The leader of Brighton and Hove City Council has promised to focus on economic growth and oppose the government’s policy of forcing all schools to become academies.
Councillor Warren Morgan spoke about his priorities in a blog post published on Saturday (9 April).
He wrote: “In the closing weeks of the first year of the Labour administration we will move to accelerate growth and ensure that what we value in the city is protected from the government’s assault on local councils, local services and local democracy.
“We have said we will oppose government plans to force all schools to become academies, as will many Conservative-led councils.
“We believe schools should have the choice and that parents play a valuable role in running the schools their children attend as governors.
“Should the government force through their plans, as a second line of defence we will protect our schools by setting up a co-operative trust to run them with full parental involvement.
“This should send a message to government, as councils like Liverpool and Camden are also doing, that we will not stand by and watch our schools being cherry-picked by multi-academy trusts.
“We will not allow our libraries and museums to be lost to government cuts.
“We will, at our Policy and Resources Committee on (Thursday) 28 April, bring forward plans to place the Royal Pavilion, the jewel in the city’s crown, in trust alongside our museums so that they are preserved for future generations, not sold off to private owners.
“Under trust status more money can be raised via charitable donation to invest in them.
“Culture and the arts is a vital sector of our economy and, although we will in future be able to provide less funding, we will continue to give the sector our total support.
“With the full business case for Hove Library reprovision coming forward to the same meeting, we can ensure that a library service continues in every community where we currently run one by significantly reducing running costs.
“Despite the cuts to our funding, Brighton and Hove’s libraries will be open longer, becoming neighbourhood hubs where public services, community advice and activities can flourish.
“Now that the City Plan is in place, we want to accelerate the progress on major projects that will bring enormous benefits in terms of jobs, homes, business rate income and tourism to the city.
“The major extension to Churchill Square and the building of a new 10,000-seat arena and conference venue will move a step closer on (Thursday) 28 April, as will a new outdoor swimming complex.
“Progress on other sites such as Preston Barracks and Toads Hole Valley cannot be delayed any further and we need to ensure that the hospital redevelopment, the West Street Shelter Hall works, the British Airways i360, the King Alfred and Valley Gardens projects are brought forward in a co-ordinated way so that the city keeps moving.
“That’s why I am establishing a Strategic Delivery Board of senior councillors, reporting directly to a renamed and refocused Policy, Resources and Growth Committee, to drive forward economic activity in Brighton and Hove for the benefit of all residents and all parts of our economy – retail, tourism, arts, digital, financial and more.
“We will ensure that the council’s planning service is fit for purpose, with reform overseen by the renamed Environment, Transport and Planning Strategy Committee.
“This is part of a dynamic package of council reforms aimed at meeting the challenge of a future without funding from the government, a package I hope the opposition groups on the council will get behind.
“The future of Brighton and Hove is in our hands. We have to seize it.”
The new Strategic Delivery Board will have five members – two Labour, two Conservative and one Green. Councillor Morgan and Councillor Gill Mitchell will be the Labour members of the board.
