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 Council notes the petition(s).

3. Context and background information

3.1 To receive the following petition signed by 30 people at time of publication:

South Portslade Parking Permits

We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to Introduce parking permits in more of South Portslade or even the whole of the area. Since permits were introduced in a small area, other places such as St Peters, St Michaels, St Nicholas, Brambledean Roads have got much worse.

People leave cars and vans parked here without moving for weeks, sometimes months on end. It is very frustrating when you can't park near your house and have small children or shopping to unload etc. We would like to see permits on the whole area or in the roads mentioned at the very least.

3.2 To receive the following petition signed by 46 people at time publication:

Newtown Road Traffic Measures

We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to Close access or egress from Newtown Road at the junction with Fonthill Road for cars or larger vehicles but not cyclists or pedestrians. Newtown Road is being used as a bypass to the more major Roads in the area. This is causing an ever increasing number of accidents at the junction with Fonthill Road, so that the residents are concerned for their safety and others. A turning point could be easily accommodated at the end of the street, and it is not thought likely that this will push road users toward nearby residential streets.

The matter is becoming all the more acute now that there can be anticipated a much greater traffic flow in the area given the developments on Newtown Road itself, in the Hove Bus Station area, and near Sackville Road: this is because Newtown Road gives directly only Hove station, with direct access to London. In short, we are keen to preserve the feel of our neighbourhood (which is and always was residential), while trying to maintain safety in the area and the need for others to use the area as it develops (if only as pedestrians and cyclists).

3.3 To receive the following petition signed by 350 people at time of publication:

Flawed and rushed consultation on school boundaries for Brighton & Hove

We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to Halt the current consultation into school admission boundaries to allow for a meaningful, impartial and evidence based consultation.

On Wednesday the 9th of October the council met and discussed (as an addendum) a proposal for changing school boundaries. An poorly publicised, rushed and flawed consultation has already seen many questions raised about the process including (but not limited to):

- limited data available on the proposed schemes impacts. That which is available not presented in an accessible way

- limited time and opportunity for feedback from the key community the council should be seeking feedback from (parents) with meetings at times when parents are putting kids to bed etc) and with limited warning to plan for this.

- a leading and flawed questionnaire that forces people to answer yes or no to complex questions

The proposals have far reaching implications and although the objectives of reducing inequality are welcomed, the process by which this has been managed so far is not adequate for a meaningful consultation.