Agenda item - Petitions for Council Debate

Petitions to be debated at Council.  Reports of the Monitoring Officer (copy attached).

(1)       Access to the City’s Beaches.  Lead petitioner Claire Nelson.

42.1      The Mayor stated that where a petition secured 1,250 or more signatures it could be debated at the council meeting.  She had been made aware of 1 such petition.  She also noted that there was an amendment to the covering report’s recommendation from the Green Group.

42.2      The Mayor then invited Claire Nelson, Harriet Cavanagh and Hannah Loach to come forward and present the first petition. 

42.3       The petitioners thanked the Mayor and sated that the petition resulted from the need to improve access to the city’s beaches for those people with mobility difficulties.  Whilst it was recognised that limited facilities were available such as all-terrain wheel-chairs, there were only 2 and they had to be pre-booked with a deposit included.  Ms. Nelson stated that she had worked with SCOPE to highlight the problems faced by those people with mobility impairments to access the city’s beaches and in raising the issue she hoped that the council would look at finding solutions to improve accessibility.  She noted that other neighbouring authorities provided more help and hoped that something could be done in Brighton and Hove.  The petitioners noted that they had 1,787 on-line signatures and a further 114 on paper making a total of 1,901.

42.4      Councillor Platts thanked both petitioners for bringing the petition to the council meeting and stated that it was an issue that was close to her heart.  She accepted that there were access difficulties and welcomed the work undertaken with SCOPE to find solutions and suggested that representatives from SCOPE and the petitioners should meet with officers to look at how improvements could be made.  She was aware that am accessible lift had been provided as part of i360 project and that an area for an accessible platform had been identified along the West Beach.  She also noted that Councillor Robins, in his absence from today’s meeting, as Chair of the Tourism, Development & Culture Committee had asked her to extend an invitation to the petitioners to meet with him in the New Year.

42.5      Councillor Knight welcomed the petition and moved an amendment on behalf of the Green Group, which called for the Tourism, Development & Culture Committee to request that a costed report outlining options for accessibility to the beach front be brought to a future meeting.   She recognised that funding would be required for any improvements to be achieved but felt that there was a need to undertake some work to identify what options would be available to be in a position to make an improved offer to those people with accessibility difficulties.

42.6      Councillor Phillips formally seconded the amendment.

42.7      Councillor K. Norman stated that he believed the council should have been a far better position in regard to its accessibility offer, having secured the provision of all-terrain wheel-chairs some time ago.  He was surprised that other authorities appeared to have more facilities than Brighton and Hove and hoped that this could be addressed in the future.

42.8      Councillor Platts noted the comments and stated that she was happy to accept the amendment.

42.9      The Mayor thanked the petitioners for attending the meeting and presenting the petition, and noted that the Green Group’s amendment had been accepted.  She therefore put the revised recommendations to the vote which were carried unanimously.

42.10   RESOLVED:

(1)       That the petition be noted and referred to the Tourism, Development & Culture Committee for consideration at its meeting on the 17^th January 2019, and

(2)       That  the Committee be requested to call for a costed report outlining options for accessibility to Brighton and Hove beach front, recommending options that best meet the needs of those less mobile and in need of assistance.