The council has shared its latest update on plans to remove a city landmark.
In September last year, it was announced that the Hove’s floral clock would be removed due to it being “beyond repair”.
The decision received huge amounts of backlash, with many residents calling for the clock to be saved.
The clock was installed in Palmeira Square gardens as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronations celebrations in 1953.
Hove’s floral clock in the 1950s (Image: The Argus Archive)
However, the council said the clock required daily maintenance which made it a “costly” and “staff-intensive feature to run”. It has also been repeatedly vandalised over the years.
In January, Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed no decision on the clock’s future had yet been made.
It said it was continuing to work with members of the Palmeira Square Working Group to develop fully costed, feasible options for the clock’s future, which will be open to public consultation prior to a decision being made.
In its latest update on the issue, the council said it plans to hold this consultation next month.
Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet Member for Sports, Recreation and Libraries, said: “We’re planning to carry out the public consultation on the design options for the future of the Floral Clock feature next month.
“Depending on the outcome of that consultation, we’re aiming to have plans in place by the end of this year.”
Floral Clock Hove Google Streetview August 2024
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The announcement about the clock came amid work to re-landscape the gardens, which has temporarily closed the area for the past few months.
The council also held a public consultation into the garden’s future, including asking people what they wanted to be done with the clock.
Options included replacing it with a traditional sundial or for a contemporary version.
Although, at a council meeting, Conservative councillor Alistair McNair questioned why there was not an option to keep the clock.
A petition was also launched by campaigner Laura King to save the 72-year-old feature. It gained more than 3,000 signatures, surpassing the threshold of 2,250 for debate.
Protestors in Palmeira Square, Hove campaigning to ‘Save Hove Floral Clock’ (Image: Ramy Abou-Setta/TheArgus)
Ms King, from the Friends of Brighton and Hove Citizens’ Action Group, also criticised the public consultation describing it as a “pre-decided sham”.
Earlier this week, the council announced work to redesign and plant flowerbeds in the garden is almost complete.
Fencing around the area will remain to allow the newly laid turf, grass seeds and plants to establish.
The work, which began in October, is part of a joint initiative led by the council’s Cityparks team, working with members of the Friends of Palmeira & Adelaide (FOPA) Partnership.
Councillor Alan Robins joined gardeners and volunteers to help put the final plants in place (Image: Brighton and Hove City Council)
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The new planting scheme prioritises pollinator-friendly species, drought-tolerant plants and ground-cover varieties to support biodiversity and adapt to a changing climate.
The design also celebrates the original pre-1953 layout of the garden, restoring elements that reflect its historic character while introducing modern, sustainable planting.
Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet Member for Sport, Recreation and Libraries, said: “It’s been wonderful to see the new planting scheme evolve over the past few weeks, creating a lovely and tranquil space for residents and visitors to enjoy.
“I’d like to thank members of the Friends of Palmeira Square for their continued support, from contributing to the design to getting stuck in with the planting and creating a garden to be proud of.