Brighton and Hove News retains local democracy reporter contract

Brighton and Hove News has retained its Local Democracy Reporting Service contract after what the BBC said was “a very competitive and robust process”.

The contract was awarded by the public service broadcaster which funds the scheme and awards contracts to local and regional news organisations to employ local democracy reporters.

It means that local democracy reporter Sarah Booker-Lewis will continue to provide detailed coverage of Brighton and Hove City Council meetings, reports and decisions.

Her coverage is shared with the BBC and the scheme’s partners – various TV and radio broadcasters and newspaper and online news publishers who serve the area.

She won an award for her coverage of the general election last year, with the prize for Best Use of Social Media presented by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

Brighton and Hove News won the contract four years ago and has provided the service for Brighton and Hove since the scheme started operating in 2018. The latest deal runs until December 2027.

The local contract is one of 118 that have been awarded to 15 different news publishers, enabling them to employ 165 reporters covering the main councils in each part of the country.

As an independent local publisher, Brighton and Hove News is one of the smallest organisations to have won a contract to provide the service.

But in the past seven years more than 4,000 stories have been shared with local news partners.

They have been about everything from licensing and planning applications, cycle lanes and potholes to bins, budget cuts and pandemic funding – as well as school catchments and closures, weeds and weedkiller and housing shortages, problems to nightmare neighbours.

With a reporter at almost every meeting, the coverage includes not just what the area’s political leaders have to say but details of the petitions and questions from the taxpaying public.

Brighton and Hove News said: “We are delighted to have retained the contract and look forward to keep sharing what’s happening in the town hall – and what that means for the rest of us.

“With the prospect of devolution and an elected mayor for Sussex as well as changes to local councils, there will be no shortage of important issues to write about.

“We are grateful to the BBC for funding the scheme and for all the practical help and support that it also provides.”

The BBC’s local news partnerships editor, Jason Gibbins, said: “We would like to thank all organisations who took the time to submit applications.

“It was a very competitive and robust process, highlighting the exceptional standards delivered by regional news outlets across all areas of the UK.”