Welcome to a (hopefully) post lockdown summary of news and developments over the last quarter - plus notice of an eight week 'consultation' into the detailed design for Valley Gardens Phase 3.
It's not an exaggeration to say that change wrought by the onset of Covid 19 has transformed the agenda. With all of us human beings locked up and hidden away for the first few weeks of April, understandably, the city's wildlife and natural environment thrived. Council leader Nancy Platts gushed "We have seen huge changes to the way people are travelling around our city. There are more people walking and cycling and we’ve seen a 60% reduction in traffic on some of our key routes" proving another way is possible. A way without, work, play, school, healthcare or meaningful social interaction. Another way certainly.
The multifaceted crisis we now face as a city covering all aspects of the way we live, love, work, are educated, cared for and care for the environment around us, throws into stark relief the calibre of those who represent and govern us at all levels. In Brighton & Hove, this situation is exceptionally poor. The recent removal of cranks from the city administration has started but remains long overdue. To be fair, all mass membership organisations / political parties attract people like that, though they shouldn't end up as Councillors, Council Leaders or Members of Parliament.
However, losing a veneer of stupid from among the elected members should not distract anyone from the clear evidence that successive Council administrations in our city have abdicated their power to an embedded and unchecked officer corps with a rotating door open to former officers / 'external' consultants - who take important decisions impacting everyone in our city without any effective monitoring or scrutiny - let alone checks and balances.
In last week's remarkably candid words from ex-Council Leader yet still serving Finance Lead Cllr Daniel Yates: ”Our city deserves so much better". Agreed.
And so to the main news this week.
In the last update, you may recall that the Council were intending to run a series of what they called 'Task & Finish' meetings for VG3 ahead of drawing up the final detailed design for Valley Gardens. This was as a result of such widespread criticism of the lack of consultation. They held one external session, but clearly didn't like what they heard - and so that approach has been quickly and quietly abandoned. Last Friday 17th the Council launched an eight week public consultation. Basically, this is to decide where to paint yellow lines and arrange street furniture. On a superficial level, this level of engagement appears to follow the proper consultation guidelines that the Council ought to have adopted from the start. But instead they reached their underhand agreement to a single design that was rubber-stamped in Committee without proper public examination in October 2018. The administration will claim lessons have been learned, not least as a result of this Forum's intervention. The latest Council plan is attached. Please do respond, but bear in mind that this is merely your opportunity to, almost literally, suggest to the Council's officers how to rearrange the deck chairs…
Air quality and pollution mitigation remain the most controversial aspect of BHCC's plans for Valley Gardens Phase 3. The new consultation inexplicably repeats the unsubstantiated claim that "Air Quality levels within the area are well within the legal limits and are predicted to remain so following construction". Even a cursory glance at the Council's own detailed annual air quality report clearly demonstrates that this is conspicuously untrue. The longest standing air quality monitors (located at E17-03 & E16-96) close to VG3 on the East side of the Old Steine on Grand Parade have exceeded WHO legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide every year over the last five years. The closest PM2.5 particulate pollution monitor in North Street similarly reports stubbornly illegal levels of air pollution year on year. Not only is it a serious error of judgment to be continuing to mislead over air quality and pollution mitigation, but it also calls into question the integrity, strategic sense and good faith of the elected administration. They have, in effect, delegated unchecked emergency coronavirus powers - under the pretence of addressing the various impacts of what is with tragic irony, ultimately a respiratory disease.
At the most recent virtual Environment Transport & Sustainability Committee meeting on the 23rd of June, Andrew Renault, Head of Transport Strategy told us about his department's first attempt at finding out about air pollution on the East Side of the Old Steine - as follows: "In response to Mr Nathan's question, an additional air quality monitor has been installed at the junction of St James's Street and the Steine Gardens. I would need to check with colleagues as to what pollutants that monitor is monitoring.... and we can confirm this in writing for him". So didn't he know? Does it not conform to international standards, and do they take into account not just gases but particulates which are estimated to increase with stop start traffic, generated from tyre rubber and brake dust as vehicles shuffle around the road system? Who knows how much pressure will need to follow in order for BHCC to 'just get on with' that requested Environmental Impact Assessment?
At the same meeting, A 'Notice of Motion' was tabled by Cllr Lee Wares: "
To commission and undertake a full environmental impact assessment (including air quality assessment) and full comprehensive traffic modelling assessment (including traffic displacement and bus congestion impact analysis for North Street and Old Steine) over the project areas known as Valley Gardens 3 and Duke’s Mound including the A259 and Madeira Drive. The assessments to consider the areas as if they were one; and report back the results of those assessments for further consideration by this Committee at the earliest opportunity." Agreeing to this straightforward request - which could have been carried out alongside the limited consultation announced in the last few days - would have addressed the most pressing concerns raised during the Forum's campaign. Labour and Green Councillors all voted against and it was therefore not accepted by the Committee. This again begs the question - what aspect of due diligence are they afraid of?
Valley Gardens Forum coverage and related news since our last update
Brighton & Hove News
- Labour now has time to engage properly over Valley Gardens and Duke’s Mound
In the last Forum update in March, despite erroneous claims by the council to the contrary, we were able to confirm that there was no hard deadline to receive Government funding for Valley Gardens phase 3. Statements by Councillors and Council officers to that effect were at best 'economical with the truth'. Opposition Conservative Cllr Lee Wares has urged the Labour administration and their closely aligned supporters within the Green group to take advantage of the time allowed and to ensure that concerns about air quality and environmental impacts of the proposed scheme get properly, thoroughly and effectively addressed.
-Time to clear the air over the Valley Gardens project
Senior Green Councillor Pete West is on record suggesting that the Forum's concerns about air quality in the East of the City are "vexatious" and likes to claim without any real evidence that anyone who questions his "vision" for the future of Brighton & Hove must do so out of malign political intent. It is, of course, hard to forget the official Council position he shares is that there is no need to worry as air pollution and poisonous particulates in the “open area of Old Steine” blow out to sea. Forum members Serena Burt and Adrian Hart set the record straight in the article above for Brighton & Hove News.
Other news
- Air pollution exposure linked to higher COVID-19 cases and deaths
On a topical note, by failing to provision a comprehensive network of PM2.5 pollution monitors in our City, BHCC seems to be knowingly neglecting a critical danger to residents, workers and visitors to our city. Not only are they are potentially turbocharging the generation of these dangerous levels of air pollution by their actions and decision making over VG3, but doubling down with ‘emergency’ traffic scheme changes enacted without consultation on the main A259 coast road, St James’s Street, London Road, The Lanes and North Laine areas - all adjacent to VG3.
-English councils backpedal on cycling schemes after Tory backlash
Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton, Rupa Huq, has also voiced opposition to a low-traffic neighbourhood in her constituency, calling for the “madcap scheme” to be scrapped. Huq said: “To clarify, I support schemes to encourage walking and cycling. The plans are well-intentioned but the overall scheme badly thought through and looks to be pushed through with no consultation.” Labour controlled Ealing Council later said the scheme would be cancelled due to planned utility works in the area.
"Well-intentioned but the overall scheme badly thought through… and pushed through with no consultation." remind you of anything?
An MP playing an active role within their constituency and willing to step in to question Council processes and decisions on behalf of their constituents... not so familiar!