1 week Ago
We had a very full cabinet agenda last Thursday. As well as agreeing our bus service improvement plan, new red routes for Queens Road and part of Western Road, devolution and our interim plan local government reorganisation we also took decisions on New England House; allocating the Community Infrastructure Levy and the Household Support Fund; creating a new Economic Growth Board, and we updated our corporate debt policy. New England House is a beacon of creativity, a hub of talent and the community who call it home, many of whom attended last Thursday, are the type of people and businesses which make Brighton & Hove the renowned centre for arts and culture it is.
However as the report coming before cabinet made clear, for the necessary safety improvements to be made to make this much-loved building not only safe, but fit for the future, traders and businesses will need to leave for a period of time. As was clear from the questions and deputation we heard from tenants, there is understandable anger and frustration that this situation has come to pass. As we made clear at cabinet, we owe these tenants not only an apology on behalf of the council but compensation as well and now the decision has been made to give notice we will be developing and communicating compensation offers.
We will support the traders where we can, helping them find alternative accommodation and ensuring their amazing businesses continue to thrive. Our administration has also ordered an internal review which will come to Audit and Standards Committee in due course and which has already highlighted areas of learning for the council and several actions, including: a priority programme of training on contract management and project management training for officers; guidance on how issues are raised and escalated in the organisation; a new approach to be developed in relation to retention of project documentation; and closer management of fire safety concerns, including consulting with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and our own fire consultant. At cabinet last week your Labour council also created a new city-wide scheme so that income collected from developers undertaking construction projects in the city can be used to boost both city-wide and ward development budgets.
We backed proposals to use £2.4m of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Citywide receipts to support existing priority capital project expenditure in 2024/25; up to £184k of CIL Citywide receipts to support the Thriving Communities Fund; and to use £235k to boost Neighbourhood CIL funding to ensure that every ward in the city has at least £22, 000 of initial funding available to invest in local priorities. CIL is a charge which can be levied though the planning system on new development following the grant of planning permission.
Since the levy started, we have collected £3.03m for the citywide pot and £0.5m for the Neighbourhood pot.
As a Labour Council we want to be transparent about how this money is spent and to put significant control back in the hands of our residents who will be able to pitch and develop ideas for investment in their communities overseen by ward councillors. We know how much our city takes pride in local places and wants to improve community facilities and I hope this new project will see a significant boost to this as well as building community connection and cohesion. We’re also launching an Economic Growth Board for the city and we’re looking for inspirational business leaders who can help to drive economic growth in the city.
Following the launch of the city’s Economic Plan last November, this new independent, Economic Growth Board will help ensure the city’s business voice helps drive economic growth for Brighton & Hove and beyond. If you are interested or know someone who has skills to offer please be in touch. And we also agreed a series of changes to our Corporate Debt Management Policy at the cabinet, all geared to ensure that in-house and external debt collection practices include processes to identify hardship or vulnerabilities at the earliest possible stage.
I’m very proud that we’ve agreed this new policy, which not only sets out our approach to collecting public funds but also reflects our commitment to fairness and social responsibility. By putting our Labour values into action we will prioritise residents’ welfare and support residents facing financial difficulty. As well as supporting vulnerable households, early intervention will enable us to establish sustainable repayment plans.
With this policy, Brighton & Hove is setting a high bar. We are proud that this will be one of the most progressive and ethical corporate debt policies in the country – combining robust financial management with compassion and care for our community. Bella Sankey is the Labour Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council.
