Purpose

Cabinet is requested to approve the inclusion of a £4 million Brighton & Hove City Council contribution towards a proposed £41 million bid to the Department for Transport's Structures Fund for Phases 6 and 7 of the A259 Seafront Arches Renewal Programme. The bid seeks to secure significant Government investment to repair and renew 38 seafront arches supporting Kings Road, a critical transport corridor and strategic asset for the city. Consultant advice indicates that a local contribution of around 10% would significantly strengthen the competitiveness of the bid compared with lower contributions. Approval would enable the council to maximise the opportunity to secure up to £37 million of external funding for essential infrastructure works which would otherwise be extremely challenging to fund locally, while helping to protect the long-term resilience of the A259 and supporting the city's economy, transport network and regeneration ambitions.

Decision

1. Cabinet notes that, due to the Department for Transport (DfT) Structures Fund submission deadline of 3 August 2026, a bid was submitted for Phases 6 and 7 of the A259 Seafront Arches Renewal Programme (see Appendix 1) on the basis that any proposed council contribution and participation in the scheme would be subject to subsequent Cabinet approval and the council's formal governance processes.
2. Cabinet agrees the inclusion of a £4 million Brighton & Hove City Council contribution within the Structures Fund bid, recognising that this contribution forms part of a funding request for a scheme with an estimated total value of approximately £41 million.
3. Cabinet notes that inclusion of a £4 million contribution within the bid does not constitute a legally binding commitment to proceed with the scheme or incur expenditure at this stage.
4. Cabinet delegates authority to the Corporate Director City Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport & City Infrastructure and the Chief Finance Officer, to undertake all necessary actions in relation to the submitted Structures Fund bid.