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

Improving our local environment

Remembering
For those of us born after the Second World War it’s particularly powerful to recognise and remember those who fought in that conflict to provide us with a safe, secure and democratic society.  Last Friday’s remembrance ceremony in Brighton with the Lord Lieutenant, High Sheriff and Mayor, as well as many other councillors and members of the public was a fitting commemoration of D-Day. Held under a blazing sun, it was a day in stark contrast to the cold November remembrance days that we are all used to.

Remembrance ceremony

At the Chattri

This was followed on Sunday afternoon by another sunny ceremony, this time at the Chattri up at the Downs.  It was to remember and honour the many Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for this country in the First World War, again in pursuit of a safe and peaceful world. Many of these were wounded and cared for in Brighton & Hove, including in the Pavilion which acted as a hospital in the first years of the war. A substantial crowd at the ceremony was addressed movingly by the Indian High Commissioner who looked over the Downs and reflected on the Memorial as being set in a little piece of India. This was a moving annual event.

Celebrations
Talking of the wonderful Downs, I am delighted that the partnership bid led by Brighton & Hove City Council to become a UNESCO World Biosphere site has paid off. So now we become part of an international family of areas that are leading the way in bringing the needs of people and nature closer together. It’s great that our efforts to look after and improve our local environment will move now to take its place on the world’s stage. A highly motivated team of colleagues have driven the achievement of this award and biosphere designation and I am really grateful to them. 

Biosphere Celebrations

While I am celebrating awards, I am also delighted that this week we received an award from the Centre for Public Scrutiny for the trans equality work that has been led by our Trans and Equalities teams. The award was for achievement, insight and impact, and I can certainly testify that members of the trans community that I have met with have told me how much this work has meant to them. Already I see our awareness increasing and the respect, care and learning for and from this community being demonstrated. Only yesterday I spoke at a school where I was able to raise some trans awareness in answer to a question I had posed to young people about if there are any jobs that women cannot fulfil.  

Our universities
I’ll be surprised if the Waste House now opened at Brighton University’s arts campus doesn’t win awards. It was wonderful to be shown around by Duncan Baker-Brown, its architect, and lecturer at the University of Brighton. As the picture shows our own Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp enjoyed the tour too. Hanging in the Waste House was a lovely wooden sustrans bike made by Rowan Tindale from reclaimed wood from one of the old groins salvaged by the wood store. This was exhibited as part of the university’s fantastic annual degree show and was part of a showcase of wonderful art produced by the final year art students.

Chief Superintendent Nev Kemp with Duncan Baker-Brown

Our universities make such a fine contribution to our city and its economy and this exhibition gave just a glimpse of that creativity and energy. When we visited, there were many residents, proud parents and councillors all enjoying the show.

Wooden sustrans bike made by Rowan Tindale 

A brilliant job
I’ve said before that I’m often struck by the enthusiasm and commitment of our staff. This was certainly the case when I met Mark Bonner last Saturday when he was lifeguarding for our seafront services.

Mark Bonner, lifeguard

He referred to his as a brilliant job where he sees himself as a tourist guide and city ambassador as well as a life saver. He told me a couple of scary stories from the last week, and demonstrated that his skilled presence was certainly saving lives. He ended on a note of appreciating the values that we are driving in the council.

He told me that the camaraderie that he is experiencing in the seafront services outshines that which he has experienced before, even in that height of camaraderie organisations, the armed services. So on that happy note and with his smiling picture and a waving flag I wish you a sunny weekend. 

Best Wishes
Penny