Last week I wrote about many of the positive achievements we have made in Brighton and Hove over the past 12 months. This week I want to look ahead to a few of the positive things happening in 2017.
We will continue to focus on getting the basics right, the services you use and the things you need every day.
During the first half of 2017 over 60,000 homes will get a new wheelie bin to replace their recycling black boxes, following a successful and popular trial that saw recycling rates improve significantly.
We will press ahead with our programme of building 1,500 new homes that people can afford, with 57 new homes at Kite Place in Whitehawk completed in the autumn and 45 new flats for people with dementia at Brooke Mead in Albion Street ready in the summer.
Our joint venture delivering a thousand “Living Wage” homes will get under way quickly.
Public Space Protection Orders will help tackle unauthorised encampments and anti-social behaviour in our parks.
We are committed to restoring our heritage and growing our economy so that everyone in the city benefits.
In January we complete the second stage of our bid for £4 million of government money to start the restoration of the Madeira Terraces and work will begin on the multimillion-pound restoration of the Royal Pavilion Estate prior to it becoming a trust.
During 2017 the new Shelter Hall will emerge from behind the hoardings and we expect to make significant progress towards extending Churchill Square to the seafront, building a new concert and conference arena at Black Rock and other major projects including Preston Barracks and the King Alfred.
In January we will start negotiations with government on devolution for Greater Brighton, giving us the ability to build more homes and deliver more training and jobs. And we will grow and strengthen our relationship with Gatwick Airport.
In turn we will devolve service design down to local neighbourhoods, bringing residents and public services together to better meet your needs. Our online services will improve too.
There are some big new events coming to the city, including “Explore GB”, Visit Britain’s flagship travel and tourism showcase (www.exploregb.org) and the British Science Festival (www.britishscienceassociation.org/british-science-festival) showing we are the venue of choice for many leading organisations.
So have a very Happy Christmas, and let’s look forward to 2017 with hope and determination for a better city.
Councillor Warren Morgan is the leader of Brighton and Hove City Council.
One of the best things about 2017 and beyond is that the people of Brighton will never again have to suffer from the incapability and incompetence of a Green Council…
Was that Green Party incapability and incompetence when maintaining services that Labour are now cutting? Or defending council tax discounts for many of the poorest in the city, that Labour are cutting? Or delivering on the Living wage? Or delivering the Greater Brighton Deal? Or starting pretty much all the initiatives that are named above? Just wondering?
PS Happy Xmas!
Yes, that’s the one. The Green Party that closed two homeless shelters, closed down a day centre for young people with mental health problems and squandered £75,000 of Council-Tax-payers money on a bid for Brighton to become a ‘One People and Planet Biosphere Diversity City’.
Happy Christmas to you too!
Yes, there were some cuts, but Labour’s have been far, far deeper. As for, in your opinion, “squandering £75000” if that is the worst the Greens did when overseeing a budget over 4 years of circa £3 billion, with £100 million of external investment for infrastructure, then that is not bad at all. Compare this to Warren Morgan sacking the previous CEO for a cost nearing £400k! Scandalous!
Labour don’t even trust their own members, it’s civil war continues. If the wrong people get elected in their party they simply suspend elections and trump up charges to eject candidates that do not follow the party line. It’s like something out of the USSR!
Roll on May 2019 when we can vote them out.
Preston Rockery was voted best garden in England
We all live in HOPE,To make this World à better place for the entire Human Race.Happy Christmas.
Yes lots to look forward to. And I second that, thank god we’ve seen the back of the greens. Thank god Vally gardens looks binned, traffic is bad enough without that shambles wasting money and creating pollution. Talking of pollution any idea of a park and ride scheme wound be welcomed