Brighton and Hove council plans green business strategy
The leader of Brighton and Hove City Council has called for a summit with business leaders to thrash out a new green economic strategy.
Councillor Bill Randall said the new Green administration hopes to broker a city-wide consensus to kick-start the authority’s priorities, which include making Brighton and Hove the UK’s greenest city.
Speaking at a special ‘Meet the Greens’ business event, hosted by the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, Coun Randall said the summit will forge economic recovery and help the city to make the transition to a thriving low carbon economy. He said this would attract investment and enable businesses to compete in the burgeoning climate change sector.
Coun Randall said: “We are working on a programme of initiatives to improve the local economy and we want to work with the city’s business leaders to strengthen our city economic strategy.
“Not only is the existing economic strategy out of date but new threats and opportunities have presented themselves. “This summit will take into account the global recession and the massive public spending cuts we face as we look forward to the economic recovery and to safeguard our long-term success.
“We want to galvanise the city to showcase what we have to offer, working towards development certainty and creating investment confidence. We aim to promote the theme of a green and lowcarbon city as part of the drive to make the city the UK’s greenest.”
Tony Mernagh, executive director of the economic partnership, said the business community will be delighted to contribute to a review of the city’s economic strategy.
He said: “The city has come a long way over the past decade and weathered the 2008/09 recession well, although it remains to be seen how it will weather the recovery which seems to be moving at a snail’s pace.
“Also some issues, like the strategic use of land for jobs and homes, still require a coherent strategy.
“I have every confidence that, in seeking answers to difficult questions, the new administration will live up to their manifesto pledge and engage with the wider community including businesses.”
Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce president Julia Chanteray said the chamber is already drafting policy on ways it can contribute to a lower carbon economy. She said: “This sounds like a great initiative from the new Green administration and we look forward to helping the conversation between Brighton’s businesses and the council about the city’s economic and climate-friendly future.”
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