Agenda item - Chairs Communications

35.1      The Chair provided the following Communications:

“I’d like to extend congratulations to our partners at Brighton & Hove Bus Company and the Big Lemon Bus Company. 

Brighton & Hove Buses won the City Operator of the Year at the recent UK Bus Awards that follows quickly on from their success in being named Bus Operator of the Year at the National Transport Awards and the Big Lemon was a finalist in the Environment category of the UK Bus Awards.

Their success is a reflection of the continued effort we put in and put in by both companies to provide an outstanding bus service for local residents and visitors to Brighton & Hove.

Some of you may be aware that Steven Shaw, our Development & Transport Assessment Manager, is leaving the Council to go to West Sussex County Council to lead their Development Management Team. 

Steve came to us from Southwark and he has developed a new team with Planning officers to help develop policy, so I’m sure we wish him well as he takes up his new position.

And finally, some information that has come through today: we have been contacted by the Leaders of East Sussex County Council and Lewes District Council in relation to a meeting between the three authorities plus the South Downs National Park and Local Enterprise Partnership in relation to exploring the need for sustainable growth on the southern coastal corridor, looking at the housing provision, the infrastructure provision and jobs that we are all working to as part of our respective local plans but in particular, to focus on the infrastructure needs of the A259 which we have a report on in the agenda. I fully believe and fully support that this is the right way forward for this particular issue where we can all meet together at a strategic level, share data and look at options for levering in the investment and infrastructure that is badly needed as each of these local authorities are required to meet each of our housing figures”.