Tim Ridgway’s Latest News
Tower struggles
The saga of the 600 foot tall viewing tower near the West Pier
£36 million for i360? To fund or not to fund?
The saga of the i360 has been rumbling on for nearly a decade. But after many false hopes, a deal to bring the 600-foot tall viewing tower to a seafront site near the West Pier will be discussed by Brighton and Hove councillors next week.
The proposal is for the city council to act as a middle man in drawing down a £36 million loan from the government and then hand the money straight over to developers. The four Green councillors on the ruling committee look set to vote for the loan, the three Labour members against.
“MP Simon Kirby has already said he opposes the deal arguing if no private money is found”
But it’s the stance of the Conservatives which is the most interesting, with party members being split on the issue. Brighton Kemptown MP Simon Kirby has already said he opposes the deal, arguing that if no private money is found, why should the public take the risk.
But there are other prominent members in the party who disagree and believe it will boost tourism and business. The issue will finally be resolved on March 6 at a special meeting of the council’s policy and resources committee.
Elementary, my dear…
With the economic climate biting deep, supermarkets are under more pressure to provide a bit of something extra. But shoppers at one budget store in Brighton have perhaps taken that mantra a little too far. Lidl in Arundel Road, Brighton, has stopped shoppers from taking metal baskets beyond the till.
The reason? Well, when one shopper asked, a shop assistant said it was because baskets kept on being stolen. The worker added 18 had disappeared in a week.
A Lidl spokeswoman was a little less colourful. She said: “While it is generally recognised by supermarkets that trolleys or baskets are occasionally taken from stores, there isn’t a notable issue with this at the Arundel Road store in Brighton.” Hmmm…
Shingle City
The winter storms have resulted in a real battering for Brighton and Hove’s seafront.
The most recent saw beach huts swept away and shingle transported onto the promenade.
The damage was so severe that a lorry was called in to shovel stones aside to create a path for those running the Brighton half-marathon.
Still, it wasn’t all bad news as one bench became buried in the shingle.
Some took advantage of the impromptu seat near the Peace Statue and put their feet up on the pebbles, claiming it was far more comfortable than the original wooden slats.
Those wanting to try it for themselves better be quick as it’s unlikely to stick around forever.
Rebel, Rebel
Rebel Green councillors are at it again as they launch a bid to oust Brighton and Hove council leader Jason Kitcat.
As reported first by The Latest, a year after failing to topple Cllr Kitcat, opponents in his own party are looking to change the rules to stop him winning a third term as convenor of the council’s Green group.
The bid, which is being backed by serving councillors Alex Phillips and Mike Jones, aims to give ordinary party members as much say in choosing the convenor as serving councillors – potentially meaning the de facto council leader may not have the support of his or her colleagues.
One senior party figure described the move as “extremely destructive and not good for the city”.
But party insiders dismissed the coup as a “rearguard action” from a small group of disgruntled individuals, adding it was “unlikely” the motion would get the support required.
At the time of writing, the result of the motion, which was to be discussed on Tuesday (February 25), was not known. Whichever way it went, it is certainly not the impression the Greens wanted to give ahead of a key budget meeting.
