Press Release Thursday 2 September 2010

Everything you wanted to know about teenagers - but were too afraid to ask

Have you got teenagers and live in Brighton & Hove? If so, there's an event on Saturday 11 September from 11am to 4pm at Hove Town Hall that could make all the difference.

It's an information event for parents covering everything you wanted to know about teenagers. It's not just about advice on difficult areas like sexual health, bullying, drugs and alcohol issues and problems with relationships.

It's also about letting people know about the massive range of positive activities on offer around the city for teenagers looking for something to do.

Local parent Rosanna Martin-Rae is planning to attend the event. She said: "Being a parent can be difficult – you don't get any training for it. Knowledge is power, so I'm going along to pick up a few tips, see what's on offer and hopefully network with other parents who are in the same boat."

The event has been organised jointly by the Brighton & Hove Parents' Forum and Brighton & Hove Council's parenting team.

The council's cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Vanessa Brown, said: "It's so important for parents to know that there are people they can turn to for advice and to share their experiences with. Sometimes just being able to talk to someone can make a huge difference."

For further information visit www.bhparentsforum.org or phone 01273 294471.

Council keen to work with private landlords

Private landlords serious about renting their properties in the city have been urged to contact Brighton & Hove City Council.

The call comes as new figures show the council is hitting key housing targets including making better use of the city's private rented sector.

In the second year of the five year temporary accommodation strategy for vulnerable households, five hundred new homes have been sourced, families and pregnant women are being quickly moved out of bed and breakfast and rising numbers of landlords are signing up to the Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LAS).

A key part of the council's work has resulted in 82 new landlords signing up to the LAS receiving training, while latest figures show that on average 11 properties a week are being acquired which are matched to households needing homes.

The council wants to further improve contacts with private landlords and letting agents to work to target more properties or adapt properties for use and a 'direct let' officer has been appointed to quickly match households with available private properties.

Over the past six years the council has increased its supple of good quality self contained accommodation under 3-10 year leases to 525 homes. On top of this more than 17 overcrowded families have been re-housed under this process.

The council has steadily improved its service for private landlords because they play a key role in the city representing more than one in every 5 homes (21%) which is twice as big as the national average.

From the accreditation scheme, financial assistance to repair and improve homes or training to understand the new rules on subjects such as housing benefit, being a partner with the council is highly beneficial.

Under the landlord accreditation scheme the council aims to reward good landlords that maintain high standards. This scheme unlocks the ability to apply for energy efficiency grants, trade discount cards and be considered for the empty property assistance scheme.

Councillor Maria Caulfield, cabinet member for housing, said:

"The service we offer to private sector landlords is improving all the time. Not only do we provide a one stop shop for landlords and a dedicated phone line, but we offer training and advice on housing benefit as well as the availability of grants to improve homes. Currently our team is matching 11 properties a week with tenants and landlords."

The figures are revealed in the Temporary Accommodation Strategy annual update 2009-2010, which is being considered by Cllr Caulfield on 8 September. Other topics at the Cabinet Member Meeting include the homelessness Severe weather emergency protocol, the Local investment plan for housing and the Contract for communal digital TV systems for council housing.

press release September 2 2010

Licensing Committee considers improvements to taxi services in Brighton & Hove

A package of proposals to improve taxi services in Brighton & Hove for disabled people will be considered by councillors at a meeting next week (September 10).

The move follows consultation by Brighton & Hove City Council with groups representing disabled people and taxi drivers in the city.

Members of the city council's Licensing Committee will discuss a report containing a range of proposed measures to benefit all passengers, particularly disabled people, at a meeting at Hove Town Hall on Friday September 10.

Proposals include:

- Raising standards by improving the complaints procedure for any passengers who are not satisfied with the service they have received

- Increasing the number of wheelchair accessible vehicles available by ensuring that when a hackney carriage licence is transferred (ie when a taxi driver transfers his taxi licence to someone else) the new licence holder drives a wheelchair accessible vehicle. New licences issued would also only be for wheelchair accessible vehicles

- Installing CCTV cameras in all taxis from April 2011 as a safety measure for all passengers and drivers. (At present taxis can have CCTV, but it is not compulsory. The proposal, if agreed, would mean that from next April CCTV is required as part of all new taxi licences issued, and when existing licences come up for annual renewal during the year. As a result all taxis would have CCTV by April 2012.)

- Introducing a one-year pilot scheme to enable people to phone the drivers of wheelchair accessible taxis directly to book a vehicle

- Providing a wider choice of wheelchair accessible vehicles, by allowing the use of rear-loading vehicles

- Increasing the maximum age limit for wheelchair accessible vehicles from 10 to 12 years, subject to regular vehicle tests, so that they can be on the road for longer

Councillor Denise Cobb, chairman of the Licensing Committee, said: "Most of our taxi drivers are very professional and do a good job across the city, but we are not complacent and we know from feedback - particularly from disabled people - that there is room for improvement.

"We have worked closely with the taxi trade, private hire operators and disabled groups, and taken into account the views of all parties involved in drawing up these proposals."

The review of taxi and private hire services was originally carried out to tie in with new national legislation relating to accessibility of taxis and private hire vehicles. However the change of Government means the timetable has been affected and local authorities are awaiting guidance on any national legislation.

The Licensing Committee meeting takes place at 3pm and is open to the public. To view the report http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/ieAgenda.aspx?A=3060

Press release Wednesday, 1 September 2010

Action taken to put right altered shopfront

Brighton & Hove City Council has issued an enforcement notice against Richard Michael Payne, the owner of 124 Elm Grove, for replacing the shopfront there without planning permission.

Permission was refused for the alterations on 14 August 2008. Following this decision the planning case officer discussed amendments with Mr Payne and a more acceptable scheme was approved on 24 February this year.

Since then, Mr Payne has not carried out the work in the agreed timeframe and the council was left with no alternative but to issue an enforcement notice.

Councillor Lynda Hyde, chairman of the city's planning committee, said: "This case shows that officers will always seek to work with owners to make sure that breaches are remedied without formal action having to be taken. Unfortunately Mr Payne has not met agreed deadlines and officers were left with no alternative but to issue the notice."

Related information

The requirements of the notice are to:

1. Restore the building to its former state.
2. Timber framed windows identical to the dimensions, scale and joinery details shown on the plan are to be replicated.

Find out more about the work of planning enforcement

press release 1 September 2010

Season of mellow fruitfulness ideal for composting

Autumn is an ideal time to start making compost as there is lots of nutrient-rich waste available.

Spent bedding plants, grass cuttings, autumn leaves and prunings can all be composted throughout the autumn and winter months, to produce a rich compost ideal for spring planting.

Brighton & Hove City Council offers home composters for just £5 for a 220 litre and £11 for a 330 litre container. The Compost Converter is supplied by Straight plc which offers discounts to councils. You can order through their website at http://www.getcomposting.com or call 0844 571 4444.

In order to produce good compost, you need a mixture of materials, so if you have lots of leaves to put into your compost bin, put the excess into a bin bag, make a few holes in it and leave in a corner of the garden or shed where they will rot down and be a great addition to the compost bin in a few months' time.

Another tip is to use a lawnmower to pick leaves up – this shreds the leaves and helps the composting process.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, cabinet member for environment, said: "Composting is a cost effective and natural process so it is well worth making, however small your garden.

"A big proportion of garden waste and food scraps can end up in landfill, too so it helps to reduce the amount of waste buried, which saves the taxpayer money.

"The city's household waste recycling centres also take green garden waste for bulk composting."

As well as garden waste, much of the food waste in household bins can be composted. A home composter allows anything from fruit and vegetable peelings to egg shells, tea bags and pet hair, or even shredded paper to be composted.

For more composting tips, including a downloadable leaflet, go to www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/compost

Press Release Wednesday 1 September 2010

Council puts spotlight on autistic spectrum condition services

The needs of adults with autistic spectrum conditions will be the subject of a public meeting on Friday September 24 from 10am to noon at Hove Town Hall.

Brighton & Hove City Council has formed a scrutiny panel to develop a local response to the first national autism strategy, which was published in March. The panel is currently gathering information on local services.

They are inviting people with autistic spectrum conditions, their families and carers to come along on September 24 and give their views about their experiences of the current services and provisions, both positive and negative.

While the panel is focusing on services for adults with ASC, they are also keen to hear people's thoughts about young adults making the transition from children's services to adult services.

If you would like to give your views but cannot make the public meeting on September 24, or you would prefer to give your views in a private setting, this can also be arranged.

For further information, and to let the scrutiny panel know of your intention to attend the public meeting, please email scrutiny@brighton-hove.gov.uk or phone 01273 290450.

The national autism strategy aims to increase awareness and understanding of autistic spectrum conditions, deliver more effective training for health and social care professionals, and improve diagnosis, access to services and support.

It also looks at how councils, the NHS and the voluntary sector groups should work together to develop appropriate services for adults with ASC.

The chair of the council scrutiny panel, Councillor Steve Harmer-Strange, said: "We will be looking at how the council and our partners are currently performing in these areas, and what needs to be done to improve services to meet the requirements of the national strategy and local issues.

"We hope that our review will result in a blueprint for improving future services, better public information, enhanced staff training and more efficient use of resources."

Also on the scrutiny panel are councillors Anne Meadows, David Watkins and Alex Phillips. The panel is due to deliver their recommendations for improving services in the spring.

See here for further information on local adult social care services.

Press release Tuesday, 31 August 2010

Council deals with phone box clutter in London Road

Brighton & Hove City Council has joined forces with the London Road Local Action Team to clear three derelict phone boxes from London Road.

The orange telephone kiosks, the property of a company that went into liquidation in 2004, had fallen into disrepair and had become a magnet for vandalism and antisocial behaviour.

The council's environment improvement team have been working with residents and businesses in the area to take action and remove the phone boxes, which were located outside Sussex Bookshops and the YMCA charity shop in London Road and in Circus Parade.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, cabinet member for environment, said: "This is an excellent example of a community working with the council to take out a significant piece of street clutter that had been a problem for many years.

"Our environment improvement team targets unsightly areas that residents tell us are encouraging antisocial behaviour or that make them feel unsafe. They then work with a range of agencies and council services to solve the problem."

The work came out of a street audit that council officers carried out in March. The date of the next street audit, planned for September, will be decided at the next meeting of the London Road Local Action Team on 7 September at the Calvary Church, Preston Circus at 6.30pm.

Related information

Press release Thursday, 26 August 2010

Council takes action on house in disrepair

As part of Brighton & Hove City Council's commitment to improving the character and appearance of its residential areas, the planning enforcement service has ordered the owners of 92 Sackville Road, Hove to improve the condition of a house that has fallen into disrepair.

Officers have served a section 215 notice on Mr and Mrs Stevens, the owners of 92 Sackville Road, requiring them to carry out the following:

• Repair and make good all the windows on the property
• Repaint in white all external timberwork including window frames, door frames and soffits on the house
• Wash down and repaint the property
• Repair and make good the front boundary wall and repaint it in the same colour as the house

Councillor Lynda Hyde, chairman of Brighton & Hove's planning committee, said: "I understand from officers that formal enforcement action has been considered in relation to this long term empty property for some considerable time. Officers from both the Empty Property and Planning Enforcement Teams have tried many times to talk to the owners to persuade them to carry out works voluntarily and to bring the property back into use.

"This property has fallen into a considerable state of disrepair and is visually detrimental to the amenities of the area so I am pleased that this action is being taken.

"Experience has also shown that this type of action frequently results in the owners finally dealing with the wasted resource that their empty property represents. This is particularly important in an area like Brighton & Hove where there is high housing need and limited housing supply."

Related information

Section 215 (s215) of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (the Act) provides the council as local planning authority (LPA) with the power, in certain circumstances, to take steps requiring land to be cleaned up when its condition adversely affects the amenity of the area.

If it appears that the amenity of part of the area is being adversely affected by the condition of neighbouring land and buildings, the council may serve a notice on the owner requiring that the situation be remedied.

These notices set out the steps that need to be taken, and the time within
which they must be carried out. LPAs also have powers under s219 to undertake the clean up works themselves and to recover the costs from the landowner.

Press Release Tuesday 31 August 2010

Hundreds of disabled people to benefit from new council housing contract

A new contract for adapting council houses and flats to better suit the needs of people with disabilities is set to help hundreds of people in Brighton & Hove.

The council has agreed a new housing adaptations contract worth up to £850,000 with four new contractors that will generate savings of up to 30% - meaning more homes will be adapted and more older and disabled people will be able to continue to live independently.

The works cover smaller jobs such as handrails up to larger scale work like door-widening and installing wheelchair ramps, easy-access baths and level access showers.

Dedicated community liaison officers will help make sure adaptations fit with people's needs, installations are done on time and residents understand how to get the best out of new equipment.

The new contract will also maximise local employment opportunities and encourage the creation of apprenticeships.

The council's cabinet member for housing, Councillor Maria Caulfield, said: "Timely and appropriate housing adaptations improve people's quality of life and also save taxpayers' money by reducing residential care and hospital admissions.

"This new contract is excellent value for money and will help hundreds of residents who just need that little bit of help in order to continue to live independently."

Press release Friday, 27 August 2010

Planning opens up the opportunity for pre-application presentations

Since March, Brighton & Hove has been running a successful pilot scheme for developers working on major schemes to present their early proposals to councillors on the planning committee.

Developers have given presentations on a variety of proposals, including plans for housing and a community facility on the former nurses accommodation at Brighton General Hospital and the former Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital site in Dyke Road.

In September councillors will hear about comprehensive redevelopment plans for the Royal Sussex County Hospital and in October a proposal to replace the former Astoria cinema with small business units.

Members of the public can view the full list of pre-application presentations on the planning committee agenda for 1 September.

Councillor Lynda Hyde, chairman of the planning committee, said: "It is the first time we have done this and is part of our work to open up the planning process, both to developers and the public. We have been listening and have responded to our customers who thought the presentations would be useful.

"Offering developers the opportunity to present their proposals at a very early stage means that they can talk to officers and present to councillors right from the start. It gives us a better understanding of what developers are trying to achieve and helps them develop plans that are sensitive to the city and our planning policies.

"No decision is made at this stage but the process enables councillors to receive information about important development proposals."

Related information

Call for volunteer Healthwalk leaders

Brighton & Hove City Council wants to hear from residents willing to volunteer their time to lead short walks in and around the city.

Healthwalks comprise 15 short walks designed to help people get the most out of walking for their physical and mental health. More than 1,000 local people walk with the scheme each year and trained walk leaders have made a lot of friends including one romance!

The walks are a great opportunity to meet new people and are particularly beneficial to those who are getting little or no exercise, recovering from illness, or lacking in confidence. They range from under a mile - which takes between 20-30 minutes - to four miles - which average one and half to two hours walking time.

Each walk is free and aims to incorporate cafes and toilets although sometimes this is not possible

Brighton & Hove City Council wants to increase its 40-strong team of volunteers who have a dedicated co-ordinator and enjoy regular social events.

The council is calling for residents willing to volunteer a few hours of their time every week to leading walks. In return they are trained about leading walks with members of the public as well as gaining some interesting background information on health and why walking is good for you.

Regular walk leader Ian Nicholls (far right in the picture) said:

"I've seen walkers who when they started, found even a few yards difficult, but are now able to do a whole circuit of the park. Some have even ditched their walking sticks! Healthwalks are also great on a social level with everyone getting together for a chat in a cafe at the end of the walk, Our walks help some people with long term problems, and help others stop getting ill in the first place!."

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Member for Recreation, said:

"Healthwalks are healthy, sociable and great fun. We need more volunteers to lead these walks and in return they will receive training, learn about the benefits of walking and be involved in a whole new social scene. If you enjoy walking and can commit a few hours each week this is a great opportunity. "

Residents can request a copy of the full Led Walks programme by contacting the Healthwalks office on (01273) 292564/healthwalks@brighton-hove.gov.uk or they can download a copy from the Healthwalks website: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/healthwalks.

Press release Friday 20 August 2010

Carton recycling launched in Brighton & Hove

Empty cartons (Tetrapaks) can now be recycled in Brighton & Hove.

Carton recycling bins have been installed in 17 of the city's recycling points.
The scheme is being introduced following requests from residents who took part in the council's waste strategy consultation.

Residents are being asked to drop off washed and squashed fruit juice, milk, soup, fabric conditioner and other recyclable cartons at the recycling points.

The cartons will be collected, baled and transported to a recycling mill to be made into a number of different products, from plasterboard liner to high-strength paper bags and envelopes.

Councillor Geoffrey Theobald, Cabinet member for Environment said: "We are very pleased that we have been able to respond to requests from residents and add cartons or Tetrapaks onto the list of materials we now collect for recycling."

Earlier this month the council introduced aerosols as part of its blackbox and flats recycling schemes and public recycling points.

Carton recycling banks can be found at:

• The Level
• Chalky Road, Opposite Community College
• Portland Road, next to old bingo hall
• Freshfield Way
• Marine Cliff Car Park, Rottingdean
• Queens Park Terrace, Pepperpot
• Withdean Stadium
• Preston Park, North entrance
• Coldean Lane
• King Alfred Leisure Centre car park
• Moulescoomb Leisure Centre
• Co-op on Nevill Road
• Upper Rock Gardens
• Co-op on Lewes Road
• Whitecross Street
• Wickes DIY, Davigdor Road
• Ladies Mile Road, Patcham

Related information

Carton recycling and the black box scheme

Currently the mixed recycling materials in black boxes are sorted by machine into different material types. At the moment this machine is not able to identify and separate out cartons as they are made up of card, plastic and metal. Please do not put cartons in your black boxes and flats recycling bins.

Mixed plastics

There aren't stable markets for recycling mixed plastics at the moment. However, the council is keeping a constant eye on this and is working closely with Veolia in case things change.

Foil

Foil makes up a very small amount of the waste stream and is often heavily contaminated with food residues. This can affect the quality of the other materials collected and sorted in the recycling facility.

Magpie

Magpie is a small co-op which collects small amounts of the city's recycling. They are able to hand sort smaller amounts and this is a paid service. As a smaller business, Magpie is able to offer more flexibility in their markets and collections.

The council's recycling is free and the service aims to keep costs down for taxpayers.

Find out more about how to recycle in Brighton & Hove

press release August 25 2010

Summer visitor boost for Brighton & Hove

Brighton & Hove is enjoying a busy summer as more and more people rediscover the joys of the British seaside.

The impact of the recession, the exchange rate, and worries about airport disruption, combined with good weather and positive travel media coverage have helped to bring about a surge in interest in the city.

The city's official tourism website - www.visitbrighton.com - had a record breaking month in July with more than 140,000 unique visitors, up from 88,000 in 2009. Over the first seven months of the year, to the end of July, the number of people visiting the website to get information about the city's offering rose by 33%.

This online interest has transferred to strong visitor numbers in the city. In the last three months alone Brighton Visitor Information centre, situated in Pavilion Gardens and run by Brighton & Hove City Council, has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors. There has also been a 21% increase in accommodation bookings made through VisitBrighton, Brighton & Hove City Council's tourism service, during the first seven months of the year compared with 2009.

Visitor numbers to the Royal Pavilion are also up, increasing from 135,000 in April, May, June and July 2009 to more than 153,000 in the same period this year.

As the bank holiday approaches, a busy weekend is expected - but there are still vacancies available for anyone looking for a last minute break.

A huge of amount of work goes on year round behind the scenes by VisitBrighton, in partnership with hoteliers, restaurateurs, visitor attractions and other tourism businesses, to ensure the city is a top destination for visitors from home and abroad.

And the tourism team is now working to ensure visitor numbers remain strong during September and on into the autumn, winter and beyond.

Councillor David Smith, Brighton & Hove City Council's Cabinet Member for Culture Recreation and Tourism, said: "The ash cloud, worries about airport strikes and the recession have prompted many people to holiday in Britain this year. We are also seeing strong visitors numbers from Europe, the exchange rate makes it good value for them to holiday here.

"The year got off to a slow start because of the harsh winter and snow in January and February, which make the increase in accommodation bookings even more significant in recent months."

Cllr Smith added: "We are certainly not complacent, we are working hard to maintain visitor levels throughout the year and we looking ahead to campaigns for the winter and 2011. For example we have already welcomed 40 travel journalists to the city this year which has generated publicity in national magazines in this country and abroad, and have 15 more journalists coming over the next six weeks."

For tourist information, including details of forthcoming events in the city, visit www.visitbrighton.com

Factfile

Brighton & Hove welcomes around 8 million visitors a year

Visitors to Brighton & Hove now spend an estimated £693 million each year

This figure is made up of £449 million generated by staying visitors and £244 million from day visitors

This figures has grown from grown from £396m in 1998

The city's tourism industry supports almost 13,000 jobs and income for a range businesses including hotels, guest houses, visitor attractions, cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs and shops and brings knock-on benefits for many others.

Press Release Tuesday 24 August 2010

City celebrates best ever GCSE results

Brighton & Hove is celebrating its best ever GCSE results. The city's nine secondary schools have achieved a massive 4.6 percentage points rise overall this year in the number of students gaining five or more A*-C grades including English and Maths, going from 44.5% to 49.1%.

Commenting on the results, Brighton & Hove City Council's cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Vanessa Brown, said:

"These are our best ever GCSE results by far and I'm absolutely thrilled. Some of our schools have made massive leaps forward, while others have maintained good performance.

"I'd like to congratulate our students and thank our school staff and specialist advisers – it's been a real team effort."

The following table shows the percentage of GCSE students in Brighton & Hove who have achieved five or more A*-C grades including English and Maths. The figures for 2010 are provisional, while the 2009 figures are final.

School	2010	2009
Blatchington Mill	66	63
Cardinal Newman	59	56
Dorothy Stringer	63	66
Falmer High	22	25
Hove Park	40	27
Longhill	43	41
Patcham High	37	36
Portslade Community College	35	25
Varndean	58	47
TOTAL	49.1	44.5

press release 24 August 2010

Lib Dems' conference in Brighton in 2012

Brighton's enduring popularity as a stage for political conferences has been underlined by the Liberal Democrats booking the city for their autumn gathering in September 2012.

The council's tourism arm VisitBrighton has said the party is expected to bring around 8,000 delegates to the event, injecting around £10m into the local economy.

The party last held its autumn conference in the city in 2007.

Council bosses say the news justifies recently spending £1m on refurbishments to the Brighton Conference Centre. They expect the event to attract extensive media coverage for the city, given the Lib Dems' role in the coalition government.

The venue staged the Labour Party Conference last autumn. The city also hosted the Greens' national conference in 2009 and the Conservatives' Spring Forum this year.

Council leader Mary Mears said: "I'm delighted. Since they last came here in 2007 there's been a huge increase in bars, restaurants and entertainments for conference delegates. The council has also spent £1m improving the Brighton Centre, so they should find it more comfortable.

"We welcome all political conferences as they boost the economy and raise the city's profile, helping attract yet more business."

Press release Monday, 23 August 2010

Community Base planning appeal dismissed

An independent planning inspector has dismissed an appeal by Community Base against refusal of advertising consent.

In February Brighton & Hove's planning committee refused consent for the 9.4 metre square advertisement on the side of the Community Base building in Queens Road on the grounds that it would be a visually dominant feature within the street scene and detract from the visual amenities of the area.

A majority on the committee ruled that it would have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of both the North Laine Conservation Area and the West Hill Conservation Area.

The proposal was contrary to several local planning policies, as well as planning guidance on the siting of advertisements.

Councillor Lynda Hyde, chairman of the planning committee, said: "We are pleased the inspector has agreed with our decision. We considered the application on its merits and the decision was made on planning grounds."

In his comments, inspector John Chase said that he did not accept there was a justification for covering the wall with advertising material. It would, he said, make it appear an incongruous and alien element of the street scene.

Related information

View the items coming up at the next planning committee

Read the guidance for advertisement applications

Press Release Thursday 19 August 2010

City's adult social care services 'performing well'

Adult social care services in Brighton & Hove are doing a good job of safeguarding vulnerable adults and offering people with learning disabilities more choice and control over the services they receive.

An inspection by the national Care Quality Commission has found that the council is performing well in both these areas, and that the outlook for future improvements is promising.

Inspectors said the packages of care provided were of a good quality and were valued by the people receiving them. The adult social care team had:

• given a high profile to issues of dignity and tackling discrimination, harassment and hate crime
• done a good job in consulting with people who use services and enabling them to have a say in how they are planned and delivered
• a good track record of using resources effectively and focusing on value for money
• produced good quality leaflets and information packs for people with learning disabilities
• worked well with the local NHS and the voluntary sector to make sure services are available for people who need them.

The council's cabinet member for adult social care and health, Councillor Ken Norman, said: "I'm delighted the inspectors have recognised so many of our strengths in these areas but I realise that there will always be room for further improvement."

"We will continue working to help vulnerable people understand better what they can do to keep themselves safe, and provide clearer information to people who want to take control of the care services they need."

See here for further information about adult social care services.

press release 18 August 2010

Airport arrest for benefit fraudster

A benefit fraudster's sunshine holiday came to an abrupt end when he was arrested at Leeds Airport.

Police were waiting to arrest Patrick Walker, 38, formerly of Newick Road, Brighton, as he returned from a holiday in Gran Canaria on Monday (August 16)

After a night spent in police cells, Walker, who now lives in Shipley, West Yorkshire, was brought to Brighton Magistrates court on Tuesday (August 17) to face charges of fraudulently claiming housing benefit.

He admitted all three charges and was fined a total of £801, ordered to pay £750 court costs and a £15 victim surcharge. The court heard that Walker had already repaid the £952.57 benefits he had fraudulently claimed.

Mr Len Batten, prosecuting on behalf of Brighton & Hove City Council, said that in March 2008 Walker had claimed housing benefit as a joint tenant of a property in Cheltenham Place. He produced a tenancy agreement and a letter from Mountview Estates which he claimed was his landlord.

As a result he received a weekly housing benefit entitlement of £79.85 and council tax benefit of £10.41.

However in April, it was discovered that Walker had never lived at Cheltenham Place, but was a friend of one of the previous tenants who had passed away.

Mountview Estates also confirmed that Walker had never been a tenant.

As a result, Walker had incurred a housing benefit overpayment of £947.80 and a council tax benefit of £104.77.

He had also produced false documents to support his benefit claims and failed to attend three meetings set up to discuss the matters. A warrant for Walker's arrest, without bail, was issued after he failed to appear at court on September 8 last year.

He was eventually tracked down to an address in Yorkshire.

Councillor Trevor Alford, cabinet member responsible for revenue and benefits said: "This sends a strong message that you cannot get away with defrauding the taxpayer by moving to another part of the country - the council will eventually track you down.

"In this case, a £900 overpayment has resulted in fines of over £1,500.

"Benefit fraud means honest council taxpayers end up subsidising cheats.

Benefits are for those who genuinely need them - not for fraudsters."