Protecting the environment, our citizens, our history and our streets

We're all responsible
As I walked to work on Monday morning I was infuriated to find seagull strewn litter just feet away from two substantial and empty bins and I tweeted about this. I was trying to make the point that while we have got to have good and effective street cleaning, refuse and recycling provision, there is also a real need to engage visitors and citizens of our fantastic city. We need a shared commitment to protecting our city, keeping it clean and sparkling.

  

Rubbish around the bin

Big bin nearby with rubbish in the background

Armed Forces week
The theme of protection continued with a ceremony on Monday to mark the start of Armed Forces week. Flags were raised at the Sussex County Cricket ground and an array of old soldiers, councillors and interested public met together at a flag raising overseen by the Lord Lieutenant and the High Sheriff. It was a poignant event where, under a blazing sun, smartly turned out marching cadets were warmly greeted and we remembered the protection that our armed forces afford or have afforded us over the last century.

Celebrating our biosphere
On Monday evening there was a reception to celebrate the designation of the wider Brighton area as the first UN biosphere in the UK in more than 40 years. A biosphere is an area internationally recognised by UNESCO as a leader in balancing conservation and development. Our Brighton and Lewes Downs biosphere is a block of land and sea between the River Adur at Shoreham in the West and the River Ouse at Newhaven in the East. Our bid could not have been successful without the support and work of more than 30 partners including other councils, the RSPB, the National Trust, the South Downs National park, universities, schools and businesses. Our Downs/ City/Coast host environment provides a wonderful habitat for many species of wildlife including a rare orchid and butterfly and we need to work together to ensure we continue to sustainably care for and develop it.

Protecting our children
Later in the week I met with our designated doctor for child protection, Dr Jamie Carter. Child protection is something that has been close to my professional heart for almost 40 years. On top of his day job as a paediatrician, he works for the CCG as the medical specialist lead for safeguarding children and contributes to our local safeguarding board arrangements. He works closely with colleagues in the council led by Pinaki Ghoshal as executive director of Children Services and also with the police and all our other agencies whose shared purpose is keeping the children of Brighton & Hove safe. His knowledge, commitment and team playing were all evident from our conversation and I congratulate him on taking on these responsibilities.

New developments
On Tuesday, Geoff Raw executive director of Environment, Development and Housing took me on a walking tour to examine progress with the Brighton Station gateway and New England Quarter. It was encouraging to see the pavement widening and planting on Queen’s Road and to see the developments at the station including the new café, The Cyclist Brighton, being run by Ed Johnstone which opened this week. 

The Cyclist cafe at Brighton station

I very much liked the design of the bar supported by suitcases and if the food and drink matched the interior design then it will be a really great addition to Brighton station. We also looked at the housing being developed by Hyde in the New England Quarter and walked through the Open Market which is already springing into life with new occupants joining every day in anticipation of a formal opening before long.

Geoff Raw, executive director EDH and Ed from The Cyclist cafe

A city of volunteers
At Brighton and Hove Connected, where community, voluntary, public service and business organisations come together to make real the commitments in the community strategy, we met this week to discuss the role of the community and voluntary sector and our aspirations for improving the life chances of children – two big issues. We learnt that the community and voluntary sector has grown to 2300 organisations in the city (a significant growth since over the last seven years) employing 6900 people with almost 28000 volunteers. This is a large contribution to the life of the city by anyone’s standards. Work will soon be underway to develop a new volunteering strategy for the city. There was a quiet consensus that we must ensure the best possible deployment of our volunteers to support, sustain and improve Brighton & Hove as a fantastic place. We need to tackle the very real inequalities that exist, even in an area as culturally and environmentally rich as ours. Our discussion led to the consensus that our city should be an “everybody friendly” city, which is in line with our council priorities.

To the cells
In a visit to the police cells in Brighton Town Hall, Paula Murray, assistant chief executive and myself, were given a tour by Pat Drake, its tireless supporter and curator. 

Pat Drake and Paula Murray, ACE

We saw protection of society in evidence in different ways. The museum provides not only a history of the police, but also a perspective on the history of Brighton & Hove, as it grew from fishing villages to a city punching its weight on the world’s stage.

Pat and me at the cells

So a theme of protection has been woven throughout my week encompassing the environment, our citizens (particularly the vulnerable ones), our history and our streets.

Let me end by recognising the achievement of those at the City College City Achievers Awards held at Brighton University last night. I accepted an award on behalf of the council as the 2014 winners of City College Brighton & Hove’s Outstanding Employer Contribution Award in recognition our support for apprenticeships with the College.  

All the winners

I attended with Carla Butler, our apprenticeship coordinator and Rachel Maddison, procurement apprentice with the council.  

Rachel Maddison and Carla Butler

Rachel is one of the council’s six new ‘Apprentice Ambassadors’ who will be visiting schools to tell them about apprenticeships.  Well done to everyone involved.

Have a good weekend.
Penny