Agenda item - Chairs Communications

46.1      The Councillor Davis presented the following communications:

“As this is my first time chairing the ETS committee, I wanted to start by thanking Amy for her time as full chair and her assistance in the transition to co-chair and wanted to say I’m really looking forward to being in the co-chair seat with you, and to working with our colleagues from all sides across this committee, thank you for supporting me in this role.

I do want to start as I mean to go on by delivering some very good and positive news.

The fabulous £100,000 redesign of Preston Park play area is happening. I’ve seen images of how it will look and even I’m excited! We consulted with many people, including 600 Friends of Preston Park, on the plans to develop this much loved area, which should reopen around the start of December.

We also found out recently that seven of our parks have been awarded the prestigious Green Flag Award. They are Easthill; Kipling Gardens; Preston Park; St Ann’s Well Gardens; Stoneham; The Level and Hove Park.

I want to congratulate everyone connected with the parks, including all our staff and especially our Operations Managers Sarah Carlisle and Alan Griffiths, and their teams. I’m also delighted to say the improvements to St Ann’s Well Garden are almost there, the Sensory Garden is being restored and enhanced; we’re increasing cycling stand parking and are improving the view of the entrance – we really have to say thanks to the teams and amazing volunteers who make this all possible.

I would also like to offer my congratulations to our Transport Projects team, Sustrans, Cranks and the city’s refuge for winning a Modeshift National Sustainable Travel Award in the ‘Best Partnership’ category.

Thanks to the generosity of local residents, the project was able to donate more than 150 bikes and scooters to the refuge to help reconnect women and children to the joy of cycling.

Congratulations should also go to local resident and parent Alberto Zanni who won an individual award for his work in supporting the School Streets scheme outside Brunswick Primary.

It’s been an extremely busy time for transport officers who are currently consulting on the next Local Transport Plan and the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. Two extremely important documents which will help to shape the future of travel in and around Brighton & Hove for years to come.

We’re also consulting on six new School Streets schemes which will make journeys to and from school safer and sustainable for thousands of city school children. I’ve seen this in action firsthand and know how successful they can be.

My ETS colleague Councillor Elaine Hills has also been working closely with officers on engaging with residents in the Hanover and Tarner area as we continue to work on developing the city’s first Liveable Neighbourhood.

We are now reviewing almost 2000  responses to our cycle hangars survey which really shows the interest in this and will see 100 of them placed around the city next year, ensuring safe and secure spaces for residents to keep their bikes.

I wanted to send out a very happy one year anniversary message to Tech Take-Back, an award winning local business we support that collects old and unwanted electricals from residents for free, to either refurbish for use in community, or recycle. Since launching, they’ve collected almost 27,000 electrical items from city households, for recycling or refurb, with more than 2,000 household electricals finding new homes, and 294 laptops being given to schools, charities and families that previously didn’t have access to digital technology. This really is the circular economy - putting the reduce, reuse recycle mantra into action!

Finally, this is an incredibly proud moment for me. I have come a long way from bike courier, to driving instructor, to activist, to elected councillor and now co-chair of this particularly important committee that helps shape this incredible city that we all love. We are in a climate, health and biodiversity emergency and it is all hands-on deck to help make the structural changes we need as the clock ticks down to disaster”.