Brighton and Hove council meetings postponed due to coronavirus outbreak

The Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, which was due to take place at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Tuesday 17 March), had a mammoth agenda packed with decisions to be made and questions from councillors and the public.

One of the decisions to be made was whether to subsidise the Brighton bike share operator Hourbike.

Others were about a strategy for tackling graffiti and a plan to boost cycling and walking.

The meeting was cancelled after the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick, announced reductions in “non-essential” tasks at local government level to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (covid-19).

The announcement came too late for the council to make alternative arrangements for remote meetings as suggested by the government.

Arrangements are under way to reschedule the meeting and find an alternative way to host it.

The second meeting to be scrapped was the council’s Health, Overview and Scrutiny Committee which had been due to take place today (Wednesday March 18).

At the moment the council’s Policy and Resources Committee is still due to meet on Thursday (19 March).

The decisions on the agenda including spending on building work at local schools and on council-owned buildings and transport plans.

Next week the council had a meetings schedule that included two licensing panels, the council’s Planning Committee, the Health and Wellbeing Board and a standards panel.

The week after the Planning Committee was due to meet again as well as the full council.

Mr Jenrick called on the council to focus on social care, supporting the vulnerable and the local economy.

He officially announced all local elections that had been due to take place in May this year would now take place in May 2021.

The contest to become the Sussex police and crime commissioner was the only election due to take place in Brighton and Hove.

Inspections by the Care Quality Commission and Ofsted inspections are suspended and FOI requests cut or delayed.

The council has asked Brighton and Hove schools to cancel trips, swimming classes and parents’ meetings.