Madeira Terrace's new lift takes shape, with the first 28 arches due this winter

The new lift at Madeira Terrace is taking shape, as the first phase of restoring the seafront arches moves on. Once open, the lift will give 24-hour access between Madeira Drive and Marina Parade.

It replaces the old Shelter Hall lift, which needed someone there to operate it. That lift was closed after a survey found its shaft needs major structural work. The council puts repairs at £500,000 or more and says they could be part of a later phase.

What’s being built

Phase One covers 28 of the Terrace’s 151 arches, between the Royal Crescent steps and Concorde 2. Work started in November 2024, with JT Mackley & Co as contractor. Alongside the arches and the lift, the plans include a new waterproofed upper deck, a new staircase near Concorde 2, the original seating restored to the deck, and a more pedestrian-friendly layout at street level with beach access for all.

In February the council said work on the lift was at an advanced stage, and that the next step was a brick skin of more than 20,000 bricks around the structure. Sections of the original cast iron went to a specialist foundry for testing. The first round of tests was inconclusive. A second round showed that much of the original structural cast iron could be repaired and reused, and the first large pieces have come back.

The finish date has slipped. In its winter 2025 progress update, the council said it expected Phase One to open in summer 2026. In its February 2026 update, it said the work was “now expected to be finished this coming winter”. The first phase was cut from 40 arches to 28 in December 2023 because building costs rose. Historic England gave a £750,000 grant towards Phase One in October 2024.

“Restoring the existing structure does take more time than simply replacing it – particularly with the testing required – but it is the correct approach,” said Councillor Julie Cattell, lead member for major projects, in a council statement.

The look of it

Not everyone likes the lift’s design. As the Argus⁶ reported this week, residents replying online to images shared by Councillor David McGregor were split. Some said it was out of keeping with the arches; others liked it, one saying it would make the seafront easier to reach for disabled and elderly people.

The Terrace, an 865-metre run of arches and promenade, was closed to the public between 2015 and 2016 because it was unsafe.