Cabinet Agenda Item 53
Subject: Member Questions
Date of meeting: Thursday, 15 October 2026
A maximum period of fifteen minutes in total shall be made available at each meeting of the Executive for questions from Members of the Council.
The questions included on the list of questions referred to above shall be taken as read at the Cabinet meeting. The question will be answered either orally or at the discretion of the Chair by a written answer circulated after the meeting. Officers may assist the Leader or a Cabinet Member with technical answers to questions. No supplementary questions shall be permitted.
The following written questions have been received from Members:
1. Councillor Meadows – Item 56 Royal Pavilion Gardens Restoration Project
Why is this a paper for decision if the restoration project is not council funded? Should this report just be for noting?
2. Councillor McNair – Item 56 Royal Pavilion Gardens Restoration Project
Will the ice rink return to the Royal Pavilion site in 2027/28?
3. Councillor McNair – Item 57 Advertising and Sponsorship
In June 2026, the BBC reported that a council advertisement "had been banned for misleadingly suggesting a direct link between the use of wood burners and open fires and an increase in pollution." What safeguards have been put in place to ensure council adverts comply with the Advertising Standards Authority?
4. Councillor Meadows – Item 57 Advertising and Sponsorship
Why will the council not accept advertising from companies involved in fossil fuel production (appendix 1, p.29)? Without fossil fuels we'd be living in the dark ages. Surely this is a political decision?
5. Councillor Meadows - Item 58 Black Rock Future Vision and meanwhile use
What car parking provision at Black Rock is proposed to ensure inclusivity and that the disabled can access any new amenities?
6. Councillor McNair – Item 60 Targeted Budget Management (TBM) 2026/27 Month (August)
Are further cuts to libraries planned? It appears that there is currently a library overspend of £146000 (Appendix 1, p.84).
7. Councillor West – Item 57 Advertising and sponsorship
I recall a long-serving and highly respected former leading councillor once referring to advertising as a form of visual pollution. Exterior advertising is intrusive as it is visually unavoidable: it’s one medium you can’t switch off. It is understood that we do not need to pay conscious attention to an advertisement in order to be influenced by it, it works upon the sub-conscious. Advertising is less about satisfying existing needs than about creating new desires. And, it can result in anxieties about keeping up with the Joneses, our body image, and lower our self-esteem. Bristol Council’s trailblazing policy now prohibits advertising for fast fashion, high-carbon transport, and fossil fuel related companies. In these especially straitened times, with growing public worries about making ends meet, will this council learn from the best and ensure an increased presence of advertising on council assets doesn’t lead to a deterioration in mental health?
8. Councillor Sykes – Item 56 Royal Pavilion Gardens Restoration Project
There is a long-running proposal to install a sculpture in the RP gardens commemorating the involvement in World War 1 of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh soldiers for the UK. What's the status of this proposal, which was recommended for consideration by the recent Heritage Task and Finish Group?
9. Councillor Sykes – Item 60 Targeted Budget Management (TBM) 2026/27 Month (August)
The report mentions need for additional use of Exceptional Financial Support (EFS). Is the Administration planning to request additional EFS from Government over and above the £45m already requested?
10. Councillor Sykes – Item 60 Targeted Budget Management (TBM) 2026/27 Month (August)
What is the balance of EFS drawn down against successful asset disposals (upon which the EFS is conditional), i.e. what if anything is the sum we are effectively paying interest on to central Government?
11. Councillor Strong - Item 58 Black Rock Future Vision and meanwhile use.
The sustainability implications state that" Opportunities to reduce carbon impacts and promote sustainable travel will be explored through the detailed design and planning stages". This is weak as it only mentions "exploring" measures. Can we have assurances that this will be a thorough and detailed process looking into how these will be delivered during both construction and operation. In particular, will there be mode share targets to ensure that the site does not lead to increased car use along Madeira Drive.
12. Councillor Mcleay – Item 56 Royal Pavilion Gardens Restoration Project
Given that construction works on the Pavilion site will continue throughout winter 2026/27, making it impossible for the traditional ice rink to return there without significant cost and funding implications, can the Cabinet lead confirm whether there are any plans to provide a public ice rink elsewhere in Brighton & Hove this winter? If so, where is the proposed location, and what progress has been made to secure and deliver this seasonal attraction for residents and visitors?