Issue - items at meetings - Issues Raised by Members

To consider the following matters raised by Councillors:

(a)               Petitions: To receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself (copy attached)

(i) Councillor G Theobald- Travellers, Horsdean Site

(b)               Written Questions: To consider any written questions;

(c)               Letters: To consider any letters;

(ii)  Councillor G Theobald- Preston Park parking

(d)               Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Council or submitted directly to the Committee.

20                     (a) Petitions

20.1               Councillor Theobald presented a petition signed by 1611 people objecting to Brighton & Hove City Council’s plans for a static Traveller at Horsdean on the South Downs National Park in Patcham.

20.2               Councillor West provided the following response:

Thank you for presenting your petition.
Members of the Committee will be aware that this petition was fully debated at Council in July.
A new Traveller Strategy has recently been developed and agreed by the Council, and the development of the new Strategy benefited from the in-depth consideration of an award winning cross-party scrutiny process.
One of the recommendations of the Strategy is to develop a permanent traveller site, which we have an established need to provide, and government funding to deliver.
We have had a thorough site search process agreed with the national park, from which we concluded extending Horsdean as the favoured option
We are conducting a public consultation prior to submitting a planning application, which has included a staffed exhibition at Patcham Community Centre, liaison with Local Action Teams, and through our consultation portal. We are going to now consult further, including through our network of libraries.
So there is a lot of work that has been done and is being done, and I don’t feel that a further report to committee is required.
I thank you for your petition and further feedback which will be considered as part of the consultation.

I recommend to committee that we note the petition and agree to ask officers write to Councillor Theobald setting out all the processes we have and are going through and that the letter is copied to committee members.

20.3               Councillor Janio requested legal advice on the matter as he believed the petition necessitated an officer report.

20.4               The Acting Assistant Head of Law clarified that the Committee could either note the petition or, if deemed appropriate, request an officer report.

20.5               Councillor Theobald requested that the Committee request an officer report.

20.6               Councillor West moved a motion to note the petition.

20.7               The motion was formally seconded by Councillor Sykes.

20.8               Councillor West then put the recommendation to note the petition to a vote, with the following result:

For: 7

Against: 3

20.9               RESOLVED- That the petition be noted and officers write to Councillor Theobald and other members of the Committee detailing processes undertaken with regard to the Travellers site at Horsdean.

20                     (c) Letters

20.10          Councillor Theobald presented a Letter requesting either an end to charges for parking in Preston Park at weekends or providing coaches, umpires, players and other volunteers using the Preston Park for sporting activity with a free parking disc.

20.11          Councillor Mitchell stated her support for the proposals put forward by Councillor Theobald adding that the situation was similar to that at East Brighton Park. She believed that if the scheme at Preston Park was implemented and successful, it could used in other areas of the city.

20.12          Councillor west provided the following response:

‘Thank you for your useful comments regarding the Preston Park parking scheme.

The scheme originated from a petition to the council, signed by over 2000 people, to address the parking problems in the park.  A cross- party group was established as a result to help work up a solution to the problems.  The changes were implemented in June and have successfully addressed Preston Park being used as a commuter car park. 

The charges were brought in to cover the cost of the scheme and were kept significantly lower than on street parking in order to minimise the impact on genuine park users.  It was also agreed that any surplus would be ring-fenced to the park.

I agreed, when cabinet member, to Councillor Mitchell’s request that we would review the scheme after 6 months operation, and that review will come to a future committee in February for consideration

Officers will consider your suggestions as part of the review and report back to this committee in February with findings and recommendations and I ask committee to note your letter’.

20.13          RESOLVED- That the Letter be noted.