Agenda item - Items referred from Council

To receive the following matters referred from the previous meeting of Full Council held on 28 March 2019:

(a)         Petitions

(i)           Valley Gardens Phase 3

(c)      Deputations

(ii)          Milan Urban Food Policy Pact

(A)         PETITIONS

(i)           Valley Gardens

6.1         The Committee considered a petition referred from the meeting of Full Council held on 28 March 2019 and signed by 1388 people requesting the council pause the Valley Gardens Phase 3 scheme and begin a new consultation on the project.

6.2         The Chair provided the following response:

“Thank you attending this meeting with your petition Mr Noble, which I understand is being presented on behalf of the Valley Gardens Forum. 

Although I was not in the council chamber in March when it was first presented, debated and referred to this committee, I can assure you that I have done my best to get up to speed about the Valley gardens project, especially Phase 3, and have already had the benefit of: studying the minutes of the Full Council meeting in March; receiving briefings from officers; visiting the Old Steine area and meeting with representatives of the Forum to listen to their concerns.  

Previous requests to pause the project and enter into further consultation have been discussed by councillors on a number of occasions at council meetings and the outcomes have been recorded in the minutes, which are available on the council’s website.  No decision to pause has been taken, and I am also reassured that the committee previously requested an independent legal opinion to assess the consultation approach, and this has enabled the project to continue to its next stages. 

Discussions and engagement about aspects of the agreed design are therefore still planned to continue as part of the development of the project, once the full project team has been established for the next stage of design.  This will include further meetings with the Forum, and other stakeholder engagement, such as meetings and workshops to further develop the detail.  This was done for Phases 1&2 of the project after the preliminary design was agreed, and successfully helped to refine parts of the design and also highlight some further issues that needed to be resolved. 

There will also be further formal public consultation on the design changes that need Traffic Regulation Orders.  This is a statutory process which will include loading, parking and traffic management controls, and requires proposals to be advertised, followed by a period of consultation.  Any objections received within that period are then reported to this committee to consider and decide upon.

There will be a meeting between the Council and the Valley Gardens Forum at the start of July and the outcome of that meeting will be reported to the LEP to help inform its decision on the project’s funding.   I do thank you for expressing your interest in this project and can assure you that we will ensure that the dialogue that has begun with the Forum and other stakeholders will continue.  We will keep everybody informed of the outcome of those discussions and the project’s progress”.

6.3         Councillor Wares stated that he proposed taking the action detailed in the petition.

6.4         The Head of Legal Services stated that the two options available to the committee was to note the petition or call for an officer report as the committee were required to receive legal and financial advice on any implications of taking the proposed action.

6.5         Councillor West stated that the committee had previously made a sound decision and he did not see any reason to revisit the issue. Councillor West added that he viewed the request as a further attempt to frustrate the agreed process.

6.6         Councillor Wares moved a motion to receive an officer report on the petition to a future meeting and requested a recorded vote.

6.7         Councillor Brown formally seconded the motion and the request for a recorded vote.

6.8         The Chair then put the motion to the vote with the following outcome

Councillor Brown: For

Councillor Davis: Against

Councillor Hamilton: Against

Councillor Heley: Against

Councillor Hamilton: Against

Councillor Lloyd: Against

Councillor Pissaridou: Against

Councillor Wares: For

Councillor West: Against

Councillor Wilkinson: Against

6.9         Therefore, the motion failed.

6.10      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petition.

(C)      DEPUTATIONS

(i)           Milan Urban Food Policy Pact

6.11      The Committee considered a deputation, referred from the meeting of Full Council held on 28 March 2019 requesting Brighton & Hove City Council become a signatory of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.

6.12      The Chair provided the following response:

“Our city is currently bidding to the Sustainable Food Cities Awards (UK) for ‘Gold Status’. This bid, led by the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership to become the UK’s first Gold Sustainable Food City was launched in November 2018, and is on track to be achieved in 2020. It is envisaged that signing up to the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact could strengthen the bid for ‘Gold Status’ and support the wider work on food in our city, led by the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership in partnership with the council”.

6.13      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the deputation and become a signatory of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.