Date of meeting: 20 June 2023

A period of not more than fifteen minutes shall be allowed at each ordinary meeting of the Council for the hearing of deputations from members of the public.

Notification of two Deputations has been received. The spokesperson is entitled to speak for 5 minutes.

1) Deputation: Fairlight improvements

Residents from the 4 streets that surround Fairlight School have become increasingly concerned about the state of their streets. These concerns have been shared and amplified by Fairlight’s head teacher and the school community made up by hundreds of children, parents and caregivers who use the streets multiple times a day.

Concerns are primarily around:

• Litter

• Pavement congestion caused by obstacles such as bins, bikes and litter from ‘blackbox’ recycling bins (with the high footfall of children and prams, people are often having to spill into the road)

• Dog poo

Residents are fed up and keen to make positive changes. We are currently collaborating with the school to make a ‘keep our streets clean’ campaign, with poster competitions and litter picks planned. But we need the council’s support to implement measures, which we see as simple solutions that will make a massive difference.

We have gone door to door with a survey to poll opinion on the following and now request that steps are taken so these changes happen. 25 individuals responded to this initial survey and we are happy to conduct further surveys if necessary.

84% of respondents want the ‘blackbox’ recycling bins replaced by communal recycling bins. The lidless black boxes are the prime cause of litter on the pavements and roads and make the streets not only unsightly but also unsafe to navigate particularly for school children. 96% want the black boxes for glass replaced by communal bins too.

80% of respondents’ want the street to have a covered cycle hanger, 48% of which would use it themselves, 28% might use it. The respondents were unanimous in wanting a ‘dog fouling’ sign put up.

Through these surveys many people also raised the issue of lighting or rather the lack of it, at the end of Hastings Road. Resulting in this corner of the street being used for drug dealing and robberies having taken place. There is a general feeling of it being unsafe. So we would like this addressed too.

The street has an ambition to be greener and as an alternative to tree planting we’d like to explore the idea of a ‘green wall’, on one of the streets leading to Lewes road to help soak up the pollution and/or low maintenance planters.

With our proximity to the school and high footfall our streets experience these changes will have a positive impact on so many people. We urge the council to take our wishes seriously and invite councillors to attend a community meeting to discuss further. Thank you for your consideration.

Supported by:

Molly Crossthwaite (lead spokesperson)

Dot Kirik

Amy Andrews

Crystal Elliker

Wendy Pye

Katie Penfold

Supporting Information

Wording of questions from survey

Please tick which option you would prefer to have:

HOUSEHOLD WASTE:

☐ A communal bin (see possible locations at bottom of survey)

☐ Individual wheelie bin

MIXED RECYCLING:

☐ A communal bin (see possible locations at bottom of survey)

☐ Individual black wheelie bin with lid

☐ Black box (as currently provided)

GLASS RECYLING:

☐ A communal bin (see possible locations at bottom of survey)

☐ Black box (as currently provided)

STREET LITTER: To reduce litter on the street would you support having a litterbin outside the school?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Maybe

COVERED CYCLE HANGERS: Would you be in favour for your street to have a covered cycle hanger?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Maybe

Would you want to use the cycle hanger yourself? (1 bike = £1 a week approx.)

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Maybe

DOG POO: would you support having signage reminding owners of charges relating to public fowling?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Maybe

To reduce dog poo on the street , would you support having a dog poo bin?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Maybe

Would you like the street to be greener?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Maybe

Would you like to see trees being planted in the street?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Maybe

Would you like to see planters on the street?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Maybe

Do you have any comments about any of the points above? Or anything else? : Would you like to participate in a street clean up day?

☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Maybe

2) Deputation: Air Pollution

We are a group of local health professionals who are concerned by the high levels of air pollution in our city and the serious impact this has on health. We have spoken to the council at a previous meeting and we are pleased that more stringent targets were suggested after this. However, we are concerned that little concrete action has been taken and we are well behind the measures taken in other similar cities.

The impact of air pollution on health is staggering. We know it kills approximately 40,000 people a year in the UK, and the council’s 2022 Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) states that airborne pollution is a strong contributor to 170 early deaths that occur each year in Brighton & Hove. This is over 75% the number of deaths caused by covid in Brighton in 2020 at the height of the pandemic. In addition, many cases of heart disease are caused by air pollution, and it is associated with dementia. In studies in Bradford, with similar levels of pollution to our city, a third of childhood asthma cases were caused by air pollution. As a doctor I frequently encounter these conditions and feel frustrated and saddened that many could have been prevented. As Keir Starmer said in his recent speech about the NHS ‘we must move from a mind-set that views health as all about sickness to one where we put prevention first – right across society’.

We also know that air pollution disproportionately affects ethnic minorities and people living in poverty. We are aware of the council’s pledge to be an anti-racist council, and of Labour’s commitment to tackle structural racism, and we think tackling air pollution should be part of any meaningful strategy to achieve this. Labour has a proud history of tackling inequality, and this is a concrete way of continuing that tradition.

Air pollution has a significant economic burden, for example by reduced productivity, increased sick days and healthcare costs. Public Health England estimates that air pollution will cost the NHS and social care system £1.6 billion between 2017 and 2025.

Control of local air quality by implementation of local regulations on motor vehicle traffic and domestic fuel offers you as councillors the most powerful tool available for improving the health of our residents of B&H. No other action you have the power to take will be of such benefit to local people. Implement these measures and you will know that you have prevented heart attacks, prevented strokes, saved lives and helped many to live lives free from the life-limiting misery of asthma.

The most effective solutions are outlined in your AQAP, including a ULEZ and an expanded smoke control area, and we believe they need implementation as a

priority. Brighton is the largest city in England without a smoke control area, and we are far behind the boroughs of London in implementing clean air zones. We believe there would be widespread support for these interventions, given that Brighton has some of the worst pollution satisfaction scores in the country. We understand they need to be carried in a way that is fair, but we implore you to stand strong against the potential for small but very vocal groups in opposition, as not doing so will cost lives.

Can you please update the city on when the solutions to air pollution outlined in your AQAP will be implemented and demonstrate that no time will be lost?

Supported by:

Dr Lauren Davis

Dr Neil Stevenson

Adrian Hill

Dr Dominic Nee

Dr Daniel Roberts