Bella Sankey, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, came under furious fire at a recent council meeting. She tackled a number of the immediate concerns, still left gaping wounds on the community. Much of the conversation centered on these key priorities. These ranged from the city’s aging housing stock and chronic issues with solid waste collection to a vision for restructuring the local government.
Sankey didn’t mince words when he acknowledged that the prevailing state of Brighton & Hove’s housing stock is “not acceptable.” She highlighted the difficulties posed by historic tower blocks built in the 1950s and 1960s, which struggle to meet modern regulations. Given this history, it’s not surprising that fire safety worries have reached a fever pitch. In response, fire chiefs are now demanding a 24-hour ‘walking watch’ of ten tower blocks to protect their residents.
Sankey reminded the audience of the often difficult actions that need to be taken. As such, he argued, spending big on remediation work is the best path forward. She affirmed the council’s commitment to becoming “the best possible social housing landlord” and revealed that millions would be allocated for necessary repairs and upgrades.
Sankey underscored the need for more housing and the impacts of a recent independent report. This report exposed a corrosive culture, imbued with racism, sexism and homophobia, at the core of the city’s refuse collection service, formerly known as Cityclean. The report described a dramatic 140% increase in skipped bin collections in the last half-year alone.
“Having unitary authorities that are quite tied to place and communities will allow the different identities we have in Sussex to be expressed,” she said while addressing future governance structures. Sankey proposed creating five new unitary authorities, each serving 300,000 to 500,000 people, moving against the government’s recommendation of larger populations for such entities.
To address existing problems in waste disposal, Brighton & Hove intends to introduce weekly collections for food waste this fall. Food waste makes up a third of our waste from homes, with new same-day collections expected to help keep service more consistently reliable. Sankey acknowledged setbacks in service effectiveness, apologizing for recent disruptions despite noting “massive improvements.”
The council leader was new in knocking operational inefficiencies out of the city’s services. Sankey argued that those toxic behaviors had prevented proper investment in safety and needed equipment, like bin lorries, from being made. “We run a unitary authority, we provide 700 services,” she explained, emphasizing the need for streamlined operations.
Brighton & Hove is still using a paper-based system, even as dozens of other places have moved on to provide better, faster digital services. This antiquated approach has led to serious questions about the efficiency and responsiveness of this program.
On a separate front, Sankey offered insight on the finances and costs associated with the city’s famous (and infamous) i360 viewing tower. Following its introduction, the council made the decision to forgive £51 million of peoples’ debt. This decision then enabled the sale to the bar chain Nightcap for just £150,000.
“The funding plan is to bill in phases,” Sankey added. We’ve billed against the first part. Second, we’ll actually bill for the other amount, and make sure that money comes back to us. Her comments illustrate a willingness to get ahead of the curve in tackling budget woes even when times are tough.
The Royal Albion Hotel site area garnered related concern during the meeting. In July 2023, a fire largely destroyed the historic 200-year-old hotel. Since then, the council has spent £1.2 million on safety measures and demolition works.
In terms of her ambitions for future governance reform, as the debate over reform continues, Sankey wanted to make clear her intent …She claimed to the Observer, “I’m not going to stand to be elected as Sussex’s first mayor.” Through it all, her focus has stayed on providing the best possible services and meeting the needs of her community.
