During two summer weekends of 28-29 June and 5-6 July 2008 people will be able to visit eco-houses in Brighton & Hove who will be opening their doors to the public. Eco Open Houses is a joint project between the Brighton Permaculture Trust, the Low Carbon Trust and Brighton & Hove City Council.
Visit www.ecoopenhouses.org for more information.
The event aims to empower and inspire members of the public to make environmental changes to their own homes through seeing what practical steps other people have taken in their homes. It is about people learning from the experience of others and making positive changes to reduce their environmental footprint.
The houses will demonstrate:
-environmental renovation
-insulation methods
-renewable energy
-reduced energy bills
-water savings
-waste water recycling and rainwater harvesting
-green roofs
-natural and recycled materials
Eco Open Houses – June/July
Public Meeting: Another London Road is possible! – Fri 9 May
7pm, Community Base Conference Room, South Wing, 113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XG (map)
Say 'Yes' to an alternative vision to St James’s investments' large new Tesco’s department store and car park (Picture: New Open Market).
Keith Taylor, City Councillor for St Peter’s & North Laine Ward is holding a meeting for anyone who is interested in considering alternative viewpoints and priorities for the London Road area where St James’s investments envisage a large new Tesco’s department store and car park (northern end).
From talking to a number of people who staffed and attended the recent ‘Bright New London Road’ exhibition, he observed that the Tesco superstore and the car-park are the only non-negotiable element in the developer’s vision for a new London Road.
Many local residents, who gave feedback through “post-its”, shared the local Councillor’s concern about the prospect of moving closer to a ‘clone-town Brighton & Hove’. Councillor Taylor suggests that an initial non party-political meeting be held, to allow those of a similar view start a dialogue as to how the arguments against such developments might best be composed.
Anyone who is interested in getting involved is invited to come along to an informal meeting at Community Base Conference Room, South Wing, Queens Road on Friday 9th May at 7pm.
What future plans have been floated for The Open Market?
It was reported about 18 months ago, Brighton's Open Market would get an £11 million makeover - a scheme which could lead the regeneration of the London Road shopping centre. A description of this scheme is posted here.
What is St James’s investments' vision?
The area between New England Street, New England Road (Circus Parade) and the west of London Rd (just south of Preston Circus) has been earmarked for a Tesco superstore , to be the centrepiece of major development proposed by St James's Investments for The London Road Shopping Centre.
North-South view of proposed development site (shown in red) within the junction of New England Road and London Road
St James's Investments state on their recently launched website at www.brightnewlondonroad.co.uk that they want to kick start the regeneration of London Road town centre and put it back on the map as the thriving area it was in years gone by.
East-West view showing the proposed development site (in red)
to the SW of Preston Circus (one of Brighton's busiest intersections)
Report on Public exhibition 
St James's Investments invited residents to come and see them at their Bright New London Road Shop at 11 Vantage Point, Circus Parade, New England Road, Brighton, BN1 4GW from 24th-26th April. Many residents attended and talked to the developer's representatives, who were obliging and pleasant.
Although "post-it" forms were well in evidence, the developer's official feedback form allowed negligible space for open comment. Instead, tick boxes were inserted adjacent to leading statements, some cherry-picked from the study on regenerating London Road recently carried by Urban Initiatives for Brighton and Hove City Council. Other statements, which St James's investments planted next to their tick-boxes had far more to do with sustaining a large Tesco superstore.
"insufficient parking" was planted in one feedback section and "improved parking" in another.
Increased traffic volume is the last thing which The London Road area needs, according to the regeneration study completed for The Council by Urban Initiatives.
The regeneration studies, prepared for The Council by planners Urban Initiatives and transport consultants Peter Brett Associates, envisage a one-way, bus-only London Road : see The Argus report (25.07.2007) New-look gateways To the city. Improvements to the run-down car-park to the west of London Road are mentioned, as well as the possible creation of a car-park to the east (it is hard to envisage where the latter would go), but there is no suggestion that the area around Preston Circus should be made any more congested by inviting more cars.
St James's investments feedback form also included a section on PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT, inviting respondents to tick things like "Solar and wind energy" and "central power generation".
However, as the developer well knows, measures to minimize carbon emissions would be required anyway to comply with The Council's planning policies on Sustainable Building Design.
Preston Circus is already one of Brighton's busiest traffic intersections. Creating something similar to The Vogue Gyratory, regarded as 'a barrier to regeneration of the Lewes Road area', would surely have a very negative impact on London Road.
Urban Initiatives suggested (The Argus: 9.01.2007 - Gyratory Out Of Vogue and Too Much Traffic) that this "brutal" traffic system could be bulldozed along with Lewes Road Sainsbury's to allow for traffic reduction and greening.
Poorer air quality and more congested roads, which would pose even greater risks and obstacles to pedestrians and cyclists for the convenience of access for private cars, is surely not the way forward.
The developer's poster display might possibly have led some residents to imagine that their intentions had the blessing of Brighton and Hove City Council.
The actual report on the regeneration of London Road, provided for The Council by Urban Initiatives indeed considers this shopping centre as in need of regeneration, but the posters presented by St James's investments introduce bullet points of their own:
"London Road as a destination is almost impossible to get to" (St James's Investments)
Some of these posters suggest that the area is difficult to get to, when London Road is one of the easiest places to reach if you are prepared to take the bus or walk. It has countless major bus routes to & from the A23 (5, 5a, 5b), Ditchling Road (26,46A,50,50A), the A27 Lewes Rd (49, 49A, 21,22). Pedestrian access to Brighton railway station is better than ever before, and the 10-minute walk from Preston Circus to London Road Station does not involve much climbing. Buses to and from Gatwick & Heathrow Airports, London, Stansted Airport and Cambridge all stop at Preston Circus.
London Road, itself, is extremely well used by walkers, regardless of how many of them use the shops. Apart from having its own residential flats, London Road is a thoroughfare connecting the centre of Brighton (Old Steine/the main bus station / Brighton Pier) with several densely populated residential suburbs. Indeed, the pressure on pavement space near bus stops is a current problem which the Council needs to address by reclaiming more road or by reverting to the original building line (where add-on facades have encroached) to enable pavement widening.
There are plenty of taxis in evidence in London Road for people (e.g. those with mobility problems or heavy shopping) who are prepared to be collected or dropped off.
The area is only somewhat inconvenient to get to for people who would only consider approaching it in their own car. Private motorists could possibly identify with St James's investments assertion, because of two main obstacles:
1) the current level of congestion with the priority given to bus lanes, and
2) the available car parks are located in back streets on the steep incline leading towards the main London to Brighton railway.
Although there are arguments for improving run-down car parks, St James's Investments appear to be making their own case for "more parking", which runs contrary to what is envisaged in the Urban Initiatives report. The Council's official regeneration report concerns itself with the whole of the London Road shopping centre and not with the viability of a Tesco Superstore at the (Preston Circus) end of London Road.
[A] The developer's case
To review the developer's case, go to their website at www.brightnewlondonroad.co.uk. Note that you may need to install Adobe Flash Player to access the developer's website, which has recently been redesigned.
Bright New London Road
The City Council wants to revitalise the London Road area and create a high quality commercial quarter for Brighton and Hove, connecting London Road with the New England Road area.
As a major landowner in London Road town centre and as a mixed-use developer, we at St James’s Investments see great potential to create an exciting, vibrant , sustainable community right here.
St James's Investments already own Vantage Point and some of the shops in London Road. They also lease part of New England House:
We want to kick-start the regeneration of London Road town centre and help put it back on the map as the thriving area it was in years gone by.
Work with us to create a bright new London Road so that together we can get it right.
London Road is officially one of two town centres in the city – London Road and Hove – but in recent years has been in economic decline, shops are closing, both Sainsburys and the Coop have left, there is little choice for clothing and household goods – the balance has shifted away from convenience and now only 20% of the catchment are shopping locally.
In order to create a thriving town centre, the area needs new investment to attract local people to this town centre.
Vantage Point is already owned by St James's Investments:
Brighter things are already on the horizon – the planned new Open Market, City College’s new development, the connections through New England Street, the variety of small independent shops…but more is needed.
Existing problems
Traffic congestion
Poor connections
Run down shops
Derelict and vacant buildings
Insufficient parking
Lack of green and amenity space
Dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists
Anti-social behaviour
Lack of choice
Lack of investment
Noise and air pollution
Lack of facilities for the young
It’s your future. Let’s get it right together .
Promises
- Improvements to transport network
- Improved environment and linkages for pedestrians and cyclists
- Better shopping.
- Economic regeneration.
- Community facilities.
Sustainability
We could look at using:
- Sustainable materials
- Solar and wind energy
- Central power generation
- Energy efficient systems throughout
- Rainwater harvesting
- Green rooftops
We are already working for Forum for The Future to be as energy efficient as possible.
City College Capital Redevelopment Project
City College Brighton and Hove is consulting the public on a major capital redevelopment plan to transform its accommodation across four sites in the North, South, East and West of the city.
The first exhibition was held at the Brighthelm Auditorium in North Road, Brighton, on Friday April 25th from noon until 6.30pm and on Saturday April 26th from 10am until 4pm.
The second exhibition will be held in the North Hall at Falmer High School on Friday May 2nd from noon until 6.30pm and on Saturday May 3rd from 10am until 4pm.
A Great Shopping Trip
Since the loss of the Co-op and Sainsburys from London Road, new investment is now needed.
An anchor retailer is vital to attract people back to the area. This would encourage even more businesses to open and create a vibrant economy, uplifting the area for the future.
We have been looking for a store to provide a replacement anchor for the area, and Tesco, Britain’s number 1 retailer, has shown interest in coming to London Road.
NEW LONDON ROAD will include:
- New independent shop units
- A brand new anchor store on your doorstep
Tesco Superstore
An exciting combination of food and comparison goods under one roof – building on the Tesco reputation for quality and prices:
- A wide variety of fresh foods and groceries, with dedicated counters for delicatessen products along with fresh meats, wet fish, hot chicken, and some of the finest supermarket beers, wines and spirits.
- Upstairs, customers will be able to shop for clothes, beauty accessories, home furnishings, cooking products, goods for the home, electricals, toys, sports goods, CDs, DVDs, clothing range, cosmetics department, books, magazines and greeting cards.
A better place to live
OPEN SPACES, NEW HOMES, JOBS, CAFES & RESTAURANTS
A town centre needs to be a better place to live too, with lots of public space and things to do on your doorstep. Would you like facilities such as these?
- Cafés and restaurants
- Better community facilities
- Better health facilities
- Attractive open spaces
- Linking in with other developments on London Road
- New jobs for local people
- Safe and secure environment
- Entertainments and leisure
- Improved educational facilities
A place for business to grow 
If we get this right, other businesses will want to be here. This could include:
- offices for media and creative businesses
- workshops for arts and crafts busineses
- an art gallery
- large corporate offices
- standard office units for small to medium-sized business units
- small business start up units
Problems getting there? 
The one-way systems, through roads and the railway line cutting the community in half, traffic congestion, difficult access routes for pedestrians and cyclists – just a few of the problems which make London Road as a destination almost impossible to get to!
But on the plus side, the area has frequent public transport linkages, which we can build on, to make this route in and out of the city easier to get to.
If we can make it easier to get to London Road, then we can start to think of building a really exciting future.
[B] Comments and reactions
What is happening about The Open Market?
The proposal for the £11 million makeover of The Open Market is yet to be registered. The Tesco proposal could clearly effect the trading environment, though if the proposed location does not involve the former Coop Department store, as originally rumoured, the effects may not be so direct.
Could increased traffic volume turn Preston Circus into something akin to The Vogue Gyratory on Lewes Road, causing further congestion, pollution and risk to the detriment of pedestrians and cyclists?
Preston Circus is already one of Brighton's busiest traffic intersections. Residents may remember that when Cruise missiles arrived in Greenham in 1983, demonstraters brought traffic in Brighton to a halt by blocking both The Clock Tower and Preston Circus intersections.
Tesco would very likely want some integral parking, resulting in more motor traffic being drawn into the area.
Two years ago, residents who took part in the Urban Initiatives consultation on regeneration of London Road shopping area, identified the existing volume of traffic as the major obstacle in making London Road user-friendly to pedestrians and shoppers. The stakeholders who attended the three sessions, organised by Urban Initiatives are likely to watch St James's investments' vision very closely.
Will this be a sustainable development?
St James's Investment has trailed the possibility of incorporating some sustainability features into their proposal. Local campaigns and community groups concerned about the environment, are also likely to scrutinize the actual plans, if and when they come to be registered.
Some residents already sense that Tesco is keeping a low profile, even though they have been earmarked as the "anchor company" in this development proposal.
What are the local environment concerns likely to be?
With the enlarged Sainsburys having led the New England development, and Waitrose interested in The Preston Barracks site on Lewes Road, residents who prefer to support small traders, green box deliveries, Fair Traded products, and companies which source more of their stock locally, may not welcome another large supermarket development.
The supermarkets may respond by promising to support local suppliers, but their relentless drive to capture market share will not be welcomed by some small retailers.
Conservation Groups' Reactions
The Brighton Society is among the local Groups which have already raised concerns. They note on their website that St James's Investments, the developer, has said that sufficient car parking would be needed to make the area (a Tesco superstore?) financially viable.
1) 'how many spaces' is 'sufficient' car parking?
2) How will London Road, already congested, cope with the extra traffic which would be generated?
The Brighton Society also hopes for:
a) an open and honest public consultation, which helps guide proposals for the area
b) a genuine opportunity to influence those proposals - Will the new proposal promote the use of public transport?
What happens next?
When St James's Investments register their planning application, residents will have (at least) a 3-week consultation period in which to make our views known to the Council. If local residents feel that a proposal involving another large supermarket (with provision for more car-parking) would be detrimental to the area, as several felt in relation to the Sainsburys Store which opened last year within the New England Quarter, then there is likely to be a campaign.
Residents' Reactions
1. Some regeneration is clearly needed to make London Road a pleasanter area to shop. It will be interesting to see if the plans proposed by St James's investments favour public transport users & pedestrians or invite more car-users into the area.
2. I think that the area is run down, and I believe the Open Market will thrive if people want it, whatever Tesco do. But I do have some thoughts on the type of development:
- There should be lots of homes, and every one should have a southern quadrant facing open space of 10% of the internal floor space and a minimum of 5 square metres, to include soil for growing stuff.
Almost none of the homes will be ground floor, but above other uses, set back one above the other.
- All the developments should have photovoltaic panels and a mixture of ground source heat pumps and solar water heating for hot water and space heating.
- The London Road should retain and improve at least half of the existing architecturally pleasing buildings, but push back the building line to the original one, not the front of the property line as now. 
This will widen the pedestrian area, allow for small squares and outdoor leisure areas, plus planting and probably a new cycle lane adjacent to the road, but not on it, nor on the pavement.
- Private personal transport should be for the elderly, frail and disabled, and its access should be kept to the margins, though I would retain the parking built beneath Mayflower Court (this is an example of homes over another use, though not as clever as it could be).
Last meeting of The Sustainability Commission - Wednesday 30th April
The final meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council's Sustainbility Commission is open to all, and will be held on Wednesday, 30 April 2008 at 5.00 PM at Council Chamber Brighton Town Hall.
Agenda
50. Procedural Business (copy attached).
51. Minutes of the meeting held on 12 March 2008.
52. Convenor's Communications.
53. Public Questions. The closing date for public questions for the meeting to be held on Wednesday 30 April 2008 is 12 noon on Wednesday 23 April 2008.
54. Food for Life Partnership Report (with Presentation) - report of Director of Strategy & Governance (report attached).
54. Appendix 2 - Eco Schools Food Growing and Composting (copy attached).
54. Appendix 3 - Food for Life Partnership Criteria and likelihood of B Schools to meet the Criteria (copy attached).
55. Carbon Management Programme Annual Review - report of Director of Finance & Resources (copy attached).
56. Climate Change Workshop for Councillors - report of Head of Sustainability & Environmental Policy (copy attached).
56. Climate Change Worksop for Councillors Appendix 2 (copy attached).
57. Wildlife Advisory Group - report of the Director of Environment (copy attached).
The Sustainability Commission will be replaced by a proposed Sustainability Partnership under the new Governance arrangements, which will be introduced in May 2008. We are seeking for Transition Brighton and Hove to be represented within the new Partnership alongside groups such as the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership and the Wildlife Advisory Group.
The Liaison with Local Government Group recommends attendance at Sustainability Commission/Partnership meetings, since the Agenda items impact on several areas of interest. Some TB&H Groups may well possess expertise among their members.
We hope that a TB&H member may come forward to join one of the panels of experts which will have the function of supporting the new cabinets within the Council. This will help to strengthen the bridge which TB&H is building with Local Government. When we know the criteria for selecting local experts, we will post the information on TB&H's website, so that willing and suitable experts can come forward.
Items from 2008 Sustainability Commission Meetings relevant to TB&H's objectives
Wednesday, 9 January 2008 at 5.00 PM
Options for Reducing Carbon Emissions : Appendix A
Options for Reducing Carbon Emissions : Appendix B
Options for Reducing Carbon Emissions from the Council’s Civic Buildings - report of the Director of Finance & Resources (copy attached).
Scope for reducing energy consumption in street lighting and powering traffic signals in Brighton and Hove
Street Lighting Contract - Presentation by the Assistant Director, Sustainable Transport Powerpoint Presentation
Proposed review of The Council's Sustainability Strategy
Developing a One Planet Living ® Plan for Brighton & Hove - report of the Head of Sustainability & Environmental Policy (copy attached)
Reviewing Brighton and Hove's Climate Change Strategy
City Climate Change Strategy: initial stakeholders’ event - report of the Head of Sustainability & Environmental Policy (copy attached).
City Climate Change Strategy: summary report (copy attached).
Green Architecture and Permaculture in Brighton and Hove
Green Architecture Day 2008 - report of the Head of Sustainability & Environmental Policy (copy attached).
Green Architecture Day 2008 : Report Appendix (copy attached) from Brighton Permaculture Trust.
Meeting Wednesday, 12 March 2008 at 5.00 PM
Home Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty in Brighton & Hove - Presentation by the Housing Sustainability Project Manager.
Wildlife Advisory Group - report of the Director of Environment (copy attached)
Eliminating Plastic Bags and Excessive Packaging - report of the Head of Sustainability & Environmental Policy (copy attached)
Eco Open Houses - Presentation by Sustainability Officer.
Call for Restraint on the Issuing and Mass Release of Balloons - report of Head of Sustainability & Environmental Policy (copy attached).
Sustainability and New Governance Arrangements
The Sustainability Commission and New Governance Arrangements - report of the Head of Sustainability & Environmental Policy (copy attached)
New constitution proposed - changing the system for council decisions
Read the proposed new constitution (PDF 217 KB: 7 pages). Read the details of consultation, which has now finished.
The TB&H Liaison With Local Government Group has asked the Hub of Transition Brighton and Hove to request that responsibility for scrutinising sustainability should lie with the Environment Scrutiny Committee. We feel very strongly that, because of the overarching focus of sustainable development and the impact all aspects of the Council’s work have on sustainability, this function would be better placed with the general overview and scrutiny commission.
Notes on Liaison with LG Meeting held on 14th April 2008
(1) Feedback on ACTION POINTS
(2) Refreshing The Council's Sustainability Strategy
(3) (a) Councillor Denise Cobb's request for profile of TB&H
(b) Relaying info on grants and awards RE sustainability.
(4) Forthcoming events where Council's Sustainability Team
(and TB&H?) are likely to have stalls.
(5) AOB: production of meeting agendas
(1) Feedback on ACTION POINTS
(a) The request that the function of sustainability carries importance and is not sidelined within the Council's new Governance Arrangements.
(b) The request that TB&H is represented on the Council's new Sustainability Partnership, which is to replace the Sustainability Commission.
Members of the Liaison Group realise that the Hub has been preoccupied recently with its own direction and purpose, but were disappointed to learn that no letter (RE the two requests, submitted as a draft on 19th March 2008) has been formulated or sent.
We entrusted the Hub with the wording of the letter, having ascertained that there was no opposition to the outcomes that the requests seek to achieve. We should like to know that the Hub will be dealing with this soon, or to secure authority to deal with it directly, since TB&H risks ‘missing the boat’ (i.e. 2 good opportunities to influence.)
( c ) The request for the selection criteria which will be used in choosing experts (drawn from Brighton and Hove's residents) to serve on the proposed panel of experts to support the new cabinets within the Council.
The TB&H Liaison Group has received some preliminary feedback from Thurstan Crockett (Head of the Council’s Sustainability Team). Likely requirements for experts are that they (a) live in Brighton and Hove (b) work nationally and/or internationally in the field of sustainable development (c) have expertise / practical track record in at least one field not extensively covered by others on the panel (d) demonstrable capacity for strategic thinking (e) are willing to advise council Leadership for no financial gain (f) are prepared to attend up to 4 two-hour meetings per year and receive occasional email requests for advice. The Sustainability Team will let us know if & when these become fixed requirements. The ultimate set of criteria will be decided by the Sustainabilty Champion in the new cabinet (and/or the Leader of the Council).
The Liaison Group needs clarity from the Hub as to how they see representation on The Sustainability Partnership. Although there may be a suitable candidate for the proposed panel of experts (to support the new Council cabinets) participating within Transition Brighton and Hove, we have been advised that the chosen “experts” will represent themselves and not speak for any Group.
(d) Solar panels – difficulties in getting planning permission.
Note that the relaxation of planning regulations excludes Conservation Areas and listed buildings. There is obvious tension between sustainability and conservation & design in streets which are highly regarded for their historic value in a city visited partly for its history. It should be noted too that planning permission will still be required when proposals impact on neighbours, as will be the case unless residents live in the middle of nowhere.
The Liaison Group felt that planning restrictions on generating one’s own energy (retrospective note: also cited as an obstacle to micro-generation in Dr Jim Watson’s talk on “generating Energy within the Home”) should be the concern of Transition Brighton and Hove’s Energy Group, and we suggest that this issue should be an Agenda item for discussion at one of their meetings. We agreed to contact the Energy Group by email on this issue.
(2) Refreshing The Council's Sustainability Strategy –
It was confirmed that One Planet Living is still expected to perform this task. Reference was made to the homes that One Planet Living are constructing in the New England Quarter. While the new buildings undoubtedly incorporate several of the features promoted in The Green Developer’s Bible (e.g. locally sourced wood of durable quality), concern was expressed as to the density of the development and provision for greenspace i.e. what makes a sustainable community & environment extends beyond building materials.
The Group learned that Thurstan Crockett is writing a paper about One Planet Living for The Local Strategic Partnership (the LSP includes several interest groups within Brighton and Hove’s voluntary and business sectors as well as the Council). It was reiterated that meetings of the LSP were open to the public, and that participation by members of Transition Brighton and Hove could allow us to hear what other voices in our city are saying in relation to sustainability and climate change.
(3)(a) Profile of Transition Brighton and Hove and (b) Role of Liaison with LG Group RE Funding
It was confirmed that Chris Callard would be composing the text (for Thurstan Crockett) requested by Councillor Denise Cobb (likely to be involved in the new Sustainability Partnership) profiling Transition Brighton and Hove and its achievements to date. Thank you, Chris.
It was felt that info on grants and awards (sources of funding) relevant to sustainability should be fielded to the relevant Transition Brighton and Hove Interest Groups. It is not within the remit of the Liaison Group to make the actual funding applications. However, several grants are administered via the Council or with Council vetting (as will be the case with funds from Central Government made available under the 2007 Sustainable Communities Act). The Liaison Group is likely to get to hear of funding opportunities (e.g. funds for insulation and solar under The Council’s Warm Homes Scheme) in the course of its dialogue with members of the Council’s Sustainability Team, so it is within our remit to publicize some of these funding opportunities.
GRANTnet
sources of funding
regular updates
(4) Forthcoming events
Members of The Council’s Sustainability Team set up stall at several events where Transition Brighton and Hove is also likely to have its own stalls (e.g. The Eco Fair organised a few months ago by The Triangle Community Group).
Although the organisation of these events is not the Liaison Group’s direct concern, we should publicize opportunities for participants in all TB&H Groups to meet members of The Council’s Sustainability Team.
(a) Brighton and Hove City Council's Sustainability Commission (final meeting) Wednesday, 30 April 2008 at 5.00 PM
(b) ECO OPEN HOUSES: 28-29 June and 5-6 July 2008: people will be able to visit eco-houses in Brighton & Hove who will be opening their doors to the public. Eco Open Houses is a joint project between the Brighton Permaculture Trust, the Low Carbon Trust and Brighton & Hove City Council. http://www.ecoopenhouses.org/ Mita Patel’s colleague Francesca Iliffe is coordinating this.
(c) Green Wave Festival - Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th July 2008, Brighton's first sustainable eco festival, held in Preston Park. (Contact Kat).
(d) Environmental Summer Fayre and farmers' market - Saturday 12th July 2008. 11am – 3pm, organised by The Dorothy Stringer Environmental Partnership, Stringer Way Lawns. The fayre promotes local and national organisations whose work has contributed towards a greater environmental awareness and would therefore like to offer you the opportunity to attend.
(5) AOB – Agendas and meetings
The question was posed as to how Agendas should be drawn up. The preferred option was for a draft to be circulated a few days before meetings, to be finalized and published once members of the Group had agreed on priority issues and added any missing items. It was requested that once Agendas were finalized, new items should not be discussed at meetings until ANY OTHER BUSINESS.
Next Liaison with Local Gov Group Meeting: Monday 14th April 2008 at The George
Suggested items for The Agenda of our next meeting (The George, Trafalgar St, 7 pm on Monday 14th April 2008) are:
(1) Feedback if available on:
a) the request that the function of sustainability carries importance and is not sidelined within the Council's new Governance Arrangements.
b) the request that TB&H is represented on the Council's new Sustainability Partnership, which is to replace the Sustainability Commission.
c) the request for the selection criteria which will be used in choosing experts (drawn from Brighton and Hove's residents) to serve on the proposed panel of experts to support the new cabinets within the Council.
(2) Report (by those "in the know") on the progress of the new Governance arrangments and the plan to refresh The Council's Sustainability Strategy
(3) Discussion on
a) Simon's proposals:- look carefully at the principles behind transition- assess what we're doing well, and what we need to do differently- discuss our visions of the future and what TBH means to us, and
b) the steps (researched by Maureen) which Transition Brighton and Hove would need to complete before it is ready to bid for an Environmental Sustainability Grant.
Some of the points on Maureen's checklist are principally for the Hub, though most of the bullet points should concern of all Transition Groups:
-having TB&H's constitution agreed at a general meeting-getting a bank account properly set up
-deciding how the money will be managed-equalities issues, eg. access for disabled participants
-encouraging a wider constituency to join in, eg. young people under 18, the elderly, the unemployed, people from other countries, etc.
-deciding on any evaluation methods for assessing whether what we are doing is successful or not
-ensuring that what we say on the website matches what we say in the bid, and we will need to show we can deliver
_________________
New Group members are welcome.
Contact email address: localgovliaisonATtransitionbrightonandhove.org.uk
Last chance to comment on Brighton and Hove City Council's new constitution
New constitution - changing the system for Council decisions
See Proposals for a leader and Cabinet system (7 pages PDF)
Residents of Brighton and Hove can comment both as individuals & / or as members of Groups. Comments should be sent to
constitution@brighton-hove.gov.uk by 31 March 2008
Your comment could help to strengthen the function of sustainability within the Council and secure representation for TB&H within the proposed new Sustainability Partnership.
The Council's introduction to the consultation is posted at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1182574
The Council's new proposals
Councillors have approved outline proposals to replace the current committee system with a cabinet and a leader elected by the whole council.
The leader will appoint up to nine cabinet members who will have responsibility for different areas of the council’s work, like finance, housing, schools and the environment.
There will be a number of ‘overview and scrutiny’ committees made up of councillors from all political parties which will provide checks and balances to decisions made by the cabinet members.
Areas of concern
Two areas of concern have been highlighted by TB&H's Liaison With Local Government Group and have been presented in a letter sent via The Hub.
1. We are concerned that it is proposed that the responsibility for scrutinising sustainability should lie with the Environment Scrutiny Committee. We feel very strongly that, because of the overarching focus of sustainable development and the impact all aspects of the Council’s work have on sustainability, this function would be better placed with the general overview and scrutiny commission.
2. We are also concerned to note that within the proposals for the structure of the new Sustainability Partnership which is to replace the Sustainability Commission there is very little specific community involvement. We would therefore wish to make the case for the Transition City movement to be represented within the new Sustainability Partnership, alongside such Groups as the Brighton and Hove Food Partnership and the Wildlife Advisory Group.
Notes on Liaison with Local Government Group Meeting 17th March 2008
Those present: Jacqui, Joyce, Maureen and Ted.
Our discussion focused on issues relevant to Transition Brighton and Hove’s objectives arising out of the meeting of Brighton and Hove Council’s Sustainability Commission on Wednesday 12th March.
The priority given to sustainability within the Council will be affected by its place in the New Governance Arrangements which come into operation in May 2008, when the Council replaces its committee system of decision-making with a Leader and Cabinet System.
All of us in the TB&H Liaison Group were concerned about the current proposal that "responsibility for scrutinising sustainability should lie within the Environment Scrutiny Committee". Our main ACTION POINT for this meeting was therefore to draft a letter to all the leaders of political parties within the Council, emphasizing the overarching focus of sustainable development and the impact all aspects of the Council’s work have on sustainability. In this context, we urge that the function of sustainability should be placed with the General Overview and Scrutiny Commission, to prevent it from becoming sidelined.
We should like members of Transition Brighton and Hove’s Hub to sign this draft letter. In the same letter, we also make the case for the Transition City Movement to be represented (as is the case for The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership and Wildlife Advisory Group) within the new Sustainability Partnership, which is to replace The Sustainability Commission.
Our second ACTION POINT resulted from mention at The Sustainability Commission’s March 12th meeting of the proposed panel of experts to support the new cabinets. We understand there will be around 20 experts on the panel drawn from Brighton and Hove residents who have national or indeed international expertise to offer.
Transition Brighton and Hove has some highly talented and knowledgeable people amongst its membership. It occurred to us that there may well be TB&H members who may want to offer their expertise &/or who Brighton and Hove City Council may want to approach.
The ACTION POINT was therefore to draft a request, which could be sent to Thurston Crockett, Head of Sustainability at Brighton and Hove City Council, asking for information on how far the plans to create the panels have progressed and advice on the criteria for selecting local experts. This letter could also inform Thurston that Transition Brighton and Hove has been following the proposals for revised decision making structures within the council and that we are keen to work with his Team to ensure integration of sustainability within the new arrangements.
Another item on the Agenda of the Sustainability Commission's of Wednesday 12th March, was a presentation given by Graham Osborne on Home Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty. Part of Graham's talk focused on the availability of grants for solar heating, and mentioned that extending solar is a stated priority within the Home Energy Efficiency scheme.
We noted at our own meeting that there has been tension here between policies, which have rightly been put in place to preserve the character and appearance of Conservation Areas and the contribution that solar panels could make to greater Home Energy Efficiency, the environment and householders’ bills.
Our ACTION will be to collate instances (through looking on the Council’s online planning register and consulting representatives especially from the city’s Conservation Areas) where planning applications for solar panels have been refused.
We wish to avoid pitting two Council Teams (1. Sustainability and 2. Conservation & Design) against one another. Instead, we seek better understanding and clearer guidance, so that Council policies can look “joined up” rather than “acting against one another” and householders who wish to install solar heating will find the process less “hit and miss”. Our Liaison Group would like to hear of instances where Brighton and Hove residents have had applications for solar refused, and of the reasons given. We will then have a body of evidence to present to the Council’s Chair of Planning.
Linked in with our discussion on Home Energy Efficiency is our continued interest in GREEN HOMES RENOVATION SCHEMES (see also: item 47 on Eco Open Houses on the agenda of the Sustainability Commission’s last meeting). Francesca Illiffe (Sustainability Officer) is organising an Eco Open Houses event, scheduled for the last week in June and the first week in July 2008. A website promoting this event is at www.ecoopenhouses.com, which will become active in April 2008.
The Eco Open Houses event will showcase several houses in Brighton and Hove, including the solid-walled Victorian house in Southdown Avenue (Preston Park Ward) where green renovation has reduced fuel bills by two thirds, cutting CO2 emissions by 72%. This home is also in a conservation area, and planning permission for solar was refused on successive occasions (perhaps for good reasons?) before it was finally granted.
Our Liaison Group welcomes this event. We also believe that there are more ideas, which could be borrowed from the Green Homes Scheme (promoted in London by Ken Livingstone), which offers a Concierge system, allowing the home-owner to receive comprehensive assistance and advice. We feel too that a transportable green exhibition house (as used to promote the London scheme) could increase public awareness if used in key areas (e.g. The Old Steine) of Brighton and Hove. Our current ACTION is seeking the contribution of an appropriate speaker to Transition Brighton and Hove’s Programme of Talks and to put members of Brighton and Hove Council’s Sustainability Team in touch with their London counterparts by forging such links.
A final ACTION POINT related to the importance of chalk grassland and preventing the deterioration of this important resource. We will seek more info on this and how this aspect of conservation relates to the main focus of Transition Brighton and Hove. We hope, too, that there is an Interest Group within Transition Brighton and Hove, which will include this among their concerns.
Our Liaison with Local Government Group supplements these NOTES (see below) with an extract of the AGENDA of the Sustainability Commission’s recent meeting, including links to background documents (Microsoft Word Format).
Many of the items discussed at Sustainability Commission Meeetings are extremely relevant to planning a low energy sustainable future i.e. the central objectives of Transition Brighton and Hove.
We therefore emphasize the value and importance of the Transition City movement being represented within the Council’s new Sustainability Partnership. This is something we have to ask for, and members of TB&H's Liaison Group feel that the right time to ask is NOW, while the new arrangements are being formalized. We will have a formal consultation period too, though staking our claim now will prepare the mindset of our friends working within the Council.
Ted Power on behalf of TB&H's Transition with Local Government Group
Email contact: localgovliaison AT transitionbrightonandhove.org.uk
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40 Procedural Business including:
Item 33A: promoting and adopting the ’food for life’ partnership standards
Item 35: options for reducing carbon emissions from The Council’s Civic Buildings e.g. proposed wind turbines at Kings House
Item 36: street lighting energy contract
Item 37: developing a One Planet Living ® Plan for Brighton and Hove
44 Home Energy Efficiency and Fuel Poverty in Brighton and Hove
- presentation by Graham Osborne, the Housing Sustainability Project Manager
45 Wildlife Advisory Group - report of the Director of Environment
Purpose of the report: to inform the Commission of the main recommendations of the Wildlife Advisory
Group (WAG) meeting of 30th October 2007 - in particular:
46 Eliminating Plastic Bags and Excessive Packaging - report of the Head of Sustainability & Environmental Policy
Purpose of report: to outline the strategies by which the council “seeks to support and encourage retailers, businesses and commercial manufacturers to eliminate excessive packaging, in particular the widespread use of plastic bags”.
47 Eco Open Houses
- presentation by Francesca Illiffe, Sustainability Officer
48 Call for Restraint on the Issuing and Mass Release of Balloons - report of Head of Sustainability & Environmental Policy
Purpose of report: to illustrate why the council should call for restraint on the issuing and mass release of balloons across Brighton & Hove due to the adverse effects on marine life.
49 The Sustainability Commission and New Governance Arrangements - report of the Head of Sustainability & Environmental Policy
Purpose report: to inform Commission members about the impact of the council’s new governance arrangements on the Commission and plans to replace it with a city partnership.
Brighton & Hove Council Sustainability Commission meeting – Wed 12 March 2008
Brighton & Hove Council's Sustainability Commission's next meeting is on Wednesday 12th March at 5pm at Brighton Town Hall, Bartholomew Square, Brighton.
The Agenda for this meeting (with relevant downloadable reports) is posted here. Topics for discussion include:
Home Energy Efficiency & Fuel Poverty (no report attached)
Wildlife Advisory Group
- chalk Grassland
- School Biodiversity project
- Network Rail/trees
Eliminating Plastic Bags & Excessive Packaging
- outline of strategy
Eco Open Houses (no report attached)
Call for restraint on mass release of balloons
Future arrangements of Sustainability Commission (post governance changes):
- policy formation & oversight will become part of the environmental scrutiny comittee.
- a cabinet member will be nominated 'Sustainability Champion'
- broaden sustainability partnership within city's partnership structures
Members of the public are very welcome to attend.
The sustainability commission is made up of cross-party elected members and aims to to help Brighton & Hove City Council develop and implement its sustainability policies as part of its activities, including partnership work with other agencies and bodies.
Liaison with Local Government Group meeting 19/02/08
We focused on the following six topics:
1) the Refreshed Preferred Options Document to be published in Spring 2008.
2) the Refreshed Sustainability Strategy to be performed later this year.
3) the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 - we await details of the Guidance on this.
4) Open Houses / Sustainable Homes, expected to feature in the Brighton Festival.
5) The Council's/PMP's report RE Open Spaces Policy - possible need to amend to reference (a) Climate Change (b) Peak oil (c) Need for land to grow food locally.
6) Need to study the process by which info is disseminated from the LA to neighbourhoods and to improve networks.
More detail on each of these points
1) the forthcoming consultation on the Refreshed Preferred Options Document is to be published in Spring 2008. I have created a web page to update those interested on the background to The Council's Core Strategy and Preferred Options.
2) refreshing the Council's Sustainability Strategy. It seems pretty certain that One Planet Living will get the go ahead for this, and that public consultation on this topic will follow later in 2008. It remains to be seen if the Council's Sustainability Strategy, currently 12 priority areas, is merged with the 2020 (Local Strategic) Partnership's 8 key areas. It is possible that One Planet Living's "10 checks for sustainability" could assist as the organising principles for this merger.
3) Sustainable Communities Act 2007 - we agreed that we cannot take action on this until we have the Guidance on how the Local Authority is to implement the Act. We are relying on Mita to make this available to us once it has been received.
4) Open Houses / Sustainable Homes - reference to Eco-houses in the Open Houses in Brighton Festival, May 2008 is made in the TB&H Buildings & Construction Group's notes of their meeting on 17th December 2007. We agreed to give this initiative our support. Our Liaison Group was also keen on pursuing the idea of a transportable Exhibition House for Energy Saving (something with a visible presence) in prominent locations in Brighton and Hove.
5) Open Spaces - The Open Spaces Questionnaires/ Household Surveys undertaken by the Council/PMP have elicited comments on parks and recreation grounds pooled between several neighbourhoods. See The Council's 2005 questionnaire and PMP's 2007 Household Survey. This "top-down" approach where the questions are framed to limit comment mainly to publicly accessible open spaces fails to meet the Government's Planning Policy Guidance PPG17 which states that Open Space Needs should be locally-derived and that assessment should be neighbourhood-specific. The Council has been using the adjective "city-wide" to suggest a thorough approach, where in reality neighbourhoods which are deficient in publicly-accessible open space risk losing their open spaces to developers. My critiques of the 2005 and 2007 surveys, were attempts to prevent the loss of green space to development in Round Hill, where all our open spaces (including a wildlife garden which has won national awards) are on privately-owned and relatively inaccessible plots. The Government's guidance says that: "the value of open spaces, irrespective of who owns them, depends on two things:
i) The extent to which they meet clearly identifiable local needs
ii) The wider benefits they generate for people, wildlife, biodiversity and the wider environment.
PMP's report on the progress of its Open Space Study is expected this year. If necessary, we should be ready to suggest amendments to their proposals, which reference TB&H's concerns about (a) Climate Change (b) Peak oil (c) Need to grow more food locally.
We might enlist the support of both The Brighton and Hove Food Partnership and TB&H's Food Group in arguing for the protection of Open Spaces in our city for growing food. Reference can be made here to Moulsecoomb/Whitehawk/Stanmer initiatives. I have noted that Ann Baldridge of TB&H's Food Group has been seeking info on how the Council plans to use all the land it owns and leases out that could be used for food growing (question raised at 30 Jan General meeting) and respond to this in my web page on the Council's Core Strategy and Preferred Options where I have also posted Graham Ennis's calculation & observations RE food self-sufficiency. It should be noted that PPG17 gives the community influence over the retention and use of open spaces whether they are publicly or privately owned, so our interest in protecting open spaces need not be limited to plots which are owned by the Council.
6) We also discussed how information is disseminated i.e. from The Council to neighbourhoods, how certain people are key to successful networks and how the latter might be strengthened. We wondered whether additional log-ins could be permitted for active group members other than co-ordinators who could post directly to the relevant section of the main TB&H website. Some Groups may wish to make the role of co-ordinator into a "job-share" with more than one group member posting to the site. Alternatively, content for posting could be emailed from other group members and then posted by the co-ordinator. I am flexible about either of these options within the Liaison with Local Government Group.
Liaison With Local Government Group meeting on Tuesday 19th February 2008 at 7pm at The George
The next meeting of The Liaison With Local Government Group will be on Tuesday 19th February 2008 at 7pm at The George in Trafalgar Rd near St Peter's Church. New members are welcome to attend.
Notes from Liaison Group's Meeting on 22 January 2008
1. Matters Arising
2. Knowledge – areas where we need to gain more knowledge to carry out our role. Input from Sustainability Team/officers.
(i) The Sustainable Communities Act
(ii) Case Officer’s presentation on how policies on Sustainability (e.g. Chapter 2 of Local Plan, relevant SPDs, sustainability appraisals) are applied when recommending to grant or refuse planning applications – for example, two case studies.
3. Briefing others in Transition Brighton & Hove about the Council
4. The functioning of the Sustainability Commission
5. Feedback on The New Economics Foundation workshop
Those present were Joyce, Maureen, Ted and Vicky. Apologies from Jacqui & Mita.
1. Matters arising from last meeting of 7th January - Mission Statement
The need to formalize our working protocol.
ACTION POINT 1: Ted agreed to tidy up and circulate the draft recorded in the notes of our last meeting. After feedback from Group members, the mission statement will be finalized.
2. Knowledge -input
Familiarity with the Sustainability Communities Act will help us to understand how International/National Policy links with community action/empowerment.
ACTION POINT 2: We all agreed to Google the Sustainability Communities Act.
Joyce suggested that in doing this preliminary research we could bullet a number of points relevant to our purpose to put to a member of The Council’s Sustainability Team (e.g. Mita Patel). Broadly, we will want to know how Brighton and Hove City Council enforces the Sustainability Communities Act.
Local Authorities will be required to establish a panel of representatives from the community. This could be a separate panel from the members of the Sustainability Commission or a replacement for it. The action for all Liaison Group Members is to identify issues to take further.
The Council’s Sustainability Team does not report on individual planning applications. Although the Case Officer will collect departmental reports from The Traffic Manager (i.e. Transport Planning), Conservation and Design, The Council Ecologist, Environmental Health, each planning application carries its own Sustainability Statement using The Council’s Sustainability Checklist (under The Local Plan) or having its own Sustainability Assessment (under the Local Development Framework which will soon take the place of The Local Plan). It is the Case Officer’s job (though she has access to experts if he/she needs to consult them) to assess whether a planning application’s Sustainability Statement is an honest one and meets the Council’s planning policies. It was suggested that we could invite a Case Officer to present a couple of case studies (i.e. real planning applications – perhaps some which offer “greenwash” without really meeting the Council’s sustainability requirements) to demonstrate how the policies are applied in practice.
Concern was expressed over planning applications where it is not made clear by the Council that a proposed development site involves “greenfield development”. Since policy requirements (e.g. Sustainable Building Requirements) are tighter in the context of greenfield development, there could not be a fair planning process if the latter is concealed both by the applicant and the Council.
The group recognised that the Council is under conflicting pressures (e.g. meeting housing targets, maintaining employment). One commonly debated issue is whether to concentrate development in the city (limited in space since it is wedged between The South Downs and the sea) or to allow development to spill out onto The Downs. Reference was made, however, to the need for access to open spaces within the immediate urban environment (e.g. for people who do not have cars and cannot get to the Downs except by Sunday bus services), and the need to protect greenfield sites e.g. for permaculture / local food production in the future.
For organisations such as The Campaign To Protect Rural England, protection of The South Downs would be the political priority. However, the Government’s Planning Policy Guidance PPG17 Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation emphasizes the amenity-value of open spaces to the health and well-being of urban communities. Their PPG 17 Companion Guide - Assessing Needs and Opportunities to assist Local Authorities with community planning, insists that open space needs are locally-derived and that open space assessments should be NEIGHBOURHOOD-SPECIFIC. Many elderly and disabled people, who rarely travel to the South Downs, depend for their amenity on open spaces in their neighbourhoods. The less mobile are not responsible for so many car journeys - a factor which needs to be considered in planning for sustainability.
In terms of what we should be doing as a TB&H LIAISON WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT GROUP, we agreed that we could inform (e.g. via web pages) Interest of Neighbourhood Groups on how to use the planning process e.g. the Council’s online register to monitor and comment on planning applications.
3. Briefing others in Transition Brighton & Hove about the Council
The main challenge we faced was the reticence among some of the participants in Transition Brighton & Hove to be involved with “things to do with government and local government”. Some participants prefer to focus on “things which groups and individuals can do on their own”. Others are more willing to involve themselves with the Council. It was observed that there was good knowledge of Council policies among TB&H’s Buildings & Construction Group – they have already been involved with consultation on the draft SPD for Sustainable Building Design.
Key questions for our Liaison with Local Government Group are:
What have we got to offer, and who are we offering it to?
We agreed that “in your face presentation” would be counterproductive. We have got to work with the TB&H Interest and Neighbourhood Groups.
Some presentation is needed to show what we’ve got to offer. We agreed that clearly laid out web pages where people could find the information they need to complement their Interest/Neighbourhood Group’s Agendas might prove productive. If our presentation is relevant to the Interest/Neighbourhood Groups’ objectives, and if we can show ourselves to be well informed, then we could achieve our role as facilitators. We would obviously be willing to give briefings if approached or to refer members of Interest/Neighbourhood Groups to contacts we have made within The Council, if they would appreciate our help.
ACTION POINT 3: Ongoing = production of coherent web pages linking to notes from our meetings where useful. Ted can upload. All can submit, monitor and suggest improvements.
4. The functioning of the Sustainability Commission
It was reported that in spite of the attempt to delay it by some Councillors at the meeting of The Sustainability Commission on 9th January, the Council’s Policy & Resources Committee had since met and decided that the proposal for the wind turbines near The Sea Front outside Kings House can be submitted as a planning application.
In reflecting on how the new political balance in the city was affecting the functioning of The Sustainability Commission, it was also recognised that there was going to be a massive reorganisation of The Council in May, when an executive will be put in place.
A leader will be chosen, who will in turn be able to choose their own cabinet. The cabinet members do not have to reflect the political balance of Councillors within the city. They can be Councillors whom the leader wants to work with. However, there will be a Scrutiny Committee, and the latter will reflect the political balance (i.e. there will be Labour, Green and Liberal as well as Conservative representation). It is said too the scrutiny will be made stronger. This is a Government-imposed system of running the Council. The May 2007 Local Election results have put the Conservatives in a dominant position, though they do not have an overall majority in terms of their electoral success.
ACTION POINT 4: Vicky to help. All to do.
Find out about the new Executive system of Local Government. Will there still be a Sustainability Commission or a Sustainability Team? How is power within the Council and its departments going to be affected? Pete West is apparently involved in a Green Party Campaign relating to these imminent changes.
5. Feedback on The New Economics Foundation workshop
Four members of our Group attended this. We agreed that the input was rather disappointing, but we appreciated that The New Economics Foundation’s brief was to set the workshop within a NEIGHBOURHOOD context. This was not really pitched at economists. It was not the occasion for an update on the reactions to market-led economics by thinkers such as E.J. Mishan (The Costs of Economic Growth – Pelican 1969), E. F. Schumacher (Small is Beautiful – a study of economics as if people mattered – Blond & Briggs 1973) and J.K. Galbreith (Almost Everyone’s Guide To Economics – Andre Deutsch 1979).
It was felt that the task-based “post-it” sessions could have worked if the tasks had been more clearly defined and if all participants had taken them seriously. Some of the “post-its” were rather frivolous ideas. The organisers diplomatically played along with them, but some of the priorities we should have been considering lost out to unnecessary distractions.
Two useful specifications for organisers of future workshops were suggested:
1. Have a clear knowledge of who you are talking to
2. Know what is wanted.
A recognition that the participants at this workshop were submerged with existing pledges and commitments, may have warned the organisers that asking for more was not really going to go down well as the highlight of the workshop – not without more focus or clarity. This was a case where “think small” was needed rather than “go out and change the world”.
It was worth making contact with The New Economics Foundation. There are some very useful resources (downloadable in PDF form) on their web site at http://www.pluggingtheleaks.org/
These include two reports of circa 100 pages long:
1) Plugging the leaks
Plugging The Leaks
2) The Money Trail
The Money Trail
Given the limited space we have in Brighton and Hove, land-use is likely to play an important part in Transition Brighton and Hove's Energy Descent Plan. A golden read and another article which calls for "new economics" is Think about Land - a talk given by Dr. E. F. Schumacher, originally published by a Housing Aid charity.
Consultation on Draft SPD – 'Nature Conservation and Development'
Brighton & Hove City Council has produced a revised draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on Nature Conservation and Development'.
An SPD is one of the material considerations that can be taken into account when determining a planning application. It forms a part of the council's new Local Development Framework (LDF).
The document is out for public consultation from 12th February 2008 to 25th March 2008 and the council is keen to gather your views on its content.
The draft SPD and supporting documents are available to view and download from the council’s web site by clicking here
Printed copies are available in the Jubilee (Brighton), Hove and Portslade libraries as well as Citydirect offices in Hove Town Hall and Bartholomew Square (Brighton). Alternatively, should you want a paper version please contact us at the address below.
Comments should be submitted in writing to Matthew Thomas, Ecologist, Countryside Team, Brighton & Hove City Council, Room 323, Hove Town Hall, Hove, BN3 3BQ, or by sending an e-mail to:Matthew.Thomas@brighton-hove.gov.uk by no later than 5 pm on Tuesday 25th March 2008
Thank you. Local Development Framework Team, City Planning Brighton & Hove City Council. Tel: 01273 292505
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