We had a very interesting Policy and Resources Committee meeting last week when the Labour group’s “asks” to invest underspends from the previous year were agreed by all three parties as a way forward to move ahead with our Corporate Plan.
They included a focus on park and ride, asking for a feasibility study on pilot schemes with a link to planned transport hubs.
I am pleased that a proposal to include a park and ride pilot in Mill Road as part of our active travel plan is coming to committee shortly.
I hope that proposal will include an improved link to our downland as well as a cycle hire hub to develop a genuine interchange for walkers, cyclists and shoppers as well as tourists.
Our procurement team is working hard to respond to new opportunities to buy local.
Additional resources help develop models to assess environmental and community impact as well as the social value of the huge amounts of money the council spends every year buying products and services.
Developing a co-operative car share model is just one of the work strands in this area, as is our proposal to look at ways of delivering some of our home care services through a co-operative model.
I’m very pleased that we also agreed to scrap the fees for marriage licences and also invest some funds into a study on how safe women feel and are in our city.
The position of our European residents who haven’t managed to sign up to the EU settlement scheme after Wednesday 30 June is potentially precarious which is why we are looking to set aside some funds to assist them through our voluntary and community sectors.
And finally … Happy 73rd birthday to the NHS! And congratulations to all involved in rolling out the vaccine so quickly and efficiently.
I am a little concerned that we still have a way to go to get everyone vaccinated. So I’d like to ask you all to get the vaccine to protect yourselves and your friends and neighbours.
Councillor Carmen Appich is the joint Labour opposition leader on Brighton and Hove City Council.
