Council                                                           Agenda Item 22

Subject:        Written questions from members of the public.

Date of meeting:     28 March 2024

A period of not more than thirty minutes shall be allowed for questions submitted by a member of the public who either lives or works in the area of the authority at each ordinary meeting of the Council.

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

The following written questions have been received from members of the public.

1.         Question from: Andrew Mosley

Subject:  Neglected BHCC verge on the A259 between West Street and the West Pier

I am the General Manager of The Grand. We plant and maintain BHCC land directly in front of the hotel and I am here to ask the council to please plant, or at least cut down the overgrowth and bark, on land on the south side of the A259.  It’s been an eyesore for too long on our historic seafront.

Councillor Rowkins, Chair of City Environment, South Downs & The Sea Committee will reply.

2.         Question from: Ed Armston-Sheret

Will parents and carers with children at Bright Start nursery be offered the opportunity to visit the new nursery site at the Tarner Family Hub before the nursery move takes place?

Councillor Helliwell, Joint Chair of Children, Families & Schools Committee will reply.

3.         Question from: Gerry Walden

It isn’t easy to get at the underlying facts about the future of the King Alfred. I found the questionnaire appeared to be slanted in favour of a move to Hangleton. Has the decision to move been driven about past development problems? I sympathise that  the council is struggling financially. I am not clear why a decision is being made now that will be started in potentially changed financial circumstances. Why is the council not looking again at a mixed commercial and leisure centre development on the existing site over the medium term with the equivalent financials?

Councillor Robins, Chair of Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism & Economic Development Committee will reply.

4.         Question from: David Streeter

We would like to ask the Council about their inconsistency of approach within the planning department towards the privately owned Hippodrome and other Brighton Council owned buildings. 

As an example, within Pavilion Theatre, Fibrous plaster (Listed Building Consent) application (part retrospective!) BH2020/03419  validated 25 Nov 2020, decided 12 Feb 2021 (11 weeks 2 days).

Compared to the Hippodrome:

fibrous plaster stabilisation and protective domed roof: BH2021/01079 validated 24 Mar 2021, decided 7 Oct 2021 (28 weeks 1 day) which is 2 and a half times longer to be approved.

Councillor Loughran, Chair of Planning Committee will reply.

5.         Question from: Nigel Furness

Could you please confirm to this Chamber, Cllr. Sankey, the approximate cost of the two forthcoming By-elections to the City’s council-taxpayers and from whence come the funds?

Councillor Sankey, Leader of the Council will reply.