Date of meeting: 21 June 2022

The question will be answered without discussion. The person who asked the question may ask one relevant supplementary question, which shall be put and answered without discussion. The person to whom a question, or supplementary question, has been put may decline to answer it.

The following written questions have been received from Members

This Committee:

(1) Councillor Childs- Queens Park Safety

Given the risk to women and other users of Queens Park in the evening, will the Chair agree to install additional lighting to the central path with timers to provide illumination between 4.30-10.30pm?

(2) Councillor Childs- Street Lighting

Can the Council please install an additional street light at the southern end of Tower Rd given the area is currently poorly lit leading to hazards for residents and residents feeling unsafe walking in this area at night.

(3) Councillor Childs- Steine Street

Given the parlous state of Steine St and the dire need to regenerate this historic street, will the Chair agree to include this road in the VG regeneration project?

(4) Councillor Childs- ULEZ

Given the dangerous levels of pollution across our city which exceeds WHO levels will the Committee agree to consider the introduction of a Ultra Low Emission Zone similar to that in London and a phased ban on solid fuel stoves in densely populated areas.

(5) Councillor Childs- Queens Park bins

Please can we have several additional dog mess bins in the dog walking area of Queens Park and some additional signs designating the boundaries of the area?

(6) Councillor Childs- Cycling Signage on Marine Parade

Please can a number of physical signs be emplaced along Marine Parade

prohibiting cycling on the pavement as well as other physical deterrent to prevent pavement cycling on this stretch of pavement

(7) Councillor Childs- Visitor permits

Given the particular unjust situation of expiration dates on visitor permits will the administration agree to review current policy with a view to extending usage duration for visitor permits to 6 years’

(8) Councillor Fishleigh- Saltdean Skate Park

Is there any money in any pots for the refurbishment of the skate park at Saltdean Oval Park?

(9) Councillor Fishleigh- Bins around Lewes Crescent

When the new junction was put in on the A259 and Dukes Mounds, a communal recycling and general waste point was taken away. Despite repeated requests and a drive-around the entire area with a member of CityClean to assess whether there are enough communal bins in place, no new bins have arrived yet.

Please can I have an update which I will share with residents, some of whom have mobility issues, who currently have to walk 200m to their nearest communal bin. This is also affecting residents in the East Brighton ward.

(10) Councillor Fishleigh- West-Bound Bus Lane Between Saltdean and Rottingdean

As the recommendations of the A259 South Coast Corridor Improvement Study have been delayed, would BHCC officers now proceed with the report - already commissioned by the ETS committee - about the options for sharing the bus lane on the west-bound A259 between Saltdean and Rottingdean? A trial will ascertain whether the sharing of the bus lane improves bus journey times caused by this bottleneck - and reduces the general congestion and carbon emissions.

(11) Councillor Fishleigh- The roundabout by the aquarium

The Department for Transport confirmed in writing to Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP that it does not produce a list of the most dangerous roundabouts in the country.

When I asked Mark Prior, Cllrs MacCafferty and Davis for the data to support this repeated claim made by themselves and other councillors in this committee and others, I was directed to an article in the local media which referenced a report by the Department of Transport.

Will you now confirm that the council has no evidence to support the claim that the roundabout by the aquarium is one of the most dangerous in the country, will you agree that you will not repeat this claim again and how does this new information affect the business plan for Valley Garden stage 3?

Please don’t reference dangerous roundabouts in the city in this response.

(12) Councillor Fishleigh- Pavement in Ovingdean

People living in Ovingdean and myself have repeatedly been to various committees to ask the council to adopt a stretch of paving on Greenways which is one of the three access roads through the village.

The most recent advice from officers is that the “adoption of existing pavements and highways requires a formal legal process and assurance that the infrastructure has been installed to adoptable Highway Standards”.

How much would these tasks - and any work needed to bring the pavement up to standard - cost and can these costs be put in next year’s budget for pavement maintenance please?

(13) Councillor Appich- Toilet facilities

Would the Chair please confirm which works and services are being undertaken to improve toilet facilities on the Hove seafront?

(14) Councillor Wilkinson- Road Safety Strategy

It is over a year since the council passed a motion calling for an updated city road safety strategy to be brought to the ETS Committee. One that includes road danger reduction measures.

Will the co-chairs of the ETS committee please update members on the progress of this report and when the ETS committee can expect to see it?

(15) Councillor Wilkinson- Playground Refurbishment Programme

The Playground Refurbishment Programme Officer report was deferred from the March 2022 ETS committee. Will the co-chairs of the committee confirm when it will be coming before this committee?

(16) Councillor Wilkinson- Park and Ride Feasibility study

The Council identified funds in last year’s council budget underspend to direct towards Park & Ride schemes, which residents asked for in the city’s first ever Climate Assembly. Money was set aside to re-evaluate and reassess permeant P&R sites. Why has this feasibility work not begun yet and when will it?

(17) Councillor Wilkinson- Park and Ride Trial

Following the Mill Lane Park and Ride Trial being abandoned for this year can the co-chairs of the ETS committee explain why the trial cannot run at any other time of the year and what plans are being made to progress a new trial?

(18) Councillor Wilkinson- Tyre Extinguisher Vandalism

Following press reports of so called ‘tyre extinguisher’ activists letting down tyres across the city, will the co-chairs of the ETS committee join me in condemning these dangerous acts of vandalism and explore ways for the council to highlight the dangers of such actions?

(19) Councillor Fowler- Netting

Does the Council own any buildings that using netting to protect against animals/birds and if so, what measures are taken to prevent the entrapment of animals in such netting?

(20) Councillor Fowler- Weed removal

What measures are the Council taking to tackle the growth of weeds across the city over the coming months and how will this differ from the previous summer?

(21) Councillor Fowler- LTN Strategy

Can the chairs give an update on the progress to develop a Low Traffic Neighbourhood Strategy Plan for the city?

(22) Councillor Fowler- Madeira Drive cycle path

The Council recently indicated that it had received funding to develop a cycle path on Madeira Drive, Brighton. What form of consultation will the Council undertake with residents prior to the commencement of any scheme?

(23) Councillor Fowler- 1 Hour Parking

Please can I have an update on the impact statement for the removal of free 1 hr parking across the city?

(24) Councillor Nemeth- Failed Park and Ride Scheme Costs

Please provide a breakdown of estimated funds that have been expended to date by the Administration in the pursuit of the Westdene park and ride scheme.

(25) Councillor Nemeth- Weeds on the Pavement

In an answer to a written question in October 2021, the Chair stated that weed spraying across the city’s 975.67km of footway had been replaced by 6 additional seasonal staff. At that time, at the beginning of Autumn, only 20-30% of the city had been cleared of weeds.

Given the recent weather conditions, which have been near-perfect for weed growth, will the Chair state:

a) What discussions have taken place between the Green and Labour Groups to find a way forward;

b) How many members of staff (broken down by permanent/temporary/seasonal) are going to be employed this year to replace weed spraying this summer;

c) If private contractors are being employed; and

d) If so, which companies are being contracted, and how much has been budgeted for this?

(26) Councillor Nemeth- Parking Permits

Given that residents are still struggling to renew their parking permits after well over a year of problems, will the Chair state what lessons can be learnt from the whole episode and whether or not any contracted parties can be held legally responsible for any of the many issues that residents have endured?

(27) Councillor Nemeth- Groyne Repairs

Medina Groyne and other seafront structures including other groynes and several groyne marker posts are in a precarious state presently. What assurances can the Chair make that the Council is aware of these issues and what urgent actions are being taken?

(28) Councillor Nemeth- Tyre Extinguishers

Why has the Council been so silent in condemning the actions of ‘Tyre Extinguishers’ whose actions are both dangerous and illegal?

(29) Councillor Bagaeen- Draft Air Quality Action Plan

The 8-week consultation on the draft Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) began on Monday 16 May and runs until Monday 11 July.

a) What has been the level of engagement from residents so far?

b) What level of response has been received from BAME residents and those suffering from respiratory conditions?

c) What efforts have been made to reach BAME residents in Brighton & Hove?

(30) Councillor Bagaeen- Fuel Saving Measures

Residents have made contact with concerns that a City Parks vehicle was recently left idle with the engine running for an hour at Hove Park.

With diesel now costing £9 a gallon, what measures are in place to save fuel across the Council’s fleet?

(31) Councillor Bagaeen- Motorcycles in the city

Beyond working with one food delivery provider, how is the council working with Sussex Police to make the roads in the city safer for residents given the large number of motorcycle delivery drivers across the city?

(32) Councillor Bagaeen- Electric Cargo bike take-up

How many businesses in the city have taken up the council’s subsidy to switch to electric cargo bikes under the eCargo Bike Accelerator project?

(33) Councillor Bagaeen- Verge and Weed Management

Why is the council relying on out-of-date data from 2017 for verge management when it comes to prioritizing verges for weed cutting when such data was collected well before the Council brought in a weed-killer ban in 2019?

(34) Councillor Bagaeen- Hanover and Tarner Liveable Neighbourhood

Can the Chair assure Members and residents that funds are being spent wisely in relation to employing consultants in a fair and transparent manner?