Alistair Hardaker | Images: (Brighton & Hove Museums)
Additional funding to cover rising costs of construction and materials for restoration project which began in 2024.
An additional £1.4m in funding has been secured for the restoration of Brighton’s Royal Pavilion Garden Restoration Project, closing a funding gap caused by increased costs.
Brighton & Hove Museums and Brighton & Hove City Council secured the additional funding for the ‘Garden Fit for a King’ project, which consists of £976,231 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and £500,000 from Historic England.
Costs in construction, materials and labour have increased since the original National Lottery Heritage Fund award was made in January 2024, Brighton & Hove Museums said.
The overall value of the project, designed to provide long-term protection of the Grade II listed garden, is now more than £8m. Final plans and budget are set to be discussed by Brighton & Hove City Council’s Cabinet next week. Subject to approval, the main capital works are expected to begin next month.
Capital works include restoring the garden’s Regency layout and planting, improving paths and entrances, introducing new interpretation, enhancing biodiversity and upgrading lighting and security. The project will also improve accessibility and create a safer, more welcoming environment for everyone using the garden.
Brighton & Hove Museums’ chief executive Hedley Swain said the funding boost “gives us the confidence to move forward with the full ambition of the scheme and ensure that this nationally significant garden is properly protected for future generations.”
Swain acknowledged the increased cost of the project, and said the investment “recognises those pressures and means we can continue with the project as planned”.
Brighton & Hove Museums said the remaining funding will be raised over the next year.The Royal Pavilion Garden was added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in 2017.
