No emergency shelters were opened for rough sleepers during the two storms over the past few days because the weather in Brighton and Hove was not severe enough to trigger their use.
Green councillor Bruno De Oliveira criticised Labour-run Brighton and Hove City Council for not being clear about whether it had activated its Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP).
Councillor De Oliveira said: “Down the coast, Eastbourne had already acted. On Thursday (22 October), Eastbourne Borough Council announced SWEP activation because of forecast high winds, providing night shelter and deploying outreach workers to contact at-risk people.”
Labour councillor Gill Williams, council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “While we offer support for people rough sleeping all year round and our street outreach team have been out morning and evening through the week, we open our Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) shelter when the temperature is predicted to feel like 0C or there’s an amber weather warning.”
Both Storm Austen and Storm Boelo carried only a yellow weather warning in Brighton and Hove, so the SWEP was not triggered.
Councillor De Oliveira said: “For someone sleeping outside, ‘yellow’ is not another word for ‘safe’.”
He cited a national charity, saying: “Homeless Link’s national guidance, updated on Wednesday 14 October, is clear: severe weather is not just about freezing temperatures. Dangerous wind and rain matter too.
“Where conditions threaten life, SWEP should be activated. The guidance recommends clear referral arrangements, out-of-hours support and keeping Friday activations open until Monday.
“A yellow warning does not automatically require activation. But the colour of a weather symbol should not replace a proper risk assessment.
“Tents, exposed doorways and soaked bedding do not become safer because temperatures remain above freezing.”
The SWEP itself is not a universal statutory entitlement to shelter, he said, adding: “However, the Housing Act 1996 establishes separate accommodation duties where statutory conditions are met.
“Emergency protection must therefore be considered alongside, not instead of, existing legal responsibilities.
“Brighton and Hove’s homelessness strategy records 3,580 people experiencing homelessness in June 2024, including 52 sleeping rough. These are historical figures but they demonstrate why preparedness matters.
“Local government faces severe financial pressures and a housing system that too often protects property before people. These constraints are real. They do not make accountability optional. So what should change?”
He set out his concerns, questions and some suggestions in an opinion piece published by Brighton and Hove News.
Councillor Williams said: “We will be confirming the support for people rough sleeping over the winter shortly – including that funded through the new national Rough Sleeping Programme, aiming to make sure everyone experiencing rough sleeping receives a meaningful offer of accommodation or support before Christmas 2026.”
Oh dear councillor.
Jumped ship to independent and then the greens. Tied to a party with no policies or ideas and forever linked to a disastrous period overseeing the city. Regularly criticised by himself and now a certified paid up member of the single issue, vacuously led, toxic Green Party.
All that they have is ‘we are not Labour’
Thank god the city cries, as it reels still from the i360 and low traffic neighbourhoods.
Any port in a storm suggests he might even cross the floor again and join the AA.
Not a big fan then? I’m really trying to see what he did wrong here.
Single issue? I think you misunderstood it, lovely. It is not about climate change; it is about rough sleeping. The current council administration is over 40 million in debt but has no seafront regeneration. Tell us, how many by-elections before Christmas?
“Join the AA”. That is so mean-spirited and tone-deaf in an article about homelessness. Do you have any common sense? Heart of stone!!! What part of extreme weather did the council not figure required emergency shelter?
Don’t forget closing all the loos.
Absolutely appalling, this government wants every rough sleeper in somewhere for Christmas but couldn’t even help rough sleeper during these two terrible storms. Says everything, Andy Burnham needs to sort out his priorities and help these people before Christmas or the next storm / bad weather.
And that can be done overnight then?
But let’s be fair. Bella and co were too busy taking the plaudits at the opening ceremony for VG3, attended by… labour councillors, local journalists, cycling activist groups, and no-one else. She also had to prepare her party political broadcast on subjects such as Andy Burnham, Brexit and the Labour Party for the Argus. It would be foolish to think she has any time for important, local issues such as the safety of the homeless during storms. Where are the headlines in that?
Surely HUMAN RIGHTS of our own needy matter, if illegal immigrants arrived on our beach by inflatable they would be immediately looked after.
Walking my dog late at night there are loads of people sleeping in doorways and on bench’s. I have reported to the outreach team about a middle aged woman sleeping rough and they have now contacted her. Very near to where Rayner has bought a flat.
The budget for our own needy should not have a limit just like the budget for new arrivals does not have a limit.
Most people who now complain about people on boats wouldn’t have spat on British homeless people if they were on fire before.
So hour upon hours was spent meeting and discussing about weed killer being used on paving but actual human beings were ignored risking death? This city does a lot of unnecessary talk with very little action. It pretends to be this all inclusive caring city but it’s an utter shameful disgrace. They didn’t save any money ignoring the homeless because now they have to spend thousands fixing all the communal doors to high rise buildings that the homeless broke into to stay alive! Make it make sense?