Brighton MP raises party matter with minister

Simon Kirby, the Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown, has pressed a government minister about the problem of party houses at a private meeting.

Mr Kirby met Environment Minister Lord Henley on Tuesday (13 September) at the offices of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in Westminster.

He discussed party houses, which are properties where the owner no longer lives at the property but regularly lets it for weekend-long parties.

These have become a problem in some parts of Brighton and Hove with persistent noise and anti-social behaviour upsetting neighbours.

Mr Kirby, who sought the meeting after residents in Ovingdean presented a petition to him earlier this year, said: “This is an important issue for local people and I am grateful to the minister for finding the time to meet with me to discuss this matter.”

He said that at present Brighton and Hove City Council did not believe that it had adequate powers to satisfactorily deal with this issue.

Mr Kirby said: ‘The minister was able to provide some guidance on how best to tackle what is becoming an increasing problem in Brighton.

“The opportunity to speak to the minister about this issue at national level is, in my view, important in seeking a solution.

“I represented my constituents frustrations very strongly to Lord Henley.”

Earlier this year Mr Kirby raised the matter in a debate in the House of Commons.