1. Purpose of the report and policy context

1.1 To receive any petitions submitted directly to Democratic Services or any e-Petition submitted via the council’s website.

2. Recommendations

2.1 That the committee responds to the petition either by noting it or where it is considered more appropriate, calls for an officer report on the matter.

3. Context and background information

3.1 To receive the following petition signed by 50 people at the time of publication:

(1) Stop Coffee Roastery Pollution In North Laine

We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to curb the smoke and noise pollution emanating from Trading Post ‘The Roastery’ in Sydney Street, Brighton. We ask that the council takes action to protect local residents’ well-being, mental health and right to respect for home (Human Rights Act 1988 Article 8). This would be achieved by requiring the company to move its roasting operations out of this built up and densely populated, inner city, residential area. An industrial site out of town, as used by other coffee shops locally, is better suited to its industrial-scale roasting process (of which it boasts here https://www.tradingpostcoffee.co.uk/pages/trading-post-coffee-roasters-brighton-sydney-street).

Air pollution in the North Laine is already high. For over two years homes, gardens and areas around Tidy Street and Sydney Street have been filled with acrid and nauseating coffee roasting fumes every weekday morning from approximately 0800 until after 1300. Residents in the vicinity of the fumes cannot open windows or enjoy our outdoor space as a result. Many of us work from home and our children study from home so cannot avoid the smell. For those living immediately behind, the roaring noise of the roastery

is also distressing and intrusive. Many members of our community have called on the Environmental Health and Planning Departments to take action but have been told they will not or cannot do so. The company is currently in breach of aspects of its planning permission but has received no sanction for this. We have also appealed directly and repeatedly to Trading Post Roastery, which has rarely even shown us the courtesy of responding to our emails.

To receive the following petition signed by 94 people at the time of publication:

(2) Controlled parking for Woodland Way and the top of Peacock Lane

We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to extend the Surrenden light touch scheme to include Woodland Way and the top of Peacock Lane or implement a new controlled parking scheme in this area. Introducing a light touch scheme will return the quality-of-family-life to local residents and restore parking spaces for Brighton and Hove residents visiting Withdean Park. The park is used daily by city residents to walk and train their dogs or visit the largest national collection of lilacs. Its use bring additional traffic to this residential area as it is the only recognised parking location for park users.

The Brighton & Hove City Council official website directs visitors to Woodland Way as the “free parking location” for visitors to Withdean Park, where now there is often no parking spaces for park users or residents alike.

Woodland Way and the top of Peacock Lane is now beset with non-resident vehicles left for extended periods of time and compounded by the vehicles of Vardean college visitors. The parking adjacent to the college has been included in the Surrenden area resident parking scheme, even though there are no residential properties in the locality.

The significant increase in long-term non-resident parking, college visitors and the continued flow of visitors to the park is causing significant congestion and impacting access for emergency vehicles.

To rectify this issue for local residents and park users, it is proposed that the Surrenden light touch scheme is either extended to include Woodland Way and the top of Peacock Lane or a new scheme implemented. This will restore parking for residents and access for visitors to the park.

Note: The proposed area for the additional parking controls consists of all of Woodland Way and the section of Peacock Lane which forms the remainder of the horseshoe shaped road at the top of Withdean Park.