Agenda item - Items referred from Council

To consider any items referred from Full Council:

 

(a)           Petitions

 

(i)             Introduction of a food waste collection and disposal system in Brighton & Hove

(ii)            Parking Zone Z

(iii)          Re-open Madeira Drive

(iv)          Keep Madeira Drive closed

(v)           Remove Old Shoreham Road Cycle Lane Extension

(vi)          Make Old Shoreham Road Cycle Lane Permanent and establish a citywide cycle network

 

(b)           Deputations

 

(i)             Deputation concerning Support for the review of the temporary cycle lane extension on Old Shoreham Road

(ii)            A request for the whole of The Deneway (BN1 8QR and BN1 5AZ) to have safe road markings

(iii)          Madeira Drive Traders offer up compromise

 

(A)          PETITIONS

 

(i)             A food waste collection and disposal system for Brighton & Hove

 

20.1      The Committee considered a petition referred from the Full Council meeting held on 13 August 2020 and signed by 1307 people that requested a food waste collection and disposal system in Brighton & Hove.

 

20.2      The Chair provided the following response:

 

“Thanks for your petition about this very important issue. The council is committed to promoting a reduction in food waste and we are actively exploring the introduction of a food waste domestic collection.

The introduction of a food waste collection would present a substantial cost to the Local Authority. However, as part of the National Resources and Waste Strategy the government have said that they will provide funding to Local Authorities who do not yet have a food waste collection to assist them to introduce a collection. Officers are working on developing a scheme and costing it while we are waiting for further announcements as to the funding package which has been promised to council’s who need it. The project has been delayed due to the pandemic but has been restarted over the summer and we are expecting a report with options for consideration to be brough to committee next year.

What I can reassure you of is the fact that none of our domestic food waste goes to landfill. Less than 3% of all of our waste goes to landfill. It goes to the Energy Recovery Facility where it is burned and used to generate electricity. The calorific value of the food is very beneficial to the generation of electricity and makes a significant contribution to the electricity generated, which fuels around 25000 homes. This also means that our food waste is not generating the high levels of methane and carbon into the atmosphere through the process of landfill.

A factor that we are taking into consideration in our analysis in relation to food waste collections, is the potential carbon cost of doing so. To introduce a new collection will entail more refuse trucks collecting and tipping the waste. We want to be sure that we are not increasing the carbon cost and pollution in the city by introducing a separate collection of food which would defeat much of the purpose.

In the meantime, we would like to encourage residents to minimise their food waste production and compost any food waste they do generate if they are able to do so. The council works closely with Brighton and Hove Food Partnership who are an excellent organisation working to promote food waste reduction. There are many elements to their work, but they critically aim to ensure that excess food from supermarkets is distributed to those who most need it through foodbanks and community kitchens; they provide healthy eating and cooking classes and work on community food growing projects. The council has created a new Food Policy Officer post who will be recruited to shortly to work along-side B&H Food partnership and other organisations in the city.

In partnership with B&H Food partnership we provide around 40 community composting schemes. In addition to the council sells subsidised home composters and wormeries for those who have a garden. And if you already have a garden waste collection you can add your food waste to your brown bin”.

 

20.3      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petition.

 

(ii)           Parking Zone S

 

20.4      The Committee considered a petition referred from the Full Council meeting held on 13 August 2020 and signed by 24 people that requested controlled parking zone S be increased from a Monday to Friday scheme to include weekends. 

 

20.5      The Chair provided the following response:

 

“Thank you for your petition.

The Area S parking scheme was reviewed in late 2018 with a questionnaire sent to all households after a year of the scheme being introduced.

At that time 60% of 681 respondents to the questionnaire outlined they would like to keep the hours / days as they are. There are currently no plans to review the area further but if more residents come forward to outline this is a concern then it is something officers can consider adding to the parking scheme timetable when it is next reviewed”.

 

20.6      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petition.

 

(i)             Re-open Madeira Drive

(ii)           Keep Madeira Drive closed

20.7      The Committee considered two petitions referred from the Full Council meeting held on 13 August 2020 with one signed by 2884 people requesting Madeira Drive be kept closed and the other signed by 9748 people requesting Madeira Drive be re-opened.

 

20.8      The Chair provided the following response:

 

“Madeira Drive was closed, providing space for walking, cycling, running and other activities, on 20th April during the early peak of the Covid-19 Pandemic. This was in response to the Government’s very strong directives to encourage Cities to support social distancing and active travel necessary for public health and to allow for social distancing. This measure was delivered using Traffic Regulation powers and subsequently included within an Urgent Response Transport Action Plan agreed at May Policy & Resources Covid Recovery Sub – Committee and further updated and agreed at 23rd June ETS Committee.

At this Committee it was agreed to continue to keep Madeira Drive closed to cars and would also be modified to re-locate the closure point from Marine Parade to the lower level of Dukes Mound and Madeira Drive.

An updated design has been worked on by officers that is detailed on our agenda today.

This proposal will include re-opening the road for one-way eastbound traffic movements from the Place Pier eastbound. This will allow access to parking facilities including an increased number of Blue Badge holder Bays, and loading bays including general loading and coach drop off points. some reinstated parking facilities and a two-way segregated on carriageway cycle facility. This means that space for local residents to use for socially distanced exercise, walking and cycling will continue to be available while access for businesses and Blue Bade Holders will be provided and increased. All vehicles will be authorised to freely use the re-opened section of road and to have access to Black Rock Car Park. Access for all businesses will also be provided for”.

 

20.9      RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petitions.

 

(iii)         Remove Old Shoreham Road Cycle Lane Extension–

(iv)         Make Old Shoreham Road Cycle Lane Permanent and Establish a Citywide Cycle Network

Deputation

(i)             Support for the review of the temporary cycle lane extension on Old Shoreham Road

20.10   The Committee considered two petitions referred from the Full Council meeting held on 13 August 2020 with one signed by 4400 people requesting the temporary cycle lane on Old Shoreham Road be removed and the other signed by 5135 people requesting the temporary cycle lane on Old Shoreham Road be made permanent. Furthermore, the committee considered a Deputation that expressed support for a review on the temporary cycle lane.

 

20.11   The Chair provided the following response:

 

“As you will be aware the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has created a number of challenges and changes for the city in respect of how the transport network is being, and will be, used.  With the implementation of government restrictions in response to the public health crisis, there has been a new demand to increase the ways that people can exercise and travel while physical distancing.  

Communities in the west of our City are poorly served by cycle infrastructure and as a result many rely on private cars and public transport to access work. Once the lockdown restrictions begin to ease, we need to ensure that there are suitable alternatives for those who are willing and able to choose an active way to travel. This will in turn ensure that there is capacity within the network for those people who are unable to travel by foot, cycle or public transport.

If we were to take no action to support alternative modes of travel and everyone chose to travel by private car, congestion would increase leading to poor air quality. The city also only has a limited amount of parking availability and those residents without access to a car would also be left with limited options to access their place of work or other local amenities.

The cycle lane is currently temporary and is being monitored closely in terms of both safety and usage. An update on the scheme will be provided as part of a report that will be presented to this committee today”.

 

20.12   RESOLVED- That the Committee note the petitions and Deputation.

 

(C)     DEPUTATIONS

 

(ii)           Deputation concerning a request for the whole of The Deneway (BN1 8QR and BN1 5AZ) to have safe road markings

 

20.13   The Committee considered a Deputation referred from the meeting of Full Council held on 13 August 2020 request the whole of The Deneway to have road marking on the basis of road safety concerns.

 

20.14   The Chair provided the following response:

 

“I am pleased to say that due to the work of the Withdean Councillors, parking infrastructure officers have visited the WEST side of the Deneway to discuss with the councillors the installation of double yellow lines on the west side of the road. Officers will be happy to include the plans for extending yellow lines to the west side of the Deneway in the next Citywide Traffic Regulation Order which we hope to advertise in November/December this year. The plans will then be subject to local consultation and will be advertised on the West side of the Deneway and local residents will be encouraged to respond to this consultation”.

 

20.15   RESOLVED- That the Committee note the Deputation.

 

(iii)         Madeira Traders compromise

 

20.16   The Committee considered a Deputation referred from the Full Council meeting held on 13 August 2020 that requested that requested a compromise position from the Council in relation to the closure of Madeira Drive and future improvements.

 

20.17   The Chair provided the following response:

 

“Thank you for your Deputation. I do realise the challenging times we are facing, but during the covid-19 pandemic it became clear that Madeira Drive needed to change for the wellbeing of residents.

The Urgent Transport Action Plan report that is later on our agenda has a specific recommendation for this area, and this will be debated later in the meeting. You will be able to watch that the debate on the council webcast.

It became apparent that in previous years, engagement with traders had been minimal, but my colleague Cllr Davis has frequently visited Madeira Drive in recent months, to meet with traders to discuss their concerns and opinions on Madeira Drive, and it is clear that there are a plethora of different opinions on what the future of Madeira Drive should look like. I hope that many of the traders will be happy with the plan put forward in today’s meeting”.

 

20.18   RESOLVED- That the Committee note the Deputation.

 

(iv)         Tackling air pollution and congestion on the A259 from Brighton Old Steine to Eastbourne

20.19   The Committee considered a Deputation referred from the meeting of Full Council held on 19 December 2019 that requested an independent audit of the source data and analysis that the Valley Gardens project is based on be undertaken, followed by open publication of their conclusion in relation to potential impact for funding applications for the A259.

 

20.20   The Chair provided the following response:

 

“Thank you for your comments. However, I am aware that you received a full response to the issues that you raised from the former Chair of this committee when you presented it to Full Council.  Mr Shepherd also received a further response from my colleague Councillor Littman as Chair of the Audit & Standards Committee when the same points were raised, and this is all set out in the published minutes, so I can refer some of the enquiries to those. I understand that there has been a considerable amount of ongoing correspondence with various council officers about this matter. 

On each occasion, I do want to note the council has confirmed that the council’s Business Case has been independently audited by the LEP for the purposes of enabling the funding to be allocated. This process is complete, the funding has been released and the design work for Phase 3 will be progressed, taking into account the recent, further consultation and ongoing stakeholder engagement.  The project will be further considered by this committee next year.

Given your primary concern relates to the A259, I would expect that any future study of the route which is considered as part of the government’s Major Road Network programme will be based on the most up to date data at the time.  I believe that that programme has been affected by the impacts of tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, like many other workstreams have, but when it restarts, I am sure that the Department for Transport will be clear about what information is required for that process.  I have no doubt that all the local authorities involved will comply with the relevant guidance to enable the project to have the best chance of success of securing funding.  We will also want to ensure that tackling carbon emissions and reducing them significantly will be a key part of any study that comes forward, in order to ensure that we maximise its contribution to meeting our goal of carbon neutrality by 2030”.

 

20.21   RESOLVED- That the Committee note the Deputation.