Agenda item - Public Involvement

To consider the following matters raised by members of the public:

(a)           Petitions: To receive any petitions presented by members of the public;

(b)           Written Questions: To receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 8 September 2023;

(c)           Deputations: To receive any deputations submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 8 September 2023.

18.1 The Chair invited Jim Deans to ask the question regarding Mod Events to Committee on page 5 of Addendum 1.

18.2 The Chair gave the following response:

In 2023 officers from the events team met with you to discuss your plans and were happy to fully support where possible the events which generate much needed income for important charities in the City. We are very happy to continue this support and look at ways to increase our support for the Mods-aid events. The events team will schedule a meeting with you in the coming month to review plans for 2024.

18.3 The Chair invited Jim Deans to ask the following supplementary question:

The financial benefits are obvious – but it could be growing – just ask any of the retailers in the city what a good bank holiday can do. What’s more important is that our events don’t close the city down, so its double the value. We’re 50 miles from the biggest population in the UK, so Brighton and Hove needs to be open. These visitors save up and spend in the city so we must promote and encourage them. There are still missing parts like a tent campsite or secure parking, which we ask the Committee to help us work on. Saturday May 18^th is the actual date to celebrate the battle, and we plan to have another event with both mods and rockers together in unity, and again we ask the Committee to support us with this.

18.4 The Chair gave the following response:

Thank you Jim, and I don’t see any reason why we can’t – and as I say we’ll hold those conversations with the outdoor events team.

18.5 Councillor Goddard thanked Jim Deans for his work in the community.

18.6 The Chair noted that Daniel Harris wasn’t present, so read out the response to their question as well as the supplementary regarding the Rampion Windfarm on Page 5 of Addendum 1:

The consultation was carried out by the applicant, not the city council. Please refer to the applicant’s Consultation Report which can be found online at the Planning Inspectorate’s website.For the minutes here is the link: Consultation Report (planninginspectorate.gov.uk)  

Supplementary Question:

Considering Brighton and Hove’s status as the most visited area within the Phase 2 zone and the recent decline in tourism due to COVID-19 (from 12 million visitors in 2019 to 9 million in 2020), I’m concerned about the impact of the Rampion Windfarm expansion on local tourism. Can you share project adjustments influenced by community input, particularly regarding turbine height and the expansion area? Explain how this feedback has shaped the project while ensuring a balanced approach, considering the city’s importance as a tourist destination, although I’m yet to see updated stats on tourism recovery? 

Response:

It is the applicant’s role to explain how feedback on the scheme has shaped the project. The Consultation Report I have just mentioned includes information about how consultation has shaped the project.  With regards to tourism, the impact is assessed in the socio-economic chapter of the Environmental Statement that forms part of the applicant’s submission that went online on 7 September. BHCC has already commented on this at the preliminary stage. I will ask for the Minutes to include the relevant link: 

Rampion 2 ES Chapter 17 (planninginspectorate.gov.uk) 

18.7 The Chair invited Philippa Hodge to ask the question regarding Disabled Parking for Outdoor Events to Committee on page 5 of Addendum 3.

18.8 The Chair gave the following response:

The Outdoor events team have been in conversation with BADGE in 2023 and have trialled some mitigations to minimise the impact of events on this important community. While, at times it is vital to close the entirety of Madeira Drive to ensure the safety of event attendees and the general public it is clear this disruption can be minimised.

In 2024 the Events team commit to ensure all bays at the West end of Madeira Drive will remain available for all build and break days of any event and a managed system to allow access, including very clear signage will be deployed by event organisers.

The events team are very happy to meet with representatives of BADGE on the seafront to further explore their concerns and look for additional measures we can deploy to maximise access to the parking bays.

18.9 The Chair invited Philippa Hodge to ask the following supplementary question:

It worries us that the impact of frequent wholesale loss of disabled parking, and by association, the access for those same disabled people during Madeira Drive events weekends wasn’t included in section 9 of the equalities implications of the report. This infers that it wasn’t considered, or wasn’t considered important to the Committee’s discussions, directions, and decisions. Do you think the reports would be improved by requirement to complete an early draft equality impact assessment document to encourage Council officers to proactively consider projects through the lens of our accessible city strategy?

18.10 The Chair gave the following response and also confirmed that a written response would be provided:

I do understand that I think it was really just an oversight, and the content you describe should have been included. It has to be on the forefront of our minds, and if they meet you on the seafront I’d like to join them, as some of the most rewarding work I’ve done over the past few years has been with the BAT (Beach Access Team). It is really important to myself and the administration that we get this right both for us and members of the BADGE organisation. I apologise that this was overlooked, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again and that BADGE will be the first people to be considered.