press release February 3 2012

Gritting crews in action as freezing temperatures continue

A fleet of new gritting wagons will be out on the streets of Brighton & Hove this weekend as freezing temperatures are forecast to continue.

Brighton & Hove City Council's gritting crews have been out every night so far this week and, with the possibility of snow at the weekend, will be in action again.

Latest forecasts from the Met Office show a slight risk of snow tonight and the possibility of more on Saturday night/Sunday morning, with temperatures rising to above freezing by Tuesday. Preparations are in hand to minimise any disruption.

Following the last two severe winters, the council has seven new four-wheel drive gritters, which can hold fifty per cent more grit than the previous fleet, and a motorised four-wheel drive pavement gritter.

Around 1,000 tonnes of salt and 300 tonnes of grit are stockpiled and additional stocks are lined up if needed. (In last year's severe winter the gritters used 1,500 tonnes of salt and grit across the city.)

There are also more grit bins across the city for residents to use - a total of 414 - as gritters are not able to get out to every road and pavement.

A team of 4x4 drivers is also on standby to assist vulnerable or elderly residents if needed and local community groups have got together to help shovel snow and clear pavements in their neighbourhoods if needed.

Full information on severe weather preparations - which includes an emergency shelter for rough sleepers - is available on the council's website www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/snow . The website also contains advice on how residents can do their bit to help 'shovel, sweep and salt' pavements and paths. (Government advice is that it is legally safe for members of the general public to clear snow or ice from pavements and pathways.)

Councillor Pete West, Brighton & Hove City Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability, said: "We've listened to residents and done our bit by getting the best possible gritting equipment and the gritters have been in action every night already this week.

"We will continue to monitor forecasts closely over the weekend and, in the event of snow, our priority will be to keep major roads, bus routes, and main pedestrian areas treated and passable for road users, emergency services, and pedestrians."

For information on any schools closures in the event of snow www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/school-closures

More details about the council's new fleet of gritters /index.cfm?request=b1149084&action=show_pr&id=268486

Press release February 3 2012

Brighton & Hove bids to bring Green Investment Bank to the city

Brighton & Hove is bidding to become the location of the Government's Green Investment Bank.

The city is one of 32 towns and cities across the country which had made an expression of interest to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to be the base for the headquarters of the bank.

The Green Investment Bank is designed to accelerate private sector investment in the UK's transition to a low carbon economy, www.bis.gov.uk/greeninvestmentbank

The bank is expected to have 50 to 100 staff and potentially mobilise £15 billion of investment.

Councillor Bill Randall, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, which has submitted the bid on behalf of the city, said: "I believe we have the talent pool, commercial infrastructure, credible international brand and sheer ambition to host the Green Investment Bank in our city.

"Brighton & Hove is concerned about climate change and, with two universities, the city is a centre of economic innovation.

"Financial services are at the heart of the city's economy and therefore there is an existing workforce with the necessary skills to take up employment opportunities if a Green Investment Bank located in the city."

He added: "It is early days and we are up against strong competition, but we trust our bid will be given serious consideration."

Business Secretary Vince Cable is due to announce a final decision on the location of the bank next month.

Press release 2 February 2012

Charlotte, the Forgotten Princess - new exhibition coming to Brighton's Royal Pavilion

A new exhibition opening next month at Brighton's historic Royal Pavilion will put the spotlight on the life of the nation's first people's princess.

Princess Charlotte of Wales captured the hearts of the country and when she died in childbirth in 1817, at the age of just 21, there was a national outpouring of grief.

Drapers' shops ran out of black fabric, commemorative souvenirs were produced, and the public mourning was exceeded only by that which followed the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. "It really was as if every household throughout Great Britain had lost a favourite child", said Henry Brougham, the radical lawyer and Whig MP.

Today Princess Charlotte is all but forgotten, a new exhibition in the magnificent surroundings of the Royal Pavilion aims to change that. The opulent palace was the seaside residence of her father George IV and she visited on several occasions.

Charlotte, the Forgotten Princess, which opens on March 10 2012 and runs until March 2013, will focus on the life and tragic death of the Princess through a range of exhibits including personal items such as two of her gowns, her handwritten music book, along with paintings, prints, ceramics, jewellery and glassware. It also includes a vase commemorating Princess Charlotte which was discovered in a shop in Mexico by a collector and donated to the Royal Pavilion earlier this year. The exhibition is organised by the Royal Pavilion and Museums, part of Brighton & Hove City Council, which owns and runs the Royal Pavilion.

David Beevers, Keeper of the Royal Pavilion, said: "The exhibition is about a princess who has fallen off the radar. Most people now have no idea who Princess Charlotte is - and yet her death hit Britain like a thunderbolt, the effects were extraordinary, the country closed down for virtually a week and everything was swathed in black. The closest equivalent is the outpouring of public grief after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales."

Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, Brighton & Hove City Council's cabinet member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, said: "The Royal Pavilion, where the Princess spent some happy times, is the perfect place to bring Charlotte's story to life and provide an insight into the fascinating and charismatic person she was.

"For the first time in a generation, the Royal Pavilion and Museums' extensive collection of material relating to the Princess will be displayed, along with items on loan from the Royal Collection, museums and private collections. It will highlight a fascinating royal story during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year and enable people to learn more about the royals who stayed at the Royal Pavilion."

Princess Charlotte was the only daughter of the Prince Regent (who later became George IV) and Princess Caroline of Brunswick. A feisty, headstrong tomboy as a child, Charlotte became very popular with the public, unlike her father, and was referred to as the Daughter of England.

She married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg Gotha and the couple were happily married for just a year and a half until tragedy struck. She gave birth to a stillborn son in November 1817 and died shortly after the birth.

Charlotte's death and the death of her son changed the course of royal history.

Charlotte would have become Queen had she outlived her father and grandfather and Queen Victoria is unlikely to have succeeded to the throne - there would have been a 'Charlottian' age rather than a Victorian one.

It also lead to Charlotte's accoucheur (male-midwife), Sir Richard Croft, who was in attendance at the birth, shooting himself three months later. There had been a media backlash after her death and Sir Richard, a nervous, sensitive man, was unable to cope with the torrent of criticism, even though the Prince Regent expressed entire confidence in Croft's ability. A day after Charlotte's death he wrote "May God grant that you nor any connected with you may suffer what I do at the moment'. As a result Charlotte's pregnancy became known in medical history as "the triple obstetrical tragedy".

The exhibition is being held in the Royal Pavilion's Prince Regent gallery and will replace Dress for Excess, which told the story of George IV. Exhibits will include a Russian-style dress which belonged to Princess Charlotte, on loan from the Royal Collection; her silver and a white evening gown, on loan from the Museum of London; a bust of Princess Charlotte, from Manchester Art Gallery; a baby's shift she wore as an infant, from the Pavilion and Museum's own collection, plus a gown made as part of a layette for the baby she was expecting.

There will also be a talk and gallery tours will be available to link in with the exhibition.

The two gowns on display for the first six months of the exhibition, will be replaced in mid September with Charlotte's wedding gown on loan from the Royal Collection.

Related information

The Royal Pavilion will reopen on Saturday 4 February 2012, following a two week closure for maintenance.The current exhibition 'Dress for Excess' will close on Sunday 5 February.

• Get information on the Royal Pavilion ticket prices and opening times visit www.brighton-hove-pavilion.org.uk
• Find out more about the donated vase which will be on display as part of the exhibition

Press release 2 February 2012

Regeneration plan will bring £150m boost

An £80m regeneration of a derelict fruit and veg market in central Brighton could be back on track, under a new agreement between the developers and council.

In a revised plan for the Circus Street site, 170 new full-time jobs would be created and over £150m injected into the local economy over 10 years.

Under a first development agreement in 2007 the 'Grow Brighton' scheme set out to create homes, offices, a state of the art dance studio for South East Dance, creative workspace plus a new library, learning and teaching accommodation and academic workspaces, for the University of Brighton.

But while further planning was taking place, the credit crunch hit and the scheme has been reviewed and improved.

Developers, Cathedral Group Plc, have now proposed a change of emphasis towards a more financially viable scheme by reducing office space and adding accommodation for 400 students.

The site would still provide 200 homes and offices alongside a new university library, dance studio, local shopping and a creative industries 'market' for small firms.

A new public square and much-improved street scene are among other benefits.

Council leader Bill Randall said: "Times are tough but we're working hard to get developments going. These changes reflect current market conditions and the city's high demand for housing and student accommodation.

"This project will create about 140 full-time construction jobs, many of those will be apprenticeships for our young people.

"Reducing office space would give us much-needed easy-to-let accommodation and allow us to meet the city's really high demand for student housing. Purpose-built student housing is very important as it frees up family homes elsewhere."

University vice-chancellor Julian Crampton said: "We have long been active supporters of the need to regenerate this area of the city. The redevelopment of the site will enable us to enhance the activities and presence of the University of Brighton's Faculty of Arts, and signals a major investment by the university in the creative, cultural and digital sector for the city."

Councillors are expected to authorise officers to proceed with the agreement at their cabinet meeting on February 9.

In that event, a planning application for the development is expected later this year, with a proposed start date set for June 2013. The library and other university accommodation would be completed during the 2014/2015 academic year.

The land encompasses the former wholesale fruit and vegetable market, the NCP car park to Kingswood Street and the University's Circus Street annexe.

Press release Thursday, 2 February 2012

Pedestrian crossing priority list announced

A priority list of pedestrian crossing locations across the city has been announced following a council review of how requests are considered.

The first new crossing will be installed on Lewes Road, near Queensdown School Road. Work has already started on a new pedestrian crossing there following approval by the latest Environment, Transport and Sustainability Cabinet Member Meeting.

Other locations that will get new crossings in the next six months include Goldstone Villas/Blatchington Road, Warren Road near McWilliam Road, Portland Road/Rutland Gardens, Coldean Lane opposite Varley Halls and Coldean Lane opposite Park Road.

Councillor Ian Davey, Cabinet Member for Transport & the Public Realm, commented: "Residents are concerned about safety on busy roads outside their homes, on the way to work or on the school run. Safe and convenient crossings are crucial to support people choosing to walk – but most importantly they can save lives.

"We've now identified the crossings that urgently need the most improvement, and have agreed a plan to take them forward. This is a key part of the council's commitment to enable people to make sustainable transport choices."

The new scoring system which takes social factors into consideration was approved by the council last year. This new approach takes into account 14 categories when considering an area including improvements for people with mobility impairments, safer routes to school, access to public transport, pedestrian casualties, child pedestrian casualties, road width, speed limit, existing pedestrian facilities, footpaths and cycle routes and street lighting.

Related information

Press release 1 February 2012

Council unveils final budget proposals

Brighton & Hove City Council has published final proposals for its 2012/13 budget. The development comes after the most extensive budget consultation the city has seen.

Initial proposals were published at the beginning of December.

Changes following feedback and evidence received through consultation include the capital programme in the city with nearly £100m investment proposed next year. This includes a doubling of spending on local transport initiatives with street lighting being a key priority.

Cllr Bill Randall, Leader of the Council commented:

"As promised, we opened the biggest budget conversation the city has seen. Residents have come forward and offered constructive suggestions for what they would like to see in the budget, and we've taken those into account".

*The full details can be viewed in the papers for the Cabinet meeting on Thursday 9^th February, here:

Budget papers

*Brighton & Hove City Council's budget will be agreed by all councillors at the annual Budget Meeting on Thursday 23^rd February.

Press release Thursday, 2 February 2012

Plan to combine community safety expertise for better service

A proposal to combine the skills of the council's partnership community safety team with neighbourhood policing is to be discussed by Brighton & Hove's cabinet on Thursday, 9 February.

The establishment of a Safe in the City Delivery Unit would bring together expertise from both services, as well as the community and voluntary sector.

Both services currently provide a range of community safety support to the public with the aim of reducing crime and antisocial behaviour, making people feel safer, tackling the underlying causes of offending, reducing harm caused by drugs and alcohol, reducing reoffending rates and providing visible justice and support to victims and witnesses.

Residents will directly benefit from combined support when they are affected by community safety issues, including antisocial behaviour, hate crime or domestic violence. The integrated unit would increase the capacity of both services to respond to individual needs.

By having one unit, residents would be able to access support from one point of contact from a range of experts.

Council leader Bill Randall said: "This is an opportunity to combine our resources, using existing funds, to increase the capacity of the overall service to improve outcomes for our residents.

"We already have excellent working relationships with our partners and we work closely with neighbourhood policing teams on an ad hoc basis.

"The new unit would enable the two services to build on their strengths and target their work to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour, especially around issues that matter most to local people."

Chief Superintendant Graham Bartlett said: "We know that the when people need our or the council's support they expect us to work together.

"Neighbourhood policing and our partnership with the council lies at the heart of what we do, and being properly integrated with one another will ensure that we can provide an even better and swifter service to the communities of Brighton & Hove. I am delighted we have this opportunity and am confident the public will notice a real difference for the better."

The new unit would also work with high risk families with complex needs, tackling issues at source, and help reduce drug-related harm within families through the Communities Against Drugs Programme. Professionals would work together with the wider community on helping to find solutions to their concerns, improve safety and prevent crime.

It would link in with other parts of the council and other organisations to improve the physical environment of local areas, making them feel safer and reducing the likelihood of crime; from cutting back overgrown bushes or installing better lighting to renovating a neglected or vandalised area.

'Community Payback,' where offenders participate in helping to improve an area, would be used to support this work to the direct benefit of residents.

If the proposal is agreed by cabinet, work will begin with staff to create a structure for the new unit which would come into operation in April.

Related information

Brighton & Hove's Partnership Community Safety Team has been in operation since 2002. It is part of the 'Safe in the City' Partnership, delivering front line services from 162 North Street, Bartholomew House and Ovest House.

The cabinet meeting is open to the public and will be held on Thursday, 9 February, at 4pm at Hove Town Hall.

press release 24 January 2012

£400,000 available for communities to help themselves

Bids are being invited to use £300,000 set aside by Brighton & Hove City Council to help local people in deprived areas of the city help themselves and tackle the issues they care about most.

The council has agreed to put around three quarters of its £400,000 community development budget out to tender.

The aim is to offer the chance to a wide range of organisations, including 'grass roots' level community groups, to find ways that help local people and groups use their knowledge and skills better when they want to play a big part in tackling the issues that matter most to them in their neighbourhoods.

Over the next two years, the funding will be organised on an area basis, split into ten lots. It will be targeted at parts of the city where needs are greatest. These areas include Whitehawk, Tarner and Eastern Road, and the London Road area will be targeted for the first time.

As well as this fund, the remaining £100,000 will be used to support ideas that develop new 'neighbourhood councils'. These might take different forms in different areas of the city, but they will all share one thing in common - they must give everyone who wants to a chance to play a part in making local decisions.

The council's cabinet member for communities, equalities and public protection, Councillor Ben Duncan, said: "Tackling inequality is a priority for us, and I'm excited that groups around the city are being given the chance to bid to us direct for funding to help address local issues in deprived areas.

"Engaging more closely with local communities and voluntary groups is key to our plans to deliver services that best meet local needs. That's why we're protecting spending on community development in the next financial year despite severe budget pressures."

Get details of how to bid for community development funding here.

Press release 2 February 2012

Council takes action to preserve conservation area

Enforcement action is being taken against the owner of a terraced house in the Regency Square Conservation area, which has fallen into disrepair.

The terraced property, at 23 and 24 Oriental Place, which houses seven flats, has been neglected for many years and the exterior has deteriorated badly.

Despite several requests from Brighton & Hove City Council, the owner has failed to make the necessary repairs.

Now council enforcement officers have issued a formal Section 215 notice which requires the owner to:

• Wash down and repaint the eastern elevation of the property
• Repair and make good all the windows and woodwork on the eastern elevation of the property
• Repaint all external timberwork including window frames, doors and soffits on the eastern elevation of the property

Councillor Phelim MacCafferty, chair of planning said: "This property, due to years of neglect, has deteriorated to such an extent that concerns have been expressed regarding its safety and impact along the street

"Owners of properties, particularly those lying within conservation areas, have a responsibility to ensure that they are properly maintained.

"Formal action is always a last resort, but we hope the owners will now carry out the necessary repairs and repainting to restore the building and help preserve the character and appearance of the Regency Square Conservation Area.

The notice comes into effect on 1^st March 2012 and the owners have 6 months to comply.

Press release February 1 2012

Plans for boost from eco-tourism

Pop-up campsites and a new gateway centre for the South Downs could be on the cards under plans to develop eco-tourism for Brighton & Hove.

Cabinet member in charge of tourism Geoffrey Bowden last year asked officials to draw up a plan on how environmentally-aware visitors could be targeted in a special marketing drive.

A report has been prepared for the next of Councillor Bowden's decision-making meetings on February 7.

Among suggestions are that the council looks into opportunities for up-market camping or 'glamping' or even setting up temporary campsites for short periods in pleasant spots around the city.

Officials are also looking into providing some sort of ecological interpretive centre for the city and South Downs, possibly using specimens from the Booth Museum of Natural History in Dyke Road.

The idea would be to package up a whole range of sustainable assets and attractions designed to appeal to green-minded tourists. Over time these could be further developed in a deliberate push to distinguish the city from its rivals.

It is hoped the move would help boost the city's visitor industry while cutting its carbon footprint.

The council says the city's eco-attractions range from the national elm collection to exemplary buildings like the Jubilee Library or Stanmer Earthship.

Sustainable shopping could be part of the offer, with businesses such as the North Laine's Vegetarian Shoes and Infinity Foods thought likely to woo eco-tourists. Restaurants selling locally-produced or ethically-sourced food, such as Due South and Moshi Moshi would be attractive.

The authority has also said the city could also be presented as a gateway to the South Downs National Park, where some sustainably-managed farmland might be part of the package. Certain relevant events or festivals could be included.

Under the plan the council's tourism arm VisitBrighton could work with local businesses to market attractions. Already the UK's foremost online environmental holiday firm responsibletravel.com is based in the city.

Brighton & Hove has an established network of eco-firms, online at www.green-business.co.uk

Councillor Bowden said: "There's already a lot going on here in terms of environmental awareness, eco-friendly buildings, locally-sourced food and ethical shopping.

"It's a question of packaging these things up, along with the South Downs and aiming that set of products at a specific sector of the market. If we get it right it could be a real shot in the arm for our tourism industry."

Press release 1 February 2012

Costly mistake for Rottingdean homeowner

Homeowners who built a two storey extension to their detached house in Rottingdean without getting planning permission have been told to knock it down.

Owners of 20 Lenham Road, Simon and Vanessa Fogg, have six months to demolish the two storey building after Brighton & Hove city planners refused a planning application submitted after the extension was built.

Planning officers found the design of the building was out of keeping with neighbouring properties and overlooked their gardens. The flat roof was unsympathetic to the design to the main house, a window and garage door were badly positioned and the space between the extension and next door building was inappropriate and appeared to be 'crammed in.'

Rottingdean Parish Council also objected to the planning application saying the development would be out of keeping and would intrude on neighbouring properties. Members were also concerned at the applicant's apparent flouting of the planning laws.

The council has issued a notice requiring the owners to demolish the two storey side extension and remove all debris. The notice comes into effect on March 1 and the owners have six months to comply.

Councillor Phelim MacCafferty, chair of planning, said:

"This case is an example of what can happen when residents choose to build extensions to their homes without gaining the necessary planning permission.

"A simple phone call to our planning team can clarify whether planning permission is required - a call that can ultimately save time and money for everyone concerned."

Press release 1 February 2012

Neglected building must be repaired, says council

Legal action is being taken against the owner of a property in a Brighton conservation area, to ensure repairs are carried out.

Brighton & Hove City Council's planning enforcement officers are taking formal action to improve the condition and appearance of 26 Richmond Place.

The action is being taken after the owner of the building Sergios Papadopoulos failed to respond to requests to carry out the work.

The property, in the Valley Gardens Conservation Area, has been neglected over a number of years and is now in a considerable state of disrepair, say planning officers.

The appearance of the building also has a negative impact on neighbouring properties which are generally well maintained,

The Section 215 notice requires the following works to be carried out:

• Wash down and repaint the 1st and 2nd floor levels on the western elevation

• Repair and make good all the windows and woodwork at 1st and 2nd floor levels on the western elevation

• Repaint all external timberwork including window frames and soffits at 1st and 2nd floor levels on the western elevation

• Re-render and make good the bay window on the western elevation at first floor level

• Clear gutters, down pipes and the western elevation of all vegetation

Councillor Phelim MacCafferty, chair of planning, said: "A badly maintained and untidy property can have a detrimental effect on the whole neighbourhood and when quality of life of neighbours is affected we have a duty to take appropriate action," he said.

"Fortunately most of these cases are quickly rectified and we are always happy to advise and support residents in getting work done, but ignoring the issue won't make it go away."

He added that action is being taken against other properties along Richmond Place which are in a similar state of disrepair.

The amenity notice comes into effect on March 1 and gives the owner 6 months to comply.

press release 1 February 2012

No blanket ban on Dignity in Action Day gifts at the Royal Sussex County Hospital

There was no blanket ban on celebrating Dignity Action Day at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton on Wednesday 1 February.

The hospital joined forces with the council's supported business for people with disabilities to mark the event by giving out 60 beautifully embroidered blankets to vulnerable people attending the hospital's accident and emergency unit.

The blankets have been embroidered by people working at Castleham Industries in Hove, where people with disabilities manufacture a range of printed and embroidered products.

They have been donated by hospital volunteer and fundraiser Bidge Garton, who raised the money to buy the blankets. Dignity Action Day is part of a national campaign to ensure people receiving care services are treated with dignity at all times.

Castleham worker Tyrone Davis (left) was on hand to donate the 60 blankets to A&E patients, including Jim Griffin (right). With them are (from left) the council's cabinet member for adult social care and health, Councillor Rob Jarrett, healthcare assistant Sean Hayter and Bidge Garton.

Councillor Jarrett, said: "Our Castleham workers wanted to mark Dignity Action Day by doing something to help others less fortunate than themselves.

"It's also been a great chance to remind the local community about the impressive range of products and services available at Castleham."

Press release 1 Feb 2012

New hygiene rating scheme for food businesses in Brighton & Hove

A new hygiene rating scheme for businesses selling food in Brighton & Hove is being introduced in March.

The current Scores on the Doors scheme was introduced by Brighton & Hove City Council in 2007 to enable people to check the food hygiene ratings for local restaurants, pubs, cafes and other premises serving food.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is now introducing a new National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme which replaces Scores on the Doors in Brighton & Hove on March 1. The aim is to have one single scheme nationally so that people in any area can recognise the ratings, and letters have been sent to local food businesses to let them know about the change.

Nationally around one million people a year suffer from food poisoning and the aim of the new scheme is to reduce this number. It will operate in a very similar way to Scores on the Doors and the ratings will give consumers a glimpse of what is going on in the kitchen when they eat out, or behind the scenes in food shops, before they decide where to visit.

People will still be able to check the ratings of individual businesses through the council's website, and premises will be encouraged to display their ratings. One change is that the new scheme will cover more businesses - for example it will include businesses serving less that 20 meals a day, such as guest houses, and shops which sell wrapped food (although there will be some exemptions).

Councillor Ben Duncan, Brighton & Hove City Council's Cabinet Member for Communities and Community Safety, said: "Our current Scores on the Doors scheme has proved successful in driving up food hygiene standards in the city and we are confident the new Food Hygiene Rating Scheme will build on this success and we will continue to see further improvements.

"Having a single scheme which is consistent nationwide means that the rating will have the same significance wherever people are buying food. The public will be able to use the information when deciding which food outlets to visit, and we hope that food companies will recognise that displaying a good hygiene rating is good for business. We are working closely with local food businesses to keep them informed about the changes and providing any advice and information they need."

He added: "While I welcome the scheme, because it is run nationally the council is unfortunately not able to give it a local flavour by including criteria for locally sourced food and reducing 'food miles'. We are looking at other ways of doing this."

Catriona Stewart, Head of the Food Hygiene Ratings Team at the FSA said: "We recognise the real progress that has been made in improving hygiene standards in food outlets through 'local' food hygiene rating schemes. But having a single nationwide scheme will mean a level playing field for businesses across the country, and consumers will be able to recognise and use the ratings in their own area, as well as further from home. So it's great news that Brighton & Hove City Council have announced their intention to switch to the new national scheme."

The cost of the switchover to the new scheme is being covered entirely by the Food Standards Agency.

Notes to editors:

When the Scores on the Doors ratings were first introduced in 2007 the ranking were:

0 stars 39 premises

1 star 139

2 stars 221

3 stars 427

4 stars 263

5 stars (highest) 78

Today the rankings are as follows:

0 stars 13 premises

1 star 39

2 stars 93

3 stars 295

4 stars 389

5 stars 637

Scores on the Doors ratings will remain on the council's website until the end of February.

Press release 31 January 2012

Make sure you have returned your absent vote signature form

Residents who have had a postal or proxy vote for more than five years will soon receive an update form. Brighton & Hove City Council is urging residents to sign the form when they receive it.

A new signature is needed as a security measure as people's signatures and circumstances can change over time.

Although the final deadline for responses is on 5 March 2012, residents are encouraged to respond quickly to save money on reminders.

If you have a disability which means that you either cannot provide a signature or sign in a consistent way, please contact electoral services.

Related Information

Press release 30 January 2012

£74.6 million boost for housing in Brighton & Hove

Budget proposals for improving the quality and increasing the supply of council housing in the city will be considered by councillors and tenant representatives of the Housing Management Consultative Committee on 6 February.

The proposals set out how tenants' rents will be invested in the management of their homes. They include a £74.6 million three-year investment programme to help tackle Brighton & Hove's acute housing crisis, which will see new homes built, council homes refurbished, and long-term empties brought back into use. The investment is boosted by the £28.5m funding deal agreed in September with Santander and Brighton & Hove Seaside and Community Homes.

At least 70 long-term empty council homes will be returned to use and 35 new council homes built to house those in the most acute housing need. The task of bringing the city's 12,250 council homes up to 21^st century standards will continue, more council homes will be made more accessible for people with disabilities, and investment in loft conversions will continue to tackle overcrowding.

The programme also aims to tackle fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This work includes making council homes more energy efficient, bringing forward communal boiler replacements, a programme of over-cladding for council blocks, and a continuing programme of installation of energy efficient lighting. Increased investment is being targeted at the lift replacement scheme, which will see new energy efficient lifts installed across the city more quickly than previously planned.

The initiatives follow consultation with tenants and leaseholders and will deliver more efficient services that reduce costs to make a bigger impact on inequality across the city.

The tenant-led participatory budgeting approach will continue with estate improvements through the estate development budget and the introduction of a tenant scrutiny panel.

Vulnerable residents will be offered a new programme of work, learning and apprenticeship initiatives through the 'Learning Centre' at the housing centre and a new EU funded 'Learning Cities' project.

In line with the government's social rent formula, which is based on the Retail Price Index in September 2011, tenants' rents will rise by an average of 7.3% - or £5.17 per week. As a result council rents in the city will increase to an average of £75.93 per week, continuing to compare favourably with the average weekly rent for a one-bedroom private sector flat in the city of £174, or £248 per week for a two bedroom private rented flat. Most council tenants – 71% – receive financial support towards their rent through housing benefit.

Following the global hike in gas prices, which are beyond the council's control, heating charges will rise by an average of 14.5% in blocks with communal heating systems. Tenants experiencing financial difficulty will be offered tailored advice and support from a new specialist financial inclusion service.

A new service charge of 58 pence per week is proposed for residents who have a communal digital TV aerial. The council has upgraded analogue communal TV aerials in time for the digital switchover in March. This will ensure that more than 5,000 residents with communal TV aerials can continue to enjoy television after the digital switchover.

Cllr Liz Wakefield, Cabinet Member for Housing, said:

"The current public spending squeeze means we face a real challenge in dealing with the city's housing crisis. However, the budget proposals aim to make a real difference.

"We have a chronic shortage of homes in Brighton & Hove and the prospect of more residents facing housing problems. As a council we're determined to build new homes, improve our homes and bring long term council and private sector empty homes back into use. We are approaching this in an environmentally friendly and sustainable fashion.

Press release Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Small enterprises invited to take part in summer Eco Technology Show

Small enterprises invited to take part in summer Eco Technology Show.

This summer the city will host an exhibition and conference showcasing sustainable business and social enterprise.

The 2012 Eco Technology Show and Lifestyle Festival will be held on 15 and 16 June at the Amex Community Stadium.

Brighton & Hove City Council is supporting the event with a stand and will host at least one workshop linked to the conference. The council will also provide a small subsidy to enable not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises to take a stand at a reduced rate.

In addition the Show will offer an opportunity for small or micro businesses to exhibit innovative or pioneering products or services developed for the sector.

Council leader Bill Randall said: "This is an excellent opportunity for small businesses, social enterprises and those interested in living more sustainably to come together and share expertise about how to achieve better use of resources."

The event will showcase new technologies and be divided into three zones – transport; build energy and lifestyle; and information and education.

There will also be themed days, with the first day dedicated to trade and the second allocated as a family day.

Michael Yeoman, Director of South Downs Solar and co-founder of The Eco Technology Show 2012, explains: "Exhibition space at The Eco Technology Show 2012 (ETS) is filling up faster than expected. ETS has already had to extend the life style and transport zones to accommodate the growing interest.

"Forty five per cent of exhibition stands have been booked which means that people are running out of time and space to book themselves in to exhibit at the show."

Organisations or businesses interested in taking up a stand or for further information contact: billy.m@ecotechnologyshow.co.uk or call 01273 957 725.

For more information on potential sponsorship opportunities please contact: Lydia@murray-media.co.uk or call 01273 204 200.

Related information

Press release 19 January 2012

Old Shoreham Road improvements scheme for cyclists and pedestrians is ahead of schedule

The final phase of works to provide facilities for cyclists and pedestrians on Old Shoreham Road is planned to commence, ahead of schedule, on Monday 30 January, subject to site and weather conditions.

The scheme, devised to provide a dedicated route for young people to travel to school on foot or by bike, will fully segregate cyclists and motorists and improve accessibility for wheelchair and mobility scooter users, as well as easing congestion during peak periods. A public consultation in September 2011 showed that 75 per cent of respondents supported the proposals.

The next phase of works will involve the closure of Old Shoreham Road between The Upper Drive and Dyke Road from Monday 30 January until the end of May 2012.

There will be periods of disruption to vehicle and pedestrian movements although every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum while maintaining a safe environment for both workers and residents.

A letter, with full details of the next phase of works - including road closures and resident access - will be sent out to 5,000 residents in the area, this week.

Councillor Ian Davey, cabinet member for transport and the environment said: "The Old Shoreham Road cycle route is a major piece of work and when complete will provide user friendly cycling and pedestrian facilities for all, as well as increase safety for children attending schools in the area.

"We are working closely with our contractors to reduce the impact on road users while the work is taking place but would like to apologise in advance to anyone who is inconvenienced during this time.

One of the measures put in place to lessen the impact is to undertake the work in two stages on different parts of the route. We are also monitoring the traffic and responding to ease traffic flow as far as it is practical to do so."

For further information about the scheme, please contact Abby Hone, Principal Transport Planner: 01273 290390

More information

Get progress updates on the improvement work on Old Shoreham Road

A public consultation in September 2011 showed that 75 per cent of respondents supported proposals to install cycle and pedestrian facilities along Old Shoreham Road between the junctions of The Drive/Shirley Drive and Dyke Road. The implementation of the western part of this scheme has been in progress since November 2011. The cycle and pedestrian improvements include:

• Full segregation for cyclists from motor vehicles is achieved by providing a low kerb edge and for pedestrians from cyclists is achieved by widening the pavement and also providing a low kerb edge.
• Side roads junctions will be improved to make crossing the road easier for pedestrians and people with mobility problems.
• There will be shared areas for cyclists and pedestrians at bus stops.
• A new zebra crossing will be provided across Old Shoreham Road at Chantonbury Road.

Press release Monday, 30 January 2012

Supporting our retail sector

The city's unique retail offer, and what support it needs to continue to flourish, is to be considered by a cross party group of councillors over the coming months in a Scrutiny Panel.

For the first time the Scrutiny Panel process will be offering a live online chat facility so that contributors can give their views at their own convenience.

With one in eight of the city's residents employed in retail, and the sector being worth around £375million per year, it is vital to the wellbeing of the city that our local retailers do well.

Over 180,000 people visit our shops every week; however with the continued growth of online shopping, a fragile economy nationally and competition between smaller local retailers and larger chains, many businesses are feeling the squeeze.

As part of the evidence gathering, retailers and local business experts are invited to share their thoughts with the Panel on Monday, 27 February, Thursday, 1 March from 6pm at the Jubilee Library or Tuesday, 6 March from 4.30pm at Hove Town Hall.

Sitting on the panel are councillors Gill Mitchell, Phelim MacCafferty and Carol Theobald. The chair of the scrutiny panel, Councillor Gill Mitchell, said: "Brighton & Hove has a unique retail sector of which we are rightly proud. The Panel is keen to listen to innovative ideas from businesses about how we can support the viability of our retail offer.

"We need to see how businesses are working together towards preserving the city's unique shopping experience, involving independent retailers, multiple larger chain stores, landlords and prospective developers."

Take part and share your views

If you would like to attend any of the meetings and wish to speak, or give written evidence, please share your views, tweet #BHRetailScrutiny, email scrutiny@brighton-hove.gov.uk, call 01273 290451 or write to Support of the Retail Sector, Overview & Scrutiny, Brighton & Hove City Council, Kings House, R128, Hove, BN3 2SR.

Press release 30 January 2012

Life-sized train sculpture for historic bridge

A life-sized metal silhouette of an early steam locomotive is to be installed on a redundant railway bridge in Brighton.

The artwork 'Ghost Train' by local metalworker Jon Mills is a nostalgic feature in the redevelopment of the city's former railway works and sidings. It will be a two-dimensional replica of the locomotive Jenny Lind.

The train was one of 10 steam engines built in 1847 for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway by the Wilson foundry in Leeds.

The Grade 2 listed bridge crosses New England Road between Preston Circus and Seven Dials. The structure is now part of the new traffic-free Greenway occupying a one-kilometre stretch of disused railway between Brighton Station and the bridge itself.

Special lighting will make the train appear and disappear, creating a ghostly presence.

The piece is complete in Jon's workshop and is expected to be installed later this year at a date to be confirmed.

A final stage in the project will be the council entering a licence agreement with landowners Network Rail.

Cabinet councillor for culture Geoffrey Bowden said: "This is a fitting memorial to the railway works – a huge and often unknown aspect of the city's history.

"It's also an achievement to have put this stretch of railway back into use - replacing one eco-friendly form of transport with another and providing some intriguing new views of the city."

A report on the final steps of the project will go to the next of Councillor Bowden's regular decision-making meetings on February 7.

Press release Monday, 30 January 2012

Neighbours join in to rejuvenate their streets

When Brighton & Hove City Council sent out notices requesting owners to repaint and repair the outside of two dilapidated properties, they not only did the work, but prompted neighbours to improve their homes as well.

After several attempts to persuade the owner of 67 Queens Road to paint the outside, repair windows and clear overgrown vegetation from gutters, the council's planning team issued an enforcement notice last August for the owner to carry out the work. The house, in the middle of a terrace with a takeaway restaurant on the ground floor and flats above, has been cleaned up and the neighbours either side (68 and 70) have also repainted and repaired their properties.

Now the Queen's Head pub on the corner is also joining in, with work expected to start in the summer.

Just round the corner in Terminus Road, work prompted by an enforcement notice on number 4 has encouraged a flurry of renovation activity on numbers 3, 5 and 6 as well as on numbers 11, 14 and 15 Terminus Street.

Number 4 Terminus Road is also in the middle of a terraced street with a computer shop on the ground floor and flats above. Work has been done to repair all the windows and doors and the property has been washed down and repainted.

Councillor Phelim MacCafferty, chair of the city's planning committee, said: "Brighton and Hove is a tourist city and the area around Brighton Station is a gateway for the many visitors who flock here. It's incredibly important that the buildings in the area look well-maintained.

"When properties fall into disrepair it negatively affects the whole area and those who live there. But it's amazing how when one person makes a start it encourages others.

"Giving these properties a facelift has made a huge difference and has improved the environment for residents and visitors alike.

"The council issues enforcement notices only after all other attempts to persuade owners have failed, so I'm delighted that property owners have taken the initiative and carried out important work that will also help to improve the fabric of their buildings and the area around the station."

All the properties are near Brighton Station and in the West Hill Conservation Area.

Related information

press release 27 January 2012

Fewer buildings on at-risk register

Fewer historic buildings in Brighton & Hove are deemed to be at risk thanks to action by the council.

The council is in the top 20 per cent of local authorities for the number of notices served on owners.

Three listed buildings have been removed from the list as they have been repaired. These are 38 Brunswick Street East, the former bus depot behind the Royal York Hotel and 16 Ship Street.

However two listed buildings have been added - Saltdean Lido and 43 Russell Square. The council as freeholder served a notice on the Lido's leaseholder last May, ordering repairs. However, there is a dispute about the quality of work carried out and the council is now considering using its planning powers to serve a repairs notice. This could ultimately lead to the council seeking compulsory acquisition of the Lido.

Following repairs, two buildings considered vulnerable in 2010 no longer give officials cause for concern - St Peter's Church and 27 Marine Square.

By taking or threatening action, the council also secured repairs to eight other historic buildings thought to be spoiling the appearance of conservation areas. Six other cases are currently in progress.

Fifteen listed buildings are on the at risk register, including the Hippodrome theatre in Middle Street and the barn in Stanmer village. This is down from the 22 buildings at risk when the council first produced a register in 2008.

Eight more are considered 'vulnerable', including Marlborough House on the Old Steine and Stanmer Church.

Councillor Phelim MacCafferty, chair of the city's planning committee, said: "It's important we preserve our heritage and the council is very active on this.

"As well as protecting history it's also about making the best use of our space. Many of these buildings need putting back into use to create jobs and homes.

"A few of the at-risk buildings are council owned so it's vital we stick to our task in getting those repaired and set a good example."

Related information

See the current 'Buildings at Risk 2011'

Find out more about the work of the Heritage team

Press release 30 January 2012

£100,000 grant will transform museum gallery

Staff at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery are celebrating the news that a £100,000 funding bid has been successful.

The grant, from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport /Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund will help create an exciting interactive exhibition space at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery run by Brighton & Hove City Council.

The project will transform one of the existing museum galleries into a dynamic space where displays can be changed quickly, bringing more of the museum's outstanding collections into the public eye.

New flexible display cases, complete with the latest digital technology, will help bring the Museum into the 21st century and enable staff to work more closely with young people, community groups and digital media companies.

The improvements will also mean some objects can be on open display creating a more 'tactile' experience for visitors.

Public access will also be improved as the redevelopment will link together all the existing galleries on the first floor of the Museum.

Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, Cabinet Member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, said: "Bidding for grants is a complex process and we always face tough competition, therefore I am absolutely thrilled that we have secured this vital funding and I congratulate staff involved in putting the bid together.

"The grant will help transform our galleries and enable us to put more of our wonderful collections on public view. In addition, the new digital technology will provide a wider range of ways for visitors to explore and enjoy our exhibitions, enhancing the entire museum experience."

The project will also be funded by Brighton & Hove City Council; the Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation; and the museum's corporate partners

Press release Friday, 27 January 2012

Council says 'yes' to new hospital

Brighton & Hove City Council's planning committee has today unanimously approved a £420m redevelopment of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Main components of the scheme are a central block shaped like a letter 'W' rising to 12 storeys, plus a five-storey building to the west, mainly housing a new cancer centre.

The existing Thomas Kemp Tower will have a helicopter pad added. An unusual feature will be the dismantling and re-siting of a grade 2 listed hospital chapel.

The old main hospital buildings dating from 1826 will be demolished as they have become unsuitable for delivering modern medicine.

The development will bring £550,000 worth of public transport improvements plus a roof garden on the lower new building, open to patients and the public. The development will provide modern wards, expand the neurosciences centre and create a Major Trauma Centre for the region. There will be 100 additional beds, the Sussex Cancer Centre will be rebuilt and there will be an expansion of teaching facilities. It will provide the cutting edge health facilities that our city deserves.

Some 390 parking spaces will be available to patients and visitors. Currently limited parking on site is mostly taken up by staff, leaving a shortage.

New buildings will reach national 'excellent' environmental standards. The entire project will take around 10 years to complete. Work will be undertaken in phases to ensure continuity of service.

Chair of the planning committee Councillor Phelim MacCafferty said:
"This is the biggest development the city has seen. The injection of £400m from the Royal Sussex development is brilliant news. Today we've recognised the need to keep our city at the forefront of public healthcare provision. It demonstrates that we are committed to working with applicants of large-scale developments to deliver high-quality plans for the city.

"When the economy is looking unstable, this important development for the city will also create hundreds of jobs and apprenticeships both in the construction of the hospital and its operation. Importantly a minimum of 20% of the construction workers will be local."

"The council was always supportive of the principle of getting a state-of-the-art regional trauma hospital into Brighton. The debate has been about the detail – things such as transport, the mass of the building and its impact on the neighbourhood.

"I would like to thank the hospital's developers for carrying out a comprehensive public consultation. Planning officers have also worked incredibly quickly and efficiently to process such a huge application in such a short time. They have negotiated major improvements on the development to reduce its bulk and mass and soften its impacts on neighbours."

Related information

Press release Wednesday 18 January 2012

City's official tourism partnership scheme reaches new milestone

VisitBrighton, Brighton & Hove City Council's tourism body, is celebrating its success as it welcomed its 400th partner business, the Jolly Gorgeous Gallery, this month: January 2012.

The Kemp Town based shop deals exclusively in high-end Italian and local art and its ethos is to support local established and emerging artists.

Since its inception 5 years ago, the VisitBrighton Partnership Scheme has provided the platform for businesses in the city to work with the council to sell the destination both home and abroad. Partner businesses receive specific benefits including listings on the Visit Brighton website, iPhone app and city map, inclusion in marketing & PR activity and networking opportunities.

All monies from the partnership fees are ring-fenced and re-invested back into visitor marketing. The Visit Brighton partnership scheme is now the biggest public / private business scheme in the city and is often used by other destinations as a 'model' scheme.

Despite the difficult economic climate, Visit Brighton reported some good results with a record number of visiting travel journalists during 2011, which resulted in a significant amount of national and international coverage. VisitBrighton.com also grew in popularity with 1.5 million unique visitors in 2011, more than a 10% increase on 2010.

Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, cabinet member for culture, recreation and tourism, said: "It is encouraging to see local businesses and the council working together for the good of the city and that their combined efforts are reaping rewards. 2011 has been a difficult year for many and, no doubt, 2012 will have its challenges but with this in mind, it is important to recognise the success effective partnerships can bring."

2012 looks set to be another key year with the re-opening of the refurbished Sea Life Centre and opening of the 'Forgotten Princess' exhibition at the Royal Pavilion in March, the opening of the Stories of the World exhibition at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery in June, along with the first full year of operation of the Brighton Wheel all supporting the city's tourism offer.

The Forgotten Princess Exhibition at the Royal Pavilion
This exhibition opening on 10 March 2012 chronicles the life and tragic early death of Princess Charlotte, the only daughter of King George IV. An extensive collection of Brighton Museum's material will be displayed alongside generous loans and private collections.

Sea Life Centre at Marine Parade, Brighton
The world's oldest operating aquarium celebrates its 140th anniversary in 2012. The centre is undergoing extensively renovation to restore the Victorian architecture to its former glory. New additions for 2012 include a 'jelly disco', featuring different species of jelly fish, and a 'behind the scenes' tour allowing visitors a chance to see activities not usually accessible to the public.

'Stories of the World'at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
A new gallery developed in partnership with young people in Brighton & Hove is opening 23 June 2012. The gallery is an official part of the Cultural Olympiad celebrations and will display collections from around the world in a modern setting. The gallery will house hands-on activities and exhibits from Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Pacific.

Related information

For information about Visit Brighton's partnership scheme, please email richard.pearson@visitbrighton.com, partnership executive, or call (01273) 292621.

For more information about events and activities taking place in the city see Visit Brighton

Press release 27 January 2012

Brighton & Hove plans to extend licensing of HMOs to improve neighbourhoods

New plans have been unveiled to licence Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in targeted areas, including properties housing multiple students, to improve both the accommodation and neighbourhood relations.

The move underpins the council's student housing strategy to cater for neighbourhoods with high numbers of homes with multiple tenants to curb problems such as noise nuisance and litter. This strategy was devised in close talks with key partners including the universities, landlords and estate agents.

The council wants to hear from residents, students and others over a 10-week consultation on additional HMO licensing of HMOs of two or more storeys and three or more occupiers in the wards of Hanover and Elm Grove, Moulsecoomb and Bevendean and St Peters and North Laine, Hollingdean & Stanmer and Queen's Park. These are the wards with the highest concentrations of smaller HMOs, including student HMOs.

HMO licensing was brought in under the Housing Act 2004 to improve conditions for tenants. This legislation also provided provisions for additional licensing areas where a need was identified, such as those included in the current proposals.

Councillor Liz Wakefield, Cabinet Member for Housing, said:

"Students bring many benefits to the city and there are many excellent landlords in the city. But in areas of high concentrations of HMOs, especially where many students live together, there is a minority of landlords whose management is less than effective and encourages noise and litter nuisance. This additional licensing aims to address these problems while improving tenants' housing conditions."

The council currently licences more than 800 HMOs of three or more storeys which have five or more tenants across the City.

Consultation internet page

Press release 27 January 2012

Brighton & Hove successfully bids to bring Turner watercolour to the city

A Turner painting of Brighton will go on public display for the first time in more than a century after being bought by the city's Royal Pavilion & Museums.

The Royal Pavilion & Museums service - part of Brighton & Hove City Council - successfully bid for the watercolour, The Chain Pier at Brighton, at an auction at Christie's in New York*.

The painting was purchased for $352,500 (£225,000). A significant grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) helped secure the picture for the city and the nation; along with an award from the Art Fund, the national fundraising charity for art, and a donation from the Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation, a registered charity that raises funds to support the Royal Pavilion & Museums.

The watercolour, believed to have been painted in 1824/5, has been in private hands and unseen by the public for more than 100 years. It will go on show at the Royal Pavilion soon after it arrives in the city and will be the star attraction of a new exhibition at the historic royal palace next year.

The painting depicts Brighton from the sea, with the newly constructed chain pier on the right of the picture and the Royal Pavilion at the centre.

Cllr Geoffrey Bowden, Brighton & Hove City Council's cabinet member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, said: "This is fantastic news - it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to add a work of this significance to our public collections, and to present a piece of our nation's heritage to the city it depicts so well.

"The painting by one of our most famous artists captures all the characteristics of Brighton in a single, wonderfully detailed view and is Turner's only known painting to include the Royal Pavilion. It is regarded as the THE defining image of Brighton in the 1800s and we are thrilled local residents and visitors from this country and across the world will now be able to enjoy it, rather than have it disappear again into a private collection. I am certain that it will prove to be a significant cultural attraction in the city's tourist offer."

He added: "Our Pavilion & Museums staff have worked hard to secure funding to buy this important picture at no cost to the council, and we are extremely grateful to members of the public who have contributed through the Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation, and to the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Art Fund for their generous grants, which have made this purchase possible."

Stuart McLeod, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for the South East, said: "We are delighted to have been able to help the Royal Pavilion Museum purchase this exceptional painting by Turner. Thought lost for so many years it will now be returned to the people of Brighton where it will provide a fascinating insight into the town's early 18th century history."

Stephen Deuchar, Director of the Art Fund, said: "The Art Fund is delighted to have supported the purchase of this Turner watercolour by the Royal Pavilion & Museums in Brighton. The artist presents an evocative and fluid description of the town at the very moment it became a fashionable and exciting destination. Given that the work depicts the Royal Pavilion, it now has a particularly apt permanent home where everyone visiting and living in Brighton can enjoy it."

Philip Taylor from the Foundation said: "It's great that we can contribute towards this success. I know our Patrons and members will take great pleasure in seeing this great work on display at the Royal Pavilion."

Jenny Lund, Curator of Fine Art at the Royal Pavilion and Museums, said: "The watercolour The Chain Pier, Brighton will be a tremendous asset for the Royal Pavilion & Museums and its fine art collection. It will highlight the international importance of the collection as it will strengthen our current holdings of artworks relating to the cultural history of the Pavilion and the historical development of Brighton & Hove."

"Its whereabouts were unknown for so long, and we did not want it to disappear into obscurity again."

*Pavilion & Museum staff did not attend the auction, the bid was made on the council's behalf by Andrew Clayton-Payne, a member of the Turner Society, at Christie's New York in the Old Master & Early British Drawings & Watercolours sale on January 26.

Description of the painting

The Chain Pier, Brighton measures 15.2 by 22.9cms and is pencil, pen, black ink and watercolour.

It represents a significant and important period in British and Brighton's history and reveals a great deal about the social, economic and cultural conditions of Britain in the 1800s.

The composition emphasises what was new in Brighton and wonderfully captures the bustle and excitement of the town. Turner has placed the Royal Pavilion in the centre of the picture, emphasising the contribution made by George IV to the establishment of Brighton as a pleasure resort. The right hand side of the image is devoted to the recently built Chain Pier, a bold statement of technology and engineering and the country's first pleasure pier. Besides this modern wonder, Turner depicts traditional Brighton fishing boats, juxtaposing the old and the new.

Future exhibition

Once the painting is brought back to Brighton, it will be placed on display in the Royal Pavilion for a short period. Following this, in 2013, the watercolour will be the centrepiece in a new temporary exhibition at the Royal Pavilion. The exhibition will explore the town's development in the early 19th century and the important relationship played by the Pavilion in Brighton's development. It will also explore the changing relationship Brighton has had with the sea: from its humble beginnings as a fishing town to its fashionable status under George IV as a seaside resort and latterly as a tourist attraction. Complementing the exhibition, the picture will form the centre piece of learning programmes for schools, community groups and adults.

Related information

Get information on visiting the Royal Pavilion and museums in Brighton & Hove

Find out more about the funders

• Artfund
• Heritage Lottery Fund
• The Royal Pavilion and Museums Foundation

Press release Friday 27 January 2012

Charles Dickens commemorated with blue plaque at site of former Bedford Hotel

A blue plaque to commemorate world famous author, Charles Dickens, and his connections to Brighton will be unveiled by his great-great-grandson, Ian Dickens, at the Holiday Inn Hotel Brighton - Seafront, on 8 February 2012 at 12pm.

The hotel stands on the site of the former Bedford Hotel, where Dickens was a frequent guest on his many trips to Brighton. The Bedford had its own plaque to honour Dickens but this was lost when the hotel burnt down in 1964. In its heyday, the Bedford was a luxurious and fashionable venue with notable guests including royalty and celebrities of the day. It was also referenced in Graham Greene's novel, Brighton Rock, thinly disguised as the 'Cosmopolitan' where it was the base for the major Brighton gang leader 'Mr Colleoni'.

The unveiling marks the bicentenary of Dickens' birth and will include speeches from the Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Commemorative Plaque Panel, as well as photo opportunities for press representatives.

Funding for the blue plaque has come from a number of sources including a generous donation by the residents of Bedford Towers and the building's freeholder, as well as a contribution from the Brighton & Hove Commemorative Plaque Panel.

Cllr Geoffrey Bowden, Cabinet Member Culture, Recreation and Tourism, says: "Blue plaques raise awareness of the great and the good who have had connections with our city. Charles Dickens excites huge interest globally, and we are delighted to be able to mark his connection with and love of our city in this way – especially in the bi-centenary of his birth."

Charles Dickens 1812 – 1870

The first Dickens' plaque was unveiled at the Bedford Hotel in 1925 with representatives of local societies, including the Dickens Fellowship in attendance. It had been hoped that Sir Henry Dickens would unveil the plaque to his father but, as he was unavailable, the ceremony was performed by Mr A. O. Jennings MBE J. P. instead.

Brighton appears in several of Dickens' great works including a reference in Dombey and Son, which was written whilst staying at the hotel, where Paul Dombey is sent away to Brighton and is educated at Doctor and Mrs Blimber's School in Upper Rock Gardens. There are also references to the city in Bleak House, Nicholas Nickleby, Sketches by Boz, and an ale - by the name of the Brighton Tipper - is referenced in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.

The Bedford Hotel

The five-storey Bedford opened in 1829 and was considered the most distinguished Georgian building in the town after the Royal Pavilion, (finished only seven years earlier by John Nash), with ionic porticoes and giant pilasters.

In 1963 there was considerable debate over whether permission should be given to the owners, AVP Industries, to replace the building with a modern 14-storey block. This proved to be academic, as the building was destroyed by a fire on 1 April 1964.

The current 17-storey building was opened in 1967, with 127 hotel rooms and the residential flats of Bedford Towers. The hotel is now the Holiday Inn Brighton - Seafront.

Related information

Press release Thursday, 26 January 2012

Children air their groundbreaking science project

Pupils from Elm Grove Primary School have made a short film about a groundbreaking science project where they have monitored air quality.

'Testing the Air' is narrated by children and shows how they have been monitoring air quality both in the playground and outside the school. They've been helped by Brighton & Hove City Council, Imperial College London, Duvas Technologies and the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) project.

The project has developed pupils' interest in science and increased their understanding about the effects of transport activities on local air quality. The air quality results displayed on a big screen inside the school have helped children learn about the environment and whether activities such as the school run affects air quality.

Elm Grove has been working with community scientists from Imperial and OPAL and pupils have been carrying out experiments with a portable unit that they can move around the playground to see how emissions travel.

The educational programme has included lessons on the impact of air pollution, the local significance of biodiversity and visits to the ReachOut laboratory at Imperial College London's South Kensington campus and the nearby Science Museum.

Councillor Ian Davey, cabinet member for transport and the public realm, said: "The film gives a good insight into how the children are learning about their environment through practical science and we hope it will inform and inspire others.

"Traffic emissions around schools are a big issue in the city and these children have been able to see how it affects air quality in their space. It's been a valuable project which we hope will encourage a new generation of young people interested in protecting and improving the environment."

Councillor Sue Shanks, cabinet member for children and young people added: "Elm Grove School has an exciting approach to the curriculum and the project has provided a unique opportunity to develop children's interest in science and the environment, using new technology and practical data."

Physicist Dr Mark Richards from Imperial College London, who helped develop the device that measures air quality, said: "Data from this programme will help us understand how localised air pollution propagates around our urban environment. Results from this project will serve as a valuable aid for local environment policy makers and transport planners, and can also assist scientists in developing more accurate data-driven atmospheric models."

Balfour Junior School has also taken part in the project and St Bartholomew's Primary will join the scheme later this year.

Related information

See the film 'Testing the Air'

The project has been part funded through the CIVITAS project. The city council won £2.2 million to invest in small-scale transport projects and is the only city in the country to win European money from the CIVITAS Plus (Archimedes) Project for such schemes. Council officers are working with five other cities in Europe to share best practice, experience and skills.

Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Research at Imperial explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including improving global health, tackling climate change, developing sustainable sources of energy and addressing security challenges.

Led by Imperial College London, Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) is a nationwide partnership initiative that inspires communities to discover, enjoy and protect their local environments. OPAL provides the skills and materials needed for the first national community-led study of the world around us. OPAL was first runner-up in the National Lottery Awards for Best Environment Project in 2011

Find out more about DUVAS Technologies

Press release Thursday, 26 January 2012

Patcham Place to be restored as a business and community resource

Patcham Place in Brighton, built in the 16th century, will be brought back to life for the 21st, providing local jobs and community space.

Brighton-based company Kingspan was chosen by Brighton & Hove's cabinet last week (Thursday 19 January 2012) as the preferred bidder to restore the listed building and develop the site for offices for the company and low-cost space to support small and medium enterprises.

Kingspan currently has a depot in Moulsecoomb for its waste management and recycling operation.

Council leader Bill Randall said: "This is a great opportunity for a successful local company to expand their office accommodation and provide space to support other growing businesses, including apprenticeship schemes and social enterprises.

"The new facilities will be designed to fit in with and complement the surroundings.

"Patcham Place is a familiar landmark as you come into the city and now it will be sensitively restored and brought back into use."

The Grade 2* listed building will be renovated using renewable energy resources where possible and the latest techniques to minimise carbon emissions.

It will provide a resource for the city as well as the company, with affordable accommodation for small and medium-sized enterprises in environmental services, eco-tourism and digital media and space for start-up organisations to support innovation, enterprise and learning.

Patcham Place will also become a venue for workshops and classes for apprentice schemes and for young people to take part in activities and events.

The green spaces around Patcham Place will remain open for public use. The development of all the external areas will be designed to encourage and protect local wildlife.

Patcham Place was occupied by the Youth Hostel Association for nearly 70 years until October 2007. Since then the council has investigated a number of options for the unusual building, which was once owned by Anthony Stapley, one of the signatories of King Charles I's death warrant.

The capital raised from the disposal of Patcham Place will be re-invested in the council's capital and value for money programmes, for the benefit of residents.

Related information

The council also looked at the possibility of relocating some of its services there. However, the building proved not to be suitable and the council did not have sufficient funds to refurbish the building. Also included on the 1.7 acre site is a Grade 2 stable block, currently used as a parks depot.

Press release 25 January 2012

Ice stars boost bra recycling

Ice dancers from Holiday on Ice are urging Brighton & Hove residents to 'get their skates on' to boost the city's bra recycling scheme.

The performers were keen to support Brighton & Hove City Council's bra recycling scheme which aims to reach its 100,000 target by the summer.

The skaters took time out from their final week of performances at the Brighton Centre, to promote the scheme which has already seen more than 90,000 bras donated to charity.

Jilly Greed from Holiday on Ice said: "Bra recycling is a brilliant idea. We are delighted to support the campaign and we wish the council every success in reaching its target of 100,000 bras by the summer and raising much needed cash for breast cancer care in the city."

Brighton & Hove City Council launched its bra recycling scheme in 2009, by installing bright pink collection banks across the city. It later expanded the scheme by offering smaller cardboard banks for shops and offices.

Every bra donated earns cash for The Park Centre for Breast Cancer in Brighton.

"I'd like to say a huge thank you to all the women in Brighton & Hove who have been filling our bra banks with their unwanted underwear," said Cllr Pete West, Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability. "More than 90.000 bras is already a staggering achievement, but as we approach the third anniversary of the scheme this summer it would be wonderful to reach the magic figure of 100,000 bras."

The council runs the scheme in partnership with national textile recycling company BCR Global.

The bras are transported along with other clothing, to developing countries including Africa, Pakistan and Eastern Europe, where they will be repaired (if necessary) and sold on, providing business opportunities as well as affordable clothing.

Bra banks can be found at:

• King Alfred Leisure Centre

• Sainsbury's West Hove

• ASDA car park at Brighton Marina

• Chalky Road opposite Portslade Community College

• the Drove entrance to Preston Park

• Queen's Park Terrace

• Upper Rock Gardens

• the south end of The Level; and

• Ditchling Road.

To get hold of a bra bank for your business please email your contact details to CityClean@brighton-hove.gov.uk

TROPICANA will be delighting audiences in Brighton until Sunday 29th January 2012. Tickets are still available from www.brightoncentre.co.uk or from the box office on 0844 847 1515.

Press Release 26 January 2012

Six months until the Olympics!

Excitement is growing at the approach of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games which will be held in 6 months' time on 27 July.

Brighton & Hove is playing an official role in the London 2012 festival. World Stories: Young Voices at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery is part of the Cultural Olympiad programme 'Stories of the World'. This project lets young people of all backgrounds aged between 14 and 25 across the UK become "curators" of museum and archive collections with objects from around the world.

The new permanent gallery will feature Brighton & Hove's world art collection and include objects not previously on public display, together with new purchases and new commissions including films and contemporary artworks. It will promote cultural understanding through objects and personal stories that explore how people across the globe respond to universal challenges and changes through art and invention. In one exhibit, local young people will link up with footballers in Mali and share their passion for the game; others are working with writer Bridget Whelan to create spoken reactions to ancient burial items from Peru.

'World Stories: Young Voices' opens 23 June at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery.

Related information

• Find out about other exhibitions at the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery
• Find out more about what's on as part of the London 2012 festival

Brighton Museum holds one of only six ethnographic collections in England designated as internationally important. It comprises over 13,000 objects from Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Americas, ranging from items that are several thousand years old to contemporary artefacts.

The new gallery will use this collection to consider how we respond to universal challenges and changes, wherever we live.

Six different aspects of the collection will be revealed:

• Historic ivories and related material reflecting hunting and art amongst Arctic peoples
• Iranian artworks, historic and contemporary, which reveal the power of the written word
• Ancient burial items from Peru which raise questions about how objects become part of museum collections
• Football in Mali and Brighton: a shared passion and vehicle for aspiration
• Ceremonial masks and sculpture from Papua New Guinea made to remember the dead.
• Dress from north eastern Burma, worn at an annual festival which celebrates the unity of the Kachin people in difficult political times

To complement this major development at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, there are four World Stories South East regional partnership projects : at Southampton City Art Gallery and Sea City Southampton; The Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology (The University of Reading); Hastings Museum & Art Gallery and Bexhill Museum.

Press release 26 January 2012

Falmer school land could support stadium parking

Former Falmer High School land near the Amex stadium could potentially accommodate 800 parking spaces for the ground and provide a new home for the Bridge Community Centre, says a new council report.

Other development such as offices, community uses or university buildings could be accommodated on the site, built above the parking spaces to make the best use of valuable land.

The brief is due to go to the next decision-making meeting of the cabinet councillor for regeneration on February 2, with a recommendation for approval.

Any development would then require a planning application and consent from the planning committee. Such planning briefs are designed to provide guidance for developers and planning committees.

Extra parking would meet a condition of the Amex's planning permission to provide a certain number of spaces near the ground. The need has become more pressing since the Albion's planning application for an extra 8000 seats at the stadium.

Councillor Randall said: "The Amex and the club are important to the spirit of the city and its economy. While the club is extremely good at persuading fans to use alternatives to driving, they were expected to provide 1000 parking spaces on the Falmer High School site as part of their original planning consent. Development of the Academy meant that this was not possible. This remaining land is therefore an important factor in ensuring a wide variety of transport options for the stadium.

"The car park aside, good sustainable transport options must be part of any plans to expand the ground or develop the Falmer land for student housing or any other purposes.

"The report endorses my wish to see the highly-valued Bridge Community Centre replaced and improved for local people."

The meeting takes place at Hove Town Hall at 4pm on February 2 and is open to the public.

Press release January 26 2012

£20m boost as Labour Party Conference returns to Brighton

Brighton & Hove's conference trade has received another major boost with news that the Labour Party will be returning to the city to hold its annual conference at the Brighton Centre next year.

The party will be bringing more than 8,000 delegates and visitors to the city in September 2013 injecting an estimated £20 million into the local economy.

The party last held its autumn conference in the city in 2009.

Brighton & Hove City Council's conference and tourism staff work closely with conference organisers to bring conferences and other major events to the city.

Last week the city council announced 28 major conferences and events booked for this year, expected to attract 30,000 delegates and earn the city £45 million. Most will be at the council-run Brighton Centre which has been newly refurbished, with others at the Dome, Brighton Hilton Metropole, The Grand, Thistle and Holiday Inn.

This year the largest conference will be the Liberal Democrats' party conference, in late September, expected to bring 8,000 delegates.

Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, the council's cabinet member for culture, recreation and tourism, said: "We are delighted the Labour Party has chosen Brighton & Hove for its 2013 conference. This is fantastic news for the city. Businesses across the city will benefit, with delegates bringing trade to local hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, shops and tourist attractions.

"A huge amount of work goes on behind the scenes to promote the city as a venue for conferences because of its importance to the local economy and we are delighted conference organisers are choosing Brighton & Hove."

Press release 19 January 2012

£58m worth of conferences won for city

A bookings boom has been reported by Brighton & Hove City Council's conference team.

VisitBrighton handled 122 conference enquiries in 2011 – a 13 percent increase on the year before.

From those 122 enquiries a total of 39 bookings have already been confirmed, a 32 per cent conversion rate, regarded as high within the industry.

Bookings secured in 2011 will bring in £58m to the local economy.

There are 28 major conferences or events booked for 2012, expected to attract over 30,000 delegates and earn the city £45m. Most will be at the Brighton Centre, with others at the Dome, Brighton Hilton Metropole, The Grand, Thistle and the Holiday Inn.

The biggest will be the Liberal Democrats' party conference, in late September, expected to attract 8,000 people and bring in £15m.

Other bookings include the TUC Annual Congress in mid-September bringing, 2,000 delegates and the Unison Health Conference in April, bringing 1,500.

In 2011 the VisitBrighton conference team has made 2,718 accommodation bookings for delegates attending conferences in the city; a 61 per cent increase on 2010.

The total number of bednights generated from these bookings totalled 14,830 - a 78 per cent increase.

The VisitBrighton team also hosted groups of French and German conference organisers in the city, plus dozens of other individual conference representatives. The team was selling the city hard at the main UK conference planners' event Confex in March, and a similar event in Germany with Visit England in August

Cabinet councillor in charge of tourism Geoffrey Bowden said: "These figures are a tribute to the proactive approach taken by the VisitBrighton team in marketing our city and emphasises the importance of the conference business for the local economy.

"The level of interest from conference organisers is extremely high and I expert that the VisitBrighton team will soon be in a position to make announcements about some major events coming to our city."

Press release 25 January 2012

Happy ending in sight for staffy pups!

A happy ending is in sight for Mary and Santa the two staffy puppies abandoned at Christmas.

The pair have moved to Raystede animal shelter in Ringmer and are soon to be re-homed. A spokesperson for Raystede said there had been many inquiries since the pair were featured on the council and charity websites and that the pups would be going to new homes before long.

Animal welfare officers from Brighton & Hove City Council took in 14 strays over Christmas. A couple have already found new homes while others, like the puppies, have been transferred to rescue centres for re-homing. Staffies Hilly, Moses and Moby have not been so lucky and are still waiting to be adopted.

Animal Welfare officer Sue Watson said: "It's great news that Santa and Mary are very close to finding new homes, and that some of our other strays have been adopted. However, as the dogs leave us, there are sadly plenty of others to take their places." She added that the latest arrival is Walter a four year old Mastiff cross who was signed over to the animal welfare team after his owner could no longer afford to keep him.

If you think you may be able to offer Walter a home, contact the team on 01273 292446.

press release 25 January 2012

Get active, healthy and fit in 2012

Need to some help with those New Year resolutions? If so, it's time to join Brighton & Hove's Get Active for 2012 campaign.

There's hundreds of activities available – everything from athletics and basketball to yoga and zumba! The campaign is being run by the council's Active for Life team to help you get active in your local community.

New activities on offer this year include:

• In Shape for Life – Weekly physical activity sessions for adults who want a fun relaxed fitness sessions followed by friendly healthy living advice. Venues: Portslade sports centre on Fridays from 9.30am to 10.15am, and Hangleton from 1pm to 2.30pm, starting 27 February
• Fit and Fun Families sessions – for parent and carers to get active with their children and play fun games. Portslade Sports Centre, starts Thursday 26 Jan .45pm – 4.30pm and Moulsecoomb Primary School Friday 13 Jan 3pm – 4pm.

Leaflets are available in local libraries and community centres with information on local cost physical activity sessions in your local neighbourhoods.

See here for the Active for Life website, which has a huge list of things to do. Just tap in your preferred activity and your postcode to find out what's available near you.

Or call the council's Active for Life team for further information on 01273 292729.

The council's cabinet member for culture, recreation and tourism, Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, said: "We've got activities available for all ages and tastes. It doesn't have to be all about going to the gym and pumping iron – many of our activities are gentle and non-competitive. But they're all great for your health."

press release 24 January 2012

Have your say on city's school admissions system

People who live in Brighton & Hove can give their views on the city's school admissions system at a series of events over the next three weeks, and via the council's website until the end of February.

The council is consulting on three proposed amendments to the current secondary admissions system as part of a wider review of the system. If agreed the changes would take effect in September 2013. They are:

• A small expansion of the Portslade (PACA) secondary catchment area
• A small expansion of the Dorothy Stringer/Varndean catchment area

The proposals are in the context of Dorothy Stringer agreeing to increase the number of pupils it takes each year, and pressure on school places in the Hove catchment area.

Also being consulted on is a proposal to make the sibling link at secondary level only applicable within catchment areas.

When the current secondary admission arrangements were introduced in 2008, the intention was that the sibling link should only apply within the designated catchment area for a child's home address.

This was to ensure that there would be sufficient places available in their catchment school or schools for all the children living in each catchment area. However, this change was delayed until 2013-14 so as to allow sibling links to work through for children already in secondary school at that time.

It is proposed that from September 2013 the sibling link priority should as envisaged only be applied within catchment areas. This should help to ensure, in a time of rising pupil numbers, that pupils are able to attend a school in their catchment area, should they apply to do so.

Should the proposed catchment area changes be agreed, it is envisaged that there would be a similar transitional period for siblings of existing pupils in the areas that have changed.

Also under consideration is a proposal to change the way home to school distance is measured for the city's primary admissions system.

People can contribute to the review – and get a free cup of coffee – at two public drop-in events, to be held:

• Outside the Jubilee library on Thursday 2 February from 3-7pm
• Outside Sainsbury's West Hove superstore on Saturday 4 February from 10am and 2pm.

Detailed information including maps showing the proposed catchment changes will be available at each meeting.

The review will also include meetings with focus groups of parents of children in years 4 and 5 at 12 local primary age schools – two in each secondary catchment area. The schools involved are: Coombe Road; St Nicolas CE; Peter Gladwin; Fairlight; Saltdean; Our Lady of Lourdes; Downs Junior; Middle Street; Westdene; Coldean; Hangleton Juniors and Somerhill.

See here for full information and the chance to join in the school admissions consultation. The deadline for responding is 29 February.

The council's cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Sue Shanks, said: "This is very much an open ended consultation and we're keen to hear people's views on it."

Press release 24 January 2012

£2m won for 'dynamic, fascinating museums' programme

The city council is expecting to receive at least £2m from the Arts Council for radical improvements and apprenticeships within Brighton & Hove's museums service.

The authority has actually bid for £2.7m from the Art's Council's Renaissance programme for the period 2012-2015. However the final sum awarded will be subject to negotiation.

The successful bid had to meet strict Arts Council criteria encouraging excellence; audiences; resilience; leadership and children and young people.

Among improvements will be better access to exhibits via digital technology - the internet, wifi, smartphone apps and gaming technology.

The funding will pay for more exhibitions and collaborations – including universities. Skills training will be made available for artists – especially those from under-represented groups.

Apprenticeships will be created and efforts made to involve more diverse groups in museum work.

Better marketing of museum services to tourists and improved fundraising methods are also on the cards.

There would be a programme aimed at children and young people – especially in deprived groups.

Council leader Bill Randall said: "A key skill in running museums these days is bidding for funding in this way. We keep a very keen eye on potential sources of money and have become very expert at securing it.

"We're already a regional leader in museums provision and this money will help us go from strength to strength and create apprenticeships.

"This is all about getting away from the image of museums as dusty places for the few but making them dynamic, fascinating places children will be tugging their parents to."

Press release 23 January 2012

Green Energy Switch Day

Residents are being urged to explore the benefits of switching to a green energy supplier at an event in the city tomorrow supported by the council.

Brighton & Hove City Council is committed to promoting renewable energy and for the last seven years all the council's large sites in the city have been powered from green energy suppliers using 100% renewable sources.

Residents too can take advantage of a range of green energy available in the city. Research shows a growing trend towards using environmentally friendly energy suppliers, with various options now on the market.

A local community group is aiming to increase take up of sustainable energy in the home setting. Brighton and Hove Eco Energy is holding an information evening tomorrow (24 January) at the Old Ship Hotel at 7.30pm. Residents are invited to take their latest bills for comparison with green tariffs. Anyone wanting to go green can choose from companies with 100% renewable energy policies to suppliers offering lower carbon emissions than other operators.

Cllr Pete West said: "The people of Brighton & Hove have a genuine and growing understanding of the importance of responsible energy use. The take up of green energy by those willing and able to do so is encouraging. We welcome initiatives offering local advice to residents about how and why to switch to a green supplier."

Related information

• The council's new sustainable procurement policy includes a commitment to using green energy suppliers in the future.
• Renewable and low emission technologies, including biomass boilers and solar panels, are used at council sites around the city.

Press release 23 January 2012

Free home insulation for Brighton & Hove residents

Brighton & Hove residents are being offered free cavity wall and/or loft insulation to help keep their homes warm and save money on electricity and gas bills.

The council, in partnership with Climate Energy and EDF Energy have extended the successful Brighton & Hove Warm Homes scheme and can now offer free home insulation to a greater number of homeowners and private tenants than ever before. Unlike previous insulation offers there are now no age, income or benefit eligibility requirements.

Installing loft and cavity wall insulation can save almost £250 on heating bills in a year by keeping more heat in the home. (Figure provided by the Energy Saving Trust).

Cllr. Liz Wakefield, Cabinet Member for Housing said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for residents to ensure they have the optimum insulation possible in their homes at no cost to themselves. We hope the extended Warm Homes scheme will help more people than ever to stay warm during this and future winters while saving them money, energy, and reducing the amount of harmful CO2 emissions released into the atmosphere."

Not all properties are suitable for cavity wall or loft insulation but residents applying for free insulation will have a free, no obligation property survey to see if their homes are suitable. All insulation work will be carried out by Warm Homes approved installers.

For more information or to apply, telephone Brighton & Hove Warm Homes on 0800 048 0727.

Related information

• Properties with pre existing cavity wall insulation, or loft insulation which is more than 60mm thick, or where at least two thirds of the loft space cannot be insulated will not qualify for free insulation. The offer is based on average sized semi detached properties; larger properties may attract a charge.
• The scheme is open to people of all ages and no income or benefit restrictions apply, however council and Housing Association tenants' properties are not included in this scheme.
• Find out more about Home Energy Efficiency

Press release Monday, 23 January 2012

Residents say what they think about alcohol

Over half the people who took part in the Big Alcohol Debate survey said that alcohol was part of their social life (61%); that they found alcohol easy to get hold of in the city (65%) and more than a third (36%) were worried about the effect alcohol has on people in the city.

Just over 1300 people completed the survey and thousands more took part in the other methods available.

The headline results also revealed that some people avoid parts of Brighton & Hove because of the way drunk people behave (39.4%) and that they would like there to be more to do that doesn't involve alcohol (33%.)

When socialising, over 76% said that having good food available is important, as are cultural activities such as live music or an art show (70%) and catching up with friends over a few beers or glass of wine (72%.) Just over 40% said that they can find bars or pubs that make them feel welcome.

The Big Alcohol Debate, launched in October 2011 and just ended, was set up to explore the attitudes Brighton & Hove residents have towards alcohol in the city. A variety of methods were used to gather this information, from focus groups in secondary schools to a travelling inflatable Big Brother style Diary Room. Residents and organisations were invited to tweet about their views on alcohol in the city using the hash tag #bhdrink.

Dr Tom Scanlon, Brighton & Hove's Director of Public Health and chair of the city's Alcohol Programme Board, said: "We're taking these results seriously and will be discussing with our partners how we can do things differently.

"There is a message coming through that people would welcome an alternative to the drinking culture and that they are concerned about the availability of alcohol and the effects of drunken behaviour in the city."

Brighton & Hove City Council has been working with Brighton & Hove PCT, Sussex Police, licensees and local businesses on the local licensing policy.

An expanded Cumulative Impact Area (CIA) came into effect as part of the revised Statement of Licensing Policy on 20 December. The CIA allows councillors to take into account the impact of other licensed premises in the area when considering an application for a new licence or variations to existing ones. The policy contains some of the most radical guidance in the country and says that new licenses will not be issued unless there are exceptional grounds for doing so.

According to leading national licensing lawyers, Poppleston Allen, the new CIA is the biggest in England & Wales, taking in neighbouring areas to the city centre including North Laine and Western Road in Hove.

Councillor Lizzie Deane, chair of the Licensing Committee, said: "We want residents and visitors to the city to be able to enjoy themselves in a safe and welcoming environment when they have a night out in the city.

"The council and its partners have been listening to people concerned about the effects on them since the licensing hours were relaxed. We need to address issues such as proxy purchasing, underage sales, street drinking, binge drinking, pre-loading and a rising trend in illegal alcohol offences.

"The expanded cumulative impact area provides the council with a mechanism to address local concerns about concentrations of licensed premises and take into account the types of licensed premises residents prefer in different areas. Our revised policy balances the need for protecting local residents with the interests of the local economy, local employment and potential investors.

"New licence applicants are now expected to provide additional security measures to discourage criminal behaviour and disturbance of residents and to show that they are promoting the licensing objectives.

"We also have guidelines for terminal hours appropriate for different areas of the city. For instance, within residential areas, new applications for off licences and pubs would not normally be granted later than 8pm and 11pm (midnight on weekends) respectively."

Superintendant Simon Nelson from Sussex Police, said: "We share a determination to support confident, healthy, sustainable and safe communities. The responses from those who took part contained strong messages and the police will do everything they can, within the partnership, to address those concerns."

The sale and consumption of alcohol form an important part of the economy of the city, particularly the night-time economy. The 2009 Report of the Director of Public Health recorded that there were 1,329 licensed premises in the city of which 447 were licensed for off sales. This is equivalent to one on-licensed premises for every 290 residents and one off-sales establishment for every 572 residents.

More detailed results from the Big Alcohol Debate will be reported in March.

Related information

Each week in the city there are typically:

• Two deaths associated with the impact of alcohol
• 66 ambulance call outs due to alcohol
• 97 alcohol-related inpatient admissions to hospital of Brighton and Hove adult residents
• 46 attendances at the A&E department related to alcohol
• 7 attendances at A&E by children and young people living in the city aged 13-18 years
• 11 people under the age of 25 years seen by Safe Space
• One child or young person under 18 years admitted as an inpatient to hospital

In addition:

• Costs to Brighton and Hove are estimated to be £106.4 million per year (calculated for 2010). This comprises health costs (£10.1m), economic costs (£24.5m) crime costs (£71.8m)
• The latest crime figures show that there has been a significant reduction in police-recorded assaults with injury crimes in Brighton & Hove. There were 1183 such crimes from April to October 2010, and this figure has declined to 943 from April to October 2011.
• Alcohol is a factor in at least 40% of violent crimes
• Turnover for the licensing industry in the city was £329 million in 2009, having risen from £303 million in 2006. The industry employs over 7,200 people, an increase from 6,773 in 2006

Press release Monday 23 January 2012

Light and sound brings a safer environment to the Square

An alleyway leading to Brighton Town Hall and the council's new customer service centre in Bartholomew Square will be safer and more welcoming after an environmental facelift.

The passage which leads into Black Lion Street by the side of the Thistle Hotel, is a popular cut-through onto the seafront but had become run-down and vandalised.

Now, thanks to a partnership between the city council, restaurant Moshi Moshi and the Thistle Hotel, the alleyway has a whole new ambience, thanks to some unusual lighting and even soft music.

As part of the project to provide a new customer service centre, the council set aside £15,000 for environmental improvements. These include new planting, paving replacement and new lighting, as well as the alleyway improvements.

Redundant lighting and old shop fronts were dismantled, the walls repainted and new, low energy lighting installed.

The lighting in the alleyway is made up of thin strips of energy-efficient 8 watt white lights in a ladder pattern on a bright green ceiling. During low light levels the alleyway slowly lights up as people stroll through and dims as they leave. At the same time, low level music plays from sensors from above. CCTV cameras have also been installed, making the area safer for everyone who wants to use it.

Councillor Ania Kitcat, who sat on the Panel to decide how to improve the area, said: "Good lighting and ambient music not only makes the public space more pleasant, but should help to discourage antisocial behaviour. By joining with our neighbours in the square we were able to work together to turn this forgotten space into something that people can use and enjoy."

The scheme was designed by DO-Architecture, which created a light installation for the London Road railway viaduct in 2009.

The sound installation has been developed having regard to a pilot carried out in West Street last October when ambient music was played to calm revellers during the White Night event.

Restaurant Moshi Moshi also contributed funding for the project. Co-owner Karl Jones said: "It's electrifying. We just love it, and we're convinced the passageway is going to become quite an attraction in itself."

Simon Quarrell, General Manager of the Thistle Hotel, Brighton, said: "This is a fantastic initiative that improves the passage way that links Black Lion Street with Bartholomew Square. It will allow visitors to our city to gain access from the Lanes car park through to the sea front in a much better and safer environment."

Related information

Find out more about Brighton Customer Service Centre

Find out more about the London Road viaduct lighting

press release 20 January 2012

Warning given to the premises at 165-167 Hangleton Way by Licensing Panel

A convenience store in Hangleton that sold alcohol to a 16 year old child assisting with a test purchase operation, had counterfeit alcohol and non-duty paid cigarettes and alcohol on their premises has been given a clear warning by a Brighton & Hove Licensing Panel yesterday (Thursday 19 January 2012).

The premises at 165-167 Hangleton Way has a history of criminal activity, namely underage sales and the sale of smuggled products. The Licensing Panel however, have taken in account that there was a change of ownership, and that there have only been minor breaches of the licensing conditions since then.

The Panel has warned the licence holder, and they have been given in effect a 'yellow card', that any further breach of the Licensing Objective in connection with these premises leading to a further review will give rise to a presumption of revocation. This is in accordance with the licensing enforcement policy with regard to 'problem premises'".

Members of the panel were Linda Hyde, Sven Rufus and Penny Gilbey. The meeting was chaired by Linda Hyde.

press release 19 January 2012

Warm Homes Healthy People Programme

Helping city residents to keep warm and well this winter is the aim of the Warm Homes Healthy People Programme, a partnership between the council, NHS Brighton and Hove and the local voluntary and community sector.

Every winter, approximately 1,500 more people die each week between December and March, as compared with the rest of the year, due to the cold weather. Children, older people and those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions are particularly at risk. Brighton and Hove's Warm Homes Healthy People Programme aims to reduce these local excess winter deaths.

Cllr. Liz Wakefield, Cabinet Member for Housing said, "We know that a growing number of vulnerable people are struggling to keep warm and healthy during winter; unfortunately it is also true that benefits and support go unclaimed because people don't realise what is available to them. The Warm Homes Healthy People Programme will provide a range of support to residents, including information on finding help with energy bills and grants for home insulation, practical help to keep homes warm and safe and financial inclusion checks to ensure vulnerable residents are receiving all the financial support they are entitled to."

Funded by the Department of Health's Warm Homes Healthy People initiative, the programme will run from January to March 2012.

Related Information

• Find out more about the Winter Care Check Service by contacting HomeSafe@intouchsupport.co.uk or telephone 0800 313 4457
• Get health advice and links to available support services

press release 19 January 2012

Council set to tap into local expertise on youth services

Community and voluntary organisations are set to work more closely with the council's youth service in shaping youth work in the city.

A new commissioning strategy for services for young people will be considered by the council's cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Sue Shanks, at a meeting on 20 January. It would see the council and local agencies and groups working together more closely to deliver youth work.

This is seen as the best way of ensuring that both specialised youth work and more general drop-in facilities and groups can continue to help as many young people as possible.

The strategy, which is the result of extensive local consultation, will also see the council working in partnership with other organisations to commission a range of services from sports and leisure activities, arts and cultural opportunities to specialist support for vulnerable young people.

Councillor Shanks said: "Youth work offers things to do places to go and people to talk to for young people. We consider this should be a core offer for our city which the youth review and the preservation of our budget ensures.

"Tackling inequality is a priority for us and youth services are a key part of achieving this. Unlike many other local authorities we will hold our youth services budget at current levels for the next year.

"Our youth workers have a good track record in working with workers in the community and voluntary sector, and we're now looking to take this to another level.

"I believe the way to make best use of available resources is to tap into the expertise, creativity and goodwill of our staff and staff in local organisations as much as we can."

Harnessing energy

The proposals have been welcomed by Jess Wood MBE, director of the Allsorts Youth Project and chair of the Children and Young People's Network.

She said: "The council has made great efforts to consult with young people and the providers of youth services in the statutory and community and voluntary sector in the city to ensure that their new youth services strategy is robust and inclusive, especially of young people struggling on the margins of our communities.

"Unlike so many local authorities and councils in other regions, councillors here across the political divide have been determined to protect and enhance youth services in our city.

"They should be congratulated for having the vision and determination to protect our young people who are vulnerable and enable youth services to continue to enhance the lives of all our youth.

"Young people are full of creativity, compassion and fun. We celebrate them and will harness their great energy for the good of our vibrant city.

Gordon McCullough, Interim chief executive officer for the city's Community and Voluntary Sector Forum, has also welcomed the proposals. He said: "We hope that over the next year we can develop truly collaborative solutions to providing the best services for young people and build on the considerable work delivered by voluntary and community providers in the city."

The forum is the city's umbrella body with over 500 charities and voluntary groups in its membership.