A key council committee has a new co-chair, with two Green councillors once again sharing responsibility for rubbish, recycling, roads and much more.
Councillor Steve Davis was voted in as the co-chair of Brighton and Hove City Council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee this afternoon (Tuesday 16 November).
He will share his duties with fellow Green councillor Amy Heley who initially co-chaired the committee with their colleague Councillor Pete West until he stepped down in September last year.
A report published shortly before the committee met this afternoon spelt out the division of their duties.
Councillor Davis assumes responsibility for highways, traffic management and transport as well as parking.
Councillor Heley retains responsibility for sustainability, coastal protection, flood defences, the seafront, environmental health, trading standards, public spaces and parks and open spaces.
The pair will share responsibility for waste, including Cityclean, the council’s rubbish, recycling and street cleaning service.
Councillor Davis said that he had come a long way from driving instructor to green activist.
He said: “This is an incredibly proud moment for me. I have come a long way from bike courier, to driving instructor, to activist – me and Councillors Lloyd and Nield knocking every door in our beloved Withdean – to elected councillor and now co-chair of this particularly important committee that helps shape this incredible city that we all love.
“We are in a climate, health and biodiversity emergency, and it is all hands on deck to help make the structural changes we need as the clock ticks down to disaster.
“I’m sure colleagues will agree this is a huge committee with huge areas of responsibility that necessitate time and resources and focus.”
His nomination was supported by councillors from all three parties – Green, Labour and Conservative.
Hopefully driving instructor Steve Davis will be more understanding of the needs of motorists than cyclists sweetheart Amy Heley.
Sorry to disappoint, Peter. As we both know cllr Davis is completely barking. Having spent the day driving about in his car, he comes home, puts on his favourite hairshirt and then gets with a serious bit of self-flagellation to makes amends for his sins. Then he devises new ways to punish the Brighton motorists
Why is student Councillor Amy Heley still anything to do with the ETS Committee? She should have been booted off months ago after her shamefully abysmal performance.
Anyone who has a public petition demanding their resignation needs to take heed. There are literally hundreds of furious citizens with parking fines thanks to her non-delivery of parking permits they have paid through the nose for. Then there’s her destruction of the historic Green Wall, complete inability to negotiate with bin strikers and refusal to give any assurances on the heritage lamps she has removed from the seafront. She is also rude and dismissive to the citizens she is supposed to serve and it’s on film.