A heritage-first commitment to reusing as much of the existing materials still found within Madeira Terrace is helping Brighton & Hove City Council make huge environmental savings.
The restoration work, which began in November 2024, is one of the most ambitious and technical engineering projects ever undertaken by the council.
Phase one, which focuses on the arches between the Royal Crescent steps and Concorde 2, has already seen improvements to the A259 retaining wall begin and a specialist piling machine drilling holes of up to 10 metres, to be filled with concrete to provide a stable footing for the construction of a fully accessible public lift.
One of the most eye-catching aspects of the work so far has been the removal of large sections of the cast iron structure. And it is this area where a determination to reuse as much of the original material as possible is generating environmental benefits, alongside protecting the heritage of the Grade II* listed structure.
Any engineering project involving such large quantities of construction materials generates carbon emissions, but the council has been working to minimise the environmental impact, prioritising repair and reuse of the cast iron over recasting.
As part of that commitment, the council is using a process called cast iron fusion, which, as well as meeting the expectations of funders, will lead to significantly less carbon emissions being created. The company the council is working with is an expert in heritage projects and one of the few in the country to use the fusion process.
The environmental savings of repair compared to casting new replacements are significant. The casting of iron generates about 8 tonnes of CO₂ emissions for every tonne of cast iron created, whereas repair is expected to generate less than an eighth of this. When considered over the whole structure this is a significant reduction.
Across the whole structure, this is equivalent to the carbon cost of powering over 2,000 homes for a year, based on the average UK household emissions.
Key to the viability of this approach will be the testing of the cast iron columns removed from the site to see what can and can’t be re-used.
A team from the council was joined by Councillor Julie Cattell, lead member for major projects, on a recent visit to the specialist foundry, which is currently carrying out stress tests on the main structural elements that have been repaired. These tests are essential to fully demonstrate that the cast iron can be successfully reused.
The first of these tests have shown that the original, century-old cast iron can be reused, once repaired using the innovative fusion process. Some components and fittings are already repaired and are now being given a hard-wearing protective coating, pigmented in the city’s iconic teal and cream colour scheme, ready to once again take pride of place on the seafront.
Councillor Cattell said: “This is an incredibly ambitious project and certainly not without its challenges.
“The structure was designed more than 100 years ago, and we need to make sure the materials used in its construction are still capable of meeting modern safety standards and, if they aren’t, what repair is needed for them to do so.
“From a heritage perspective, we’re very keen to restore rather than replace – and it is certainly an expectation many of our funders share for the project.
“This approach can potentially take longer, but not only was much of the funding we received in heritage grants depending on us exploring re-use where possible, it also has huge environmental benefits.
“So, while there are challenges around such an ambitious and technical restoration project, those challenges are also creating real opportunities for us.
“It has been fantastic seeing the testing process in person and finding out more about the innovative approach being taken by the team.
“The fact we can potentially enjoy a more than 80% carbon saving compared to the footprint resulting from new casting is definitely worth taking the time to explore.
“It has also been brilliant to see some parts of the wider structure gradually restored and repainted before being returned to the city as the project progresses.”
The efforts to reuse rather than replace are not the only environmental steps taken so far.
Contractors have removed 1,000 tonnes of concrete rubble, which will be recycled rather than sent to landfill, while 460 tonnes of soil have been set aside for reuse, to reinstate the green wall and for use on nearby sites.
Residents can find out more about the project, its progress and the focus on sustainability and protecting the city’s heritage at the next public information event.
This will take place at Sea Lanes on 1 October, starting at 5pm.
Entry is free, but should be booked online.
