News: Tim Ridgeway

This week’s headlines from across the city

ROADWORKS HELL
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… at least when it come to roadworks.Last week I totted up more than 100 different sets of schemes taking place across the city.Brighton and Hove City Council maintains that the works are essential and required to keep everyone moving.

But speaking to businesses – some of whom are claiming they are on the verge of closing due to long-running works – they are far from happy.

CHRISTMAS PARKING PRESENT
From bad news to motorists to a bit of good news…
This year once again parking charges will be lifted at five city centre car parks on December 6, as well as Sundays December 7, 14 and 21.

Green councillors claim the decision was “fact-free” – pointing out that council experts said it had no obvious impact on bringing more people into the city.

But opposition councillors ignored the estimated £64,00 hit in revenue, adding it was important message to send to shoppers in the run up to Christmas.

CO-OP HOUSNG

The housing crisis in Brighton and Hove is reaching new heights.

With more and more people wanting to live here, more and more “locals” are being priced out.

But the city council has come up with a novel idea to provide affordable housing.

Speaking on The Vote, Latest TV’s current affairs show, housing committee cairman Cllr Bill Randall said he believed community land trusts could be the answer to the city’s housing crisis.

The radical scheme has proved a hit in some European countries – but could it work here?

TOWERING PLANS
Work is due to start tomorrow (Wednesday, November 19) on the £1.3 million restoration of the tower of Brighton’s cathedral – St Peter’s Church.

The church has already spent a similar sum restoring the main building since the new team took over five years ago.And now they have their sights on a higher goal.

The work on the tower is scheduled to be carried out in three phases and to last about 18 months.

FUNDRAISING SUCCESS 1
Good news for charity fundraisers!

Macmillan has announced it has just £500,000 more to raise for its new cancer support centre in Brighton.Proposals for the £6 million building were first unveiled five years ago.

And with work now progressing, the charity has confirmed that it is now on the verge of reaching its target.As campaigners celebrated, Latest TV’s Mhairi Beveridge caught up with Sara Cutting (pictured below), a cancer patient, who is raising money in a very special way – by wearing a different headpiece every day.

For more details visit www.justgiving.com/chemosnoodhead.

FUNDRAISING SUCCESS 2
This year’s Children In Need was once again a runaway success.

From the workers at Legal and General in Hove who stayed on to man the phones to young Lilly Armstrong, who joined up with her friends to record a cover of Take That’s Shine – the efforts from all were fantastic The Latest TV cameras were out and about capturing some of the work – and we weren’t left disappointed.

FUN OF THE FAIR
Those of you looking for a little bit of Christmas shopping inspiration could do worse than pop along to Made
Brighton.

The city’s annual contemporary craft and design fair has become a real hit in recent years. It returns to the Corn Exchange on Friday and runs till Sunday.

WAKE UP CALL
So apparently residents in Brighton spend more money on coffee that in any other place across the country. Even the recession has not halted the caffeine craze – with seemingly a café a week opening up in the city centre.

I’ll drink to that…