Tourism, Equalities, Communities, and Culture Committee
Agenda Item 5 (a)
Date of meeting: 16 June 2022
Report of: Executive Director for Governance, People & Resources
Contact Officer: Name: Thomas Bald
Email: thomas.bald@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Ward(s) affected: All
1.1 To receive any petitions submitted directly to Democratic Services or any e-Petition submitted via the council’s website.
2.1 That the committee responds to the petition either by noting it or where it is considered more appropriate, calls for an officer report on the matter.
3.1 To receive the following petition signed by 125 people at the time of publication:
(1) Rethink the Skateboard and Bike Pump Park at Hove Lagoon
We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to Please revisit the proposed Kingsway to the Sea Development plans as regards the skateboard and bike pump part of the plan on the western part of the pitch and putt area. This is going to take away and hard core over a disproportionate amount of valuable and now much used community green space.
This area was designated as Underused but in fact is enormously well used now by dog walkers, exercise groups and people young and old gathering and picnicking. We dispute the contention it is underused. This is a quiet area of the seafront surrounded by residential streets and quiet use of the promenade. In addition to the loss of an open green space the development here will, sadly, almost inevitably, attract the sort of antisocial behaviour, noise etc that accompanies unsupervised areas like this , of which the Level is one example. There are not enough toilet facilities and the beach huts and trees and shrubbery are already used as such and it is naive to assume this will improve with a great deal more use. The area is serving the benefits of large numbers of the community. The dog owning/walking demographic of the city has massively increased since lock down and the needs of this should be actively included in planning strategy to avoid displacement of dog walking to create issues in other areas. Please reconsider if this big change of use which will see a popular green open space disappear for good is really the best way forward for the whole community.