Date of meeting: 15 November 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 Wilkinson- Park & Ride

At the June ETS committee I asked the Chair why the Park & Ride feasibility study work that was agreed in 2021 had not begun yet and when will it.

In replying, the co-chair of the ETS Committee said, ‘the funding available for this work remains allocated to it, but not yet begun owing to officer commitments on other projects and the need to locate and retrieve information on the previous work on possible Park & Ride Sites’ and that ‘the study should be completed before the end of 2022’.

The administration has often said it does not support a Park and Ride scheme but In light of the fact that a feasibility study was asked for last year and funds secured for it, can the Co-Chairs of the ETS committee please provide an update on its progress, and confirm that this study will be completed by the end of 2022?

(2) Councillor Platts- Outstanding reports

A number of residents’ groups have taken the time and trouble to come to ETS committee to express their concerns about road safety, including requests for speed reduction and crossings. The Class Divide campaign have made several representations on behalf of a disadvantaged community to get better transport to schools as there is no local secondary school in Whitehawk. The Labour Group have supported all of these requests by asking for reports, so that progress can be made. Coming to Committee is an essential part of the democratic process to ensure local people’s voices are heard. Our communities need to be listened to but the vague response we have received to date demonstrate a lack of commitment and suggests that the Administration do not respect the requests that are being made by local people. Some people just feel ignored. To show that the Administration is taking local people’s requests seriously, please can the Co-

Chairs of ETS publish a date by when a schedule of all outstanding reports will be provided to ETS Committee?

(3) Councillor Appich- Bikeshare scheme

Many of us use and love the Brighton BikeShare scheme so we were shocked and disappointed to hear the scheme will be paused for several months. It is also concerning that this issue wasn’t brought before this Committee before being publicised in local press. In fact, Councillors got only 8 minutes notice of the matter before a press release was issued. Can the administration explain who made the decision to pause including which councillors were consulted, what alternatives were considered and what impacts assessments were taken into account?

(4) Councillor Appich- Hove Station footbridge

The reply to the deputation brought before the ETS committee on 20 September 2022 , sent in October to the lead petitioner, was as follows:

“I think this is a great idea, but sadly at this moment in time there is no mandate from any council committee to seek a new footbridge across the railway, nor is there funding identified. It is, however, recognised that a feasibility study for such a bridge that demonstrated major benefits could potentially assist in future funding bids.

The spending of Section 106 funds should directly relate to providing for the impacts of the associated planning permission. To spend Section 106 money on design feasibility work would be risky in terms of its speculative nature and there being no guarantee of securing the bridge.

If design feasibility work for the wider area clearly demonstrates the benefits of a new bridge and the council was minded to pursue this, it would be hoped that Moda Homes would jointly fund any work to assist its delivery, given the benefits it would have to the Sackville development.”.

This response seems to say that we won’t know if there are benefits of a new bridge without a feasibility study, and at the same time refuses to put in place the means to fund such a feasibility study out of S106 funds, of which we have accumulated £21m in total – including £3.6m on sustainable transport - according to the latest funding statement published by the Council. Would the co-chairs explain their response in this context please?

Or have I misunderstood this response and there will be a report forthcoming recommending to fund a feasibility study?

(5) Councillor Platts- Graffiti

When will the graffiti cleaning scheme be extended to East Brighton?

(6) Councillor Platts- Graffiti support

What support can be provided to local businesses who are struggling to afford the cost of repeatedly cleaning graffiti off their properties?

(7) Councillor Platts- Glass recycling

When can glass recycling bins be provided in the same locations where there are communal waste and recycling bins? The lack of glass recycling bins results in people leaving glass bottles next to the other bins which get smashed and strewn across the pavements. This is dangerous, especially for small children who might fall and risks dogs getting glass embedded in their paws.

(8) Councillor Platts- Fly tipping

When will the Council take action to stop the daily fly tipping on St. James Avenue BN2?

(9) Councillor Platts- Communal bins

When will the Council provide large and clear signage on communal bins that explains to residents how they can dispose of bulky waste so as to reduce incidences of fly tipping?

(10) Councillor Platts- Cycle lane parking

What action is the Council taking to stop regular parking in cycle lanes, especially by delivery drivers outside takeaways?

(11) Councillor Platts- Carton recycling

Can the Council tell us what progress has been made on providing more carton recycling bins since July 2021. At that time I was advised that the Council was looking at improving carton recycling provision and wanted to place carton recycling bins at new sites. How many additional sites now have carton recycling compared to July 2021?

(12) Councillor Platts- Potholes

When will the growing potholes on Sheepcote Valley Way be properly repaired?

(13) Councillor Platts- Double yellow lines

When will double-yellow lines be painted on Sheepcote Valley Way to allow a clear route for vehicles trying to get to and from the various sites located off that access road?

(14) Councillor Platts- Tree replacement

In January 2022, the residents of Upper Sudeley Street and Sudeley Terrace met with Council officers to request that their tree was replaced following its removal around October/November the previous year. Can the Council give a date by when a new tree can be planted??

(15) Councillor Wilkinson- Road Safety Strategy

At the ETS Committee in June of this year, I highlighted that council had asked for an update to our city’s road safety strategy back in January 2021 which would include road danger reduction measures and asked when this committee can expect to see the report. The chair agreed in reply that we have waited long enough and that measuring danger on our roads through metrics other than just the number of casualties is crucial to reducing danger. They further said that a report would be coming to Committee in the Autumn. Do the co-chairs agree with me that waiting almost two years for a report on a road danger safety issue is unacceptable and can you confirm that a report will be coming this Autumn?

(16) Councillor Wilkinson- Hove Station Corridor

The council conducted a consultation on designs for a Hove Station Corridor Pedestrian Improvement Scheme earlier this year. Can the co-chairs of the ETS committee give an update on the scheme and if the results of the consultation are available?

(17) Councillor Wilkinson- Climate change

How does the council identify those who are most at risk from the impacts of climate change, and what is being done to assist the vulnerable?

(18) Councillor Wilkinson- Climate change mitigation

How is the council supporting and working with all relevant private and civic partners in the city towards climate change mitigation and adaption?

(19) Councillor Wilkinson- Assemblies

Following on from the successful climate assembly on Transport, do the Co-Chairs of the ETS Committee agree that there should be further assemblies conducted in relation to other aspects of climate change impact on our city?

(20) Councillor Bagaeen- Blocked drain gullies

Residents of Goldstone Close are at their wits end after recurrent flooding on their street due to blocked drain gullies.

One resident says they have emailed the council ten times in three years but that the council is not doing anything about it and ‘never clear the drains’. There are many pensioners on the street who are upset about the situation.

I understand that under the Council’s drain gullies policy (risk-based approach) the Council only clears gullies that it has identified and categorised as ‘highest risk’ of flooding.

Can the Chair advise how many drain gullies have been assessed as highest risk under the Council’s policy and whether Goldstone Close is one of them?

(21) Councillor Nemeth- Bikeshare

Please summarise the key financial implications of the sudden withdrawal of the Council’s Bikeshare scheme with particular emphasis on how much money the Council is set to lose and how much extra investment is likely to be required over and above what was initially budgeted.