Let’s clean up and put some pride back into our city
Throughout the pandemic, so many of us have attached great value to the city’s parks, open spaces and seafront.
One downside to the increase in people using our outdoor spaces as we have come out of lockdown in the hot weather has been the huge increase in anti-social behaviour and litter.
As the new political leadership for the council, we’ve heard from residents that they’re concerned – and we agree.
The size of the growth in anti-social behaviour happening all over the country has even seen Vera Baird, the Victims Commissioner, writing to government ministers calling for action in tackling the surge.
Whether you work in the hospitality industry, you’re one of our independent retailers or welcoming friends back to Brighton and Hove, a tidy city centre is so important.
As a city we have so much going for us – beautiful architecture and seafront, dazzling culture and live music, the warmest of welcomes to a vibrant bohemian place – but we are being let down by the untidiness of our city centre.
If we are to attract the level of investment to help our local economy recover, we need to look confident.
Everyone in the city can do their bit in keeping our city tidy. If you litter the parks or beach you should expect to be fined: it’s anti-social and ruins the environment.
It’s up to us all to take litter to the nearest bin or, if it’s overflowing, bring it home.
In the past four weeks, we’ve set up a new hotline for residents to report graffiti to begin the tidy up our city centre deserves.
To kickstart that process, I can announce that I will be inviting everyone in our city to take part – safely – in a city tidy up between Monday 14 September and Monday 28 September.
This will coincide with the Great British September Clean, organised by Keep Britain Tidy.
People from all backgrounds and communities are invited – whether you’re a business in the city, a resident, students, football fans or parents’ groups. More details to follow in the weeks ahead.
I want our city to be successful and confident – especially as we take the important steps to recovery from the pandemic – and cleaning up our city is an essential part of that.
Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty is the Green leader of Brighton and Hove City Council.
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I think the Council needs to get its house in order before giving advice about keeping the City Clean as it has for the last 10 years failed to collect household rubbish and recycling.
I would hazard a guess that the majority of litter on the beaches is left by visitors.
I cannot describe the anger I feel in thinking of the help I gave – high in the air, almost overcoming vertigo! – to creating the background to a mural between George Street and Haddington Street in Hove as part of an effort, with cllr Wealls, to making that twitten more pleasant. And now we have duly found the artists’ work trashed by social inadequates.
What’s the point of bothering?
The galling thought is that those vandals might yet have children, and encourage them to behave likewise.
Sorry Christopher, but what has this got to do with litter?
It is a part of the same irresponsible problem.
I think you need to sort out the rubbish collection in the city and make it more reliable that will go along way to sorting out the litter problems.
Isn’t it the responsibility of the council to regularly empty bins?
How often are the city centre bins emptied?
Do we need more, pop-up facilities, for holiday periods?
Or is it just easier for Phelim to blame the previous administration, and write an article instead?
I would like to know what progress Brighton and Hove council has made on its rubbish collection and recycling ..which , to date, has been pretty woeful. I urge everyone to take responsibility but the council must be very clear on what and how to recycle appropriately. Then our overflowing bins need emptying. Regularly.
The source of the problem does come from those who leave it behind too. People need to know there are consequences to dropping litter. ‘Take your rubbish home with you’ should be our mantra.