Council Agenda Item 102(a)

Subject: Petition for Debate 

Date of meeting: 26 March 2026

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

1.         SUMMARY AND POLICY CONTEXT:

1.1 Under the Council’s Petition Scheme if a petition contains more than 1,250 signatures and is not petition requesting officer evidence, it will be debated by the Full Council.

2.         RECOMMENDATIONS:

2.1 That the petition is noted.

3.        RELEVANT BACKGROUND INFORMATION / CHRONOLOGY OF KEY EVENTS:

3.1      To receive the following petition:

Save Wellington House Learning Disability Day Centre in Brighton & Hove

We, the undersigned, call on Brighton & Hove City Council to immediately withdraw the proposal to close Wellington House Day Options. This is the last remaining council run Day Centre for Adults with Learning disabilities and Complex needs in Brighton & Hove.

We urge the Council to protect this essential, specialist service for adults with complex learning disabilities and ensure that the city's most vulnerable community members are not forced to pay the price for budget cuts.

Wellington House is not just a building—it is a lifeline.

Why this closure is a disaster for our city:

Expertise That Can’t Be Replaced: Wellington House supports adults with high-level, complex needs and challenging behaviour. The staff are specialists in de-escalation and safety. Independent providers are often unable or unwilling to take on this level of care.

Preventing Family Breakdown: For parents and sibling carers, Wellington House provides the only reliable respite in their week. Without it, many families will reach a breaking point, leading to the collapse of home care arrangements.

A False Economy: Closing this centre to save money today will cost the taxpayer more tomorrow. When these placements fail, the Council will be forced to fund expensive, emergency out-of-area residential care.

The proposals to close the centre are due to be discussed at the cabinet meeting on 12th February and then voted on at the budget meeting on 26th February, but there has been no publicity about the proposal nor opportunity for impacted families or local residents to have their say. We need to show the Council that the people of Brighton & Hove value dignity and safety over short-term savings.

4.         PROCEDURE:

4.1 The petition will be debated at the Council meeting in accordance with the agreed protocol:

(i) The Lead petitioner will be invited by the Mayor to present the petition and will have up to 3 minutes in which to outline the petition and confirm the number of signatures;

(ii) The Mayor will then open the matter up for debate by councillors for period of 15 minutes and will first call on the relevant Cabinet Member to respond to the petition and move a proposed response. The Mayor will then call on those councillors who have indicated a desire to speak in the matter, before calling on the relevant Cabinet Member to respond to the debate;

(iii) An amendment to the recommendation in paragraph 2.1 of the report or to add additional recommendations should be submitted by 10.00am on the day before the meeting; otherwise it will be subject to the Mayor’s discretion as to being appropriate.  Any such amendment will need to be formally moved and seconded at the meeting;

(iv) After the 15 minutes set aside for the debate, the Mayor will then formally put:

(v) (a) Any amendments in the order in which they are moved, and

(b) The substantive recommendation(s) as amended (if amended).