Date of meeting: 16 July 2026

A period of not more than thirty minutes shall be allowed at each ordinary meeting for questions submitted by a member of the public.

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

1. Kendrick Tugwell: Item 27 - More recycling less waste

Regarding Agenda Item 27, the Cabinet justifies the £1.3 million investment for fortnightly collections by noting that 80% of English councils use this model to save money. However, copying a rural and suburban approach in Brighton and Hove completely ignores our extreme urban density, high rental sector, and the thousands of HMOs lacking adequate bin storage. This lack of capacity will inevitably lead to street overflow and spike our MRF contamination penalties, which cost up to £164 per tonne for diverted waste. Given these local realities, what exact fiscal stress testing has the Cabinet done to guarantee that hidden contamination and fly-tipping costs will not wipe out the projected £500,000 savings, while also ensuring the council complies with the Equality Act 2010 to protect vulnerable residents from the physical burden of accumulated waste?

2. Jenni Lloyd: Item 33 - Asset Strategy

As members should be aware, Friends of New England House nominated NEH as an Asset of Community Value in May, although we have yet to get a response and there is no mention of the nomination as pending either on BHCC’s list of ACVs, or in the cabinet paper. What consideration has been made of the energy and expertise of the creative community in formulating the options and the potential for a community-led redevelopment of the building, similar to that of the successful Observer Building in Hastings, and enabled by the new Community Right to Buy established in the Devolution & Community Empowerment Act 2026?

3. Alex Morisson: Item 33 - Asset Strategy

The City Deal's flagship proposal is to renovate and expand New England House, the centrepiece of Brighton's creative-tech cluster, and to establish the surrounding area as Tech City South. This investment will provide the flexible space, infrastructure and connectivity that Brighton's most exciting businesses need to grow, while nurturing a new wave of entrepreneurs and business models. It will also put Brighton on the map as one of the UK's most important tech clusters, one which operates on an international stage.

BHCC committed in the City Deal to a project budget for renovation of New England House of £24.53m made up of £4.9m from City Deal plus £9.8m from the council and £9.8m from the private sector. 

How will this further decision, i.e. to abandon the New England House element of the City Deal, be communicated to the relevant parties and what will become of the £4.9m grant that sits in the council’s accounts?