After Labour’s landslide election win in Brighton and Hove last week, eyes are now turning towards what the party will do for the city over the next four years.

The party won 38 councillors in the local election, up from 20 in 2019. Meanwhile, the governing Green Party had their number of councillors cut to just seven.

Labour went into the election campaign calling for a “back to basics” approach, ensuring that essential services work well for local residents.

Here is a look back at ten pledges that Labour made in their manifesto to create a “better Brighton and Hove”.

‘War on weeds’

Labour promised to “safely wage war on weeds that have been allowed to grow”. The party ruled out returning to the use of glyphosates and said it would look for targeted environmental and sustainable solutions, protecting human health and ensuring streets are managed to a high standard.

‘Reliable rubbish collection’

Labour said it would improve the city’s rubbish and recycling collections as a “top priority”. They also pledged to review where communal rubbish bins are placed and consult with residents and business owners on where they could be better sited.

The party also said it would look into increasing the range of items that can be recycled and promised to introduce a food waste collection service.

Landlord licensing

Labour said they would support private renters and introduce tough measures to tackle rogue landlords to improve the quality of rental accommodation.

The party said it will implement landlord licensing as a top priority and “rigorously” enforce laws already in place to make sure houses of multiple occupation are safe for the people who live in them.

Labour also pledged to introduce an ethical lettings agency, work to end the welfare benefit discrimination in housing, and demand powers from the government to introduce rent caps.

‘Truly affordable new homes’

The party has said it would develop a housing strategy that “serves the needs of the city” and pledged to “leave no stone unturned in finding ways to build more social housing”.

Labour said it will increase social housing in the city, help older people downsize to free up larger council properties for families, and look for innovative ways to repurpose empty buildings into quality, affordable housing.

Various options would also be considered to improve the standard of emergency and temporary accommodation, including bringing more stock in-house.

LOCAL ELECTIONS 2023

‘Park and Ride expansion’

Labour said that residents have repeatedly called for more park and ride schemes and pledged to “listen and look at creating more park and ride spaces and mobility hubs”.

The party also said it would look at making travel on public transport more affordable and accessible.It promised to investigate ways to simplify fares, save vital routes and bring prices down.

Public transport routes will also be reviewed under Labour’s plans to ensure outlying areas are well served and have direct links to each other.

Support for local businesses

Labour said it would work to enable local independent shops to keep prices as low as high street chains and launch a “buy local” campaign to support and facilitate the development of “truly local businesses” across the city.

The party also said it would introduce pilot schemes for 20-minute neighbourhoods that “seek to create communities with all essential amenities within walking distance”.

‘Keeping schools open’

Labour has said it will look at changing catchment areas in the city to protect schools from closure, particularly in outlying areas. The party also pledged to improve support for the families of children on education, health and care plans and explore a more efficient way of helping to get them to school.

Improving night-time safety

To improve safety, particularly for women, Black, Asian and minority ethnic residents, and the LGBTQ+ community, Labour pledged to look into introducing a Night Time Safety Charter, work with late-night venues, encourage better policing and clampdown on drug and alcohol misuse.

‘Active listening’

Labour promised to “actively listen” to local communities about what amenities they need, pledging to work with advice organisations, faith groups, businesses and charities.