achieve a targeted 20% Biodiversity Net Gain across the whole site.
