Tag: Theargus

Brighton and Hove City Council said the repairs “are not sustainable” as there is no maintenance fund given to keep the equipment serviced.

An inspection took place on Wednesday and the equipment is expected to be ripped out this week. The council added that it was looking at options for new outdoor gym equipment to be part of Kingsway’s seaward regeneration scheme.

A cracked wooden post that held an iron bar

Robert Nemeth, chairman of the Friends of Hove Lagoon group, said it was “sad that complete abandonment” of the existing outdoor gym was being proposed by the council.

The Wish Ward Conservative Councilor noted that the space could be without gym equipment until 2024, when the Kingsway Seaside Regeneration Project is expected to be complete.

Last month the council locked down another popular outdoor space, four tennis courts used by the King Alfred Tennis Club, saying it would pledge money for the courts to be restored within six months using funding from government leveling.

A council spokesperson said: ‘A recent independent inspection of outdoor gym equipment at Hove Lagoon unfortunately found it to be unsafe.

Hove seafront has received £9.5m as part of the government’s leveling fund

“The level of deterioration is high. There are unsecured bars in the ground and in the air, which means the equipment is dangerous and poses a significant risk to users.

“As the repairs are not viable, the entire structure must now be removed as quickly as possible and this must take place this week.

“Funding for the gymnasium came from promoters who wanted to give something back to the local community.

“There were no maintenance funds given for the maintenance of the equipment – ​​and with the weather and the materials used, it was not designed to last forever.

Robert Nemeth and Garry Peltzer Dunn said they would have liked ‘local wood and locally made iron fittings’ to facilitate sourcing of new parts

“Currently there is no funding to replace the gymnasium. But we know the equipment has been popular equipment for some people.

“We are therefore now exploring options for some outdoor gym equipment to be part of the Kingsway to the Sea regeneration programme.”

Cllr Nemeth said: ‘Cllr Garry Peltzer Dunn and I fully supported the idea of ​​a gym using local wood and locally made iron fittings so we are upset that it had to be removed at what seems a very early stage.

“It made sense for us to avoid costly corporate accommodations on the basis that repairs would be cheap and easy whenever they became necessary. Now that the time has come, it’s sad that a complete dropout is being offered rather than a series of tweaks and adjustments.

“It is true that work is necessary, but the aim of this method of construction was to facilitate this work without fuss. We believe there is still some way to go to consider what can be temporarily fixed before the Kingsway to the Sea project can provide a replacement in two years.

“We have contacted the Council and hope to have a response shortly.”