A much loved local tree has been saved from the chainsaw, but with a slight compromise to national pavement guidelines following a campaign by local residents.
Locals feared the tree, a large elm in the ward of the Leader of the Council, Jason Kitcat, at the corner of Vernon Terrace and the Seven Dials junction would be a casualty of the improvements being carried out in the area.
This busy and dangerous junction is being redesigned to make it a lot safer for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists, with the work already in progress.
In partnership with traffic engineers, the council’s Transport Committee have come up with a solution whereby the road space at the entrance to Vernon Terrace will be narrowed slightly and the pavement widened to accommodate the tree.
This will mean it will be amply wide enough to let wheelchairs and buggies pass with ease, while everyone will still benefit from having the same amount of greenery around the Dials.
The Amex Community Stadium will be used for group matches during the Rugby World Cup in 2015. Only four traditional rugby venues feature in the list announced today, the rest being football grounds and the Olympic Stadium. Coventry, Bristol, Derby and Sunderland failed to make the final list.
Conservative Group Leader on Brighton & Hove Council, Cllr Geoffrey Theobald believes the decision will provide a huge boost to the city’s economy over the next few years.
Cllr Geoffrey Theobald
He said:
“I was always confident that Brighton & Hove, and our fantastic new Community Stadium, would get the thumbs up from the World Cup organisers but it is a great relief to have it finally confirmed today. It will give a tremendous boost to the local economy with thousands of fans potentially coming to stay and spend their money in our hotels, restaurants, bars and shops. It will give Brighton & Hove the opportunity to show millions of people around the world watching on TV what we have to offer, from Fiji to France and Namibia to New Zealand. I cannot overstate just how important that coverage is to our city’s future. On top of that it will be a massive boost to local rugby clubs, giving young people in particular the opportunity to experience international rugby of the highest calibre. If, fingers crossed, the Albion can manage to get into the Premier League, this could prove to be the most important couple of weeks in the city’s sporting history.”
Simon Kirby, MP for Kemptown & Peachhaven has campaigned in support of the city’s bid, corresponding with the game’s governing bodies and meeting with RFU representatives in Parliament. He welcomed this morning’s announcement that the Amex would take its place as a host venue alongside Twickenham and the Olympic Stadium.
Simon Kirby, MP
Simon, said:
“The Rugby World Cup is the third biggest sporting event in the world, and I am delighted that Brighton will play a part in a monumental occasion when the tournament comes to England in 2015.
“It is especially pleasing because the Amex faced very tough competition from some more established stadia. I know from my various letters and meetings that the fantastic facilities available at the venue and the undoubted attraction of Brighton and Hove as a host city were very apparent to selectors. “Today’s announcement is great news for the city, and for the future of rugby in the region. I know that my constituents will be looking forward to a great occasion in 2015.”
Cllr Jason Kitcat
Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, Jason Kitcat, added:
“I’m thrilled that we are hosting such a prestigious event. It’s great that the joint bid between the city council and Brighton & Hove Albion football club has been successful. We have a strong track record of delivering major sporting events. The Rugby World Cup will bring thousands of visitors to Sussex who will be able to experience our fantastic cultural offering as well as our hotels and restaurants.”
Brighton and Hove Albion Football club executive director Martin Perry, said:
“We are absolutely thrilled that the stadium and city has been chosen as a host venue for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and are now relishing the prospect of hosting four teams and two matches at one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
“Right from the outset when we were planning the stadium, we recognised that the need for a new permanent home for Brighton & Hove Albion could also create an opportunity for new facilities to meet the wider sporting and community needs in Brighton, Hove and the South of England.
“We promised that the stadium, more than any other building, would have the ability to shape a city, it puts the city on the map, has the power to change people lives and represents a community’s pride and aspirations.
“Our successful joint bid is just another legacy of that promise. Rugby fans in this area will be able to play their part in a global occasion which is going to put the stadium and Brighton & Hove on the world stage.
“We have two years to wait, but we are looking forward to providing a fabulous spectator experience and hope we can help provide many memories of what promises to be a truly unforgettable event.”
The full list of venue chosen are:
Twickenham (London) • Wembley Stadium (London) • Olympic Stadium (London) • Millennium Stadium (Cardiff) • Manchester City Stadium (Manchester) • St James’ Park (Newcastle) • Elland Road (Leeds) • King Power Stadium (Leicester) • Villa Park (Birmingham) • Kingsholm (Gloucester) • Stadium MK (Milton Keynes) • Brighton Community Stadium (Brighton) • Sandy Park (Exeter)
Photo Chris Jepson: (Left to right) Stonewall Corporate Account Manager Tom Woodward, Director of Fundraising Catherine Bosworth, trustee Rachel Harper, Chief Executive Ben Summerskill and awards host Sophie Ward
Stonewall, the LGB equality charity, won five awards at the annual Out in the City and g3 Magazine Readers’ Awards, which took place in London on Friday, April 26.
The star-studded ceremony, hosted by actor Sophie Ward and Coronation Street Star Charlie Condou, saw Out in the City and g3 readers vote Stonewall as Charity of the Year, while Stonewall’s Chief Executive Ben Summerskill won the Out in the City’s Campaigner of the Year Award and Deputy Chief Executive Laura Doughty won the g3 Campaigner of the Year Award.
The charity’s iconic ‘Some People Are Gay. Get Over It’ campaign, which ran on buses across Britain last year, won Out in the City’s Marketing Campaign of the Year award.
Ben Summerskill, who accepted Stonewall’s award as Charity of the Year, said:
“Stonewall is a remarkable constellation of dozens of brilliant staff, hundreds of incredible volunteers and tens of thousands of dogged supporters. They have made Stonewall what it is.”
Residents of Brighton & Hove wishing to voice their opinion on the City Council’s communal recycling proposals have only until Monday, May 6 to return their questionnaires.
More than 32,000 residents were sent leaflets and questionnaires, which invited views on proposals which would see communal bins for mixed recycling (paper, card, cans and plastic bottles) placed in most city centre streets, near to communal refuse bins.
Recycling bins for the city centre scheme would be smaller than the refuse bins and held in place with fixing posts. Where possible, containers would be placed sideways to reduce the impact on parking spaces. Separate glass bins would be located further away from domestic properties.
Cllr Pete West
Cllr Pete West, Chair of the Environment and Sustainability committee, said:
”We look forward to hearing from residents living in the heart of the city and hope as many people as possible respond to the consultation.
“The aim of the proposals is to make it easier for residents to recycle, which will increase the city’s recycling rates, and to improve the environment in the city centre. We’ve set out the pros and cons of the proposal, so people can make up their own minds.”
Last year 3,200 households in the Brunswick and Adelaide area took part in a trial that resulted in a 70% increase in the amount of material collected for recycling. The recycling rate for the ward rose from 12.5% to 21%.
A survey carried out at the end of the trial also showed the scheme was popular with residents with 73% of those responding saying they preferred the new scheme to black box collections.
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