Chill descends on politics at Hove Town Hall

The discussion was about climate change when a chill descended on party politics at Hove Town Hall this afternoon (Monday 17 November).

It wasn’t just the Arctic air blasting through an already cool council chamber when Brighton and Hove City Council’s Children and Young People Committee met.

One councillor accused another of sneering when a reference was made to climate change.

But it wasn’t froideur – and it met with a heated response.

The icy blast across the chamber came after a member of the Youth Council praised the installation of solar panels at Varndean and spoke about the school’s sustainable approach.

Councillor Steph Powell said that it was a shame that Councillor Jeane Lepper had just returned to the chamber and missed the contribution.

Councillor Powell, a Green, accused Councillor Lepper, a Labour member, of sneering earlier at a reference to climate change.

Councillor Lepper said that she was out of the chamber trying to warm herself up as she had poor circulation. She pointed to several people sitting through the meeting in their coats.

She said that it was outrageous to suggest that she would sneer at a reference to climate change.

Rather, she had been unimpressed because she thought that Councillor Powell had earlier tried to tell a member of the Youth Parliament that young people should discuss climate change.

Councillor Lepper felt that it was for the young people themselves to decide the subjects that they debated.

Even if relations between the politicians showed no sign of thawing before the meeting closed, standalone heaters were brought in to try to generate some hot air.

The wintry conditions in the meeting appear to be the result of recent bad weather having damaged electrical equipment on the roof, affecting the heating in the chamber.

It is likely to be addressed when the town hall is refurbished. Work is due to start in the near future.