Join us in shaping Brighton & Hove's future

We’ve launched a consultation into how residents can get more involved in decision making in the city.

We want to hear about ways that would make it easier for residents to play a bigger part in the work of the council.

The feedback will shape how we engage with our communities to ensure that we are a listening council.

You’ll find the survey, called 'Join us in shaping Brighton & Hove's future’, on our new ‘Your Voice’ consultation and engagement platform.

We've changed how we do business

Councillors recently voted to change to a Cabinet model from a Committee System to carry out its business.

This presents an opportunity to refresh how residents engage with the council.

Through this consultation, you can let us know what you think is the best way to ensure your voice is heard.

We want residents to have a greater say

Council leader Bella Sankey said: “We’re proposing moving to a Cabinet system of governance for the council to make us more responsive and effective.

“This is an opportunity to streamline how we work, support a ‘One Council’ approach, and strengthen public engagement and accountability. We want residents to have a greater say in shaping the future of our city together.

“This consultation gives people the opportunity to tell us how they would like to be involved. So I really encourage everyone to complete the questionnaire to make sure your voice is heard.”

What’s the difference between a cabinet model and a committee system?

Leader and Cabinet

This system was brought in by the Local Government Act 2000. It's the governance system most councils operate. The Cabinet is led by a leader, who is elected by the full council for a term determined by the council itself or on a four yearly basis.

Councils that conduct business under this model are required to have at least one overview and scrutiny committee to ensure accountability by other councillors and decisions are made in the interests of local people.

Committee System

Under this system the council is divided into committees - politically proportionate to the number of seats each party holds - which make the decisions. These councils are not required to have an overview and scrutiny committee.

Why a new consultation and engagement platform?

Our old platform ‘Citizen Space’ had become out of date and couldn’t offer residents different ways they can interact with us.

Your Voice has a number of ways residents can interact with the council including:

• Surveys - ask people questions to better understand their needs and expectations
• Polls - gather feedback on specific topics to understand the public’s priorities
• Voting – allow people to vote on specific issues
• Online mapping – allows residents to provide feedback and ideas on a map of the city or neighbourhood
• Sharing ideas – community members have a space to share their own ideas
• Allocating funding – residents can make suggestions on where specific pots of money are spent in their community.