A report on Black Rock's future goes to cabinet on 15 October

Brighton & Hove City Council’s^2,3,4,5,6 cabinet is due to consider a report on the future of Black Rock, the empty former swimming pool site just west of Brighton Marina, at its meeting on Thursday 15 October.

The report, listed in the council’s forward plan, asks the cabinet to agree a meanwhile use for the site and to take a longer-term vision to market. It is a key decision because the spending involved is over £1m.

Black Rock came up at full council on 1 October, when Labour deputy leader Jacob Taylor answered a question from community campaigner Derek Wright, as first reported by Brighton and Hove News. Mr Wright asked for a long-term vision for the site, which has been empty for 40 years, with a timetable for leisure and events, and for “meaningful public consultation”.

The preparatory work is done. A new sea wall has been built, the Reading Room and Temple have been weatherproofed, and an event space has been used as a World Cup fan zone and for summer events. Not everything in the scheme given planning permission in 2020 has been built, though: there is still no bicycle pump track.

The council’s seafront prospectus says £18m of enabling works have been delivered at Black Rock, and that development will come in two stages. First comes meanwhile use, with pop-up venues, outdoor spaces and community events. Later there could be a landmark destination, possibly with a gallery.

Cllr Taylor said that for now the council is concentrating on refurbishing railings and some of the shelters along the seafront. He said the stretch from the Palace Pier to the Marina could become one of the most spectacular seafronts in England. “Black Rock sits as a vital part of that,” he told the meeting, as reported by Brighton and Hove News¹. “Black Rock is potentially a spectacular venue, moving along to the Reading Room and Temple which are already working brilliantly.”

The cabinet meets at 10.30am at Hove Town Hall, and the meeting is due to be webcast. The agenda will be published in the week before.