Hove’s cucumber benches set for restoration as part of new initiative

The double-sided green benches, also known as cucumber benches, will be returned to their former glory in the first phase of a new social value scheme.

The council has teamed up with its highways contractor, R J Dance, which has offered to provide a team to carry out repairs on the wooden structures, while local building merchants and paint suppliers are providing the materials.

Residents engaged with the Community Payback Scheme will also lend a hand – helping with the sanding and redecorating of the benches.

The Community Payback Service is a court-ordered punishment, whereby offenders work in the community under the supervision of probation officers. This often includes clearing litter or removing graffiti; in this instance, offenders will work with the council on restoring the benches.

As a result of the generous support from R J Dance and local businesses, and in collaboration with the Community Payback Service, the 11 benches included in the initial phase of the project will be restored at no cost to the council.

Councillor Birgit Miller, Cabinet member for Culture, Heritage and Tourism, said: “Maintaining our seafront comes with many challenges, not least the scale of the task at hand. Our teams are responsible for 13km of seafront, including 6km of railings, 18 shelters and 19 cucumber benches.

“A comprehensive seafront maintenance plan will be published shortly, but I’m delighted to see this element of our strategy getting underway soon.

“We really value the commitment to improving our city that contractors like R J Dance and many other local businesses continue to show.

“Involving people from the Community Payback Service also provides a visible and tangible way for offenders to contribute to their community.

“We’re hoping to work with more businesses and recruit further volunteers as the scheme progresses.

“This is a creative solution to the challenges around seafront maintenance and I’m really looking forward to seeing the benches back to their best.”

The benches included in the first phase have now been surveyed and the necessary work identified. Work is scheduled to begin later this month.