Agenda item - Chair's Communications

126.1   The Chair provided the following Communications:

I'd like to start by taking this opportunity to welcome our colleague, Councillor Birgit Miller, back to Cabinet after a period of sickness leave,

Councillor Miller obviously attended and contributed to our special cabinet meeting on devolution earlier this month, but in honesty, in the excitement of that meeting, I didn't properly welcome her back. So welcome back, Councillor Miller. I'd like to also put on record my thanks to Cabinet adviser Councillor Mitchie Alexander for providing such excellent cover while Councillor Miller was away.

Councillor Alexander is unfortunately unwell today and so will not be attending in her Cabinet advisor capacity, although our new food strategy which will be discussed today is one of her projects and that that will be led today by Councillor Leslie Pumm.

I'd like to also record my thanks to Councillor Ty Goddard who has stepped down as cabinet advisor and economic development and regional partnership to focus more on his other work. He's provided really fantastic and outstanding support to the work that the Administration has done so far in writing new economic strategy for the city and giving a real boost to our economic development plan. So, I'd like to put on record my thanks for that. It's genuinely inspiring to be surrounded by so many Members who are so passionate about this city and so determined to continue delivering on the priorities of local people. I've never been more confident that in 2025 this will be a year of opportunity for this Council and our amazing city. And I think that today's business includes welcome progress on a number of key priorities and examples of the really positive and important work being done by officers and Members.

I'm very proud to see our preventing and tackling violence against women and girls and domestic and sexual abuse strategy 2025 to 2028 come before Cabinet. As a proud feminist, I know that this will make a difference to the lives and the lived experiences of people throughout the city, and I thank everyone that has worked so hard on the strategy.

Domestic abuse accounted for 11% of all recorded crime in Brighton and Hove in 2024. With police reports showing that there were 1209 sexual offences in that period and 460 incidents of stalking, these offences are often also, as we know, underreported, meaning the actual numbers are likely even higher. I know from my case work with survivors that they are frequently forced to recount their stories endless times, and that the services they need from everything from housing to the criminal justice system are not properly aligned and supportive.

We are determined to tackle this and our three-year action plan, which includes the creation of a new board to oversee relevant services and support in the city, is the latest step of our ongoing efforts. I was also pleased yesterday to take up my new role on the Labour Party's national Policy Forum in the Safer Streets Commission, which will be working closely with the Home Secretary on the government's missions across crime, civil rights and justice, which includes government's ambitious missions of halving violence against women and girls.

By working together, we can create a better future where violence against women and girls, domestic abuse and sexual violence is prevented. Survivors are supported and perpetrators are held accountable.

Housing is another real area of focus for this Council and today's Cabinet agenda includes discussions on the appointment of a contractor for our new Moulsecoomb Housing and Community Hub.

This project represents a significant regeneration opportunity for Moulsecoomb and Bevendean with 200 new council homes and a multi-use community hub. It will have a transformative effect on the surrounding area and provide residents with access to a range of community facilities.

Importantly, this project's design has been shaped by residents. More than 200 local people told us what they wanted on the site and shared any concerns, and their feedback has been instrumental in finalising these ambitious plans.

Under this Administration, we will always be a listening Council and a Council that is unapologetically focused on investing in communities that have been historically underserved. Everyone deserves an accessible, affordable and decent home, and we will continue to deliver this. I can't wait to see the project on this work get underway, assuming that Cabinet approves the report this evening.

I'm proud that this Council remains committed to supporting schools to support trans and gender questioning young people and their families.

And I'm pleased that we're discussing an updated version of our Trans Inclusion tool kit on today's agenda.

These young people have been consistently identified both locally and nationally as vulnerable in terms of education outcomes. If adopted today, this update will be the fifth version of our toolkit and should be a source of pride for this Council that we continue to be at the forefront of work in this area. All young people deserve safety, dignity and respect and trans and non-binary young people deserve to participate as equals in their school life.

You will also see plans for Park and Ride on this cabinet agenda.

This has been something residents have been calling for many years and it's brilliant to see it finally moving closer to becoming a reality under this Labour Administration. The approach being recommended to councillors today, initially using existing car parks to house a park and ride scheme, has been used successfully by many other local authorities to support the case for an eventual purpose-built facility.

We plan and hope to have this scheme in place and operational by the summer.

Once again, this Administration is listening and delivering on local priorities.

Finally, today we will discuss recommendations around the potential sale of the Brighton i360. While the sale is a decision for the administrators Interpath, they must act in the best interests of creditors and as the largest creditor for this sale to go ahead, the Council needs to agree the release of the debt owed by the i360 company to this Council. The final decision on the sale will be made by Interpath.

When the Green and Conservative parties voted to back the i360 with public money in 2014 and to take out a £36 million loan, which was passed straight on to private developers, they effectively submitted this City Council and our taxpayers and residents entirely to the free market. Mindbogglingly little thought was given to what would happen if the venture didn't initially succeed and so that decision has ultimately brought us to where we are now.

Before and since the Board of the i360 filed for administration last month, our Cabinet Member for Finance and City Regeneration, Councillor Jacob Taylor, has been working relentlessly with officers against the bad hand we've been dealt to try and secure a buyer for the attraction. It benefits everyone for the attraction to still be in use if at all possible. Former employees who may regain their employment, businesses next to the i360, who have already seen a drop in footfall and profits since the i360 closed its doors and ultimately residents and the City Council, the derelict structure benefits no one. Another West Pier, but without the history that makes the West Pier in all its rugged rustiness beloved of Brightonians through the generations. If the i360 can operate again, then it can help bring in business rates, and if we proceed with the recommended buyer that has come forward, the City Council will get a small share of future revenue should the attraction become profitable again.

This may be the least worst option. I understand why residents are so incredulous that this situation has come to pass. I'm incredulous and in honesty, I'm also angry. There are Green councillors present in today's cabinet meeting and given that we are due to discuss this issue, I ask again that they reflect on their leading role in this catastrophe and call on them to make a public apology to the city's residents for this £51 million worth of debt.