Subject: Written questions from Councillors
Date of meeting: 30 January 2025
Report of: Director of Governance & Law
Contact Officer: Name: Anthony Soyinka
Tel: 01273 291006
Email: anthony.soyinka@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Ward(s) affected: All
For general release
The following questions have been received from Councillors and will be taken as read along with the written answer detailed below:
1. Councillor West
Many of our residents have been left shocked at the collapse of the Magpie Green box service. This much-loved subscription service predates the council's own door-step recycling service. In fact Green Box showed the way forward, embarrassing the then Labour council to commence its own door-step service. Council recycling rates have always been poor, which comes down to the limited range of items recycled and insufficient communications to explain and incentivise more households to recycle more and better. The City’s super-recyclers stayed loyal to Magpie despite being charged as they knew there were better outcomes being achieved. Super-recyclers set the bar, and the loss of Green Box is a loss to the city. Will the Council now set up a subscription scheme for super-recyclers so those standard bearers can continue to show the way to raising recycling rates more generally?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
The council is not planning to launch a paid recycling service. It is my belief that comprehensive recycling provision should be free and universally available to all residents and that is our focus.
2. Councillor West
I’m sure the Leader of the Council would agree with me, in saying how proud we all are that the Council is endeavouring to create a more respectful environment for its staff and ‘customers’. As a council we have long sought to support and share the adoption of good values in the city. The corporate values we see exhibited by Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) however, do seem far removed from and at odds with what the City Council stands for. X has been a popular communication tool for reaching residents, but I see there is now a growing movement of individuals and organisations abandoning X and migrating to other platforms like Bluesky. Is it not high time the Council showed its leadership and joined the exodus too?
Reply from Councillor Sankey, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Chair:
Thank you for raising this important issue. As a council we are proud of the culture we are seeking to create where we value diversity and challenge discrimination. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to grow and thrive in our city, and that as a council we are close to our residents, we actively listen and we respond to needs.
Our approach to communications, including our presence across social media is a vital part of remaining close to our residents, and is something we keep constantly under review. As a listening council we must communicate, consult and engage with our residents effectively, and use media and platforms that ensures everyone in our city is included. In 2024 we received 1.7million impressions on X and achieved higher engagement rates than the government’s own feed and other city councils. Currently X forms part of our communication strategy, along with many other channels, to reach our communities, particularly in areas of warning and informing residents, but I share your concerns, and I have asked our communications team to keep our approach under review.
We have already proactively taken steps to create new channels including Instagram in 2023 and most recently Threads and BlueSky. I want us to take a values led and data informed approach and we will continue to keep this important issue under review.
3. Councillor Sykes
Would the lead for Environment and Net Zero care to comment on this excerpt from a January 2025 email from a B&A resident, with profanities removed: "The rubbish bin at the top of Lansdowne Place looks like we have had a 2 week dustmen strike and all of ours are overflowing again. Just at what point does the administration get to grips with this?"
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
We are sorry for the issues with the communal bins on Lansdowne Place, which related to a car being parked too closely to one of the bins for the vehicle to empty it. There are often issues across the city with cars parked to closely to communal refuse bins which, if collected, would result in damage to the parked car. Residents are not always parking illegally, just too close to the bin.
There have been issues with collections over the Christmas and New Year period and this combined with the volume of waste following Christmas has meant it has been challenging to keep on top of communal refuse and recycling, and residents will have seen much more waste across the city whilst the service dealt with the additional volume. The administration is working closely with Environmental Services on service improvements, including accelerating programmes to improve technology and vehicle reliability – these are very large programmes of work and will take time to implement.
We are also looking at the possibility of altering the road markings at this location to prevent the problematic parking we have seen.
4. Councillor Sykes
Can the administration provide Cllr attendance figures on Personnel Appeal Panels since May 2023.
Reply from Councillor Sankey, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Chair:
13 Personnel Appeals Panels were held since 25 May 2023 to 27 January 2025. Each Panel comprised 3 elected Members.
5. Councillor Sykes
Can the administration provide Cllr attendance figures on Licensing Panels since May 2023.
Reply from Councillor McGregor, Chair of Licensing Committee:
Licensing Panels are a Sub-Committee of the Licensing Committee and membership is taken from the Committee Members. Panels comprise of three members and convened on an ad-hoc basis. 43 Licensing Panels have been held since 25 May 2023 to 27 January 2025.
Member attendance were as follows:
Councillor Alison Thomson attended 9 appeals.
Councillor Andrei Czolak attended 3 appeals.
Councillor Carol Theobald attended 1 appeal.
Councillor David McGregor attended 10 appeals.
Councillor Emma Daniel attended 9 appeals.
Councillor Faiza Baghoth attended 1 appeal.
Councillor Ivan Lyons attended 9 appeals.
Councillor Jackie O'Quinn attended 1 appeal.
Councillor John Hewitt attended 12 appeals.
Councillor Joy Robinson attended 5 appeals.
Councillor Julie Cattell attended 18 appeals.
Councillor Kerry Pickett attended 6 appeals.
Councillor Lucy Helliwell attended 4 appeals.
Councillor Ollie Sykes (appointed Licensing Committee 24 October 2024) attended 1 appeal.
Councillor Paul Nann attended 15 appeals.
Councillor Samer Bagaeen (appointed to Licensing Committee 24 October 2024) attended 1 appeal.
Councillor Theresa Fowler attended 3 appeals.
Councillor Tobias Sheard attended 15 appeals.
6. Councillor Sykes
Parking income: can B&HCC revenue figures be provided for the first seven months of the 2024-25 financial year with respect to (a) parking permit fees (resident and visitor) (b) suspended bay fees (c) Net Penalty Charge Notice revenue from parking infractions (d) off- street parking revenue (e) on- street parking revenue.
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you for your question, Councillor Sykes. At month 7 the income achieved by parking services are as follows. Permits: £6.978m, Suspensions: £1.117m, Off Street revenue from carparks: £5.198m, On Street revenue: £8.553m, and PCN Revenue: £8.494m though this figure doesn’t include contributions to bad debt provisions, as those are accounted at end of year.
Parking permits enable residents to use space on the public highway to park. As there is a limit to the available space for parking on the public highway, it is reasonable for the Council to charge for use of the public highway for parking purposes. Fees tend to be higher where demand for space is highest reflecting the limits of space available and the demand for parking. Further from the centre, tariffs tend to be lower.
Effective parking enforcement is a vital service for our city. It helps establish safer streets. Vehicles illegally parked can cause hazardous obstruction to moving traffic, cyclists, buses and pedestrians. The flow of traffic is improved by ensuring vehicles are not blocking routes. This in turn helps improve air quality, bus times and reduces congestion.
Parking income helps support bus services, including a range of subsidised routes that many in our city rely on but are not deemed commercially viable.
Parking restrictions have evolved over some two decades without a review of how they best work for the city. This is why our administration commissioned a comprehensive citywide parking review in July 2023 which reported last year. We are embarking on the implementation of the recommendations and delivery programme to deliver improvements and ensure our parking service better serves our city.
7. Councillor Sykes
Can Cllr Pumm provide an update on the future of the memorial at Palmeira Square following concerns raised by a Brunswick and Adelaide resident at last Full Council and undertakings made by Cllr Alexander?
Reply from Councillor Pumm, Cabinet Member for Communities, Equalities & Human Rights:
There has been regular dialogue with the Sussex Jewish Representative Council about the temporary memorial at Palmeira Square. We value the discussions we have had and are aware of the sensitivity of the issue in the light of recent developments in the region.
The SJRC have been advised about the Council’s legal concerns of having free standing items in the public realm and SJRC agreed to manage this over the winter months, as they work towards removal of the current installation from this location by spring 2025.
8. Councillor West
Springfield Road residents are neighbourly folk and keen to improve their local environment. For many months they have been patiently and tenaciously seeking a replacement street which will also act as a memorial for a lost loved one. A tree pit was created and this month a tree was planted by contractors. Contractors then returned, removed the tree and told residents the pit would be removed too. Following contact with officers and Councillor Muten by ward councillors and residents a new tree suddenly appeared along with a protective cage. It is of course panto season, but can the Councillor Muten please explain what on earth has been going on?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you, Councillor West, for your question. Having met residents and ward councillors Hill and Pickett in Springfield Road last year, I am very aware of the value and importance of a street tree at this location. When I visited and spent time listening to residents, I made it clear I understood this and would support the planting of a tree at this location.
I have followed this up with Council officers and communicated with residents and ward councillors by email.
There was a miscommunication as we had asked our contractor to install a tree cage when they planted the tree. The contractor took the action of removing the tree, as the cage was not yet available when the tree was planted, without checking this was the right thing to do.
The tree has now been planted and a tree cage installed at the same time.
It is regrettable to hear that the planting of a tree has taken longer than anticipated and become more convoluted including at the planting stage. I am pleased to now hear that there is a tree with a tree guard is now in place.
May I take this opportunity to thank the residents of Springfield Road for their patience and understanding.
May this tree now planted flourish and grow to become a valued part of the Springfield Road community.
9. Councillor Pickett
With the increased tendering out of various council services to private companies, can the administration please confirm if it is the aim to outsource as much senior adult social care provision as possible, as evidenced by the recent removal of dementia beds at Ireland Lodge at a time when older people are living longer, and people living with dementia becomes more likely?
Reply from Councillor Burden, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health & Service Transformation:
Brighton and Hove have a thriving care home sector made up of providers who deliver good quality care to our residents. Over 90% of Adult Social Care provision is provided by the independent sector, and this includes registered charities as well as for profit businesses – all, like the council, are regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
As part of our ongoing responsibilities, it is important that we continue to consider how and what provision is directly provided by the Council or where others are perhaps better placed to provide these services. Reflecting our person-centred approach, we look at service development, models of delivery, and pathways on a case-by-case basis to reflect the changing needs of our communities, our strategic priorities and making best use of the resources that we have available to us.
Where others can provide good quality care in place of the council, we will always endeavour to explore the possibility of commissioning those services, ensuring our available in-house provision matches as closely as possible the demands in the city that can't be met by other providers.
10. Councillor Pickett
Does the administration really not think that a freeze on recruitment may prove counterproductive? What if there isn’t the capability within the lower ranks for someone to step up into a role, yet filling that role is essential to realising savings of greater value than that person's salary?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
The spending controls are in place because of the forecast outturn risk for 2024/25, currently standing at a potential £3.3m overspend. Fantastic work has been done and continues across the council to further reduce this forecast overspend and ensure that we end the year with a balanced position. This does mean that recruitment for many roles must freeze. Where a post is deemed essential or where there would be a negative financial implication such as loss of income, there is an exemption process. As a first step to filling essential roles, we are using our secondment policy to move staff around and reduce external recruitment, but if necessary external recruitment will proceed.
11. Councillor Hill
Does the administration support the merging of East and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service for the purpose of having both under the remit of the new Sussex mayor? When do you believe this should be achieved by?
Reply from Councillor Sankey, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Chair:
The English Devolution White Paper expresses the ambition to deliver greater public service boundary alignment in the long term, making more Strategic Mayoral Authorities responsible for fire, police, and engaged in Integrated Care Partnerships.
The programme and plan for what moves into the Mayoral Strategic Authority has not yet started and therefore no further information is available at this stage. Brighton and Hove will seek to ensure the benefits for our communities are front and centre when the programme begins.
12. Councillor Hill
In conversations with Marianne Overton the LGA independent Chair, the Minister for Local Government, Jim McMahon has indicated a willingness to give the powers to call in major planning applications to certain new mayors rather than with the new enlarged unitary authorities. Does the Council lead believe that Mayors should be responsible for the call in of major planning applications?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
In the English Devolution White Paper, it is stated that Mayors will be given new development management powers. This will include the ability to call in planning applications of strategic importance. This will also include establishing a stronger partnership between Homes England, and the ability to set a strategic direction of any future affordable housing programme.
The range of strategic powers that could be devolved to a Mayoral Strategic Authority could benefit Sussex, and there will be a duty on the Strategic Authority to collaborate with constituent Local Authorities and neighbouring Strategic Authorities in delivering on the areas of competence, which includes housing and strategic planning.
13. Councillor Hill
The new glyphosate contract is up for its annual renewal. When the council prepared to set up an opt out system to ensure a more formal system for communities to revert to using manual weeding?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
Arrangements for 2025 are not yet finalised. Details will be provided in due course, but the intention is that any use of glyphosate would indeed be accompanied by an opt-out scheme to enable residents to choose manual weeding.
14. Councillor Hill
Rainy weather during glyphosate spraying meant that for a great many places the spraying had little to no effect in removing weeds, will that be taken into account with the new weeding contract?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
Glyphosate is not applied during wet weather. Where contractors visited on rainy days, manual and mechanical weeding was conducted instead. The principle of not applying glyphosate during rain would remain under any future contract.
15. Councillor Hill
At the emergency Cabinet meeting, the Leader of the Council indicated her support for the supplementary vote election system for the Sussex Mayor. The government has stated that all regional Mayors will be elected through First Past the Post. What is the Leader of the Council doing to lobby the government on this matter? It comes across as though the government isn’t listening.
Reply from Councillor Sankey, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Chair:
The electoral reform act 2022 brought in a number of changes, specifically replacing the supplementary vote (SV) election system with first past the post (FPTP) for mayoral elections. This was brought in by the previous Government.
Pending the outcome of our application to join the priority programme, we will be working in close cooperation with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and other Government bodies to help shape Devolution.
16. Councillor Hill
Are Cityclean culture change stakeholder meetings still ongoing?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
A comprehensive Culture Change programme has been in place in Environmental Services (formerly City Clean) for some time now and is showing early signs of success with behavioural standards established and improved productivity and service delivery for residents beginning to flow from that. Sequencing the programme is key to its success.
Having completed the foundational stages in the action plan we have now reached the stage in the process where a stakeholder engagement group will be formed. We are at the beginning of discussions with staff reps and trade union representatives as to how best to take this forward. The aim of this next key phase of the programme is to secure wider involvement and joint ownership of new ways of working together.
17. Councillor Hill
What is the Council doing to protect bus services to Ditchling Beacon?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you, Councillor Hill for your question concerning the Breeze up to the Downs bus services.
In short, we are doing a great deal to protect bus services between the centre of Brighton and Ditchling Beacon.
A year ago, as an administration, we took tough decisions to balance the budget. Our priority when making these decisions was to protect communities most vulnerable to the cost of living crisis. Within limited financial resources, we focused our supported bus services budgets on more deprived and isolated communities where bus services support provides a lifeline and the absence of their bus service would have clear detriment to communities. Supporting the 79 bus service to Ditching Beacon out of the general fund would, therefore, be difficult to justify under such circumstances.
This was hindered by the ending of the Breeze up to the Downs Partnership ceasing under the previous administration.
However, we considered the value of the Breeze up to the Downs bus services as they enable many to access the South Downs National Park. A year ago, we successfully sought approval from the DfT to fund the 79 and 77 bus services out of our BSIP fund.
As with a year ago, we remain committed to finding ways to keep the Breeze up to Downs.
The Breeze up to the Downs service 79 to Ditchling Beacon is currently supported wholly through the Department of Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan grant.
The government has confirmed that there will be a new allocation of BSIP grant for financial year 2025/26.
We are in advanced staged negotiations with the Bus Operator and the Department for Transport to continue this arrangement. A draft programme of schemes and measures is being worked on by officers in the Public Transport team and will be presented to Cabinet on 20th March. It is proposed that it includes continued support for the route 79 until 31st March 2026. An announcement to confirm plans will be made once agreed with all parties.
I trust you can agree this is a good outcome. We will work with the Buss Operators to publicise this service with the expressed aim of making it more sustainable and financially secure.
18. Councillor Shanks
The Level will be used a lot more in the next couple of years for hosting outdoor events due to the VG3 compound being sited at the Level. The site used by the circus at The Level has been left in no fit state since September meaning it can’t be used by residents or sports groups. No Fit State event organisers would have paid into a bond. How much and where is the No Fit State Circus Bond money? Has it been returned and when will the site be repaired.
Reply from Councillor Miller, Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage & Tourism:
Due to poor weather and lack of available resources the £3k reinstatement money for the Level has not been able to be fully deployed. The area affected is already prone to waterlogging and therefore major works have been difficult to action. From January 2025 a new external contractor has been procured who will have responsibility for all event reinstatements, which should ensure that similar delays do not occur in the future.
19. Councillor Shanks
Will the council consider introducing a levy for all outdoor events held on The Level, St Peters and Richmond Square, Victoria Gardens, and the Old Steine which would, for example, go into the Level Forum Community trust fund and be used for upkeep of the green areas, and to the benefit of the community groups and users of those areas?
Reply from Councillor Miller, Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage & Tourism:
Currently all event income contributes to the central council budget to assist in paying for key statutory services. The Outdoor Events Team are currently drafting the new Outdoor Events Strategy to be presented to Cabinet in Spring of this year, which will set out options for future working practice and partnerships. For 2025 a new contract has been secured with a third-party contractor to carry out pre and post event documented inspections, funded by the organisers, which will be used to ensure timely repairs are facilitated and parks are returned to their pre-event condition.
20. Councillor Shanks
Has there been any interest in anyone taking on the Velo Cafe site?
Reply from Councillor Robins, Cabinet Member for Sports & Recreation:
Yes. Following the completion of an options appraisal, the site was marketed as an investment opportunity. A preferred bidder has been identified. They are a registered charity that run gym-based coaching programmes for local young people, who are facing barriers to participation in sport and exercise, to help empower and equip them for their futures.
As the property requires significant investment Council Officers are supporting the preferred bidder to draw up a detailed schedule of works and to seek grant funding to cover the cost of refurbishment works.
If funding is secured, the preferred bidder will occupy the newly refurbished building under a lease agreement.
For the avoidance of doubt, the refurbished building will not include public toilets. Toilet provision will instead be at the newly refurbished MacLaren Pavilion.
21. Councillor Shanks
Has a tenant been found for the McClaren Pavilion Kiosk? When will the toilets be open?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
Thank you for your question. We advertised the MacLaren Pavilion at The Level in the latter part of 2024. Unfortunately, we were not able to engage a tenant. The lease will be readvertised very shortly. Once a tenant is in situ, the toilets will be opened.
22. Councillor Shanks
Will the council consider introducing the requirement of all Event Organisers to produce a publicly available Environmental impact statement as part of the license agreement?
Reply from Councillor Miller, Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage & Tourism:
I’m delighted to inform everyone that the requirement for a publicly available environmental impact statement has already been introduced for this year’s outdoor events. In addition, we have made some changes to the sustainability commitment for event organisers for 2025 too, which now includes a greater focus on re-use and refills, waste reduction, fixed power and requires organisers to make commitments across several sustainability areas instead of focussing on one specific aim. Utilisation of fixed power and greater tracking of CO2 production are key to the departments commitment to supporting the Council’s Net Zero aims.
23. Councillor Shanks
How does the food strategy align with our allotment strategy?
Reply from Councillor Robins, Cabinet Member for Sports & Recreation:
The refreshed Food Strategy Action Plan 2025-30 aligns with the Open Spaces Strategy 2017-27 where allotments are recognised as one of the types of open space in the city. Action 14 of the Food Strategy Action Plan aims to increase land actively used for food growing and to increase the numbers of people growing food in all parts of the city. This action helps implement the Open Spaces Strategy to maximise food growing and aims to progress partnership and collaboration through joint working between the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership with Brighton and Hove Allotment Federation and BHCC Allotments to deliver allotment regeneration.
24. Councillor McLeay
Recently I attended a residents meeting at Theobald House where an update was shared on the progress of major works for the building. Given the complication of the BSR requirements and a delayed application time, as well as further consultation needed with contractors and leaseholders, it was suggested the works would not start until as late as March 2026. This raised concerns for residents regarding the allocated funds for these works and the potential risk of the funds being lost to other projects considering a difficult budget setting period. Could you confirm if the original monetary commitment for these works has been ringfenced for Theobald House, and that it will not be impacted by budget setting over the coming month?
Reply from Councillor Williams, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Housing & New Homes:
The 2024/25 budget paper included budget provision of £7.450m to be spent over two years for the major works project at Theobald House. Due to the need to review project delivery timelines in light of the Building Safety Act requirements the project was delayed and as such the budget through the council’s financial management process has been reprofiled according to the revised delivery timeline across 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28. The budget will be included in the 2025/26 HRA budget paper which will be presented to Cabinet on 13 February and subsequently Full Council on 27th February 2025.
25. Councillor Lyons
Will the contract with RNLI provide the same number of lifeguards & cover the same beaches as when the service was in-house? How do the two budgets & costings compare?
Reply from Councillor Miller, Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage & Tourism:
The Contract with the RNLI has been agreed to reflect delivery of the seasonal Beach Lifeguard Service on a like-for-like basis. The service will cover the same 10 beaches which have until now been lifeguarded by BHCC seasonal lifeguards. The council’s own operating model detailing the minimum number of lifeguards for each beach will continue with the RNLI. The overall saving to the council by entering into this contract with the RNLI is £110,000 for 2025/26, these savings are made up from staffing and equipment costs.
26. Councillor Hogan
Is the council looking into returning to cleaning up fallen leaves to avoid drain blockages and floods? It must be more expensive to deal with the flooding than collecting the leaves.
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
The council never stopped clearing leaves and will continue to do so. It is a core function within the Streets Cleansing service and a priority during the autumn months.
27. Councillor Lyons
How much has B&H Council paid out to residents in 2024 from damage caused by potholes & flooding?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you for your question, Councillor Lyons. According to our records we have not made any payments to residents as a result of damage to property due to flooding.
After year upon years of Tory underfunding of our nation’s roads, our highways and pathways are not in the condition they should and could be. With substantially less from national government than has been needed to maintain our city roads and repair potholes, the Tory Party’s policies are undoubtedly the root cause.
As a result of this Tory Party failure to motorists, bus passengers, cyclists and pedestrians, I can confirm that the City Council has made compensation payments in relation to potholes, as follows:
· After 14 years of Tory mismanagement of public services and economy, the total compensation payments made by this Council during the 2024 calendar year in relation to vehicle damage is £2,454.45.
· After 14 years of Tory decline and decay because of their underfunding, the total compensation payments made during the 2024 calendar year by this Council in relation to personal injury is £31,250.00.
The total compensation paid within the year relates to the total sums paid within that period, irrespective of when the relevant claims were received.
These compensation sums could have been avoided had our city been properly resourced by central government and are as a direct result of Tory Party failure are further compounding their underfunding and taking money away from our administration’s ability to fix the problem.
Each pound paid out is a pound we could have spent fixing the problem. We also know that many residents understand this and would not consider a claim knowing city services and those who rely on them would suffer the most.
However, since coming to power, the Labour government has started to reverse the rot of the past decade and a half and began to grant more money into fixing the roads and pathways of our city. We are working through a large backlog and value residents reporting potholes on the Council website. With more we can and now will do more thanks to the new government elected on 4th July last year.
28. Councillor Hogan
Why were none of the main roads out of Brighton gritted when the weather warnings were saying snow was forecast?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you for your question, Councillor Hogan. Please be assured that the weather forecast on Wednesday 8th January 2025 was for rain.
I had followed the weather forecast each day from Sunday through to Wednesday on the BBC Weather app and confirm throughout it forecast light rain from 1pm turning to heavy rain from 3pm. The Council purchase more detailed weather forecast information which has proven very reliable. This also clearly forecast rain for that afternoon. A fact confirmed by the Leader of the Conservative Group on this Council who wrote in his Argus column this week concerning the event “The weather forecast I remember seeing said three degrees and rain.”
The network is treated according to our local weather forecast station across the city. The snow came ahead of the forecast on the day.
It is the case that putting grit on the road when it is raining or forecast heavy rain soon after is counterproductive as the grit is highly likely to wash off. Worse, the grit would not be in place when the temperature was expected to drop to below freezing after nightfall.
On each evening that week and weekend prior to the snow we had also treated the network. I recall seeing grit on the main roads late into the evening on both the Monday and Tuesday evenings so can confirm this was taking place. On the Wednesday, there was residual treatment still showing on the network during the event.
In response to the changing weather conditions, as the rain started to turn to snow from about 3:15pm, the gritting teams that were due to be on the road from 6pm were promptly mobilised and were out on their first round of gritting from 4pm – less than an hour after the snow commenced and two hours ahead of their schedule. They had completed their first gritting rounds by about 7:30 to 8pm and were back on the roads gritting again by 8:30 to 9pm on their second gritting rounds. By mid-evening the main routes were open.
Our winter maintenance teams we active during the day in preparation for icy conditions and the potential for snow into the late afternoon and evening. Grit bins had been checked prior to this cold spell.
The application of salt to treat the network does not guarantee no ice. We put messages out reminding the public to be extra careful and make only journeys that were necessary and be extra vigilant as surfaces are likely to be slippery.
We know many people had disrupted journeys during the evening rush and were also caught by the changing conditions and had based their travel plans on the forecasted rain. Many residents had said that had they known it would snow rather than rain, they would have travelled earlier that afternoon. We very much thank the public for their patience and fortitude whilst we responded rapidly to the changing conditions working hard to grit the main routes and got the network back running within a few hours after the snow started.
29. Councillor Lyons
Thank you for responding in December 2024 as to why Brighton & Hove Council lags other councils in PET1 recycling.
However, why does B&H only accept PET1 in the form of plastic bottles but not in any other shape? How do other councils recycle these materials with no trouble? What equipment do they have which Hollingdean does not have? Why does Veolia provide such limited recycling in Brighton?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
Identifying the different polymers used in various packaging materials can be difficult, and categorising recyclable waste streams by object type makes it simpler to navigate for residents.
Recycling has been limited compared to other cities for a long time, and it is disappointing that previous administrations did not make the necessary improvements. We are in the process of making the required changes and more details will follow soon.
30. Councillor Hogan
Are plans in place to recycle more of our household items?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
Yes, we are planning the expansion of recycling provision and more details will follow soon.
31. Councillor Hogan
The parking bays on Shirley Drive are too close to residents’ drives and often too close to each other. Would it be possible to have a review of the position of the bays so as to reduce the possibility of an accident?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you, Councillor Hogan, for your request to review the parking on Shirley Drive. I do appreciate the difficulties some residents are reporting when accessing their driveways. Therefore, if Councillor Hogan can contact myself and Catherine Dignan who manages the Parking Design and Implementation team then we can arrange a meeting to discuss the issues and consider reviewing the on-street parking to improve and make safe where required.
32. Councillor McNair
There is a building site in Winfield Avenue. There appears to be no work happening. Also, children have been filmed climbing on the roofs of the buildings. This has been reported to the council. What is happening to this building site, and do we know when the housing will be completed? In the meantime, are there plans to make the building site safe?
Reply from Councillor Williams, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Housing & New Homes:
The owner has been contacted and asked about the anticipated completion date of development; however, they are not required to provide this information. The issue regarding the safety of the site has also been raised with the owner, however any concerns need to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive direct as they are the enforcement body for health and safety on construction sites.
33. Councillor Meadows
Why are residents in Birch Grove Crescent unable to report missed recycling via the council’s website using the postcode BN1 8DP? Recycling is often not collected in this location.
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
We apologise for the problems you are having reporting missed recycling collections. This seems to be a technical glitch, and we are working with IT&D to get it resolved. I have also informed managers within Environmental Services of the issues with recycling collections.
34. Councillor Meadows
Residents in Patcham will be severely affected by Park & Ride in Mill Road. Will Patcham residents have a consultation?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you for your question. The Park & Ride currently operating in Mill Road is for football matchday events at the Amex. This is separate to the proposals discussed at last week’s Cabinet meeting for a Park & Ride to serve the city. This report and my presentation explicitly explained that the proposed scheme would use existing car parks. Although no details of locations are currently being discussed, it was made very clear that Mill Road was not part of the list of sites being considered to deliver a Park & Ride using existing car parks within this more versatile scheme. These will come to a future cabinet meeting for review.
I understand that there may be some who, under some unwarranted misunderstanding, are propagating a false or misinformed narrative on social media. I trust this answer along with my statements at the Cabinet meeting on 23rd January will clarify matters to any resident of Patcham who is concerned by such misinformation.
35. Councillor McNair
One side of the clock at the top of Patcham clocktower appears to have lost a hand. Can this be replaced? There is also stonework erosion at the base of the tower. Can this be repaired before it gets worse? Patcham clocktower is an important landmark, built in the 1930s.
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
An updated full structural survey of the tower is due to be conducted shortly to reassess the extent of stonework erosion and also assess any health and safety risks the structure may pose. This follows an inspection in October 2024 that identified more extensive issues. The replacement of the hand would not be undertaken until key structural works have been determined and repairs undertaken and/or the tower made safe if health and safety concerns are identified. However, it should be noted that there is only limited Planned Maintenance provision for this site and the more extensive damage indicates a significant cost that may need alternative funding, for example, capital programme approvals through borrowing, which would be subject to affordability and needs Cabinet consideration.
36. Councillor Meadows
Recycling was not collected in Cedars Gardens for 6 weeks. When it was finally collected residents were told it was put into general refuse. What solutions are being considered so residents can receive the fortnightly service they are paying for?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
I am aware of the missed collections at Cedar Gardens, and I believe the issue has been resolved. There are only limited circumstances in which recycling would be collected with general refuse, such as when contamination is beyond a certain level. However, we do always investigate any such reported issues to find out what happened and whether any changes are required.
37. Councillor McNair
All Saints Church Patcham has two open-top wire bins in the churchyard which are very unsightly with dog poo bags open to the elements and everyone’s view. Cityclean have been contacted with no response. Can these bins be replaced with regular black bins?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
It is normal to have large open bins in areas where floral tributes are disposed of. Items such as wreathes would not fit into the opening of a standard litter bin. We would need to check what is going in the bins before changing them. If there are a significant number of floral tributes going in the bins then we would likely either leave them in place or look into replacing them with a model that has some kind of cover or lid but that can accommodate the items required. This would be subject to available capital funding.
38. Councillor Fishleigh
When does BHCC anticipate that the Black Rock brief will be presented to the cabinet? Will that be before the budget?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
Options for the future of Black Rock will be reviewed by the new Seafront Development Board which is currently being established with an announcement this week. A timetable has not yet been set for this work, but the council is focused on progressing this important strategic site.
39. Councillor Fishleigh
Can BHCC give a date for when the new Promenade link at Black Rock will be completed and open to public use?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
The new pedestrian and cycle link is now open to public use. This new link will transform the experience of those travelling on foot and by bike between the Marina and the eastern seafront. It provides a far more open and welcoming connection that will increase movement and permeability through the area for the benefit of residents, visitors and local businesses.
40. Councillor Fishleigh
Is it BHCC’s intention to open the new link without street lighting?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
The new link is now open and there is lighting installed within the new underpass. The link connects from the northeast side of the ASDA car park to the eastern end of Madeira Drive. There is currently no street lighting along Madeira Drive from Duke’s Mound to the underpass. Ducting has been installed along the new link should funding become available for a comprehensive lighting scheme in the area.
41. Councillor Fishleigh
When does BHCC anticipate that the low level lighting on the board walk will function?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
The low-level LED lighting units are now all installed along the full length of the new board walk. A new feeder pillar, which will provide power to the lighting units is also in place along with the necessary electrical connections. The one outstanding item is connection into the district power network. The order for this work has been placed with the local District Network Operator (DNO). It is anticipated that this work will be completed in eight to ten weeks. This is subject to how the DNO prioritises and programmes their work and is outside of our control.
42. Councillor Fishleigh
Cable has been laid and installation points provided for street lighting along Madeira Drive East. When will BHCC start the installation?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you, Councillor Fishleigh, for your question. There is currently no street lighting from the end of Duke’s Mound to the Marina. In anticipation of a future lighting scheme for this area the Black Rock works have included elements of future proofing which include ducting and access chambers installed along the new link. This infrastructure will make it easier to install street lighting at a future date should funding become available for a comprehensive lighting scheme.
43. Councillor Fishleigh
Dukes Mound Kemptown is unlit. Please can BHCC supply a timeline to install street lighting?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you, Councillor Fishleigh, for your question. Our forward plan includes Dukes Mound. Plans for this area include the introduction of new safety features for vehicles including a new vehicle restrain barrier. Plans also include improving street lighting and providing wider footways for pedestrians. It is likely works will take place in 2026/2027 as part of our planned programme of works for this area.
44. Councillor Fishleigh
Does BHCC anticipate that the events team will use the Black Rock site in 2025 to host community and/or commercial outdoor activities?
Reply from Councillor Miller, Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage & Tourism:
With the completion of Phase One of the Black Rock works we now have an excellent blank canvas on which a new identity for Black Rock can be imagined. In order to begin this journey a limited programme of events for this space has been put forward for 2025 to begin testing the feasibility of the site for a variety of future uses. We hope this limited but exciting programme can begin the process of collaboration with local communities in reimagining Black Rock for the next generation. However, any further approvals for events, will depend on wider council decisions on the future plans for the site.
45. Councillor Fishleigh
Heritage lanterns on Madeira Drive and Marine Parade street lights were removed for safety reasons several years ago for repair and restoration. Please provide a detailed timeline of the complete replacement programme.
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you, Councillor Fishleigh, for your question. The current programme of works for this area is progressing as planned. The project is about to embark on the pilot exercise of removing 5 columns from across the frontage for proof of concept. The permits to do the works on the highway have been submitted. Once the details are confirmed with the contractors, public information briefings will be released.
The process will involve the removal of the complete column from the ground. The columns will then be transported to the foundry where the column will be inspected and assessed for damage. Once the columns have been repaired, the column will be returned to the original location. Precision milling will be undertaken on site to ensure a sound fit is achieved.
All the heritage lanterns are to be removed, as they are no longer fit for purpose. When a column is replaced, it will be adorned with two newly manufactured lanterns. This will ensure that the all the heritage columns will be back to their resplendent glory.
It should be noted that all works will be undertaken under the supervision of English Heritage.
46. Councillor Fishleigh
Can BHCC confirm that phase two of the Madeira Terrace restoration is funded as per budget meeting in Feb 2021?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
In the past four years there has been significant changes to the scheme and to the operating environment, not least the inflationary pressures that have been particularly acute across the construction sector.
The costs reported to committee in 2021 were based upon an outline design. Since then, the scheme has been fully developed and market costs secured via a tendering process. This has meant that the available funds have been directed to deliver a first phase, which is now on site.
There is currently no funding to undertake a second phase of Madeira Terrace. The project team continue to explore funding opportunities that arise. For example, Historic England have made a substantial award to the first phase of this landmark project.
With restoration works now underway and with Historic England providing financial and technical support, the Terrace is expected to become a more attractive proposition to potential funders and the new Seafront Development Board will bring a renewed vigour to developing a complete strategy to regenerate the whole of that bit of the seafront.
47. Councillor Fishleigh
Please provide an update on BHCC's intention for repairing and bringing the Madeira Drive Concorde 2 lift back into use.
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you, Councillor Fishleigh, for your question regarding the Madeira Drive Concord 2 lift. Repairs to the Madeira Lift need to be undertaken at the same time as renovation of the former shelter hall occupied by Concorde 2. This will be a future phase of the larger Madeira Terrace project. As set out in an earlier response, there is currently no funding identified to undertake future phases of Madeira Terrace. The project team continue to explore funding opportunities that arise.
48. Councillor Earthey
The Decarbonising Pathways Study was presented in December, having initially been written in May. Does the delay in opening it to comment from concerned residents, fit well with the urgency implied by declaring a Climate Emergency?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
The first draft of the completed decarbonisation pathways report was issued by the consultant to the council in late August 2024, but the very final version was not received until 29th November. The report was then published on December 3rd following the launch event on December 2nd.
The three months interval between receipt of the draft report in August, along with full appendices, was spent cross-checking the report data, digesting its contents, going back to the consultant to for clarifications and amendments and developing the council’s initial plans for using the data to inform future net zero action.
It is worth also mentioning that the incoming Head of Net Zero did not start in post until mid-September.
With that in mind I’d say that this timeline reflects rather well the urgency with which we are accelerating progress to net zero, particularly given that there were no plans in place to decarbonise the city when we took over the administration from, ironically, the Green Party.
49. Councillor Earthey
Has the 2024 Weed Management Campaign based on Glyphosate been a success in terms of its original objectives and terms of reference?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
Yes, broadly speaking, the feedback has been that the situation is much improved, although it was a challenging year with rainfall both supporting growth and disrupting the programme.
50. Councillor Earthey
How many areas of the City opted out of using Glyphosate, and tackled the weed problem manually?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
There was no opt-out scheme active in 2024. However, the council supported 9 volunteers/groups with manual weeding by providing tools and bag collections.
51. Councillor Earthey
Did the results of manual weed removed compare favourably with those using Glyphosate?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
It is not possible to make a direct comparison. Glyphosate was applied 3 times throughout the year, but there are no streets that we know were weeded manually 3 times.
52. Councillor Earthey
What lessons from the 2024 Campaign can be learned for the 2025 Weed Management Campaign, including the use (or not) of Glyphosate?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
There was some concern that our decision to use the controlled droplet application method, which uses a lower concentration applied in a targeted manner, might not be effective. However, we are satisfied it was effective and that there is therefore no case for considering the traditional application method.
The programme of treatment started later than ideal in 2024, due to the procurement process, meaning that growth was more established than ideal at the beginning of the programme.
In some cases, residents conflate weed growth with basal tree shoots, and there were some locations where weeds in the footway were cleared but the basal growth, which is done through a combination of council staff and a different contract, was not cut back.
We will be seeking to coordinate this more effectively in 2025 and ensure that basal growth is cut back in line with the City Parks service standards agreed by Cabinet in late 2024.
53. Councillor Earthey
Can and will BHCC commit to ensuring that resident-groups intending to opt out of any 2025 Campaign based on chemical weedkillers will be properly equipped with tools appropriate to manual weed removal?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
As in 2024, any volunteers wishing to undertake manual weeding in 2025 can ask the council’s Tidy Up Team to provide tools and sacks. Waste will also be collected by the council, making it as easy as possible for volunteer activity to take place. I’d like to thank those who did this work in their communities in 2024.
54. Councillor Earthey
Can and will BHCC commit to banning the use of Neonicotinoids pesticides on its parks, green spaces, and other land because of their known toxicity to bees?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
The council does not currently use neonicotinoids in any of its operations. The new government is progressing a national ban on neonicotinoids, which we support. As such, a ban in the council would be largely symbolic, but we are reviewing whether there is a practical case.
55. Councillor Earthey
How will the rise in Employers’ NI contributions impact on BHCC’s current staffing costs?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
The estimated cost of the Employers’ National Insurance increase for General Fund council services is £4.1 million. Our understanding of the Provisional Local Government Financial Settlement is that government grant funding of approximately £2.5 million will be provided, which is a shortfall of £1.6 million.
We have raised this as a serious concern in the associated consultation response to the settlement, and are continuing to lobby government for further overall funding for Local Government.
At this point, the shortfall is included in the overall budget position and the calculation of projected budget gap for 2025/26 for which savings proposals to address the shortfall will be brought to Cabinet and Budget Council in February.
For the Council Housing Management (HRA) budget, the impact is expected to be around £700,000. However, the government is not providing protection for HRA’s and this cost will therefore be factored into the overall HRA budget proposals to Cabinet and Budget Council. The government’s change of policy to allow rents to increase by CPI inflation + 1% over the next 5 years will assist in addressing this cost.
For schools, the estimated cost is circa £3.6m, and we have been making enquiries to the Department for Education on how this will be handled.
56. Councillor Earthey
Will the rise in Employers’ NI contributions prevent BHCC from being able to replace current staff lost through natural wastage, and prevent the hire of new staff for expanding areas such as AI and climate change?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
As noted in a response to another question about the Employers’ National Insurance increase, the cost of this has been factored into the council’s overall budget projections. The shortfall in funding protection therefore results in additional savings requirements which may impact specific services identified for savings or cost reduction measures. However, these will be clearly identified as part of the budget proposals to Cabinet and Budget Council in February. The rise in National Insurance should not therefore have a council-wide impact and we remain committed to investment in digital services and technological advances as these can help us achieve future efficiencies and economies.
57. Councillor Earthey
The i360 consists of the tower itself and some entertainment space around the base. Is it possible to re-open the entertainment space so that there will be some revenue coming in from events, and lessen the number of staff redundancies?
Reply from Councillor Taylor, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance & City Regeneration:
The council does not own the land the i360 is on, nor the lease of the building itself, as such we cannot open or operate the spaces. However, the i360 is expected to be purchased out of administration by a new operator at the end of this month. It is expected that the new buyer will develop plans about how it wants to operate the tower and the facilities at the base – including the land around it. But it is expected to continue to operate in a way that attracts visitors to that part of the seafront and employs staff.
58. Councillor Earthey
Is the level of 2025 BHCC funding for the Brighton and Hove Climate Change, Sustainability and Environmental Education Programme for ‘Our City Our World’ be increased to at least match inflation?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
The ‘Our City Our World’ programme is fully funded by The Aquifer Project (TAP) until August 2025. It is a strategic priority of The Living Coast UNESCO Biosphere, of which BHCC is lead partner, to continue this programme if possible. This will depend on availability of funding after August 2025. This funding is currently being sought. BHCC provides in-kind contribution to ‘Our City Our World’ through administrative, management and Line Management support.
59. Councillor Earthey
Many if not most schools in the City have ageing fossil-fuel boilers which are coming up for replacement, or due for major servicing involving new parts that are increasingly hard to obtain. The risk of a systemic, large-scale heating-system failure across the City’s schools is rising. At the same time, Central Government is committed to phasing out fossil-fuel boilers. Does BHCC have sufficient funds to cover a city-wide programme of fossil-fuel boiler-repair and/or boiler-replacement if requested by the City’s schools or caused by systemic failure?
Reply from Councillor Daniel, Cabinet Member for Children, Families, Youth Services & for Ending Violence Against Women & Girls:
As the funds will be derived from the Capital Planned Maintenance Budget, which is to be drafted for 2025-26, there will be a limited amount of funds that will be available. There is, however, a match-funding stream from Central Government, which is the Public Sector Decarbonisation scheme that can be applied for. It may be possible to replace boilers which are close to complete breakdown. Following a recent survey carried out, two schools have been identified where these are to be replaced. As part of a wider programme, we are enhancing and improving many schools’ infrastructure in relation to electrical, mechanical and other building facets.
60. Councillor Earthey
Are any pilot schemes being offered to Brighton schools who wish to trial greener, non-fossil-fuel heating technologies? (By acting as a ‘Guinea Pig’ for the trial, the school would receive a subsidy for switching to the new heating technology.)
Reply from Councillor Daniel, Cabinet Member for Children, Families, Youth Services & for Ending Violence Against Women & Girls:
We have had one successful application to date, and we are planning to implement low carbon heating in one (Peter Gladwin) school over the Summer 2025. This would effectively be the council’s first gas-free school.
We have recently conducted a “look ahead” exercise to identify the expected end-of-life dates for heating systems across our school sites so that we can sequence fabric and other improvements in such a way that means schools will be ready for a low carbon heating system when their gas boiler needs replacing.
61. Councillor Bagaeen
Snakey Hill (King George VI Avenue) in Westdene and Hove Park impassable with a small amount of snow on 8 January 2025. The Toads Hole Valley development site is on Snakey Hill and roads in and out of the site connect into Snakey Hill.
Will the Council open conversations with the new owners of the Toads Hole Valley development site to revisit access roads ahead of the site’s planning permission hitting its 3 year anniversary in June 2025?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you, Councillor Bagaeen, for your question. The outline planning application for the redevelopment of Toads Hole Valley approved the access to the site. The 3 access points to the site have already been agreed. The assessment of the application was subject to a Road Safety Assessment and was agreed by the council’s Highway’s team and National Highways. Additional safety measures were approved as part of the application to the main King George VI Avenue including crossings and a downgrading of the speed limit to 30mph.
Given the approved application with the access agreed following careful safety assessment and mitigation measures, to revisit this now is not considered a reasonable course of action.
The highways team also arranged for gangs to grit every footway outside medical / educational establishments, to ensure as much continuity across the network as possible.
62. Councillor Bagaeen
When Hove was hit by snow in early January 2025, Court Farm Road and Snakey Hill Snakey Hill (King George VI Avenue) very quickly became impassable. As a council, we must be better prepared and more resilient. In December 2022, when the delicately put together gritting rota for Brighton and Hove’s residential streets fell apart, I challenged the then administration to do better next time. The speed by which chaos descended on 8 January 2025 looks like the snow had taken everyone by surprise.
What went wrong with the street gritting rota on 8 January 2025? And how can the Council do better next time to keep our roads open?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
The afternoon forecast was for light rain from 1pm turning to heavy rain from 3pm onwards. Applying treatment before or during heavy rainfall is ineffective as it washes off and is not on the road surface when it is needed. We could, therefore, not apply treatment until the rain stopped.
The network had been treated prior to the snow arriving. However the rain that afternoon had washed away much of that treatment. The weather sensors on the gritters still showed residual salt on the network during the snow event.
The gritters were mobilised by 4pm, less than an hour after it started snowing, some two hours ahead of their scheduled 6pm departure.
Unfortunately, due to rush hour, and the volume of traffic, the gritters were impeded and wereunable to reach their routes in the time they usually do. The gritter fleet continued gritting through the night to ensure that the city received treatment.
The highways team also arranged for gangs to grit every footway outside medical / educational establishments, to ensure as much continuity across the network as possible.
63. Councillor Bagaeen
For residents living off Colebrook Road, by the Withdean Sports Complex, it has become increasingly dangerous exiting from side roads onto Colebrook Road, especially since the introduction of paid parking at the Sports Complex. Most recently, there was an road traffic collision on Boxing Day.
Would the Council agree to installing mirrors on the opposite side of the road to serve the three roads off Colebrook Road?
Reply from Councillor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport, Parking & Public Realm:
Thank you, Councillor Bagaeen, for your question. It is BHCC Policy not to install mirrors on the Public Highway, with limited exceptions for example where there is a proven collision record.
Colebrook Road is relatively lightly trafficked road and that has multiple driveways along it, generally quite similar in nature. It is important that we approach requests in a fair and reasonable way, adhering to our policy without stretching our maintenance teams’ limited capacity within Council resources who would be required to install, maintain and manage the removal of such features which don’t tend to have a long shelf live.
Residents can consider installing a white line across their driveways to protect the access / exit from parked cars and therefore improve visibility. There is a cost for this and information can be found White access protection marking for driveways
I will ensure that officers attend the site to investigate your concerns to see if something could be done.
64. Councillor Bagaeen
The Deneway railway tunnel as you enter Westdene has been heavily targeted with graffiti in recent weeks. Residents have expressed concerns that this could begin to spread into Westdene shops if not tackled more quickly and regularly.
What is the Council’s plan for partnering with Network Rail to target graffiti and tagging in Westdene?
Reply from Councillor Rowkins, Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services:
Thank you for your question and for bringing this to our attention.
The Environmental Enforcement Team have been in contact with Network Rail. They have confirmed that this has been added to their “workbank” which means it will get actioned soon.
If we don’t see action soon, we will proceed with issuing a CPW requesting that the graffiti is removed within 28 days. If they do not comply, further action will be taken.