A sorry statement follows heated row about Greater Brighton funding

The local enterprise partnership for the area has pulled out of the Greater Brighton Economic Board after a heated row at the board’s last meeting.

And the Labour councillor who chairs the board apologised for his comments during the row when the board held its latest meeting today (Tuesday 1 February).

Councillor Peter Lamb, who chairs the board and serves as leader of Crawley Borough Council, took aim at the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) representative at a meeting in October.

In a virtual chat, Councillor Lamb told Claire Mason, a member of the LEP’s board, “Unfortunately no one voted for you.”

Tempers frayed during a debate about the Greater Brighton Economic Board’s covid “recovery” report and action plan.

Council leaders from Lewes, Mid Sussex and Worthing backed the board, along with business leaders, prompting Claire Mason to type that she strongly supported the constructive approach.

Her comment was followed by the terse response from Councillor Lamb, who is understood to have concerns that other councils benefit more than Crawley from the Greater Brighton joint working arrangement.

The Greater Brighton Economic Board is made up of representatives from seven Sussex councils and the South Downs National Park, as well as business leaders and senior figures from further and higher education.

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Phélim Mac Cafferty censured Councillor Lamb today, saying: “It is unacceptable and needless aggravation. It’s a wonderful collection of people from all walks of life.”

Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty added: “If we’re going to be taken seriously, we need to carry on working together. I don’t think the tone you put in the text box was appropriate.”

Councillor Lamb said: “I would like to apologise for the comments made during the course of the meeting, particularly to Claire Mason of Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership.

“My comments weren’t justified, particularly to her, and while there are a number of issues relating to the future of the board which do need to be addressed, it was not the appropriate way to tackle them at that time.”

The Greater Brighton Economic Board said: “We are sorry that Coast to Capital has withdrawn its membership of the economic board.

“We are awaiting this week the publication of the ‘levelling up’ white paper which is expected to set out the future of local economic partnerships, councils and boards such as Greater Brighton.

“And we hope to continue working alongside Coast to Capital as we see what new investment structure emerges.

“The withdrawal does not affect the work of Greater Brighton which, as the meeting today shows, is pushing ahead with pioneering and innovative work, particularly in the area of sustainable development, that will bring much-needed investment to the region for the benefit of residents and the environment.

“Greater Brighton is a remarkable coalition of seven local authorities, representing an area stretching from Bognor in the west to Crawley in the north and Seaford in the east in which more than one million people live.

“This coalition also includes two internationally recognised universities – and business partnerships that speak for hundreds of cutting-edge businesses in the region.

“Central government recognises Greater Brighton as a key region to talk to about inward investment and our partnership work goes on.”

Coast to Capital has awarded government funding to a number of projects including a £2.7 million grant to the £110 million scheme in Circus Street, in Brighton.

Other schemes include Brighton University’s collaboration with Ricardo on the Advanced Engineering Centre, the Preston Barracks redevelopment, in Lewes Road, where a bridge has just been built, and the revamp of Valley Gardens from The Level to the Palace Pier.

All the projects were part of the Greater Brighton Investment Programme aimed at trying to bring public and private sector funding together to create jobs, homes and other opportunities.

The money was drawn from the government’s Local Growth Fund, with about £140 million awarded – and reported to have “unlocked” investment worth more than £400 million.