As is traditional at this time of year I’ve decided to spend an entire column moaning about the weather!
Seriously though, it’s important for us all to recognise that as a city by the sea we are all “wrapped up” in the travel and tourism effects that periods of good weather can have.
With long periods of hot weather some services (such as grass cutting) might have a small respite but increased visitor numbers and the lack of rain can put additional pressures on those who work long hours to keep the city looking at its best.
Certainly the recent spell of very hot weather put enormous strain on the city’s appearance and as a result I have been answering many questions and concerns about the “state of the city”.
Similarly that extra pressure means that the level of service we expect as residents also have been under stress.
As a council we must do better to make our core city services more resilient to these expected weather fluctuations.
Luckily, unlike some authorities across the country – where frontline services are under extreme threat – we have been making strong plans for investment despite the government funding cuts.
We will be looking in depth at securing greater levels of investment and improved service delivery in Cityclean as part of the next few months’ work leading up to the budget in February 2019.
As residents we are also subject to the impacts of poor summer weather too, with flooding caused by sudden rainfall and low visitor numbers being just as much of an issue for our communities, our city’s economy and my inbox over the past few days.
Being a forward-looking council does mean developing plans to meet every eventuality – including unexpectedly good (and bad) weather.
This isn’t only about responding to these issues when they suddenly occur but also developing longer-term plans and working with partners to be able to deliver these.
Having sufficient water supply, appropriate drainage, effective transport links as well as our own council services being “up to the job” are crucial for the future of our city’s reputation as a place to live, work and grow.
We are working hard to play our part – whatever the weather.
Councillor Daniel Yates is the Labour leader of Brighton and Hove City Council.
“To keep the city looking at its best”, what planet do these people live on?
A lot of central Brighton is just filthy, having lived here for over 25 years now, I can count only two occasions where I have seen the streets actually being washed clean, and had chewing gum removed from them.
It’s about time they invested in the basics again, Queens Road, West Street, North Street, and especially along the Steine are just filthy with dirty pavements and chewing gum everywhere.
Places like Reading which I visit often are incredibly clean in comparison and make Brighton look like a city in a 3rd world country by comparison.
Buck your ideas up Brighton Council, and stop the mismanagement.