Brighton & Hove City Council
Cabinet
2.00pm14 May 2026
Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall
MINUTES
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Present: Councillor Sankey (Chair) Taylor (Deputy Chair), Alexander, Allen, Daniel, Miller, Muten, Robins, Rowkins, Williams and Robinson |
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PART ONE
175 Procedural Business
175a Declarations of interests
175.1 There were none.
175b Exclusion of the press and public
175.2 In accordance with Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (“the Act”), the Committee considered whether the public should be excluded from the meeting during consideration of any item of business on the grounds that it is likely in view of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during it, there would be disclosure to them of confidential information as defined in Section 100A (3) of the Act.
176 Minutes
176.1 Resolved- That the minutes of the previous meeting be approved as the correct record.
177 Chair's Communications
177.1 The Chair provided the following Communications:
“I would like to start by acknowledging and recognising the terrible tragedy that took place in this city just a matter of days ago. Early yesterday morning, our emergency services discovered and recovered the bodies of three women off the coast of Brighton, just along by our Marina.
I want to pay tribute to the emergency services for a very swift, collaborative and professional response. I know that the police, the RNLI, the Coastguard, our seafront team have been working exceptionally hard to try and identify these three women and to understand the circumstances of their deaths. I understand from the police today that the women have been identified and that their loved ones have been informed and are receiving support from specialist trained officers.
It's an absolutely devastating thing to happen and I know that I speak on behalf of the city when I say that we are deeply saddened and deeply distressed at this tragedy and I want to send my very sincere condolences, heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of these women who will be receiving the news today and I do that on behalf of everybody in Brighton and Hove.
I also want to take a moment at the start of this meeting to recognise and express our collective horror at the terror attack that took place in Golden's Green just a matter of weeks ago. The latest in anti-Semitic terror attacks have taken place across London over the past several months and obviously we saw last year
in the autumn, a similar terrorist attack at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester. I know that these attacks have had a very real impact on Jewish people in this country, Jewish residents including in this city. The whole point of terrorism is to invoke terror and fear.
in those that are being targeted and that has happened. I know from speaking to Jewish residents in the city across many months and years that that fear is real and it is understandable. People feel concerned going about their day-to-day business, going into the centre of town, being and appearing visibly Jewish in the current climate of a rise
in anti-Semitism. I want to once again send my message of solidarity to say that this city council is doing everything that we can and should do to try and reassure our Jewish communities, whether that is removing offensive and racist graffiti, whether it is implementing anti-Semitic training for our staff and partners.
and thinking about specific security concerns that the community has in the city and that work continues and our solidarity continues. Since we last met three weeks ago, we've been continuing to put residents' priorities into action and to make progress. We released evidence
just last week or the week, possibly the week before, about the impact of red routes in Lewis Road, where we have seen an improvement in air quality, a reduction in safety incidents, and also an increase in footfall since that red route was implemented. And today, residents will have seen our announcement
Of a new red route planned for Western Road.
We have started restoring our heritage lanterns on the seafront. The first five lanterns are being put back up along our promenade. And it was a pleasure to go down there, speak to the team and to see all the brilliant hard work that has been done to restore these beautiful and unique
Brighton assets and we look forward to seeing more of those go up in the coming weeks. We've opened our paddling pools for the summer and reopened Victoria Park public toilets in Port Slade. We've reopened Colin Lane, which I know is a very popular walking route for residents. And from the 1st of May, the Renters Rights Act
has come into force, which is incredibly important and significant in this city, where we know we have such a high number of renters. So from the beginning of this month, you cannot be evicted without a valid reason. Your tenancy will be periodic with no fixed end date. There'll be a maximum of 1 rent rise per year with two months notice.
and renters can challenge unfair rent rises in the tribunal. Landlords cannot discriminate based on benefits or having children and you can request to keep a pet and any refusal of that request must be reasonable. These are real, genuine, tangible increases in renters' rights, thanks to our Labour government, and we're working hand in hand with them
On implementation and making sure that renters in Brighton can have their rights upheld.
We have also in the last few weeks appointed an independent chair of our inequality review, a woman named Polly Herbert, who has a huge amount of experience with the city, lived experience of the issues that this review is getting to grips with. I had a really good meeting with Polly earlier this week. I think she's excellent. I think she's going to do some brilliant and much needed work.
in the city. Our children and our primary schools have been naming our waste food trucks and we've got some brilliant names. West Blatchington children have named their food truck Food Waste Hunters. We've got Leftovers Express thanks to Rudyard Kipling. We've got a Waste Warrior thanks to Hartford.
primary. But I must say that my absolute favourite is Breddie Mercury. And it's not down to the fact that that was the idea that emanated from Stanford Infants, which is my old school. But I think they look brilliant. The designs and the pictures look lovely as well. So thank you to our children for all their creativity and imagination.
We've put forward our final design for the A259, including listening again to residents and ensuring that we're getting the details of that design right. And I thank everyone that contributed to that consultation. And earlier this week, the government has launched its next consultation on local government reorganisation. I'm really pleased to see that our proposals
for expanding the footprint of this city and merging with areas to our east has been put forward as a proposal by the government and I urge residents to take a look at the proposals, to think about the issues and to respond to the consultation. We've had a boost to the funding available for our school and hospital meals and we will be driving towards more nutritious meals in the city.
one of five places selected by the government for this pilot programme, which is really exciting. And just to let everybody know that I've got a leader surgery in Round Hill coming up next week. There are still places available if anyone wants to come and speak to me or to ask me anything. Turning to today's Cabinet agenda, we are formally commencing work on the new city plan.
or that's being proposed today. This is potentially a decisive step towards a plan for the city which supports housing delivery, sustainable growth, and the protection of our valued green spaces. We've secured over 100,000 pounds in government funding linked to clear milestones, including getting to Gateway One by October.
And this work will build on the very strong engagement that we saw last year, with more than 700 residents already having a say on our priorities, such as affordability and density, with further consultation to follow this summer if we decide to go ahead today. We are on track meeting deadlines and unlocking funding for this work.
We're also responding today clearly to residents' expectations on electric vehicle charging, with a report coming on that subject. People have told us that reliability and access matter the most, and the proposals before us set forward a path to move us from around 500 charge points that we currently have in the city to more than 6,000.
by 2040, supported by Levy funding, long term contracts, ultra rapid hubs and cross pavement solutions. I personally am particularly excited by the cross pavement proposed trial for Blue Badge holders and taxis as a first step towards making electric charging more affordable for those households that don't have
driveways in the city because we know that we have many of them. On public transport, we're proposing an additional 1.5 million in this financial year to extend free bus travel for older and disabled residents beyond the statutory minimum. This is a clear statement of our commitment to fairness, access and independence.
and we are seeking to manage financial and contractual risk carefully. On cleaner air, we have a report today that is all geared towards strengthening our smoke control areas to reduce harmful domestic pollution, protect health and support our climate objectives. And we also have a report today on our housing asset management plan about prioritising safety,
bringing long-term voids back into use for temporary accommodation and taking strategic decisions where they will deliver better outcomes overall. We have a paper on housing safety and quality. Resident safety remains A non-negotiable priority for this administration.
The progress update before us, I think, shows real momentum. Surveys commencing from July, accelerated action on damp and mould in line with our law, and regular resident forums to strengthen accountability and trust. This is about sustained improvement, not one-off fixes, and maintaining pace is what really matters here.
We also have a late paper today on Brickfields, and we'll come to that later on in the agenda.
This is a council that knows what it's here to deliver, understands the national context that we're operating in, and is confident in its ability to act. And I commend today's agenda to the Cabinet as another step forward for a stronger, fairer, and greener Brighton and Hove.
178 Call Over
178.1 All items on the agenda were reserved for discussion.
179 Public Involvement
(B) Public Questions
1) Working towards cleaner air for Brighton & Hove through improved smoke control areas
179.1 Rob Whittingdon read the following question:
Given that Smoke Control Area legislation specifically permits the use of significantly lower emitting DEFRA-exempt appliances and DEFRA
authorised smokeless fuels, and given the differing public messages Brighton residents have received in recent years regarding solid fuel use, how does the council intend to ensure that residents are provided with clear and balanced guidance, not only about what will be prohibited under the expanded SCA rules, but also about the lawful and lower-emission forms of solid fuel use that remain permitted?
179.2 Councillor Rowkins provided the following reply:
Thanks for coming with the question today. So our approach to this policy area has been and will remain data led. We will be communicating clearly what is and is not permitted within a new smoke control area if it is approved today and helping to ensure the residents know how to remain compliant. If we do approve this today, we'll obviously have several months to, you know, do some messaging ahead of it coming into effect for the winter season. We will, however, continue to raise awareness of the health impacts of fine particulate matter and that there is, in essence, no such thing as clean burning.
180 Issues Raised by Members
180.1 A copy of the questions received was circulated ahead of the meeting. Responses provided both at the meeting and in writing are as follows:
1) Councillor Meadows - City Plan - formal commencement of plan making
Has there been any consultation with ward councillors concerning the City Plan, especially if changes are proposed for their wards?
Response: Cllr Taylor
All ward members were invited to comment during the Key Issues consultation which ran from November 2024 – January 2025. Ward members will also be invited to comment on the consultation that will run in the summer of this year. There are no specific policies or site allocations at this stage as this is the initial step to decide to proceed with plan preparation.
2) Councillor Meadows - City Plan - formal commencement of plan making
How can ward councillors input into the City Plan?
Response: Cllr Taylor
All ward members were invited to comment during the Key Issues consultation which ran from November 2024 – January 2025. Ward members will also be invited to comment on the consultation stages as the plan progresses as set out in the timetable that is due to be agreed today.
3) Councillor Meadows - City Plan - formal commencement of plan making
Which scrutiny committee did any consultation possibly go through? When?
Response: Cllr Taylor
Updates on city plan have been to the Place Overview and Scrutiny committee on October 2024 and July 2025. An update is due to be discussed at a committee meeting in July 2026.
4) Councillor McNair - City Plan - formal commencement of plan making
What areas in Patcham & Hollingbury and Westdene & Hove Park are earmarked for change and development, for example for housing and Park & Ride?
Response: Cllr Taylor
At this stage of the plan making process there are no potential development sites allocated or detailed policy proposals. The previous key issues consultation stage included a call for sites and later consultations will also include a call for sites which will be reviewed as the plan progresses.
5) Councillor Meadows- Improving Electric Charging Infrastructure
Will ward councillors and residents be given ample opportunity to see where proposed charging points are going to be located to help prevent mistakes/other issues arising?
Response: Cllr Muten
Thank you, Cllr Meadows, for your question.
All proposed sites that require a dedicated EV bay which are typically Fast and Rapid chargepoints are subject to the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation process.
Lower-powered lamp column chargepoints, which make up the majority of the 7,000 being delivered, do not require dedicated bays and are installed alongside existing parking provision.
Ward Members receive monthly programme updates and are encouraged to raise any questions or concerns with the project team. While sites are identified using data and officer assessment, we recognise the importance of local insight and are continuing to strengthen how this informs delivery.
6) Councillor Meadows- Improving Electric Charging Infrastructure
Why aren't consultations routinely emailed to ward councillors so we can advertise them to residents?
Response: Cllr Muten
Thank you, Cllr Meadows, for your question.
Ward Councillors are currently emailed details of any proposed Traffic Regulation Orders in their wards that will change parking restrictions, which they can share with residents. These proposals are then advertised in local papers.
The council is investing in new software which will also allow residents to see all proposed Traffic Regulation Order changes and comment directly online. This will be available in the summer and we will ensure the process includes advanced notification to Ward Councillors. This is in addition to monthly updates to all councillors on the rollout of lamp post chargers where parking restrictions are unchanged.
7) Councillor Meadows - Working towards cleaner air for Brighton & Hove through improved smoke control areas
How will the proposed smoke free zone be enforced?
Response: Cllr Rowkins
There will be a six-month lead-in period before the new Smoke Control Area comes into effect. During this time, a programme of communications will be delivered to ensure residents are aware of the new requirements and understand how to comply.
As per our enforcement pilot in 2024-25, enforcement will follow a proportionate, three-stage approach. Our aim is to educate, inform and engage in the first instance, progressing to more formal action where problems persist. That will include the option of a Fixed Penalty Notice where problems persist.
8) Councillor Meadows - Working towards cleaner air for Brighton & Hove through improved smoke control areas
Will this larger smoke free zone lead to more neighbour disputes? How will the council help resolve them?
Response: Cllr Rowkins
We anticipate an increase in complaints during the first year following implementation, reflecting the extension of the Smoke Control Area across the wider urban area and the awareness thereof. A graduated three-stage enforcement approach will be applied, starting with informal engagement and escalating where necessary.
It is not expected that the introduction of the Smoke Control Area will lead to an increase in neighbour disputes, as there is an established mechanism in place to investigate and resolve complaints where sufficient evidence is provided.
9) Councillor Meadows - Council Housing Asset Management Plan
Considering the costs, does the Council have any plans for bringing Seaside Homes in-house? Why/why not?
Response: Cllr Williams
As agreed at the joint Housing and Policy & Resources Committee meeting, concerning ‘Future Options for the Management of Temporary Accommodation’ in February 2023, the Council continues to seek to end the current Local Delivery Vehicle arrangement in order to bring the temporary accommodation currently leased to Seaside Homes back into Council control.
In line with the delegated authority, the Council is undertaking engagement and due diligence work required to make a final decision.
Given the complexity related to the contractual relationship with the organisation, we have brought in dedicated resources to complete the council due diligence by summer 2026 and intend to report back to Cabinet in the autumn.
10) Councillor McLeay - Housing Safety and Quality: Our Improvement Journey
While I can see that fire risk assessment (FRA) remediation work is taking place, my understanding is that FRA findings are still not being shared with residents. Article 21A of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that the risks identified in FRAs, and the measures to address them, are communicated to residents and updated when assessments change. Can you confirm BHCC are now sharing FRA information with residents, and if not, why not?
Response: Cllr Williams
Thank you very much for your question. Yes, I can confirm that. In line with our duties under Article 21A of the regulatory form Fire Safety Order 2005, the council provides residents with fire safety information through annual letters to high rise residents, fire action notices, building specific communications, evacuation information and updates when fire safety works are planned or underway. Further information is available on the council's website including high-rise building safety resident engagement strategy and fire safety in council flats.
11) Councillor Lademacher - Housing Safety and Quality: Our Improvement Journey
Given that the regulator of social housing issued BHCC with a C3 rating on August 2024 for 'serious failings' in delivering the safety and quality standard, and considering the additional duties arising from Awaab's Law, can you outline what assurances can be given to council tenants that reports of damp and mould and other emergency and urgent hazards will be resolved within the required timescales and what support can be provided to council tenants who have been living in unsafe conditions for extended periods of time?
Response: Cllr Williams
Thank you for that question. So, I would like to begin with, as this Chamber is aware, and I'll just remind the Chamber that has been asked the question, this Administration inherited the conditions leading to the rating. And this is due to historic lack of investment and I have to say, in action by the previous Administration.
Nevertheless, we've taken the task of rectifying and improving conditions for our residents because it really is important to emphasise that they are the important ones and they are at the heart of what we do and I'm proud of what we've achieved so far. As part of our work to become a great landlord, we are committed to improving the safety for and responsiveness to and satisfaction of our residents. And I'll set out in our housing safety and quality report our improvement journey
and progress update for the Cabinet today is very positive and it shows continuous and measurable progress across the compliance areas highlighted in the regulators C3 rating.
Now, in preparation for AWAB's law, which I think is what you wanted me to talk about, ahead of the enactment of that, way ahead, we were in time and we were ready to go, we strengthened our response. So, we stood up, a dedicated team, headed by, I have to say, our incredible Mikila, and I really want to say she has been utterly incredible with her and her team in preparation. And we've strengthened our responses immeasurably with that special team to address damp mould and other urgent hazards. And quite right too, and that's exactly what we should be doing. And this is through proactive outreach. We've actually asked people to come and report to us being proactive in encouraging people to come and report to us so that we can help them with damp and mould. Nobody should live with that. That's absolutely right. We've got specialist case management software, and we've got regular performance monitoring, which is really, really important. And we are further increasing because we have such a lot of incidents and issues reported to us, we are increasing in-house and contracted damp and mould remediation capacity. This is so important and I'm so pleased that we're going in this direction in our journey. We are shifting towards more planned preventative maintenance models to alleviate pressures on the service and this is really the key and this is really the service that we want to be providing and are going towards providing. It's what our residents deserve and thank you so much for your question.
12) Councillor Pickett - Working towards cleaner air for Brighton & Hove through improved smoke control areas
Given that, as your report states, there is a risk that solid fuel appliances installed from 2026/27 may remain in use well beyond 2040, how will the council encourage or help those residents who feel financially unable to move on from heating using wood burning stoves and will there be financial aid for those struggling to do so?
Response: Cllr Rowkins
Thanks, Councillor Pickett, for the question. So just to preface the answer, obviously, if this is approved today, any stoves installed from this point onwards would necessarily be smoke control area and Defra approved. So they would still be able to continue using those stoves. But to come to the substantive answer, burning solid fuels, including in wood burning stoves, is in most cases a secondary source of heating and not the primary method through which people heat their homes. Of course, there are variables such as the property size and type of property, but heating by burning solid fuels is generally not cheaper than using other types of heating. And that's because maintaining a consistent supply of suitable fuels. For anything beyond occasional use, can be very expensive.
Under a new, enlarged smoke control area, any new appliances installed in homes in the city would need to be Defra approved, and residents who have older, non-compliant stoves would still have the option of burning approved fuels.
Support is also available via the council website for anybody who's struggling with the cost of heating their homes. Thanks for the question.
13) Councillor West - Improving Electric Charging Infrastructure
The report sets an ambition of supporting transition to EV by 2040. It states 8,000 charge points will be needed. However the Cabinet is only planning to provide 6,000 by 2040, 75% of what is said to be required. Does the Cabinet member accept that the inadequacy of his plan seems set to hamper the city fully achieving this important element of net zero?
Response: Cllr Muten
Thank you, Cllr West, for your question and for highlighting our administration’s ambition to fully achieve net zero for our city.
Unlike the Green Party in administration, who had no plan, only vacuous words, this Labour administration has taken a clear, data-led approach to deliver. In 2023, we commissioned the Decarbonisation Pathways Study, which identified that thousands more chargepoints are needed for the city’s transport system to reach net zero.
The figures in our EV Charging Plan are deliberately presented as forecasts, reflecting inherent uncertainty in demand through to 2040. The upper estimate of 8,000 chargepoints reflects a high-demand scenario. Under lower-demand scenarios there is greater utilisation of faster chargers and continued improvements in vehicle range and charging efficiency. With a greater use of rapid charging, the minimum requirement is currently estimated at approximately 1,650 chargepoints. With improved vehicle efficiency and a mix of slower residential provision and higher-powered rapid and ultra-rapid infrastructure, we expect to be ahead of our target.
In practice, we are already delivering at scale. With our partner char.gy, we are proposing up to 6,000 lamp column chargepoints, building on the 500+ installed with Blink. We also aim to deliver up to 1,000 fast chargepoints; and in partnership with Believ, around 200 rapid chargepoints launching this summer, and at least two ultra-rapid hubs.
Our delivery programme of up to 6,000 chargepoints by 2040 should not therefore be seen as a fixed ceiling, but as a scalable and responsive delivery plan. It has been designed to align with observed uptake, technological advancements, and funding opportunities over time, rather than overcommitting public resources based on a single high-end projection.
This work is complemented by wider investment across the city, including the NHS, universities, businesses, filling stations and residents installing home chargers.
Unlike the Greens who say and do not do, this data-led Labour administration plans to deliver.
We are confident not only of meeting our targets but exceeding them - positioning our city as a national leader in EV infrastructure through a credible, delivery-focused approach.
14) Councillor Sykes - Investing in subsidised bus travel
The negotiated fixed deal with bus operators is estimated at £11.3m (s3.5), yet the resulting budget pressure over the £11m approved budget for concessionary fares is £1.5m (s6.1), implying an overall cost of £12.5m. The financial implications are significant as they require an additional £1.5m of in-year savings, but the calculation of the origin of this £1.5m pressure is not clear. Please clarify and if necessary confirm that the total projected cost of covering concessionary fares in 2026-27 is indeed £12.5m.
Response: Cllr Muten
The total projected cost of covering concessionary fares by all bus operators is £12.5m as explained in Financial Implications section of the report, paragraph 6.1 Information about how the Council has identified savings to meet this investment is contained in paragraph 6.2 of this report. The budgeted amount to come from parking income as agreed as part of the 26/27 annual budget process is £11m.
15) Councillor Sykes - Investing in subsidised bus travel
Referencing the table in s3.7 please provide a separate figure, within the £200k funding to go beyond statutory provision, for the cost of providing subsidised fares to older persons travelling between 11pm and 3.59am on weekdays.
Response: Cllr Muten
Thank you Cllr Sykes for your question.
Over the last financial year the cost of providing subsidised fares to older persons travelling between 11pm and 3.59am was approximately £12,000.
16) Councillor Shanks - Update on Housing Management of Brickfields Development
In January Cabinet we were told that an independent valuation will be sought and this risk is considered unlikely but would have a significant impact. If the council’s costs cannot be covered then Alternative Option 1: council acts as landlord and procures an external managing agent will be explored instead.
Whilst the total development costs have not been met the received offer will achieve the best consideration that can reasonably be obtained when generating the capital receipt for the property.
Why has cabinet changed its mind? The proposed provider is the only one who is prepared to take this on so why not look again at the council running the provision. 125 years is a very long time.
Response: Cllr Alexander
So as in the Cabinet report recommendation, we have visited, revisited options and carried out detailed modelling that confirms that the least option continues to be the most financially viable option.
If the council was the landlord, then we'd have to pay all of the development costs, as well as the cost of the planned and major works and any voids. It is also not possible for us to reclaim 100% of the housing benefits subsidy, which we can do.
If a registered provider is the landlord and also if the council were to be the landlord, we would face future issues such as residents being able to legally continue staying at Brickfields, even if they no longer required the care and the support that they needed when they first moved in.
And this would, of course, take away valuable space for a person who needs it.
17) Councillor McLeay - Housing Safety and Quality: Our Improvement Journey
In September 2024, Cabinet was told that additional contractors had been appointed to clear the routine repairs backlog by the end of that financial year, yet the target was later revised to December 2025 and the backlog still remains. Repairs and maintenance were specifically highlighted by the Regulator in August 2024 due to a significant backlog of overdue routine repairs, estimated at around 8,000 cases. Now in 2026, with further contractors in place and higher monthly completion rates, can you explain what is preventing the council from clearing the original backlog that concerned the regulator, how those cases are being prioritised, and when residents can realistically expect this backlog to be resolved?
Response: Cllr Williams
We initially engaged two contractors to support backlog reduction. As the volume of outstanding repairs decreased and contractor effectiveness diminished, we transitioned to a more targeted approach, utilising specialist contractors alongside directly employed resources.
The Council has improved monthly completion rates by appointing additional contractors and increasing service efficiency. However, the number of outstanding repairs remains high due to sustained and rising demand.
Since 2024, repairs have increased, driven by higher volumes of resident reporting, proactive inspections, and new statutory requirements, particularly Awaab’s Law, which has generated significant additional work, including extractor fan installations and follow-on repairs.
While the number of repairs exceeding 28 days has increased following the implementation of Awaab’s Law, the service has remained focused on reducing the oldest outstanding cases. This has delivered a significant improvement, with long-outstanding repairs reduced from 104 in October 2025 to 21 in April 2026.
It is important to recognise that, although the service aims to complete repairs within 28 days wherever possible, there are circumstances where this is not achievable. This includes complex or large-scale works, repairs requiring specialist materials, and cases subject to legal processes such as leaseholder consultation.
In October 2025, open repairs stood at 5,126 against 4,449 raised that month, representing a near-balanced work-in-progress (WIP) position. A stable WIP would broadly match or be slightly below monthly demand. Following the introduction of Awaab’s Law on 27 October 2025, demand increased further, widening this gap.
By April 2026, open repairs rose to 7,752 against 4,481 raised, equating to less than 1.5 months of WIP. Although completions have increased, new demand continues at a similar or higher rate, maintaining WIP rather than reducing a historic backlog.
Work is prioritised by risk, with urgent safety, damp and mould, and compliance issues addressed first. Plans focus on increasing capacity through both contractor procurement and expansion of the directly employed workforce, alongside preventative maintenance measures. The objective is to stabilise WIP levels in response to increased demand and keep performance under review.
181 Matters Referred to the Executive
181.1 There were none.
182 Representations from Opposition Members
182.1 Cabinet received a representation from Councillor McLeay on Item 188: Housing Safety and Quality: Our Improvement Journey.
182.2 Cabinet received a representation from Councillor Pickett on Item 186: Working towards cleaner air for Brighton & Hove through improved smoke control areas.
183 City Plan - formal commencement of plan making
183.1 Cabinet considered a report that provided an update on the work so far to produce a new City Plan, and the steps necessary to transition to and progress a ‘new-style’ Local Plan as set out in the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2026 (henceforth the 2026 Regulations).
183.2 Councillors Daniel, Muten, Robins, Taylor, Allen, Williams and Miller asked questions and contributed to the debate of the report.
183.3 Resolved-
1) Cabinet agrees to authorise the issuing and publication of the ‘Notice of intention to commence local plan preparation’ under Regulation 19 of the 2026 Regulations.
2) Cabinet agrees the Local Plan Timetable as set out in Appendix 1 and delegates authority to the Corporate Director, City Operations in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and City Regeneration to update and publish the Local Plan Timetable as required to ensure an up-to-date timetable is publicly available as the preparation of the City Plan progresses.
3) Cabinet approves the approach to the Scoping Consultation as described in paragraph 3.8 of the report in line with Regulation 20 of the 2026 Regulations and delegates authority to agree the consultation text and undertake the consultation to the Corporate Director, City Operations in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and City Regeneration.
4) Cabinet delegates authority to approve, publish and submit the required information for Gateways 1 and 2 as required by the 2026 Regulations, to the Corporate Director, City Operations in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and City Regeneration.
184 Improving Electric Charging Infrastructure
184.1 Cabinet considered a report that provided an update on the council’s progress in installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure, details about the recent procurement of new contracts, the award of government grants, the results from a recent Your Voice survey about EV charging and sets out the council’s plan for how it will be expanding the city’s EV charging network, which will see it increase from 500 chargepoints currently to over 6,000 by 2040.
184.2 Councillors Sankey, Rowkins and Robins contributed to the debate of the report.
184.3 Resolved-
1) That Cabinet notes the award of the LEVI funded 15 year EV charging infrastructure contracts, the development of proposals for Ultra Rapid EV Charging Hubs, and the intention for integrated EV charging infrastructure to form a core element of future Park & Ride schemes.
2) That Cabinet delegates authority to the Corporate Director of City Operations, in consultation with the Cabinet Member, to take all steps necessary to procure a new contract or modify the existing concession contracts following termination of the contract with Blink for the Lot 2 services for the supply, installation, maintenance and operation of 8kW to 50kW EV chargepoints.
3) That Cabinet notes the findings of the EV public consultation undertaken on the council’s Your Voice platform during summer 2025.
4) That Cabinet approves the ‘Electric Vehicle Charging Policies’ as set out in the appendices to this report.
5) That Cabinet agrees to the use of the Department for Transport (DfT) EV Pavement Channel Grant to carry out a cross-pavement EV charging trial as set out in Section 3.4.
185 Investing in subsidised bus travel
185.1 Cabinet considered a report that provided an update on negotiations with bus operators in the city for fixed deals to cover the cost of concessionary fare journeys made by eligible older persons and disabled concessionary pass holders for 2026-27. The Council is investing an additional £1.5m in providing free bus travel to aged and disabled bus pass holders. This includes free bus travel outside of the statutory minimum hours of the scheme.
185.2 Councillor Williams contributed to the debate of the report.
185.3 Resolved-
1) Cabinet notes the progress of negotiations on concessionary fares payments with bus operators and agrees to the payment of the fixed deals as set out in Part 2 of this report.
2) Cabinet confirms the delegated authority granted to the Corporate Director City Operations on 20 March 2025 to conduct and conclude negotiations with all bus operators for the reimbursement of concessionary fares so that expenditure is less than would be otherwise be calculated using the new DfT Calculator.
186 Working towards cleaner air for Brighton & Hove through improved smoke control areas
184.1 Cabinet considered a report that sought approval to reorganise the city’s current Smoke Control Areas into the creation of a new single Smoke Control Order.
184.2 Councillors Sankey, Allen, Muten, Robinson, Robins and Miller asked questions and contributed to the debate of the report.
184.3 Resolved-
That Cabinet:
1) Approve revocation of the five existing SCA (Appendix 1) and the creation of a new single Smoke Control Order for Brighton & Hove.
2) Agree the geographical scope of the new SCA covering the built-up urban area (City Plan Part One area plus the urban fringe) within the council’s Local Planning Authority boundary (Appendix 2).
3) Delegate authority to the Corporate Director City Operations, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Net Zero & Environmental Services, to finalise the Smoke Control Order wording for implementation ensuring compliance with and statutory requirements.
187 Council Housing Asset Management Plan
187.1 Cabinet considered a report that provided the Council Housing Asset Management Plan 2026 to 2027 for approval, publication and implementation. The Plan sets out the council’s current approach and one year framework for managing and investing in council homes and estate assets through the Housing Revenue Account.
187.2 Councillors Robinson, Muten and Williams asked questions and contributed to the debate of the report.
187.3 Resolved-
That Cabinet:
1) Approve the Council Housing Asset Management Plan.
2) Note plans to develop our Council Housing Asset Management Strategy to fully reflect emerging stock condition data, resident engagement and our Housing (Safety & Quality) Improvement Programme 2026 to 2027.
188 Housing Safety and Quality: Our Improvement Journey - Progress Update
188.1 Cabinet considered a report that provided a six-month update on the Council’s response to the Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) C3 Regulatory Judgement (August 2024) relating to the, Safety and Quality Consumer Standard.
188.2 Councillors Sankey, Muten, Daniel and Robins contributed to the debate of the report.
188.3 Resolved-
1) Cabinet note and comment onprogress made with compliance against the Regulator of Social Housing, Safety & Quality Consumer Standard since the last update in December 2025.
2) Cabinet endorse the Housing (Safety & Quality) Improvement Programme 2026/27 and our work toward becoming a Great Landlord outlined in the report and attached as Appendix 1.
189 Investing in subsidised bus travel (Exempt Category 3)
As per the Part Two minutes.
190 Part Two minutes of the previous meeting
184.1 Resolved- That the Part Two minutes of the previous meeting be approved as the correct record.
191 Part Two Proceedings
191.1 Resolved- That Cabinet agreed that the confidential items listed on the agenda remain exempt from disclosure to the press and public.
192 Update on Housing Management of Brickfields Development
184.1 Cabinet considered a report that approval to grant a 125-year lease to a Registered Provider to provide the landlord and housing management function for the Brickfields supported living service.
184.2 Councillor Sankey contributed to the debate.
184.3 The Corporate Director- Homes & Adult Social Care explained that the decision centered upon borrowing on an asset that is effectively sold and would deliver identified savings. It would also enable the council to bring people currently housed in care in locations outside the city which was an important part of the Adult Social Care Improvement Plan.
184.4 Resolved-
1) Cabinet agrees to enter into a 125 year lease with the selected Registered Provider, Southdown for the best consideration reasonably obtainable in accordance with this report and the Part 2 Report.
2) Cabinet delegates authority to the Corporate Director for Homes and Adult Social Care in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Communities, Equalities, Public Health & Adult Social Care to grant a 125-year lease to Southdown, and to enter into any ancillary documentation for the Brickfields building.
193 Update on Housing Management of Brickfields Development (Exempt Category 3)
As per the Part Two minutes.
The meeting concluded at 3.05pm