Moulsecoomb residents say the Brighton suburb is 'forgotten'

Tom Rudwick, 79, has lived in East Moulsecoomb, Brighton, for much of his life and says that, partly because of the “inadequate” bus service, he and other residents feel detached from the rest of the city.

The ex-serviceman said it has become a “slum” and gets “forgotten”.

A loose paving slab and overgrown weeds (Image: The Argus)

Mr Rudwick said: “There is no dignity here in East Moulsecoomb.

“I have lived here for years and it has just got worse and worse. It’s terrible.”

Labour councillors say they are working with the city council's officers and residents to develop a plan to improve the area for people, supporting the launch of Moulsecoomb and Bevendean Juniors FC and working to encourage the council to combat weeds and improve the refuse service.  

Overflo (Image: The Argus)

In Hodshrove Road, pavements are overgrown with weeds and grass verges are due a mow.

Round the corner in Moulsecoomb Way, recycling bins outside flats are overflowing.

Mr Rudwick said: “My friend has complained to the council about this three times and nothing has been done.”

John Marchant, who was born in Kemp Town, has also lived in the area for nearly 50 years.

John Marchant says he is 'average height' and the overgrown shrub still touches his head (Image: The Argus)

The 79-year-old said when the grass is cut, it is left on the pavements, making the streets hazardous for elderly residents.

“There are a lot of older people living here and I think it is only a matter of time before someone has an accident,” said Mr Marchant.

“I go down to The Level regularly and have seen council staff with leaf blowers to keep the pavements safe and clear. They will do it down there but not up here."

The men said East Moulsecoomb is a hotspot for flytipping.

• READ MORE: Hangleton's giant weeds a "danger to dogs and people"

Mr Rudwick showing overgrown weeds and loose paving slabs on a step down to his bus stop (Image: The Argus)

They also pointed out the southbound Goodwood Way bus stop was crashed into some two years ago and, while the wall has been repaired, the broken lamp post remains.

Mr Rudwick said he visited Whitehawk recently, an estate with a similar demographic to Moulsecoomb and only a little closer to the city centre.

“Whitehawk is a picture compared to East Moulsecoomb,” he said. "They have an active community centre and the area is cleaner.”

The pair also say the bus service is “inadequate”  and they are often left waiting in the cold.

“It’s not fair that the services up to the university are so reliable and frequent but our 49 is not,” said Mr Rudwick.

Buses are supposed to be every ten minutes during the day but the men said there are often cancellations and delays.

“We cannot use other routes along Lewes Road because getting off there means a long, uphill walk. It is much harder to walk that far as we get older. Many of us go shopping on the bus so would have to carry heavy bags too,” said Mr Marchant.

• READ MORE: Piles of rubbish scattered across city amid collection drought

Labour councillor Jacob Taylor said: “We were clear in our election campaign: Moulsecoomb and Bevendean has not got the support it deserves from the council in recent years. We listened. People feel frustrated that things haven’t improved over the years and we are working over the last few months to sort this out. We were elected on a platform to improve things – and residents are working with us on a variety of issues.

“At a recent residents' meeting in Moulsecoomb we proposed the idea of an estate walkabout between councillors, resident, and council officers aimed at identifying and documenting the issues that need fixing. What we now need is a plan for Moulsecoomb and a revived residents' association.”

Councillor Mitchie Alexander for Coldean and Stanmer, which also covers parts of Moulsecoomb, said: “People in Moulsecoomb are amazing – a real community who care for one another but who want to see positive changes. We’ve already worked on dozens of issues for residents and seen great results but we need to do more to keep improving the area.” 

Addressing issues of weeds, Brighton and Hove City Council said it is reviewing how pavements are maintained after it stopped using a harmful herbicide in 2019.

It also apologised for the recent disruption to refuse and recycling collections in some areas.

A spokesman said: “We are working hard to increase staffing cover to catch up all missed collections as soon as possible.”

Lloyd Russell-Moyle, MP for Kemptown which includes Moulsecoomb, said: "For most of my time as the MP, I've had to deal with cuts from the Conservative government and a hapless Green council. I've done over 6,000 pieces of casework in Moulsecoomb and I’ve knocked on every door in the area. If any resident wants to speak with me directly, contact my office to join me on my monthly surgery at the Bevy Pub."

Nick Hill, commercial director for Brighton and Hove Buses, said: "There is a nationwide shortage of bus drivers across the UK which is unfortunately affecting the level of bus services that can be operated. We are really sorry that services are being affected by this national situation. In the meantime, we are working hard to minimise the impact and apologise for any inconvenience caused."