Campaigners against plans to demolish and rebuild a seafront leisure centre held a protest calling for the building “to be saved”.

On Saturday (March 28) a protest against plans to replace the King Alfred Leisure Centre, on Kingsway, Hove, was led by campaign group Keep and Retrofit the King Alfred Leisure Centre.

Hosted outside the site, protesters were encouraged to “dress nautical” and “bring inflatables and signs”, as they joined in chants such as “save our seafront” and “save the King Alfred”.

Many people gave speeches including Laura King, leader of the campaign, as well as residents who shared their personal feelings about the proposal.

Protesters gathering outside the King Alfred on Saturday morning (Image: NQ)

Earlier this month, Brighton and Hove City Council submitted plans to replace the King Alfred Leisure Centre with a modern complex featuring sea views from its pools, gym and café.

The proposal includes a new fitness suite, leisure water area, family entertainment zone and an underground car park.

However, some residents feel that the site should be restored, rather than demolished, and have raised concerns about the proposed plans, including the facilities offered, the overall look, and the loss of the current structure.

In January 2026, Historic England confirmed the King Alfred would not be added to the national list, clearing a key hurdle for demolition and redevelopment.

Hove resident, Christine Rembo, was among those protesting and told The Argus how she believed the centre should be refurbished rather than demolished.

Christine Rembo, 68, Hove resident (Image: NQ)

She said: “It’s [the King Alfred] part of Hove heritage and it should be maintained as such, not demolished.

“It could be brilliant. It could look beautiful. I think the council should start listening to the residents and not dealing with all their own vanity projects.”

Sue and Pete Shaw were also among residents against the proposal.

“This building is tired, it needs some TLC. But what they want to do, to knock it all down. There’s all the the different rooms, all the different spaces, not forgetting the sprung floor ballroom. There’s no other.”, Sue said.

The council says the project will be funded from government grants, borrowing and the sale of part of the site for housing.

Speaking to The Argus last year, Mark Healy, City Regeneration Programme Manager and the project’s lead, assured that developers would “have to come up with a design which is sensitive to the surroundings and preserves the character of the area”.

However, many campaigning at Saturday’s protest raised concerns about the potential housing and the impact this could have on the seafront.

Mr Shaw told The Argus how he fears housing at the site could “devastate the seafront”.

He said: “I’ve grown up in an area surrounded by tower blocks in a smelly old town, and I come here, and this is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to.

“We use the beach as our garden. We train on the seafront, we train in the sports centre, and if you put all these shiny new blocks here, they’re going to take all the light, all the view. It’s going to devastate the seafront.”

(Left to right) Pete Shaw, James Verguson, Janice Verguson, Sue Shaw (Image: NQ)

Resident James Verguson described the plans as “madness”, adding: “How can loosing 60 percent of facilities be progress? It’s madness.”

Brighton and Hove City Council said the development would bring “much needed new facilities for residents”, with designs shaped by community feedback.

It says the plans aim to create a sustainable and accessible destination for sports and wellbeing activities.

The full gallery of artists’ impressions of how the new leisure centre could look can be seen here: See pictures of how new King Alfred centre in Hove will look.

Plans for how the new King Alfred could look if plans are approved (Image: Brighton and Hove City Council)

Residents and businesses are being urged to comment on the planning application before councillors decide.

If the main project gets planning approval, construction is set to begin later this year, with the new centre expected to open in 2028.

The existing King Alfred facility will remain open for as long as possible until the replacement is ready.

The project’s delivery partner is Alliance Leisure, appointed by Brighton and Hove City Council in January 2025 to lead the design-and-build process.

The plans can be viewed on the council’s planning portal using the reference BH2026/00490.