Sadly, in the last couple of years there have been many other conflicts that have forced
people to flee from their homes – including Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Yemen and now Ukraine.
Across the country, councils have collectively supported and provided refuge for 46,500
Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in the UK via the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

But the work of organisations such as the City of Sanctuary Network, the Refugee Council,
and, more locally, Voices in Exile, the Hummingbird Project and Thousand 4 £1000, is
increasingly at odds with the rhetoric of the Conservative government.

This government set up the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme – intended to focus on
the most vulnerable of those left behind following the military withdrawal – but has failed to
give a start date for the pathway for those still in Afghanistan.

It set up the Homes for Ukraine scheme – which has been beset by safeguarding problems –
and failed to get it to work. (Essentially, local authorities have stepped into the breach here.)
Most recently it has introduced a scheme to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda that fails to
respect the right to have their claim for refugee status examined. Instead, the decision to
deport is based not on the merits of the claim but on how the individual reached the UK in
the first place. And to add a lack of financial probity to a moral vacuum, the government has
failed to demonstrate that the scheme even represents value for money.

This schism is less to do with who we are welcoming (or rather, not welcoming) and more
with who we think we are, or strive to become. Are we a country that lives up to the norms
and values it espouses? Or are we content to turn our backs on those in hardship?

This week, I became one of a group of local councillors to sign an open letter to the Home
Secretary calling on her to:

1. Ensure that councils are provided with appropriate funding to support those Ukrainian
   refugees presenting as homeless to local authorities.
2. Urgently improve the Home Office’s communication and data sharing with councils to
   ensure that refugees from Ukraine can be resettled safely as soon as possible;
3. Uplift Local Housing Allowance (LHA) to enable local authorities to procure refugees
   private rented sector accommodation;
4. Accelerate the Home Office’s processing times for asylum claims and implement
   measures to improve the wellbeing of asylum claimants during their time in initial,
   dispersal and contingency accommodation;
5. Take forward local authorities’ submissions to Government’s consultation on the full
   dispersal model, and implement a long-term plan for the resettlement of refugees that
   integrates them into communities and in residential accommodation, with the
   involvement of local communities and the third sector;
6. Undertake a fundamental re-haul of the UK’s asylum system to ensure that it is fair,
   humane and treats refugees with the compassion they deserve.
   If we are a fair, humane society, why would we settle for anything less?

Cllr Siriol Hugh-Jones is Deputy Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council.

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Until next Friday residents can still comment on the plan for new housing and development in our city – known as ‘City Plan Part two.’ This lays out proposals to pin down the city’s approach to housing development. It pushes for warmer homes, and includes requests for more sustainable, low-emission housebuilding. Protecting heritage sites, enhancing the environment, and conserving much of our city’s unique and beautiful architecture are included too.

The City Plan is vital. It is all that stands between local communities and the government’s plans for rampant housing development. We have been repeatedly informed that if Brighton and Hove City Council fails to show how it can meet the housing targets imposed by the Conservative government, ministers have the authority to step in and take control of local planning decisions – overriding the plan and deciding what is built and where.

That’s because instead of local decision making, everything from the number of houses we must build to the amount of affordable housing we can expect is constrained by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). This policy skews the planning system in favour of developers. The NPPF sets out a presumption in favour of building, placing profit before the environment and people – and nowhere was this more clear than when the City Plan was last put before councillors earlier this year. A whole series of Green attempts to improve the plan, including a stipulation for 100% affordable housing and explicit protection for green space sites were rejected, precisely because they were ruled as incompatible with the aims for relentless development set out in the Conservative government’s national planning policy framework.

Attempts to protect green spaces from high-cost development in the plan are still at the mercy of the government’s planning inspector, who intervened to instruct the city council to build more than 600 homes a year to comply with the government’s targets. Despite ongoing debate over what is known as the urban fringe (the land on the edge of the built up area of the city), it’s often missed that it was neither the Green or Labour councils who insisted on urban fringe sites being allocated for development. Told to ‘look under every stone,’ to find more sites for housing, we are expected to find yet more places to build, including the urban fringe, even though we have made clear our city’s position. 

A whole six years ago Green Cllrs argued for the damaging Tory planning laws to be axed and we continue to do so. Alarmingly, precious little has changed in favour of our local communities. Instead, the stakes are now even higher. The Conservative government has responded to the repeated calls for planning for the environment and people with an even more damaging set of proposals. A new ‘algorithm’ for calculating housing need will impose a whopping 287% increased target for housebuilding in our city. In a city where too few can afford the sheer cost of buying, plans are also in place to reduce the already paltry quantity of ‘affordable homes’ we can request from developers without falling foul of planning law.

Far from showing concern for green space, new proposals for ‘zones’ also mean that areas worth protecting from the obsession with rampant development will be defined nationally, not locally, with parts of our city designated for ‘growth’ or renewal – meaning that permission for new developments could be approved automatically, bypassing democratic involvement from locally elected councillors on the city’s planning committee, and, by definition, ignoring local objections. 

These new proposals are a serious risk, causing outrage among even Conservative MPs. But they also expose the ridiculous scenes where Conservative Councillors claim that they are keen to protect our city’s green spaces from the Conservative government that repeatedly puts them under threat in the first place.

We know that residents care deeply about the future of housing in our city – we share their real concerns over what is built and where. What’s more, while local communities and councils are keen to shape the future of their neighbourhoods, the local voice in housing development is being repeatedly undermined by government proposals. 

Greens and the city position is clear – we need genuinely affordable homes to support the most vulnerable and turn the tide on the housing crisis; while playing our part to manage the climate crisis. But just as the Conservative government lines the pockets of developers, these ‘targets’ put more and more land in our city at risk. We all benefit from a City Plan that puts our city’s needs – not developers – at the centre, so in addition to the consultation, we urge everyone to join us in lobbying for changes to the planning system that will truly put our city, communities and environment first.

Consultation: http://bit.ly/BrightonHoveCPP2

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With Covid-19 continuing to affect every part of our lives, it can be hard to take stock of how much has changed. But I am reminded every day in Brighton and Hove of the strength of our communities and the efforts so many are making to pull our city through. Against the odds, our communities are always worth celebrating.

This week I know many have shared relief that some of our city’s fantastic arts, culture, theatre and events venues and organisations have finally received some desperately needed financial support from Government. 55 arts and culture organisations around Sussex, including live music venues like Concorde 2 and the Green Door Store, as well as organisations like The Old Market, South East Dance, Fabrica, Brighton Pride, Brighton Dome and the iconic Pavilion, have been successful in receiving a share of£10m support from the Culture Recovery Fund – vital given the impact that Covid-19 has had on our cultural events.

On top of this comes the news that all seven of Brighton and Hove’s award-winning parks have been re-awarded prestigious ‘Green Flag’ status by the Keep Britain Tidy campaign. At a time when we value our parks and green spaces more than ever, it’s a successthat many of our city’s parks continue to be rated as some of the best green spaces in the country. This month we have also made progress in pushing for Stanmer Park- our city’s largest park – to become a designated country park, allowing us to apply for funding to protect its special status and wildlife.

With Covid-19 forcing so many of us to stay closer to home, it’s vital our city remains an accessible, welcoming space for all. Enhancing our city is a long-term project that I will not allow to fall by the wayside – and so many of us can already share in improvements. The new revamped Valley Gardens has heralded new green space, wildflower meadow, trees, cycle lane and expanded walking paths in our city centre. As we continue to face down the threat of the climate crisis, approval has also been granted for an ambitious project to ‘rewild’ Waterhall golf course – this means working with environmental groups to return it to a vibrant green space where wildlife and plant life can again flourish.

This month, we have also been able to share the news that work is underway to restore the first 30 arches of Madeira Terrace. An exceptional design team is now on board, looking at how the terraces can be restored in their entirety – and exploring how we can create a better public space for people at the neglected eastern seafront. Heritage England has also recognised the critical state of the terraces, which have fallen into disrepair and decline over many years, so it’s essential that restoration works continue at pace.

We want our city not only to be able to face down Covid-19, but to continue to thrive. This week we have helped secure existing jobs at pharmaceutical manufacturer CustomPharma- important and welcome news- and will work with the company to secure more. I have been meeting many employers who want to invest in the city too.

We know that it is many efforts of partner organisations, workers, volunteers and community groups that are so often at the heart of what makes our city so special. Yet despite our rich history of arts and culture, parks, open spaces and heritage their value is still underestimated. Arts and culture contribute £10.6bn to the UK economy, help to tackle social injustice and showcase our communities around the world.

Over the past three months the city council has ensured three large scale, socially distanced events can take place. The council has also provided funding to support a recovery plan, drawn up with Arts Council England, covering the next three years. Our vision is to pave the way for new jobs and enable our vital cultural sector to adapt to the new context. We have also funded a series of advice sessions for people working in the creative and culture sector. However, many of those employed in the creative industries are self-employed, falling through the gaps in the income support scheme, that still excludes many freelancers, for example. Our city is still at risk of losing parts of the creative and cultural sector we hold dear. Government funding can be a lifeline – but is still not reaching some of the organisations and people that need it.

The pandemic has caused disruption to our daily lives. As a city we are staying focused on driving down Covid-19, and on our economic and mental health recovery, the Government’s approach must also demonstrate support for music, art and our green spaces – the very things that will get us through.

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It’s poignant – in a year where many of us have had our wellbeing impacted by the pandemic – that we think about the importance of everyone being able to being able to get support from friends, family and professionals to improve their mental health

From feelings of isolation, to increased worries about the future – our mental wellbeing has also borne the brunt of this terrible crisis. Research from the Samaritans has shown just how big an impact it has had. They reported that Covid-19 came up in nearly every contact they’ve had.  

It’s important to talk

As always, it’s important to know that these feelings are normal and it’s ok to not feel ok. I would also hope everyone is able to talk about mental health, if they wish. Whether that’s with a friend or family member, or a colleague – you are not alone.

For some, they may not wish to talk – and that’s fine too. But improving our mental health doesn’t only come from talking about it – though that is an important part. The five ways to wellbeing, developed with mental health charity Mind, points out that being active, even just going for a walk or exercising at home can have genuine benefits, as can ‘taking notice,’ –like visiting a new location, taking photos of nature or even just nurturing a plant –  simple tasks that can help us feel grounded. So can learning a new skill, reading a book or a simple crossword or sudoku. 

Connecting to other people in some way, or giving –  these are all ways that can help improve how we feel, even when talking about our feelings might feel too much. I hope too that people are aware of some of the support there is out there from both local and national charities. I’ve put some of those ways at the end of this piece.

Better is possible

The pandemic has also highlighted something that greens have said for a while. The structure of our society as it was is not something we want to go back to – and that is within our grasp. We have an economic system that values productivity, and work, above our wellbeing – often driving us to be overly self critical or harsh about what we are ‘achieving. It’s time for this to stop.

I have always valued access to nature and can often be found on my allotment. But lockdown gave me an even bigger chance to value the outside space we have. Studies, like this one from Harvard University Medical School, has shown that time outdoors, or even experiencing nature through tending to plants on the windowsill at home, can help us all reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Calming nature sounds and even outdoor silence can lower blood pressure and levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which calms the body’s fight-or-flight response.

Better is possible and it’s within our grasp.

Places you can get support

Community Roots – a Brighton-based hub that signposts to available local support, ranging from help with talking therapies, sleep, mindfulness, money and debt, and domestic abuse

Mind Brighton & Hove – Mind run a range of services in Brighton & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex to support you and your mental health

Samaritans – whatever you’re going through, a Samaritan will face it with you. call 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

Sussex Mental Healthline – freephone 0300 5000 101 – provides 24/7 support from registered clinicians. As well as crisis support it provides psychological support to anyone with general concerns about their mental health, and if needed they can refer you for local assessment and treatment

Cllr Sue Shanks is Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board

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This week, our city’s Covid-19 alert level was raised to ‘amber.’ This tells us there’s a rise in cases in Brighton and Hove. Our rising number of infections now puts us only a step away from Government restrictions, so we all need to make extra efforts now to prevent the spread of the virus and avert local lockdown.

I know many of you are tired of this awful pandemic, I know many of you have already made enormous sacrifices, others tragically have lost loved ones but I am now appealing to everyone to play their part for our city to fight the pandemic. Step up our vigilance and follow the rules that will help us avoid restrictions:

1. HANDS – Wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds, especially when you’ve been outside
2. FACE – Wear a face mask over your nose and mouth, especially indoors where social distancing is difficult, and where you come into contact with people
3. SPACE – keep your distance from people you do not live with, and take extra precautions- indoors that means wear a mask and increase ventilation
4. Rule of six: When seeing friends and family you do not live with you must meet in groups of 6 or less. Indoors or outdoors do not meet in a group of more than six.
   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing/coronavirus-covid-19-meeting-with-others-safely-social-distancing

Thankfully hospital admissions in the city are still low. But it’s now when we must all work together to keep the level low and stop the spread of Covid-19 to our most vulnerable neighbours. The city council continues to work hard around the clock to protect the communities we serve. This week I met with the University of Sussex and council teams are meeting regularly with the universities, to plan for how we can prevent the spread of the virus. Key stakeholders from across the city, including our universities, NHS, care homes and councillors will also drive forward our ‘local outbreak engagement plan’- the plan to manage infection control. Our council committees keep a close eye on what more needs to be done. I am daily monitoring the pandemic and routinely meeting with our Director of Public Health and his team. This is to ensure we are putting in place the measures to help our city most effectively manage this crisis. I am determined to do everything it takes to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in our city.

Yet one thing remains clear: the efforts of local communities, local councils and our NHS are being repeatedly undermined by the continued mismanagement of the pandemic by central government. The news that cases are rising locally comes when the Conservative Government’s poor handling of the crisis has now led to nearly 16,000 cases of Covid-19 going unrecorded and untraced. This colossal incompetence has now created unacceptable gaps in knowledge: limiting our understanding of where, and how quickly the virus is spreading. It transpires it was the use of outdated, old computer technology that caused the latest error: a clear sign that the whopping £10bn the Government has thrown at test and trace is not going where it is most needed.

While profit-making companies like Serco, Sitel and Deloitte reap over £500m for test and trace, with little to show for it, the total that local public health teams the length and breadth of the country have received is £300m between them. We cannot afford the continuation of these catastrophic national blunders. Not one penny more should be given to the failing contracts in the private sector, this scandalously wasted resource must be handed over to public health teams.

Along with a growing number of other council leaders up and down the country, I have this week continued to press the Conservative Government to provide local communities with the support they need to beat Covid-19. If funded and resourced well, local public health teams, with their intimate knowledge of communities are the strongest response we as a city have – in the absence of a vaccine. Local teams have the knowledge to reach people let down by national test and trace – and can signpost people to other support, such as food banks and support with their bills.

We cannot be complacent about Covid and we must be clear: our increasing number of cases is a cause for serious concern. But if there is one place I know will rise to the challenge it’s the city we all love. Brighton and Hove’s communities have already shown steely commitment, will once again pull together. We will work to prevent this deadly disease reaching the most vulnerable in our society. I know this has been incredibly tough- 7 months on from the start, it’s arguably tougher. But let’s pull together and stick together.

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October is Black History Month – and while Covid-19 restrictions may move events online, it would be wrong to make the need to celebrate and acknowledge this month any less visible. As Black Lives Matter protests have reminded us – work to celebrate black lives and acknowledge the devastating impact of racism on society has been slow at best; and at worst, absent or wilfully ignored. And as inequality persists, its cost is serious.

Work on understanding Covid-19 by Public Health England found that people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds could be two to three times more likely to die from the pandemic than their white counterparts. Much of this stark difference is down to barriers that our BAME communities already face, pointing to longstanding inequalities in health, incomes, housing and employment.

The Conservative Government’s relentless pursuit of austerity cuts since 2010 has brought public services people rely on to their knees – and research has shown it is the poorest black and Asian households who lose the most from the combined impact of cuts – almost 20% loss of their usual annual living standards. Without action on the climate crisis, too, we will lose opportunities to create social justice; toxic air pollution for example has been shown to be concentrated in the 20% of poorest neighbourhoods in England – and in areas with a greater population of BAME people. It is painfully clear that we must understand the deep impact of racism – and to do so we have to look to our past, as well as to our future, so that we can create meaningful change.

While we live in a city steeped in history, much less, sadly, is celebrated about the black and minority ethnic (BAME) communities who have shaped Brighton’s past and present, and whose lives have all too often been overlooked and ignored. People like Thomas Highflyer, buried at Woodvale cemetery, rescued from a slave ship. George Bridgetower, the violinist who played with Beethoven; and Sake Dean Mohamed, ‘Dr Brighton’, physio to two British monarchs.

Black History Month tells us that it is vital we recognise the ways that history informs the present. Across the country we have also seen communities understand the ways the very construction of society – from buildings to statues – reflect more of this country’s colonial history than celebrate the contributions of BAME groups. Often such memorials are placed without context, and without consideration of the brutality of racism and exploitation that does indeed underpin history. The arts, culture and education offer us an important way to understand and celebrate our city’s many rich narratives.

Black History Month embraces this overlooked history – but reminds us of the role we all play in understanding the world through the eyes of minority communities. A promise we made in the Green manifesto was to bring the perspective of local BAME people to the decision-making table. I am pleased we are now able to welcome new invitees taking up a seat on the city’s most powerful decision-making committee – Policy and Resources Committee – and additionally on the council’s Tourism, Equalities Communities and Culture committee. Selected by a panel including local BAME organisations, I am clear the city council will make more effective decisions if a greater range of perspectives become central to what we do.

The value of this is also echoed in a report by the Fawcett Society which studied councils up and down the country. They found that black, Asian and minority ethnic people experienced significant discrimination – issues that were again heightened for women with disabilities or younger women, who experienced multiple discrimination. So it’s right that the council now has an action plan to address this – to look at people’s experiences working in the council, address racism and bias, and ensure we are a fair and inclusive place to work. We have been working cross-party to embed anti-racism into the city council, but it would be an understatement to say there is much more work to do.

Our anti-racism work has to reach into every part of the city. In our work with schools, on top of meetings with teachers this means looking not only at the curriculum but also at how young black children and all minority groups can have their needs met. The council has now also overseen the development of a new Community Advisory Group to focus on anti-racism work.

There is a series of talks, events and learning in our libraries to reflect the importance of this month. It’s vital that political leaders do more to root out racism wherever we find it and the pace of change must be stepped up. And I commit to do this. As we commemorate Black History Month, political and community leaders must recognise their role in dismantling racism, and celebrate our multiple, diverse communities for what they are: a strength.

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But now, back in the real world, Brighton Festival is a distant memory, hotels, bars and restaurants are empty, many shops are still shut, and everyone is worried – about their health, their loved ones, their job or their business. How on earth do we recover from this?

There are no easy answers, but there are a few things that would make a big difference.  First of all, Brighton & Hove City Council needs to exercise the maximum amount of discretion in allocating Government grants and rates relief. Too many businesses in the city had been deemed ineligible for support when similar businesses in other areas have received it. One of Brighton’s language schools was told they’re ineligible for support because they’re not a tourism business, whereas in other cities language schools had been granted support. Following interventions by Green councillors this situation has now been successfully resolved and the school in question has been granted support; however there are many other businesses that still fall between the cracks that we need to help.

Secondly, commercial landlords need to raise their game. Many businesses in the city have written off 2020 altogether, and are unsure what 2021 holds for them. Will there be a vaccine? Will social distancing continue into 2021? Nobody knows. As a result, many businesses might be closed, or trade at a fraction of their normal income, for at least the next year. If they continue to be charged rent, they will almost certainly face bankruptcy. Some commercial landlords have agreed rent deferrals, but that doesn’t help in the long-term – who can afford to rack up hundreds of thousands of pounds in debts on the promise of an uncertain future? We need landlords to give rent holidays, not deferrals.

And thirdly, we need furloughed staff to be allowed to work if they can safely do so. Whether that involves planning their recovery, delivering a reduced level of service to their customers to keep some cash coming in, or diversifying into new areas of business, we need to allow people the flexibility to do whatever it takes to save their livelihoods without worrying that their safety net will be pulled from underneath them the moment they go back to work.

And as we go back to work, we need to focus on our strengths, look to the future, and work together. What are we good at? Why do people come to Brighton & Hove? What can our city offer that no one else can?

Brighton & Hove is famous for its creativity, its diversity, its cultural scene, and of course the beach, the plethora of independent shops, cafes and restaurants, the nightlife and the South Downs National Park. We also have a vibrant creative industries sector, a very active community and voluntary sector, and two Universities. We need to draw on all of this, and envision what our city can become.

So what kind of city do we want to be? The city’s Economic Strategy lists five aspirations for the future: a growing city, an open city, a talented city, a fair city and a sustainable city. Clearly, when the Economic Strategy was drawn up in 2018 no one had any idea about the current challenges that the city faces. But a time of crisis is also an opportunity: it reminds us of what’s important in life and gives us an opportunity to re-direct our focus and change the way we work.

And by working in partnership we draw on all of our strengths. Brighton & Hove is already very good at collaboration and partnership working, but many of the formal meetings and forums that made this possible have been cancelled or postponed, and most of the places where informal collaboration happened (such as cafes and pubs) are closed. However there is a whole new infrastructure for collaboration that has grown out of the current crisis that can be equally if not more effective. Every street in the city is included in an area-wide Mutual Aid group, and many streets have their own Whatsapp groups. Many of us have built relationships with our neighbours that we never had before. Many of us know a lot more about those close to us than we ever did.

The opportunity for collaboration is huge, and by working in partnership and looking out for each other we can build the city’s economy back up, not to what it was before, but to what we want it to become.

Cllr Tom Druitt represents Regency Ward. He is a member of the council’s Policy & Resources Committee.

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I think one of the glaring omissions from the government recovery strategy is the necessary focus on achieving environmental outcomes as well as those for health, economic and social outcomes.

But our local strategy has to focus on the way that we recover ensures delivery of the council’s goal of lowering toxic emissions to achieve ‘carbon neutrality’ by 2030.

Here and around the world the pandemic has been awful but it has been joined by the worrying signs of a planet in the middle of a climate crisis-warm seas in the Arctic, the latest recorded snow in New York state, 32’C in Siberia with unprecedented rainfall in East Africa.

We cannot come out of the Covid-19 crisis only to tumble back into the climate crisis.

The Green Group strongly felt that the report did not go far enough. It didn’t seem to capture the spirit of our amendment to P&R on 30^th April or the spirit of our amendment from the urgency sub on 14^th May. 

The AA through the week had a depressing statistic that their roadside recovery rates were at 80% of their pre-lockdown rates. We are being reminded that the window is fast disappearing that we have to intervene and support a healthy recovery while helping people travel in more sustainable ways. The window is disappearing and it’s disappearing fast.  

We now need to just get on with achieving a city that will help us make a better city fit for recovery. 

remembering that with a pandemic that attacks our lungs we have to do something about this through the recovery. We are a city with a centre with illegal levels of the toxic gas Nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter which causes deadly damage to the lungs; we have a disproportionate amount of people dying because of the problems caused by traffic. 

This is also about recognising that this is a key moment in time. We are rapidly being left in the shade by cities around the country- from some of the London boroughs to Newcastle- cities are moving at speed. We mention a few methods to support those we mentioned at the last committee on 14^th May such as timed closures of streets and although it is too early to open schools, we want to see the city well prepared for schools opening safely, so we need school streets as a way to have safe travel to and from schools for pupils and their families. 

We have been informed in a hard hitting letter from the Department for Transport about Active Travel Emergency Fund councils have 4 weeks to start work and 8 weeks to finish. So that really rules out waiting till ETS to make decisions since that’s nearly 4 weeks away.

There is a substantial threat from DfT “If work has not started within four weeks of receiving your allocation under this tranche of funding, or has not been completed within eight weeks of starting, the Department will reserve the right to claw the funding back by adjusting downwards a future grant payment to your authority. This will have a material impact on your ability to secure any funding in tranche 2.”

Although many celebrated the bike lanes on Old Shoreham Rd I don’t believe that initiative would be bold enough to qualify for the funding, with the DFT warning: 

“To receive any money under this or future tranches, you will need to show us that you have swift and meaningful plans to reallocate road space to cyclists and pedestrians, including on strategic corridors.

It also says “Anything that does not meaningfully alter the status quo on the road will not be funded”

The question is: will the city council rise to the occasion and get this much-need funding? There’s no question the city council is going to have to work hard to deliver this but provided it works in partnership with the transport stakeholders in our city they will succeed- from our bus companies through to our walking and cycling groups. Yes- this will need significant resource but debatably it needs a refresh in mindset too, to collaborate; equally I believe it will represent a challenge to the politicians to make sure that the city delivers. 

You can watch part of his speech here

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Views among residents do vary, some identifying worrying hotspots such as the junction between Trafalgar Street and Blackman Street, and the hazardous nature of Trafalgar Street itself with its two–way traffic and narrow pavements, and the blight of speeding vehicles. And a number of people have come forward to welcome the celebrated ‘café culture’ of Kensington Gardens and Sydney Street, where so many people, whether locals or visitors, enjoy a coffee or bite to eat in the sun. With the Covid19 pandemic, this now seems a distant memory, but with less traffic around at the moment, what better time to properly close off Sydney Street which is meant to be pedestrianised at certain times anyway, but is constantly ignored by motorists, much to the annoyance of those who live there?

The days of bustling streets and congregations of people meeting to share an ice cream or coffee seems like a thing of the past almost everywhere, and North Laine traders are suffering terribly as a result.

However, news this week tells us that around the world shops are starting to open again; Boris Johnson has suggested that retail recovery could take the form of shops with street entrances being allowed to trade (while indoor shopping centres or those without distinct entrances may be asked to remain closed) so long as they maintain some form of social distancing.

This begs the question of how feasible it is for businesses and traders to reopen in the knowledge of a likely drop in customer numbers, and how ‘social distancing’ and queues can be effectively maintained in narrow streets bordered by high volumes of traffic.

We need to reconsider traffic flows in the North Laine to support our traders, but also those living in the area. People have been in touch with us about the welcome peace and quiet as a result of less cars moving around the North Laine. Many have for the first time been able to enjoy safer cycling and walking – something otherwise denied, especially to those whose homes have no garden or outdoor space. Many have reduced their own car journeys, as focus turns to essential vehicle travel and ensuring those with health or care needs can move safely. It’s clear that prioritising vulnerable people – especially disabled blue  badge holders, or those who need to take essential travel, can help ensure roads are shared and more accessible to all. Few would like to see the ‘usual’ volume of traffic and the concerns about road safety return. 

Less car use in the North Laine, or certainly a restriction to non-essential through-traffic, would undoubtedly be good for the local environment too, with cleaner air and less noise.

Furthermore, research from Living Streets on the ‘Pedestrian Pound,’ shows that pedestrianisation is good for business, and studies show that pedestrians and passing cyclists generate more income for shops than those who arrive and leave by car, as it is easier to attract passing trade. Studies also show that people’s perception of the quality and attractiveness of an area will significantly influence where they choose to shop.  With North Laine’s independent, quirky shops, food outlets and cafes, markets and entertainment venues making it one of Brighton’s most important tourist destinations for shoppers looking for something different, this could be a major factor.

If we want this vibrant, much-loved and often visited area of our city to survive and thrive, we must consider how we can best support traders facing the future of ‘socially distanced’ shopping, and especially those whose business entrances sit on otherwise busy streets. We must support residents and traders to be safe. We are urging the council to consider how they can support, and in liaison with the North Laine Community Association and traders, to do more to help. A conversation about limiting car-use in the city-centre is long overdue but there is no time like the present to restart the discussion.

Cllr Lizzie Deane is a Cllr for St Peters’ and North Laine ward.

For more information on the Pedestrian Pound:  https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/media/3890/pedestrian-pound-2018.pdf
“It is often assumed that more parking is the answer to struggling high streets, however this is not supported by available research. Studies have linked the quality  of public spaces to people’s perceptions of attractiveness  of an area, contributing towards  their quality of life and influencing where they shop.
Case study evidence suggests  that well-planned improvements to public spaces can boost  footfall and trading, for example  in Piccadilly, Stoke-on-Trent, a £10 million investment to make the  area more pedestrian-friendly  led to 30% more footfall.”

More recent guidance on the reopening of shops is available from the British Retail Consortium: https://brc.org.uk/media/674528/social-distancing-stores-v1-april-2020.pdf

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At the time of writing 60 health and social care workers around the country have died from the pandemic.

Over the weekend the Prime Minister expressed platitudes about his debt to the NHS at the same time that many front-line workers still aren’t being tested and don’t have protective equipment (PPE).

The questions Green Councillors raised on PPE and care homes two whole weeks ago have never been more relevant but there is now no question that government inaction, complacency and denial has enabled this pandemic to grow. We are pressing for more resources locally and I welcome that testing will be expanded to include staff and residents at care homes.

But with concerning national news on deaths in care homes, we urgently need more information on the scale of the problem faced by those in care. Every worker who needs protective equipment must have it. Our most vulnerable and older people must be shielded.

As failures become clear in the pandemic response, it’s also time to question fundamental elements of healthcare.

Repeated cuts to our NHS, and privatisation ‘through the back door,’ have weakened services and why Greens for the past decade have consistently opposed both.

Worse still, dedicated NHS staff have been let down by the government cuts agenda: study bursaries for new nurses scrapped, appeals for better pay rejected. There are 43,000 unfilled nursing vacancies, combined with a huge drop in applications from the EU after Brexit. We also need adult social care workers treated with respect, decent pay and well-funded local services.

Government cuts set a course for our health system that should have been avoided. Commissioners holding NHS purse strings are unelected yet given a vote on our local health decisions. We need a stronger health care system with democratic, local, accountable decision-making power, in order that we can act in the interests of communities now and in future.

Many are saying that things won’t be the same again. But maybe some things shouldn’t. A striking slogan from the protests in Hong Kong reads: ‘We can’t return to normal, because the normal that we had was precisely the problem.’

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