Green Party councillors are calling on the Labour administration to take immediate action on what they are calling “shambolic” failures in the council’s implementation of their glyphosate opt-out scheme. Multiple groups of residents, who went through the process of opting out their roads and were prepared to manually de-weed paths themselves, have seen the council go back on its promises and had glyphosate sprayed outside their houses against their wishes.

Glyphosate is a herbicide, which was previously banned in Brighton & Hove under the 2019 Labour administration, following a public campaign. It has been identified as being ‘probably carcinogenic’¹ and has known impacts on the environment and biodiversity, with some campaigners linking its use to falling numbers of starlings in the city². 

Labour re-introduced the use of glyphosate in Brighton & Hove last year, going against a promise in their own manifesto, which described the chemical as ‘harmful’. Calls at the time from Greens and other campaigners, to allow concerned residents to opt their streets out of being sprayed, were ignored. Earlier this year, the Labour administration finally relented and announced a limited opt-out scheme, which many streets signed up to.

Greens Councillors are demanding that the council urgently stop their contractors from spraying glyphosate on opted-out streets and publish a full list of roads that are in the opt-out scheme, so residents can see what parts of the city shouldn’t be sprayed. They are also calling for an investigation into how these streets were erroneously sprayed in the first place and for Labour to publicly apologise to residents whose wishes have been ignored.

Kerry Pickett, Green Shadow Member for Environment said:

“People have been severely let down by Labour’s failures in implementing this much-requested opt-out scheme, which already came a year too late. Residents have gone through the effort of collecting signatures and organising volunteers, in return for a promise that their streets won’t be sprayed with toxic chemicals.To then break this promise is a huge betrayal of trust.

“Labour need to take urgent action to stop their contractors from spraying on streets that were supposed to be protected, and publish a full list of opted-out streets. Residents deserve answers as to how this was allowed to happen and need a full apology for being so badly let down by the council.”

NOTES

1. Glyphosate – Pesticide Action Network: https://www.pan-uk.org/glyphosate/ ↩︎
2. Brighton: Starling numbers have ‘halved’ since weedkiller used again – The Argus https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/25005140.brighton-starling-numbers-halved-since-weedkiller-used/ ↩︎

Contact

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Community Not Cuts – UNISON Rally
Thurs 30th Jan, 3:30pm, Hove Town Hall
Event link: https://fb.me/e/2vbwUy9H8

“More cuts. More job losses. fewer services. without a people’s budget, more decline is on the way for Brighton and Hove.”

A Labour Council, and a Labour government – yet Brighton & Hove UNISON’s warning about what’s to come for our city is simple. Unless Labour support a true people’s budget, vital public services will continue to collapse. Our schools, our communities can’t take anymore cuts. Labour were elected promising change – so far all they’ve offered is more of the same.

This Thursday, Brighton & Hove Greens will be bringing a motion to Full Council supporting UNISON’s campaign to #BringItBack and reverse over a decade of austerity measures in which the national government has taken £110 million that could have gone towards our transport, schools, parks, communities, and care. Local government services continue to be squeezed by rising costs and central government’s refusal to provide the necessary funding. If Labour want growth, they must recognise that public investment, not cuts, are the only answer.

Before the meeting, Brighton & Hove UNISON, Brighton Hove and District Trades Union Council, and Collective Action will be rallying for Community, Not Cuts – supporting of the Green motion, and calling on Brighton & Hove City Council to stand up to central government, and stand up for Brighton & Hove.

Join us tomorrow, Thursday 30th January at 3:30pm outside Hove Town Hall, and join us in saying enough is enough. Brighton & Hove needs a people’s budget.

Find out more about the rally here: https://fb.me/e/2vbwUy9H8

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Picture from December 2023: St Bartholomew’s Church of England Primary School (central Brighton). Greens call for a change of course, as children are left without school places for September start of the school year.

20 June 2024: The Labour city council administration repeatedly assured parents that all children from St Bartholomew’s (Brighton) and St Peter’s Community Primary School (Hove) would be accommodated in nearby schools in the new academic year.

Greens have hit back at Labour’s decision to force two local primary schools to close after the Office of the Schools Adjudicator released a determination:

[1] Greens suceeded in overturning the Labour-run council’s decision to close St Bartholomew’s Primary School at the end of this school year in July.

The city council decision to close the school in December 2024 has been made after nine pupils – several of whom are understood to have Special Educational Needs – were unable to secure a school place for the upcoming academic year.

Since Labour first proposed the closures last November, Green councillors have consistently stood with parents, carers, and teachers of children at the school, criticising the speed with which the decisions were being made and raising concerns that not enough time was being given for children to transition to new schools.

At a meeting of the Children, Families and Schools Committee in January, Greens also called on Labour to produce a report exploring the feasibility of moving Bright Start Nursery to St Bartholomew’s.

[2] A solution which could have saved both institutions and reflects what is now national Labour Party policy.

[3] All Labour Councillors on the Committee voted against even considering this as an option.

Green councillors are calling on the Labour administration to use this as an opportunity to reconsider the closure of St Bartholomew’s Primary School and to bring a report to the next Full Council meeting, exploring how the school could be saved by relocating Bright Start Nursery to unused classroom space. They reversed the administration’s previous decisions to cut under two’s provision and reduce the overall number of places at Bright Start.

Cllr Sue Shanks, former Opposition Spokesperson on the Children, Families, and Schools Committee said: “Green Councillors welcome this decision by the Schools Adjudicator, which comes closer to reflecting what school staff, governors, and parents have been asking for from the very start.

Labour’s decision was rushed through with little consideration for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, many of whom would have been left without a school to go to this September, had the Schools Adjudicator not stepped in.

“We urge Labour to use this as an opportunity to reconsider their disastrous decision to force this school to close. Now is the time for them to produce a report on our proposal to save both St Bartholomew’s and Bright Start Nursery, which they refused to even consider earlier this year. It’s not too late to correct course and do what is best for local families.”

Ends

NOTES 

[1] Office of the Schools Adjudicator Determination: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brighton-hove.gov.uk%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F2024-06%2FSt%2520Bartholomew%2527s%2520CofE%2520Primary%2520School%2520Determination.docx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2024/06/17/school-slated-for-closure-gets-six-month-reprieve/

[2] Green Councillors’ Notice of Motion (p19): https://democracy.brighton-hove.gov.uk/documents/b39210/Addendum%201%2022nd-Jan-2024%2016.00%20Children%20Families%20Schools%20Committee.pdf?T=9

[3] National Labour Party policy on childcare: https://labour.org.uk/updates/stories/labours-plan-for-childcare-and-early-education/

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2 April 2024 – Ricky, 45, is a community campaigner, disability sports teacher and a dad. Brighton-born, he has lived in the city for most of his life and in east Brighton for the last eight years. 

“Every penny counts right now for schools, social care, charity, community and third sector organisations in the city. So, for Labour to spend a load of taxpayer cash on by-elections in the month that everyone (including me) has seen their council tax bill jump by 5% is wrong.”

Ricky said: “I have been involved with disability sports for years and have been campaigning to get better leisure centre facilities here in Brighton, with our public services, charity and community services being hit hard by cuts.

“I have felt for a long time that our elected officials locally and nationally do not represent people that rely on these public services. At a time when our public services are being stripped back with budget cuts, the people of Brighton and Hove are footing the bill for the by-elections here in Kemptown and in Queen’s Park, due to the previously elected people who won these seats allegedly not living in Brighton.

“Not only should the preceding councillors pay back any allowances or tax-payer money they received, but the party that selected them should pay all the costs to hold this by-election. Every penny counts right now for schools, social care, charity, community and third sector organisations in the city. So, for Labour to spend a load of taxpayer cash on by-elections in the month that everyone (including me) has seen their council tax bill jump by 5% is wrong.”  

Ricky added, “It should not have to be ordinary people  paying for these by-elections during our cost-of-living crisis and as child poverty and homelessness are rising in the city. If elected, you will find me in and around the community, at the end of an email or a zoom call to highlight the things that matter to all the people of Kemptown ward.” 

Ricky is passionate about protecting local services from the massive funding cuts to local authorities carried out by the Conservative government. He is critical of the decision by Brighton & Hove’s Labour-run council to close schools and axe vital voluntary and charity sector funding. In Ricky’s view, Labour have abandoned many of the promises they made to residents in last year’s local elections and residents in Kemptown deserve a strong opposition voice to hold the Labour administration to account. As a wheelchair user, Ricky also has first-hand knowledge of NHS services. 

The Greens were the closest challengers to Labour in the May 2023  local elections.

The Kemptown by-election is taking place due to the resignation of ex-Labour councillor Bharti Gajjar. Ms Gajjar was expelled from Labour last December alongside former Queen’s Park councillor, Chandni Mistry after the party investigated claims that the pair were living in Leicester. Both councillors have allegedly claimed thousands of pounds in allowances, despite barely attending any meetings; they are reported to have been unresponsive when contacted by residents. Questions still remain about how two individuals believed to be living outside the city were selected by the Labour Party. 

Ricky Perrin’s longer personal statement is below ‘Voter Information’ if of interest.

Ends

Notes

Voter information

• The election will take place on Thursday 2 May – polls to open from 7am to 10pm. Remember to bring valid voter ID.
• Voter deadlines: deadline for council to receive new postal vote or proxy vote applications is 17 April, 5pm. 
• More information from Brighton & Hove City Council Elections Department https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/voting-and-elections/kemptown-and-queens-park-elections-thursday-2-may-2024
• Residents in Queens Park ward who wish to vote in the by-election and need to register please visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
• Or call council electoral services on 01273 291 999 (Monday to Friday 9:30am to 1:30pm) or email: electors@brighton-hove

To help with Ricky’s campaign contact the Brighton & Hove Green Party on our site: https://www.brightonhovegreens.org/contact/

Personal statement from Ricky Perrin

I was born in Brighton and have spent almost my whole life living in different areas of the city, living in east Brighton for the last eight years. In my early 20s, I had an injury that left me paralysed and using a wheelchair; my insurance did not pay out and I spent many years relying on the NHS, doctors, pharmacies, social housing, charities, and community services.

I have first-hand experience of needing our local services, and I feel they need protection so that if you or your family need them one day in the future, they are there for you in your time of need.

I am always getting involved in community bits and pieces, from food co-ops and food banks to community sports and community hubs; many people see me out and about walking my dog around the streets of Brighton, the seafront or in local parks.

Having always lived by the sea I get very upset by the levels of sewage being pumped into our rivers and sea and this led me to get more involved with the Green Party as they highlighted the issue. 

I have a teenage son, now 17. As he has grown up, I have become more concerned with climate issues, thinking about the world we leave behind us for future generations.

I currently work for a local disability charity in the mental health lived experience team. On my days off I take sports wheelchairs to schools and get children playing wheelchair sports like basketball, tennis and rugby. So if your child has returned home from school saying they did wheelchair sports in the last eight years then that could have been with me! I hope meeting them changed the perception of people with a disability they had before meeting me.

A year ago I missed out on being elected in the local elections in Brighton. While  I am really happy to have another go at being elected, I am upset about the reasons why these by-elections are being held! 

I hope that running as a candidate for a second time will inspire more people with mental and physical health conditions and disabilities to get involved in politics. 

++++++++++

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News that cardboard meant for recycling may have instead been sent to the incinerator by the company in charge, Veolia, is scandalous if true.  Residents in this city pay the Council a considerable amount every month to have their refuse collected, and many residents spend time sorting their rubbish to ensure as much of it as possible is recycled. If they now learn that the people they rely on to process that recycling are simply burning it because they don’t have the staff needed to do the job properly, they are entitled to be furious.  Both Veolia and the Council need to be open about what is going on – the Council’s statement, which placidly accepts Veolia’s ‘assurances’, will put no-one’s mind at rest.

Local Labour are once again failing to get even the basics right.  The city is becoming dirty and run down and recycling rates are still in the doldrums. Let’s not forget: it was Labour who landed the city with this regressive 25-year waste PFI (Private Finance Initiative) deal in the first place, a deal which pays us not to recycle effectively, or even to reduce our waste. The Tories then extended the agony for another five years. Neither Party can be trusted on this issue. If the investigation finds a breach of contract has occurred, the Labour group must commit to serious review of the terms of the contract.
Residents deserve better.

Original article on the claims that cardboard recycling in Brighton and Hove is being incinerated available here: http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/15522573.Cardboard_collected_for_recycling_is_being_incinerated_claims_whistleblower/

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At the meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council this Thursday, the Greens have put forward a set of proposals aiming to challenge the rising levels of air pollution in Brighton and Hove. We hope our calls to protect public health will be backed by all parties.

Brighton and Hove is one of 40 UK cities listed by the World Health Organisation as breaching safe air pollution limits. ‘Hotspots’ in the city such as Queens Road, Western Road and Rottingdean High Street regularly exceed both U.K and E.U limits for nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas that along with other pollutants is primarily emitted by diesel vehicles and which can cause premature deaths and lung cancer.

Greens are calling on the Council to reduce the harm of emissions and protect public health by encouraging alternatives to diesel vehicle use. The proposals also call for better enforcement of regulations on engine idling, a major contributor to both noise and air pollution. The Greens are keen that the Council push for more government assistance to help taxi drivers to replace diesel cars with low-emission vehicles. Following similar initiatives rolled out in London, Greens are also pushing for differential charges to be applied to diesel vehicles parking in areas of the city badly affected by diesel fumes.

Green Councillor Lizzie Deane is keen to stress that any changes that lead to cleaner air will benefit everyone. She said:

“The rationale of this motion is entirely health related because, although air quality in the city has improved in recent years, there is still much to be done, especially in the city centre. It is now widely accepted that diesel emissions can cause serious health conditions, including asthma and lung cancer. So this is a motion that aims to benefit everyone, including motorists who, after all, are breathing the same air. In fact, recent studies have shown it is motorists who are most affected by diesel air pollution. I am particularly concerned for babies and toddlers who, by virtue of their size, are closer and more vulnerable to vehicle pollution emissions than adults.

“I do appreciate that some motorists bought diesel vehicles in good faith at a time when Government advised diesel to be a safer option. However, the only safe option is low emission vehicles, and we must do as much as we can to encourage their use. I am also aware that some of the proposals may have ramifications for the taxi trade, and am keen that existing cabbies are assisted when making upgrades to low emission vehicles.”

Studies have estimated that diesel fumes contribute to the deaths of more than 29,000 people in the UK each year and increase the likelihood of individuals contracting lung cancer almost threefold.

—

Green Councillors are calling on all parties to support their call for cleaner air at a meeting of Full Council this Thursday, April 6^th.

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We are relieved and energised that our requests to put the brakes on the sales have been accepted by all. We have fought hard to stop these plans despite how far ahead they were in the process. For now, this means that the plans to dispose of two parcels of land of the Downland Estate totalling more than 91.5 acres will not go ahead. But a halt is not enough. What is a fact now is that momentum and support is still needed to ensure we can finish what we have started and reverse the sales altogether.

Like many residents of Brighton and Hove and the surrounding area, we consider the Downland to be a special place that should be treated differently to other council ‘assets.’ It is a stunning area, a habitat for wildlife to flourish and for us to experience the local natural environment. It’s beautiful to look at, and an amazing part of our local environment both for flora and fauna, but it also secretly sustains us in more ways than we realise. Underneath our toes, the Downland also encompasses the ‘chalk aquifer’; – nothing short of a giant natural ‘sponge’ that forms a reservoir providing all the natural drinking water for Brighton and Hove. It is no surprise then that previous civic leaders had the foresight to purchase the Downland and protect it.

Questions have therefore been rightfully asked about how these sales were made possible in the first place. We recognise that Councillors from all our local political parties sat on the committees that oversaw the original disposal plans and had the opportunity then to oppose them. In the original committees of July 2014 and Feb 2016, where these sales were agreed, the land was identified, not as part of the ‘Downland Estate’ but as a ‘non-core asset’ available for disposal to fund the Stanmer Park restoration and development.

Now we know that the details of the programme of land disposals would have benefitted from greater scrutiny. The Green group of Councillors have always valued the strength and importance of learning how to do things differently and to adapt when new information comes to light. As soon as details about the true nature of these sales became clear, we moved swiftly to act. Most importantly, we have also demanded significant changes to council policy and procedure that will ensure Downland is never again identified as an area suitable for sale.

We will be working with Councillors across all parties to increase protection of our estate which not only provides our water but is also unique for its biodiversity, heritage and landscape. We appreciate the irony that it is the Conservatives who have seconded our proposals, knowing as we do that it is the cuts and austerity policies of their colleagues in central government that force local councils to consider such drastic measures as selling the natural environment. Yet working together is essential if we are to reverse the sales. We believe protecting the natural environment is a task for all of us.

No matter the value, elected Councillors should always be clearly notified of any proposals to sell the Downland.  That’s because the ‘value’ of the Downland is about so much more than ‘money.’ You cannot put a price on nature.

Here is our opportunity to implement positive changes to council policy. I also hope we will lead the way to a change in the ‘culture’ in local government that all too quickly ignores the bounty of our natural environment.

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Guest blog by Sue Shanks, co-Chair of the Green Party

The cuts to youth services in Brighton and Hove just announced will mean the end of the local authority youth service and a loss of financial support for several voluntary youth projects. As lead member for children’s services in the last administration I was proud that, under the Greens, we had protected this important service.

I have worked as a youth worker, youth work manager and latterly a tutor on university qualifying courses for youth and community workers. I have published articles and a book on youth work (as Sue Robertson) and  I am still involved in the field as a trustee of youth organisations and an external examiner.

All around the country, local authorities are cutting youth services as they are ‘non statutory.’ Although the local authority is supposed to provide some services, there is nothing laid down as to ‘how much.’

Youth work is a vital service to young people. It provides space for young people, somewhere to go, a friendly adult to build a relationship with, someone to talk to. Plus, it provides activities – something to do. Most of this will be accessible precisely to those who can’t take ‘something to do’ for granted; they may not have the family income to access it.

In the 1960s the Albemarle report led to the building of local authority run youth centres across the country. These were built on the council estates; Hangleton, Moulsecombe, Whitehawk .  I have recently been interviewing past users of the 67 Centre in Moulsecombe for a celebration of its 50 years, and men in their 50s look back on the times they spent at the centre and the trips they went on with real joy.

In the 1980s I ran a youth centre and took young people to the mountains and on trips abroad – these are things their families could not do. Their eyes were opened to ideas and activities they had never experienced. Surely this should not be confined to those young people with parents who can afford it? Parents who can afford it spend large amounts on ferrying young people to clubs, is there to be nothing for our more deprived young people?

The council spends a huge amount on targeted social work services but intervention often comes too late. The impact of youth work was recognised by the council’s own review in 2011: ‘the evidence base clearly shows that youth work can have a positive impact —– reduces destructive behaviours.’ Youth workers help young people through difficult times, signpost them to services, accompany them to court, support them in finding employment or housing and crucially, young people trust the worker because of the relationship they have built up with them – whether on a rock climbing trip or simply over a game of pool.

Open access work means that young people are not stigmatised and can enjoy their leisure time in a safe space with their peers. I feel the council has a duty to support young people who are not necessarily in ‘trouble’, though they may be having difficulties at home or in school. Research by the Youth Collective in August 2015 found that for every pound spent, over £6 is created in social value.

Last November the council proposed that it would no longer provide open access work but that this would be commissioned from the voluntary sector. Following this a decision was taken to set up a Youth Trust, and money was given by the Government under the Delivering Differently programmes to produce a report: its recommendations were never acted upon, which means £35,000 thrown away. The commissioning process was started and was due to end on December 7^th. Local voluntary organisations have spent a great deal of time, as have council officers on these processes. This is a huge cost when budgets are tight.

This cut is being made at the worst possible time. Young people are expected to work hard at school, are put under immense pressure and as we know, many end up with mental health issues. Youth work can be a vital lifeline for them. As it is a voluntary service that young people can choose to engage with, they are often more likely to seek help. Youth work provides a safe space for young people; something we all surely deserve.

Joining a youth club, activity or taking part in discussion groups or activities helps young people to make friends and have good relationships with their peers and adults, a vital part of growing up.  Yet again young people in their teenage years and those who work with them are losing resources. Although it may be easier to get protests going about ‘cuter’ causes, we must defend this service.

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