With a very busy weekend expected as the city hosts its first full Pride celebrations since 2019, we’re asking everyone to play their part in keeping Brighton & Hove tidy.
If you’re out enjoying the seafront and the city’s parks over the weekend, please use the many bins provided across the city – including more than 600 on the seafront – to recycle or dispose of your rubbish.
And if you’re taking part in the Pride celebrations, please take your cups back to the venue, whether in the Pride events or at one of the many pubs, cafés and bars across the city and on the beach.
Extra recycling and rubbish and bins will be put out along the central seafront and Hove Lawns, as well as in in Valley Gardens, London Road and Dyke Road Drive.
We will have staff out emptying the bins throughout the weekend but, if you find the nearest bin full, please use the next one.
Pride pays for the clean-up operations in the footprint of their event sites, including the route after the parade, in Preston Park and the area of the Pride Village Party in Kemp Town.
Pride is also working with Surfers Against Sewage and our Cityclean team to organise the Big Pride Beach Clean on Sunday morning, with a ticket to the park on Sunday on offer for volunteers.
We have extra street cleaning staff and sweeper vehicles working over the weekend in the city centre and on the seafront to keep on top of littering.
Our Environmental Enforcement officers will also be out over the weekend. Littering is an offence, and we now issue a £150 fine – please use the bins.
They will also be in St James Street and Valley Gardens on Saturday and Sunday handing out free pocket ashtrays for disposing cigarette ends and chewing gum.
We’ll have extra staff continuing the clean-up at the beginning of next week.
Following such a busy event, it will take a few days to catch up with cleaning in the city centre – please bear with us.
If you see anywhere that needs attention, please let us know using our online request a clean-up form.
After the events, Pride will work really hard to get Preston Park and the Pride Village Party area open and back to full use as soon as possible.
Pride anticipate the majority of visitors will have cleared Preston Park by 11pm on Saturday and 10pm on Sunday, and work to try to keep disruption for residents to a minimum.
Visit Pride’s Preston Park resident information and Pride Village Party resident information for more details.
We support Pride’s City Angels initiative – a year-round campaign promoting civic pride and a closer working partnership between Brighton & Hove Pride and local retailers, restaurants, hotels and other businesses.
City Angels commit to uphold the Pride City Angel pledge which includes helping keep business area clean, tidy and litter free and encouraging customers and staff to dispose of their litter responsibly.
It also supports businesses to be vigilant in relation to hate crime incidents and encourages them to actively report incidents to police.
Brighton & Hove businesses wishing to take part can visit WeAreCityAngels.org to find out more and register their interest.
We’re also reminding businesses to make sure they have enough bins and collections in place for the busy weekend.
We’d like to remind residents and visitors that a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) is in place to stop the use of single-use, disposable barbecues and the release of lanterns and balloons in council-owned parks, open spaces and along the seafront.
The PSPO has been brought in to tackle the environmental issues and risk to wildlife and nature these cause, including fire risk – a particularly significant issue following the recent dry weather.
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty, leader of the council, said: “Like so many, I’m really looking forward to welcoming Pride in-person back this weekend. It’s a vital celebration of our city’s identity, when Brighton & Hove is at our bubbly, bohemian best as we see visitors return from near and far.
“Dedicated council teams will be hard at work throughout the weekend to keep the streets as clean as possible and we are thankful for their and many volunteers’ efforts.
“We also need you to play your part too. Help look after the city by recycling what you can, disposing of litter responsibly and returning any plastic cups to venues. If you can’t find space in a bin, find another or bring your litter home.
“For months we’ve been planning for the event alongside Pride, Sussex police, local health and transport.
“After a 2-year absence, let’s ensure we’re all able to enjoy a proud and safe weekend – and do our bit to help keep Brighton & Hove tidy!”
