Agenda item - Issues Raised by Members

To consider the following matters raised by Members:

 

(a)           Written Questions:

To consider any written questions

129.1   A copy of the questions received was circulated ahead of the meeting. Responses provided are as follows:

 

1)            Councillor Meadows- Park & Ride 

 

Response from Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Meadows. You are right in stating that there is already a Park & Ride in Mill Road for football events. This is separate to the proposals being discussed today for a Park & Ride to serve the city. 

 

2)            Councillor Meadows – Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Meadows. This question is answered by your previous question in that football Park & Ride is separate to what is being discussed today. To address your on-street matchday parking concerns in Patcham, enforceable matchday parking restrictions as successfully rolled out recently elsewhere in the city may be an option should residents request this. To again stress, this matchday park & ride arrangement is separate from the Park & Ride proposals being discussed today.  

  

3)            Councillor Meadows- Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Meadows. The proposal being discussed today would not be subject to consultation as it is the utilisation of existing car parks and existing bus services for Park & Ride in the city.  Your third question, as are your earlier two questions, seem to focus on a misplaced assumption. May I again respectfully emphasise that the proposals being discussed today are for a Park & Ride to serve the city; and are not in relation to the existing football matchday Park & Ride that operates on Mill Road, Patcham.   

  

4)            Councillor Meadows- Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your further question, Councillor Meadows. This question is answered in the answer to Question 1 in that the existing arrangements for football matchday Park & Ride is separate to what is being discussed today. This paper is focused on the Park & Ride that serves the city. Previous Cabinet, Full Council and Planning Committee meetings focused on the decisions around the Patcham Court Farm site.   

Visitors in vehicles would be directed to the active Park & Ride for the city, which may lower the number of visitor vehicles parked on residential streets. In this regard, the Park & Ride provides mitigation for the concern you identify.  

 

5)            Councillor Meadows - Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Meadows. This question is answered by the answer to your first question and subsequent three next questions in that football Park & Ride is separate to what is being discussed today. The proposal at Cabinet is for a Park & Ride for the city and not in relation to the existing matchday arrangements for football parking that uses the Mill Road as a Park & Ride for the Amex. 

  

6)            Councillor Meadows - Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Meadows. The proposed Park & Ride is going to utilise existing car parks and bus services on existing routes. The ticketing and pricing details of this are being worked out and will be subject to a future Cabinet report. Subject to the details of each location under consideration, the Park & Ride parking ticket will connect with and enable the Park & Ride bus offer. If visitors chose to park elsewhere, they would be subject the normal bus fare for that route. 

 

7)            Councillor Hill - Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit Version 5 

 

Response: Councillor Daniel

 

The toolkit has been thoroughly reviewed to ensure it refers to all current relevant statute, statutory guidance and relevant legislation. It further emphasises that each student needs to be considered on a case by case basis, in partnership with parents or carers except in exceptional circumstances. It provides detailed and nuanced guidance to support schools and educational settings to develop policies and practice to support trans children and young people. 

  

8)            Councillor Hill - Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit Version 5 

 

Response: Councillor Daniel

 

A draft of the toolkit has been shared with the DfE 

 

 

9)            Councillor Hill- Preventing and tackling violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, and sexual violence – Brighton & Hove City Council’s strategy 2025-2028 

 

Response: Councillor Daniel

 

The procurement of services that support women who have been affected by violence are undertaken in line with procurement legislation with oversight by the Council’s Procurement Team. The Council is aware of the suggestion by Womens Aid that local specialist provision is procured and can confirm that in the past, local specialist services have been invited to tender for services. Going forward, the Council welcomes submissions for tenders from local specialist providers.  

It is my intention to ensure that we use the guidance provided by organisations such as Women’s Aid and Gallup to support our commissioning process in order to provide reassurance to the public that future processes have been informed by national best practice and that the outcome should be supported by the whole community.  

 

10)         Councillor Hill- Preventing and tackling violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, and sexual violence – Brighton & Hove City Council’s strategy 2025-2028 

 

Response: Councillor Daniel

 

Sex workers are a group who can be affected by the harm caused by VAWG. Currently, the Council fund a local provider Oasis to deliver support via the Sex Workers Outreach Project. At Cabinet, I (Councillor Daniel), committed to continuing to support sex workers Our work will  include the consideration of dignified and fair access to services for  sex workers We will continue to work with our colleagues in the Police to tackle those who exploit sex workers whilst working with harm reduction services to improve routes to safety for those engaged in sex work who wish to exit. I gave my contact details to the group who came to council and invited them to get in touch to ensure that they are kept informed of any relevant work strands and consultation opportunities.  

 

11)         Councillor Hill- Preventing and tackling violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, and sexual violence – Brighton & Hove City Council’s strategy 2025-2028 

 

Response: Councillor Daniel

 

Working with Education establishments is a key to our strategic aim of prioritising prevention. The Harmful Sexual Practices workgroup oversaw the delivery of the Pattern and Progress programme delivered by the YMCA and funded by the Trust for Developing Communities. This programme had a strong focus on pro social behaviour change at young men. Currently staff from Cranstoun attend schools to support young people using abusive behaviours in their relationships.  

 

The Council work with the universities of Brighton and Sussex to ensure engagement with and awareness of the local service offer. Going forward, as we deliver the strategy, the Prioritising Prevention subgroup will collaborate with local partners to organise a partnership approach to educating children about health relationships based on the learning available from national best practice. 

We will extend our focus to include VCS sector partners and sports clubs who work with children and young people to deliver workshops to raise awareness of VAWG/DA/SV to young people.   

I have asked the young people involved in Citizens UK in the city who have done some amazing work on young people and mental health to consider putting together proposals around what they think would be the most useful interventions and what role they think young people should play in preventing VAWG DA SV.  

  

12)         Councillor West - Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor West. The provision of Park & Ride is necessary to offer travel choices for those coming to the city. Currently those who have to drive to the city centre have limited choices and many choose to drive right into the centre of city to park. Providing Park & Ride offers a genuine choice, alongside a range of other ways to get to the city including those you mention. There may be a range of reasons people come to our city by car. We are working on the details of Park & Ride to offer incentives for Park & Ride for those needing to drive without taking their vehicle into the city centre.  

To encourage growth in our visitor economy, we do not support a one-in one-out policy, as perhaps intimated by your question. Rather, the option of Park & Ride will always be in conjunction with offering a range of transport choices for those accessing our city. We have lost some 500 car parking space over recent years with the development of Carlton Hill and Oxford Place car parks and loss of parking to install the Maderia Drive cycle lane, all without a commensurate Park & Ride offer to visitors.  Further to bus transit, Park & Ride locations will have bike hire. As in some other cities, Park & Ride can encourage and incentivise car share reducing car numbers whilst enhancing visitor numbers. Full details of Park & Ride will be presented at a future Cabinet meeting. 

 

13)         Councillor West - Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor West. The preferred option in the discussion today is the provision of Park & Ride using existing car parks and bus services on existing bus routes. Details of options for Park & Ride sites are continuing to be investigated and will be the subject of a future Cabinet report. Previous administrations have repeated exploration of a large single site on the edge of the city and South Downs. This “obsession” as you describe included a study under the Green administration between 2021 to 2023 which also focused on these same sites – more than a decade after the South Downs National Park was formed. Pursuing the recommended Option 2 in the report breaks this former approach. we do need to evaluate something which is operationally viable in the first instance.

Using existing sites and it doesn't preclude the possibility of developing a more permanent site in the future, but we do need as a priority to get park and ride up and running and that is the principal focus.

  

14)         Councillor West - Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question. By taking forward this option to utilise existing car parks and bus services on existing routes, this offers a flexible approach which allows testing of the proof of concept by working in partnership without to making costly investment and potential subsidy. The scheme will have ongoing review with potential for more partners and sites to come on board. Use and development of active travel routes can further encourage cycle hub connection for multi-modal access to our city. On proof of concept, the offer can grow.  

As a member of Transport for the South East, I can assure you we are strongly advocating better public transport for our region. It is on public record when I spoke at the last meeting of this Cabinet in support of a devolved mayoral strategic authority for Sussex to develop an integrated transport policy with a planning policy that encourages better public transport to and from our city. We are also improving bus services and installing better active travel infrastructure across our city. 

  

15)         Councillor West - Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor West. Unlike your party, we do not make decisions based on wishful thinking and political ideology. No, we are data led problem solvers to get things done.  As part of the officer work on this, the data from the Withdean site has been considered and reviewed. Likewise, officers are reviewing what works elsewhere and undertaking modelling and site visits to get the best we can for our city. Further assessment of other city’s operations is taking place. Building on data from other successful schemes, our new approach to Park & Ride will work well for our city and its constraints. The details of Park & Ride will be subject to a future Cabinet report. Once operational, we will measure usage, incentive and feedback to assess success with review to improve. 

 

16)         Councillor Pickett - Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Pickett. As you state, there are several main arteries into the city, and therefore our work on Park & Ride is considering these. Our more versatile approach enables this. On proof of concept, we aim to grow to enable this model close to main routes into the city. The details will be brought to a future Cabinet meeting. 

 

17)         Councillor Pickett - Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councilor Pickett. This funding will enable site evaluation, understand what works for comparable cities and to establish the first site to be launched this summer. We are working closely with bus operators to enhance bus services on existing routes to establish Park & Ride for our city. For this to grow, a business case will be written to demonstrate longer term viability and sustainability. On proof on concept, we will develop Park & Ride options on a more sustainable and viable basis. 

 

18)         Councillor Pickett- Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Pickett. We plan to work in partnership with car park owners. Negotiations continue and the details of Park & Ride will be brought to a future Cabinet meeting. 

  

19)         Councillor Pickett- Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Pickett. With respect to the legacy Park & Ride, the ticketing and current payment for parking at Withdean Sports Centre is entirely under contract to Freedom Leisure with no plan to change from current arrangements.  

For Park & Ride for the city, we are considering an approach that allows flexibility both in terms of the use of sites and also the use of bus services on existing routes. This allows the testing of this proof of concept for Park & Ride without the need for a subsidised dedicated bus service.  

  

20)         Councillor Pickett - Park & Ride 

 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Pickett. We are working on the details of this in discussions with the relevant stakeholders, and details will be brought to a future Cabinet meeting. 

 

21)         Councillor Pickett - Park & Ride 

 

When you suggest a longer-term plan of building a singular purpose-built site, doesn't this go against the common idea that P&R sites only work for a city if there is more than one site and that to only have one site could mean that the concentration of traffic builds up in that area instead of the centre. Therefore, isn't it just moving the concentration of cars from one area to another? 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Pickett. The more costly Option 1 is not preferred. The recommendation in the report is for Option 2. For this approach we are planning to establish a proof of concept and utilise this at multiple locations. This more flexible approach could be established on each main artery route into and out of our city. This flexible and more distributed approach aims to avoid the concern you raise. The details will be considered at a future Cabinet meeting. 

 

22)         Councillor Pickett- Moulsecoomb Hub and Housing project 

 

Response: Councillor Williams

 

The shortfall has been included within the Council's successful Brownfield investment and land programme bid, which was successful as we've just heard this week.

And as outlined in Part 2 of the report, a range of mitigations, including exploring value engineering options, are in place to ensure this project remains viable and deliverable. 

 

23)         Councillor Pickett - Preventing and tackling violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, and sexual violence – Brighton & Hove City Council’s strategy 2025-2028 

 

Response: Councillor Daniel

 

The council is committed to addressing VAWG, DA and SV. Feedback from partnership consultations highlight that to effectively tackle the harm caused by VAWG/DA/SV there is a need to develop a coordinated response. This approach recognises that everyone has a role in tackling and preventing VAWG and goes beyond commissioning specialist services. Our “One Council Approach” and the new strategy aim to ensure that all Council and commissioned services prioritise VAWG.  

  

It is anticipated that our strategic priority of “strengtheningthe co-ordinated response” to VAWG/DA/SV will work to improve coordination and strengthen how services work with victim/survivors. The aim is that wherever in the partnership an individual discloses they are affected by VAWG/ SA/SV they will receive an appropriate response and be signposted to support. In developing this strategy, we received strong feedback from stakeholders that no single agency can provide the whole response to VAWG and that everyone in the city has a role to play in tackling VAWG. The Council will continue to drive the work with the public, statutory and community voluntary services to improve how we respond to VAWG as a city. 

  

24)         Councillor Shanks- Moulsecoomb Hub and Housing project 

 

Response: Councillor Williams

 

The youth services currently provided at the 67 Centre will continue at the new Moulsecoomb Community Hub. The youth space will continue to be managed by the Council, and the Council will commission youth providers to ensure it meets its statutory duty regarding sufficient youth activity.

 

25)         Councillor Goldsmith- Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit Version 5 

 

 Response: Councillor Daniel

 

Our staff are involved with national and regional networks and that will be shared as any of our policies would be.

  

26)         Councillor Sykes- Brighton and Hove Food Strategy Action Plan 2025-30 

 

Response: Councillor Pumm

 

The four-year strategic investment into the sector via the Thriving Communities Investment Fund has been protected in the budget in recognition of the importance of the sector not only in meeting residents and communities in crisis now but also their work with the council to develop and support community resilience and move to preventative action. The fund has strategically invested in core and projects key CVS organisations across the city that provide a range of support to diverse communities in the city.  The fund also has a stream of funding available for small organisations in the city, the Community Catalyst Fund, this offers small groups greater stability by offering two years of funding. The council recognises that securing external funding for CVS organisations is extremely challenging especially at the moment and especially for core costs. Many external funds focus on supporting projects. The council recognises that through its investment focusing on core costs we are enabling the sector to survive and thrive and bringing in more and other funds to the city to support residents. 

 

27)         Councillor Sykes- Microsoft Licence Renewal 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

The Microsoft suite of tools provides the essential applications that drive the operation of many council services, and with the evolution of AI and other technologies provide us with many opportunities to innovate and improve the way we do business. There are other options and applications available from other providers, but it is felt that currently the innovations within the Microsoft suite, and our current use of the tools that is already embedded across the council are the best and most efficient approach to streamline our back-office services and ensure we can maximise resource available for direct service delivery to residents.

Our IT&D team keep under review whether the tools best meet our needs both now and into the future. Detailed work has led the team to the view that the best value approach is to re-new these contracts using the frameworks described and continue with embedding tools that will improve productivity going forward. We will continue to review whether there are other tools that better meet our needs, and the options we have to contain costs as far as possible with the use of frameworks and effective joint procurement through our Orbis partnership.  

 

28)         Councillor Sykes- Council Tax Base and Business Rates Retention Forecasts 2025/26 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

You're quite right. Clearly, we don't want empty properties in the city. The premiums themselves are clearly a powerful incentive for owners to bring their properties back into use. The numbers have come down from 934 to 858 as of the 2nd of January 2025. That's a sort of update versus in the paper. So, the numbers have come down a bit, but clearly the figure the figure does fluctuate as properties come in and out of use. The large majority of properties are in the one to five year empty category and currently 68% of those are one to two years. Most long long-term empty properties in Brighton & Hove under two years empty are transactional and tend to come back into use before two years has elapsed from routine engagement with owners and light touch local authority involvement. Transactional includes things such as advertising a property for sale, dealing with previous owners affairs, buying and selling delays building delays and obtaining planning consent.

As we can see, the number of properties empty over two years are far fewer, while generally more problematic. This is where the main focus and expertise of the Council's empty property team comes into play. Seeking solutions by working with owners to bring properties back into use, through sale or renting. 

 

29)         Councillor Fishleigh- Park & Ride 

 

Response: Councillor Muten

 

Thank you for your question, Councillor Fishleigh. I’m afraid I can’t talk specifics of which bus services at this point in time because we are negotiating with third parties. The details of the Park & Ride will be discussed at a future Cabinet meeting. This meeting is to agree the new approach. Our more versatile approach sets out to use existing bus routes with provision for flexibility including limited stop options. 

We are aware of the issues on the 27 bus service and are working with the respective bus operator to resolve and improve the level of service that residents expect and deserve from their bus service. 

  

30)         Councillor Fishleigh- Preventing and tackling violence against women and girls, domestic abuse, and sexual violence – Brighton & Hove City Council’s strategy 2025-2028 

  

Response: Councillor Daniel

 

The Strategy details our commitment to supporting all victim/survivors  Going forward, future commissioning service plans will be developed in partnership with our joint funding partners and stakeholders across the City.  

It is and has been the case that survivors are offered single sex provision within organisations that are trans inclusive where that is their need, and this has been the case for decades. It is also the case that the waiting list for any service can be too long for survivors and I acknowledge that isn’t where we want services to be and I will work hard with providers to increase the capacity of the sector.  

 

31)         Councillor McNair- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

The external investigation will be carried out by someone external to the council who was not in any way linked with the original decision. Seeking external investigations of council activity is not unusual. Most recently the council did a similar exercise with the KC investigation into activities at City Clean. 

 

32)         Councillor Meadows- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

The investigation will not be a full Public Inquiry. As such it will not have any powers to compel participation. Although my strong expectation would be that former and serving councillors involved in the decision would agree to participate in the interests of transparency. 

 

33)         Councillor McNair- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

The i360 has been through a process of Administration. As the report quite clearly sets out in the recommendations at 2.1 – and also at sections 1.1; 3.15; 3.16; and 6.3 – the buyer will not be expected to take on the interest payments as they are not taking on the debt. The buyer is aware of the interest payments that were owed by the previous owner. But being absolutely clear: that debt is not the responsibility of the new buyer. 

 

34)         Councillor Meadows- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

This is clearly set out in section 6.4 of the report. There will be an estimated £2.2m finance cost to be covered until 2041. 

 

35)         Councillor McNair- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

This is covered in the Part 2 report, as the terms of the deal are commercially sensitive until the transaction is complete. To be clear though, this is not expected to be a sum of money that comes anywhere near covering the £2.2m funding gap created by the failure of the i360. But what it does do, is give us a guarantee of some income should attraction become profitable. 

The council does not hold a strong negotiation position: the attraction has been marketed for a number of weeks and only two transactable offers have come forwards and this is the stronger one. The only alternative is to leave the i360 empty and declining on the seafront. 

 

36)         Councillor Meadows- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

The administration has been absolutely clear from the start of this process: it will not put any further public money into to the i360 and it has not done so. All money lost to date is as a direct result of the 2014 decision by Green and Conservative councillors to lend money to the i360. For the record the Labour Group voted emphatically against this decision. 

 

37)         Councillor McNair- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

Budget council on 27th February will consider how the council allocates its resources. Since 2023/24 the council had assumed £1.2m per annum would not be paid, so this year there is a further £1.0m budget gap created by the Green & Tory i360 debt.  

 

38)         Councillor Meadows- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

The allocation of any additional revenue generated by the i360 will be a decision to be taken once it is generated. But no payments are being relied upon in financial planning. 

 

39)         Councillor Sykes- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

Will there be published Terms of Reference to steer the proposed investigation into the i360 loan decision? 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

Yes.  

 

40)         Councillor Sykes- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

The paper refers to (s4.4) options assessments undertaken about the future of the i360. Was the overall economic preferred option assessed different to that being proposed in the paper? 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

So, at the time the option paper was put together was before the i360 fully entered into administration and at that stage the process the preferred option would to have been to sell the i360 to a buyer through a pre pack administration which could have meant that the business could have stayed open and the jobs retained. While there were a number of interested buyers at various stages, no bidders came through that process and the i360 did go into administration.

Clearly that reduced the number of options that were open to us.

There were no options that involved the Council getting back a significant portion of its debt, which we'll explore later in the paper, but there were options that we didn't pursue that could have involved the Council putting in a lot more public money into the attraction, but that would have been public money at risk. Clearly, we'll explore that a little bit further in the paper later where we set out the options that the City Council faces. 

 

41)         Councillor Goldsmith- Brighton i360- Decision on Future 

 

Response: Councillor Taylor

 

Generally speaking, the seafront team within the Council do try to have good contacts with the seafront businesses. I mean, as yet there hasn't been a huge amount to update them on the latest developments, however, if we agree the decision today, and if indeed if a sale proceeds, the Council will make contact with those local businesses and obviously connect them with the new buyer so that they're aware. Clearly, what we've heard since the i360 going into administration is it has had, you know, an impact on surrounding businesses, which is one of the factors we have to consider in making our decision today.