Boxpark founder Roger Wade submits plans for Brighton seafront

Roger Wade, the entrepreneur behind the Boxpark pop-up shopping and leisure destinations, has submitted plans to Brighton and Hove City Council to bring his concept to the city and revive the Madeira Terrace on its seafront.

The Victorian Terrace is decaying and recently lost out on Lottery funding; Wade hopes to transform it into a “world class retail and leisure development, incorporating a new premium hotel operator".

Wade launched his first pop-up shopping destination in Shoreditch in East London in 2011 and has since added another site in Croydon with a third set to open in Wembley later this year. The centres specialise in giving opportunities to creative and independent brands and food outlets and allow them to trade alongside globally renowned names.

Now Wade, a Brighton resident, believes he can bring the concept to his home city while restoring the Madeira Terrace “to its previous grandeur".

Wade, who submitted his plans with project creator Paul Nicholson from Brighton-founded Chalk Architecture, said he had requested a 12-month exclusivity period to explore design, funding and management opportunities for the regeneration project

Speaking to local newspaper, The Argus, Wade said: “As a Brighton and Hove resident, I’m passionate about the regeneration of our outstanding sea-front. Madeira Terrace is the embodiment of the Victorian grandeur that saw Brighton become the UK’s favourite seaside destination.

"Our proposal aims to redevelop this much loved area to create a year round retail and leisure destination to be enjoyed by local residents and visitors to the coast alike. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to work with Brighton and Hove City Council, local stakeholders and businesses and our development partners over the next 12 months to explore how we bring the Boxpark concept to Brighton, whilst retaining the architecture and heritage that our seafront is synonymous with.”