ePetition - Save Our Green Spaces
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ePetition details
Save Our Green Spaces
Residents & businesses, in close proximity to Valley Gardens; Preston Park; Kemp Town; Madeira Drive; Hove Lawns and Hove Park, are not being sufficiently consulted to input into commercial and community events or the issuing of licenses/contracts, in advance of them being agreed. Residents rights, needs and safety must form a fundamental part of any outdoor events strategy. These rights must be upheld by elected council members; officers; council services; council leader and specifically, the outdoor events management team.
We the undersigned residents and businesses welcome outdoor
events. However, we demand that changes are applied to the
procurement and management of these outdoor events by drawing up a
specific set of guidelines/code of conduct, in close collaboration
with residents. The residents and businesses events guidelines must
be adhered to in conjunction with the Council outdoor events
policy.
These guidelines will be used to determine the most appropriate
commercial and community events that are desired by the community.
Importantly, events should be best suited to the location; venue
structure; safety and well-being of residents as well as the
surrounding environment.
Guidelines will cover the following topics:
Procurement Process
Declaration of Income
Type of Event
Environment
Location
Notification of Events
Duration of Events
Community Benefits
Participation Numbers
Responsibility & Safety
Noise Levels
Compensation
License Agreement
Business Case
Charges & Fees
Damage limitation
Adherence to Outdoor Events Policy
This ePetition ran from 12/07/2024 to 23/10/2024 and has now finished.
326 people signed this ePetition.
Council response
Councillor Robins, Cabinet Member for Sports and Recreation responded at Full Council on Thursday 24th October 2024:
Your petition was headed ‘Save Our Green Spaces’ so
it came to my portfolio but I think it cuts across quite a few
portfolios looking at it, so I hope it will stimulate perhaps a
wider discussion on how we use our green and open spaces. We
acknowledge the concerns raised in your petition regarding the
procurement and management of outdoor events within Brighton &
Hove. We would like to assure you that the Council already has a
stringent control in place around event selection to ensure the
safety, well-being and satisfaction of our residents and
businesses.
All events in the city are ratified by designated authority by
Corporate Director for City Services and the strategic methodology
for selecting events is being agreed at Cabinet this month.
Any significant event in the city is also scrutinised via a Safety Advisory Group system by partners in the NHS, the Police, the Fire and Rescue Ambulance services and the RNLI and also reviewed internally by colleagues in Environmental Health, Licencing, Highways, Parks and Sea Front services. In recognition of the evolving needs of our community, we are introducing additional controls this year covering various aspects such as procurement process, types of events and environmental considerations through enhanced environmental and equality impact assessments. These measures are designed to enhance our existing framework and further ensure that residents rights, needs and safety are given paramount construction in all decisions relating to outdoor events.
Moreover, we are currently drafting a new strategy. This comprehensive strategy will incorporate the contents of your petition and include specific guidelines and a revisited events charter developed in collaboration with affected residents and businesses. Key areas such as location, notification of events, duration of events, community benefits, participating numbers, responsibility and safety, noise levels, compensation, licencing agreements, business case, damage limitation and inheritance to outdoor events policy will be addressed.
We believe outdoor events play a critical part in enhancing the vibrance of our community. These events bring together diverse groups of people, fostering a sense of community and shared identity. They provide opportunity for local businesses to thrive, contribute to the local economy, and showcase the cultural richness of our area. Additionally, such events enhance social and cultural fabric of Brighton & Hove, making it more attractive place to live and work. By carefully managing and selecting events, and aligning with our community’s values and needs, we can assure that it benefits are maximised.
Your input has been invaluable and we are committed to ensuring that guidelines will be adhered to in conjunction with the Council's outdoor events policy. We aim to create a balanced approach that supports both vibrancy in our community events and well-being of our residents and businesses.
Thank you for your engagement and your continued support, and I
hope as we go forward, we can rely on you to always make sure we're
on our toes.