Agenda item - Chair's Communications

93.1      The Chair provided the following communicatons:

I’d like to start today’s meeting by addressing the situation at New England House, which I know has caused a huge amount of disruption and upset to tenants of the building, many of whom are small, creative businesses. 

Closing the building at short notice last Friday, was not a decision we wanted to take. It was based on information presented to us in the fire engineer’s report, which listed the risk as intolerable – the highest risk to a building. While the building reopened on Tuesday, I recognise that a lost weekend in the run up to Christmas is significant for those businesses affected and behalf of the council, I wholeheartedly apologise for the impact this has had. While there are interim measures in place to mitigate fire risk in the building, we will now be laser focused in planning the longer-term fire prevention measures for the building.

I would like to thank everyone involved in the organisation of the Remembrance events that took place around the city this year and to all Councillors and officers who attended the events on behalf of the city council.

Remembrance Day is a poignant time and an opportunity for us all to remember, reflect and the sacrifice of all those who have lost their lives through conflict. It is also a time for people across faiths, cultures and backgrounds to unite in hope for peace and end of conflict.

We are proud to have allocated extra funding this year to support Remembrance events to make sure our communities continue to mark the occasion with the meaning and dignity it deserves.

This included a special commemoration event at the city’s India Gate, led by our Mayor Councillor Mohammed Asaduzzaman, to pay respect to the Undivided Indian soldiers who fought for our country. 

Since we last met, the new Labour government has delivered its first Budget and there are so many things in this budget that are positive for our city. It marked a significant shift following more than a decade of underfunding of councils under the last Government. We hugely welcome the additional investment in public services, through the £1.3 billion increase in grant funding to local authorities, including £600 million for social care. 

We are also so pleased to see an extension to the Household Support Fund, as we know how vital that fund is for supporting people in hardship in our city. This funding combined with our local Fairness Fund will ensure we can continue to help vulnerable households and those in hardship.

Despite the extremely welcome commitments in the budget for more funding for local government, the NHS, social care and special educational needs, our budget pressures are still significant. We therefore have some very difficult decisions ahead locally, but we are doing everything we can to mitigate the impact on our communities and to ensure our important local services can continue.

Our Chancellor Rachel Reeves has made clear that the government’s priority is driving economic growth and this was reflected in the budget by the huge investment in our country’s infrastructure.

Growth is also a key local priority for and I was delighted to launch our new Economic Plan on Monday alongside 300 business leaders. The Plan sets out the next three years of our transition as a city, seeking to grow the economy to create wealth for our communities through sustainable employment and business support. The Plan isn’t just a Council document. It has been developed for the city as a whole providing a common goal and purpose that partners and stakeholders can work towards.

We are focused on creating a city where everyone can thrive, developing a flourishing local economy that attracts investment and nurtures our businesses and talent.

Last week in my capacity as Greater Brighton Economic Board, I was also delighted to be part of a hosted visit for civil servants in the Department for Business and Trade to come and see what our region has to offer and the opportunities for investment. The two-day event focused on science and innovation and particularly the fantastic work happening on quantum led by University of Sussex, as well as the ecosystem that is well established on tech and innovation.

Before we move on to today’s business, I wanted to highlight a couple of important issues that I know are important to residents.

Firstly, we have had a lot of feedback from parents, school leaders and wider communities on our pre-engagement exercise around potential options for changes to school catchment areas. I know that there has been a lot of discussion in community groups and want to reassure all involved that no decision has been made. The exercise was carried out in good faith, going beyond what the council is required to do in terms of consultation, and has been hugely informative. Thanks to everyone who has provided constructive feedback.

Secondly, I wanted to highlight that the council has issued an open invitation to any organisations and businesses in the city who would be interested in partnering with us on park & ride. We have been working on a number of site options but are keen to explore all options, so please do get in touch if this is of interest and you have land or premises in the city that may be suitable.

Moving on to today’s business, I am delighted to see the open spaces events programme on the agenda today. We are proudly a city renowned for our events and cultural offer and it is great to see this programme brought forward.

The report on the Corporate Systems Improvement programme sets out how we will modernise and transform our internal processes which are vital to the functioning of the council and ensuring we can provide the best possible service for residents while also providing value for money. Our systems upgrade is overdue and we welcome this proposal. 

Finally, on Patcham Court Farm, I am pleased that the report presented today reflects the work that has gone into exploring options for this site, from housing to park and ride, as well as the proposal from Royal Mail. Our administration came into power with an open mind about the use of this site and I am confident that we have explored all options for feasibility. I look forward to the discussions and contributions that we will have today on these issues. We will now move on to today’s business.