Special budget place overview and scrutiny committee has started with Cllr Amanda Evans in the chair #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Webcast: aisapps.mediasite.com
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Cllr Ivan Lyons asks why the Place and People overview and scrutiny committees are not together. Cllr Evans says there are separate issues. Cllr Sue Shanks asks what can be done that's different to asking questions at cabinet. #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Jacob Taylor says if suggestions are made at the meeting a member amendment can be made to cabinet and cabinet will have time to move amendments. #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Taylor says the general fund budget was published last week, along with fees and charges and the capital budget. In September 2024 a budget update had a gap of £36m the local government settlement on 18 December saw increase in spending power reducing the gap of £16 million #LDreporter Cllr Taylor says the pressure areas are adult social care, rising demand, complexity & cost, homelessness & temporary accommodation, and children's services. That is what has happened in 15 years, demand & cost pressures have overwhelmed funding and resources #LDreporter Despite the difficult position, Cllr Taylor says it's a good budget for the city, investing in food waste recycling & increased plastic recycling, freezing parking tariffs, £250K for street cleaning, maintaining all council-run nurseries, public toilets open and play areas improved #LDreporter Finance chief Nigel Manvell says there are risks to be managed. The budget is difficult year on year with £175 million in savings made in the last 15 years. The external auditor has commented on financial sustainability with concerns. There is a medium term financial strategy #LDreporter Cllr John Hewitt asks about the lack of parking fees increase, which is good for people in general and particularly hospital staff. Why was an increase felt to reduce uptake. Food waste, he wants more information. More detail also on the King Alfred and Withdean swimming pool #LDreporter Mark Strong says not increasing parking charges is a subsidy for car owners and a penalty on those who travel by bus. Stimulating demand is contrary to the local transport plan. It's a concern for equity and environmental concerns. #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Mark Earthey suggests sculpting parking rates based on time of day. He is concerned about the NHS staff who should not be bankrupted by higher parking charges #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Angela Streetham from the Older People's Council says people rely on drop-in visitors and the charging structure does deter those who have to pay quite heavily. She asks about older people's parking based on bus passes #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Alison Thomson would like to see more overnight parking for Regency ward but it costs about £17. Could some of the people on waiting lists for parking permits use the car parks over night #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Tobias Sheard said doesn't the freeze seem to be a cut. Cllr Sue Shanks said there could be new parking schemes in areas which are very congested. The Greens do not agree with freezing parking fees. Cllr Ivan Lyons says the parking freeze is welcomed by Conservatives Cllr Trevor Muten coming into office in 2023 Labour were aware of 3 years of parking increases. It's gone up every year for a decade. Since 2018 parking charges have gone up by 50%, it is a concern. The quadrupling of charges in 2023 was penalising low-income people #LDreporter Cars are not just owned by the well off says Cllr Muten. Parking income supports unprofitable routes, which the council helps to deliver. Price hikes were not delivering on the targets set in the budget because people were not coming to #Brighton & #Hove #LDreporter We want people to come to our city, that's what we're about. If we had to set up barriers and we have to fit in the context of other objectives, yes we want great public transport and active travel. But this has to happen in a strategic way, not just imposing barriers says Cllr Muten #LDreporter Other parts of Sussex do not have good public transport says Cllr Muten. We want them to come here. Work has been carried out to improve cycle lanes on the A259 and A23 and work is underway to get our bus services offer to the best they can be says Cllr Muten #LDreporter Cllr Muten agrees with Cllr Shanks view of extending parking zones. Hollingdean and the Nevill area of #Hove are included as priorities. Residents in #Portslade have asked as have people in #Rottingdean. #LDreporter Cllr Amanda Evans is concerned about cuts to the planning department which does bring in revenue streams. Enforcement is depleted which impacts on housing services. She asks for housing-questions. Cllr Shanks asks is there enough in the capital budget for new homes? #LDreporter Cllr Sheard asks about the temporary and emergency accommodation which is massively over spent. What is the plan for savings. What is the policy for reconnecting people to other parts of the country cheaper to live in? Cllr Thomson asks about out of area alternatives #LDreporter Cllr Williams says there is £13 million to get the houses up to scratch, it's already earmarked. More than 2,000 households came for help, single and families that the council needed to help with homelessness. There are more people in emergency accommodation because more people need out help The council is looking to buy more homes off the market to use as temporary homes. Emergency homes, the council is taking over more of these units. That will save £500K. The council is also building more social homes. Hundreds are in the pipeline #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Taylor says the council does not want to reduce the number of people working in planning and enforcement. There has been a drop in planning income for the last two years. We hope it picks up. It is more difficult with the city plan & enforcement #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove We hope more developments will come in says Cllr Taylor. Is income falling because of lack of staff says Cllr Evans. Cllr Taylor says it's driven by applications. It's responding to the market #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Mark Strong asks why there is a freeze on charges for filming. It's not going to stop them coming to #Brighton. He urges for nuance The equality impact assessment only looks at parking bays in light touch areas #LDreporter Cllr Taylor says this underlines the Green Party position to increase parking charges. Yes people with higher incomes buy cars. There are people in Norwich Drive, in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean who need to go to hospital, why should they pay rising fares. #LDreporter Parking was used as a blunt instrument in a flat-tax regressive way. We keep losing income says Cllr Taylor. On Tariffs and permits we were more than £1 million off target because it put off demand. I'm glad we're freezing it says Cllr Taylor. Some people need to use cars #LDreporter There are some families who cannot afford to travel from Fiveways into town on the bus because they can't afford the fares says Cllr Evans #LDreporter #Brighotn #Hove Health workers sift patterns don't fit with public transport. Some cannot afford to pay. We don't want to make it harder, disproportionally harder, for some people 20p rise has a strong impact on the cost of living says Cllr Muten #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Why only have policies geared up for the middle class. We need policies for everyone says Cllr Muten, who like Cllr Evans agrees he is concerned about the climate emergency. Lower-income people rely on a vehicle, often an older one. #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove In 20 years since parking zones were introduced nobody has stepped back and seen how they look together says Cllr Muten.. and Cllr Evans says this is getting political rather than budgetary #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Lyons asks about occupancy for car parks and revenue. Cllr Muten says losing 500 spaces in Madeira Drive has cost £1-£1.2 million a year and visitors are looking for those spaces, increasing congestion which has cause declining air quality #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove We're back to Cllr Hewitt's questions on the King Alfred & Withdean swimming pools. Cllr Alan Robins says this is the hardest budget he's seen in his 14 years as a councillor. £52K is capital works for the King Alfred to keep it going until the new one is ready #LDreporter There is £100K for design work on the new Withdean pool and £2.4 million for the new modular pool which sits above ground #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Thomson asks about conference fees. Cllr Birgit Miller says the north side of the #Brighton Centre is being refurbished into a smaller day conference centre. It's previously been "dead space". That's what the fees are for #LDreporter Cllr Shanks asks about council tax collection and customer service at city clean Cllr Taylor says people are struggling. Nigel Manvell says there are high demands with the cost of living situation and more are contacting the council about their challenging situation #LDreporter People receive advice on debt and the council looks to work with people rather than going down the statutory route #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Earthey asks about responsibilities shared with the NHS, is more funding pushed on the NHS... Cllr Evans says that's for the next committee #LDreporter When council property is damaged say through vehicle strikes. In #Rottingdean there is a cost of £25K for repairs because there is no process to recover it #LDreporter Cllr Taylor is aware of the issues with Kipling Gardens and it is with insurance. Mr Manvell says there is a balance struck with excess and the council pays high premiums. It should benefit the council when incidents happen #LDreporter Cllr Tim Rowkins hopes the changes to recycling with food waste will impact on recycling. Waste rounds are under review as work is not always evenly distributed. Work is still underway to modernise the service. #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Shanks asks about New England House, Cllr Taylor said the council has not communicated the plan but it is coming soon. Cllr Shanks asks about parks charges. Cllr Robins says this is about people putting in mobile dog grooming, or cafés. Cllr Shanks says people run classes in parks Charging for classes in parks has been tried but failed says Cllr Robins #LDreporter #Brighton #Hove Cllr Shanks asks about Cityclean performance & customer services reductions Cllr Rowkins says it is improving. The issues were systemic. There are issues with the fleet. The customer service team says they are getting fewer inquiries. #LDreporter Cllr Evans asks about the cut fo Visit #Brighton's budget. Isn't it a risk to bringing money into the wider economy. Cllr Miller is concerned as it is a revenue generating area and if there is funding it needs dealing with. Visit #Brighton needs to come closer to the council #LDreporter Cllr Evans asks about the potential impact of devolution and changes to the unitary authority. Cllr Taylor is pro devolution but is concerned about government reorganisation from a finance perspective. Reorganisation takes up a lot of resources. #LDreporter Cllr Thomson asks about opening the seafront paddling pool. Cllr Robins says it is expensive but popular and one of five in the city. Freedom Leisure run the paddling pools. There are issues with work on the arches. He is conscious it needs to keep going. #LDreporter #Brighton Cllr Evans has confirmed the details of concerns to go before cabinet next week. And this meeting has ended. #LDreproter #Brighton #Hove @unroll.skywriter.blue unroll threat please