Hove Park candidate spotlight

In the eigth in a series of ward profiles ahead of the local elections next week, candidates explain why they want to be a councillor. They also answer questions sent in by the public via social media.

Nine candidates are standing for the two Brighton and Hove City Council seats in the Hove Park ward.

Why do you want to be a councillor?

Samer Bagaeen is a chartered town planner, chartered surveyor and university professor. He is standing for the Conservatives:

I wanted to be a councillor because I am interested in solutions rather than excuses. This is where I feel I can make a difference. I have worked in charities, academia and policy but never held elected office in a local authority. As a built environment professional, a school governor and a strong believer in developing officer skills, I feel I have plenty to offer from the other side, as a councillor.

Vanessa Brown is seeking re-election. She is standing for the Conservatives.

Michael Harrison works in construction and is standing for Labour:

I have lived with my family in Hove for very many years. I am a construction professional who has worked as a cost engineer and contract administrator on a wide range of projects, so I appreciate the importance of good practice, integrity and clear communication. If elected, I will work tirelessly for decent housing and a built environment in our city that all our community can be proud of.

Simon Jardine is an IT manager standing for the Liberal Democrats:

I would like to make a contribution to my community and to represent the interests of the people of Brighton and Hove. I will aim to make a difference for the better to our city and the lives of its people.

Nigel Jenner is a youth worker and manager in education standing for Labour:

I live in Hove Park with my family. If elected, I will work for sustainable homes that have a positive impact on our environment.

Iain Martin is standing for the Greens.

Nicholas O’Shea is a financial director standing for the Liberal Democrats:

I am highly critical of the secretive approach all present parties on the city council have taken in looking at the redevelopment of the King Alfred centre and I am appalled with the dreadful record of refuse collection and recycling the council has.

Paul Philo is standing for the Greens.

What are you views on the design and impact on traffic of the Valley Gardens phase 3 project in Old Steine which includes making Madeira Drive one-way by the Palace Pier?

Samer Bagaeen and Vanessa Brown: I do not believe that the one way system into Madeira Drive is helpful, I do not feel that enough space has been given over to buses (turning or meeting in opposite directions) and I do not believe that the new T-junction at Sea Life, is necessary.

The scheme will result in gridlock in the city centre for traffic heading out after big events such as the marathon, classic cars, the bike ride, etc. Pedestrians crossings and green spaces in the scheme are an afterthought. The scheme has been done by transport and highways engineers not urban designers.

Michael Harrison and Nigel Jenner: The designs are currently being drawn up to a detailed design stage. All comments and issues raised are being addressed and we hope to see a detailed scheme which meets the needs of all residents and businesses/visitors expected.

Those detailed designs will have to ensure that the city keeps moving while addressing the impacts of the climate change emergency and supporting a modern city where sustainable transport routes are protected and enhanced.

Simon Jardine and Nicholas O’Shea: The design of the project seems strange and we cannot see it reducing congestion in the city centre. From a safety point of view we think the replacement of the roundabout with traffic lights and the presence of a five-lane road are likely to reduce pedestrian safety in the area.

We would also like to say that the scheme has had far too small a consultation for a project of its size and controversy. From a transparency point of view the planning for Valley Gardens has been completely inadequate.

Iain Martin  and Paul Philo: The Valley Gardens project was envisaged as a desperately needed green lung for the city centre and to improve walking and cycling. Phase 3 covers the area that is the city’s “accident blackspot”. It’s a critical opportunity to cut serious injuries, many to cyclists.

The last Green council administration won £8 million of external funding to pay for the project. Labour’s delays to the scheme threatened this hard-won cash and left the council scrambling to get the project to completion.

In this late and rushed process, there was inadequate consultation with residents and local businesses. Greens have pushed for better acknowledgement of the concerns raised.We have won assurances over new cycle lane provision and have heard that organisations such as Bricycles and Friends of the Earth now on board.

There is a huge problem with dog owners leaving waste behind, either in bags or just out in the open in parks and street. What will you do to tackle dog owners not picking up poo?

Samer Bagaeen and Vanessa Brown: Dog fouling is an increasing problem being both unhealthy and anti-social. I would wish to increase council-sponsored campaigns to increase awareness, promote good citizenship and also empower local community groups to be more involved in monitoring and then reporting back.

Michael Harrison and Nigel Jenner: Our new enforcement officers who have been brought in-house are out and about in neighbourhoods and targeting those whose anti-social behaviours are affecting all our lives. We need to both educate and enforce our way out of this problem and we want that message to get through to all who chose to leave dog mess across our city.

Simon Jardine and Nicholas O’Shea: Generally speaking, there has been an improvement in this since the bad old days. This has been due to publicity and to the placement of disposal bins around public parks.

The majority of dog owners abide by the rules. It is the irresponsible minority that need to be reached. We would have the council provide free waste bags to make it easy for dog owners to clean up and increase enforcement to encourage those who still leave waste behind to follow the rules.

Iain Martin  and Paul Philo: We need to ensure that the city’s enforcement officers (following the abandonment of Labour’s disastrous outsourcing experiment) make tackling owners who don’t pick up their dogs’ waste a priority, alongside fly-tipping.<

It’s not just about “sticks”. We need more “carrots” too. More designated bins – especially in areas popular with dog walkers – will help dog walkers who intend to do the right thing.

The council is planning more electric vehicle charging points. To what extent do you support this and will you commit to electric vehicle only parking spaces?

Samer Bagaeen and Vanessa Brown: I support these of course and having helped other cities globally implement policies to install charging points, I feel we have plenty to learn from the likes of Barcelona. Back in 2013 there were just 30 electric cars in Brighton and Hove. By September 2018, the city had 434.

Question for you is “should we invest as a council in the infrastructure for these 434 cars or facilitate investment in future growth?” We can learn from Peterborough which has the highest percentage of plug-in vehicles of any local authority in the UK. What has that city done to invest in infrastructure? That is who we should learn from.

Michael Harrison and Nigel Jenner: We fully support the installation of electric vehicle charging points (EVCPs) and in fact it is the Labour council that successfully bid for £300,000 funding from the government to allow the installation of 200 EVCPs. Test sites are already in operation.

It was noted at committee last June that the scheme might need to allow for mandatory parking bays for electric vehicle charging in the event, for example, it becomes clear that electric vehicle owners are having problems accessing advisory bays or to adapting over time to increased demand.

Simon Jardine and Nicholas O’Shea: Long term, we know that the future is going to be electric. So the question is how quickly do we roll it out, and who is responsible? The city needs a strategy and needs to engage with the power network and the energy resellers to make this happen.

The city needs improved power distribution and multiple means of recharging cars – at home, in the street and at “electricity stations” (as these replace petrol stations). Electric charging points in parking spaces are one aspect of this but not the full story.

Iain Martin  and Paul Philo: We are fully committed to rolling out electric vehicle charging points, both on street and in car parks. The speed and scale of the roll-out needs to significantly increase.

Charging points need to be installed sensitively, so that they do not obstruct pavements or cycle routes and we need to look at innovative options for using, eg, existing street lamps to act as charging points.

We support the policy of reserving spaces by charging points for electric vehicles. We also need to put in place further incentives to help people switch to zero-emission transport, whether that it is by moving to an electric car or by making journeys by electric bus, cycling or walking.

If you design with children in mind you also make it good for older people and create a healthier and more inclusive place that everyone can enjoy. How are you going to make the city safe and attractive for children to move around independently?

Michael Harrison and Nigel Jenner: We need a range of measures to be delivered across the whole city. Better protected cycling and walking routes are key to this as well as a safe reliable public transport system. We are also committed to setting up a fund to support improved community safety and neighbourhood policing measures to give people confidence in the safety and responsiveness of their local communities.

Simon Jardine and Nicholas O’Shea: We would support policies that improve our public transport, reduce air pollution from traffic and improve road safety. The council should lead by example and adopt electric vehicles as much as possible and encourage suppliers and contractors to do the same by including this as a selection criteria in tenders. I also personally think the 20mph limit needs to be more strongly enforced.

Iain Martin  and Paul Philo: Improving pedestrian routes, road crossings, cycle routes and bus services all make the city safer and easier for children, older people and others with mobility difficulties to navigate.

We would also like to see better enforcement of speed restrictions on our roads. Cars are the number one cause of death and serious injury for children and young people and we would like to see our streets made as safe as possible for everyone.

In addition, tackling anti-social behaviour and drug-related activity give children, parents and older people more confidence that moving around the city independently is safe.

Children in Brighton and Hove should have playgrounds that are working and safe. Too many have old or damaged equipment. What do you plan to do to support young children to be able to enjoy play equipment in our parks?

Samer Bagaeen and Vanessa Brown: Our local parks and children’s playgrounds have always been important to our current ward councillors. They have been lobbying the council for a long time now to refurbish and replace equipment in the playgrounds and are pleased to report that a whole new climbing frame and slides are being installed in Dyke Road Park at the moment and a new roundabout, replacement slides and a new zip wire are on order for Hove Park. These should be installed before the school summer holidays. They have also been requesting new adult gym equipment for Hove Park and this should also be installed shortly.

Michael Harrison and Nigel Jenner: Under a Labour government the value of play was recognised, and Labour gave significant funding to local councils for playground equipment. Locally Brighton and Hove got £2 million. This was great news, but since then government commitment has not been the same.

So the council had a report in 2016 looking at how we could keep our playgrounds as great places to play despite funding pressures and many playgrounds across the city have been benefiting from improvement works, from Victoria Recreation Ground in Portslade to Saltdean Park

Simon Jardine and Nicholas O’Shea: We believe that our playgrounds are important local amenities. Simon used them with his children and continues to use them with his grandchildren. They are particularly important in a city such as ours where many families do not have their own gardens. The playgrounds have to be safe and they should be in good repair and I would be keen to find the funds to ensure this happens.

Iain Martin  and Paul Philo: Our playgrounds are a vital resource for families. For all those of us with children and no garden or a small garden they are a regular and essential part of our lives. If equipment is left broken for long periods of time this is disappointing for children at best, and at worst can be dangerous. We need to understand that this is not a trivial issue and respond much more quickly when play equipment needs to be repaired or replaced.

Toilets in our parks are a disgrace and particularly unhygienic for young children and women. We need more public toilets in the city. What is your commitment to people who need a loo?

Samer Bagaeen and Vanessa Brown: As a Conservative this is a matter that concerns us greatly. Current ward councillors have frequently bought up the lack of toilets and the terrible state of those we do have at council meetings. They are not at all satisfied with the state of the toilets that children have to use in our parks. They are particularly concerned about the state of those in Hove Park and will continue to campaign to get them refurbished and cleaned more thoroughly.

I regularly use the toilets as Dyke Road Park as my kids play football there and I must say that I have always found them clean. The ward councillors are also working with faith groups at the present time campaigning to get a toilet reopened in the north section of Hove Cemetery where there are no facilities at the moment.

Michael Harrison and Nigel Jenner: We have established a capital fund to renovate and update all of the public toilets across the city through a shared scheme. As a city we have retained many public toilets where other cities have reduced or even removed the provision entirely. We will continue this innovative programme to bring our toilets up to 21st century standards.

Simon Jardine and Nicholas O’Shea: We will support proposals to maintain and improve the number and quality of public toilets. We also believe that we should expect the operators of cafes in our parks to take more responsibility for the loos. The operators of the cafes benefit indirectly from the presence of public toilets and they would probably be better cleaned and maintained if the cafes were given this responsibility.

Iain Martin  and Paul Philo: Many public services have fallen into disrepair in recent years as a result of severe government budget cuts, public toilets being an obvious example. They are especially important for the elderly, disabled, pregnant women and people with children and we need to find ways to ensure access to clean, functioning toilets for everyone.

Partnering with local businesses to allow members of the public with particular needs to use their toilets is one way to expand the number of publicly available loos but ultimately it’s no substitute for proper government funding to help councils run real public services.

The other candidate standing in Hove Park ward is Daniel Goodhand who is standing for the UK Independence Party.