Brighton council news
Brighton council news, newest first: decisions, budgets, council tax, bins and services, each linked to the council's own papers.
Top story
Brighton School Places: Sibling Rule Stays, 30% Figure Goes
The schools adjudicator upheld Brighton's new sibling link but ruled the 30% free school meals figure and the waiting list rules must change by 31 October.
More stories
Roads
Brighton Potholes: 8,328 Repaired, £1.4m Government Award
Brighton & Hove fixed an estimated 8,328 potholes last year and has won £1.4m more from the DfT. One in seven A roads is still rated red for repair.
Community
Free Help Getting Online in Brighton: 11 Weekly Drop-ins
Free help with phones, laptops and the NHS App runs every weekday across Brighton & Hove. The council's new guide lists 11 weekly drop-ins, with times and numbers.
Christmas
Brighton Ice Rink Moves to the Old Steine From 2027
No Brighton ice rink this Christmas: the operator found no site with enough mains power. The Old Steine is the preferred home from 2027, agreed in principle.
Air Quality
Hove Wood Burners to Fall Under Smoke Control: Object by 26 Nov
The council has formally proposed one smoke control area for the whole urban city, Hove included for the first time. Objections close 26 November 2026.
SEND
Brighton SEND Plan Approved, Unlocking a 90% Deficit Grant
Government approval of Brighton & Hove's SEND plan unlocks a grant for 90% of its £1.762m high needs deficit. This year's £7.4m overspend is not covered.
Transport
Brighton Taxi Drivers Fall to 1,051, Down 15% Since 2024
Licensed taxi and private hire drivers in Brighton & Hove fell from 1,239 to 1,051 in two years, and freed taxi plates are going almost untaken.
Royal Pavilion
No Royal Pavilion Ice Rink This Winter, Council Report Says
Cabinet approved the £8.038m garden restoration on 15 October, so there is no Pavilion ice rink this winter. The rink is due back on the Old Steine from 2027.
Seafront
Black Rock: Padel and Fitness Site Recommended for 5 Years
Cabinet has backed a temporary padel, fitness and food venue at Black Rock on a lease of up to five years. The preferred bidder is still not named.
Council
Brighton Council Overspend Hits £23.8m, Up £3m in a Month
The council forecasts a £23.8m overspend for 2026/27, plus £18.9m of further risks, and has asked government for up to £30m more in emergency borrowing.
Council
Western Road Red Route Called In: Scrutiny Vote Tuesday
Fourteen councillors have called in Cabinet's Western Road Red Route decision. Scrutiny meets on Tuesday 6 October and can send it back to Cabinet.
Elections
Queen's Park By-Election Result: Green Wins by 337 Votes
Green Party's Mark Strong has won the Queen's Park by-election with 1,139 votes to Labour's 802. Turnout was 33.36%. Full result and what changes for the ward.
Planning
Coldean Neighbourhood Plan Passes: 374 Yes to 43 No
Coldean has voted 374 to 43 for its neighbourhood plan, which now counts in planning decisions. New HMO tests, eight protected green spaces and the next steps.
Kemptown
St James's Street Clean-Up Monday: Free Bulky Item Drop-Off
Council teams blitz St James's Street 7am to noon on Monday 28 September. Residents on the street and roads off it can dump one bulky item free, with ID.
Health
Brighton Tobacco Sales: Born 2009 or Later Barred From 1 Jan
From 1 January 2027 no shop may sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. The city's 13% smoking rate is the South East's highest, says the council.
Transport
A259 Seafront: Two Cycle Lanes Become One, Say by 25 Oct
The seafront's two cycle lanes would become one two-way track from Fourth Avenue to West Street. The council's consultation closes at 11.59pm on 25 October.
Hove
Hove's Floral Clock: Three Options, Vote Closes 14 Oct
Palmeira Square's 1953 Floral Clock is beyond repair. The council is asking which of three replacements residents want, and the survey shuts on 14 October.
Schools
Brighton School Places Close 31 Oct: 83.5% Got 1st Choice
83.5% of Brighton families got their first-choice secondary school this year, up from 79.7%. Applications for September 2027 close on 31 October 2026.
Council
Brighton Gets £6.4m for Social Care and Homelessness
Brighton & Hove has won £6.4m over two years to spend earlier on adult social care and homelessness, with 2,300 households in temporary accommodation.
Council
Brighton Asylum Hotel to Close: Council Presses Home Office
Women and families in a Brighton asylum hotel will be moved within weeks. Council leader Bella Sankey has asked the Home Office to review how moves are handled.
Taxis
Brighton Taxi Fares: Two-Mile Trip Rises to £9.30
Cabinet agreed on 17 September that a two-mile Brighton taxi ride can rise from £8.70 to £9.30 after a statutory notice period. Future rises go to an officer.
Seafront
A259 Arches: £41m Bid to Stop a Seafront Closure
The council's own bid says the westbound A259 and the seafront cycle lane would have to close without repairs. It wants £37m from government and is adding £4m.
Parks
Brighton Park Rules: Four New £100 Bans, Two Dropped
Dog bans extend to Blakers Park and Preston Park velodrome and four new orders carry £100 fines, but the drone and dog-walker bans are dropped.
Roadworks
Western Road Red Route: Approved, Now Called In
Cabinet approved Western Road's experimental Red Route on 17 September. Fourteen councillors have called it in, and scrutiny hears it on 6 October.
Flooding
Brighton Drains: 600 Gullies Cleared on 237 Roads
Contractors start clearing nearly 600 drains across 237 flood-prone roads next week. The city's flood strategy consultation closes on Sunday 27 September.
Parking
Hove Parking Zone Plan: Drop-In on 29 September
Aldrington, Orchards, Nevill and Goldstone Valley could get a controlled parking zone. Officers take questions at Bishop Hannington Church on 29 September.
Council
Brighton Council Expansion Paused, May 2027 Election Is On
Ministers have paused the plan to add Peacehaven, Telscombe and East Saltdean to Brighton & Hove. The city's May 2027 election now runs on today's 23 wards.
Business
Brighton Creative Workspace: 22,121 sq ft, Bids by 2 Oct
The council is offering 22,121 sq ft at Phoenix House and Lyndean House to creative firms. Bidders name their own rent, and bids close at noon on 2 October.
Bins and recycling
Brighton Bins Set to Go Fortnightly in July 2027
The council is preparing to collect rubbish every two weeks from July 2027. Its own survey found 44% of what goes in a Brighton rubbish bin could still be recycled.
Planning
Brighton City Plan: Land Found for 30% of Homes Needed
Brighton needs about 2,500 homes a year and has found sites for roughly 30% of that to 2044. Councillors are now asked whether to build on the city's last industrial land.
Council
Brighton Memorial Rules: Flowers Stay 28 Days, Not 14
Roadside flowers can stay 28 days with no permission needed under Brighton's redrafted memorials policy. Memorial tree applications close on 30 September.
Council
Wellington House Brighton: Cabinet Approves Closure
Cabinet voted on 17 September to close the Elm Grove day centre used by 21 adults with learning disabilities. Nobody moves until a transition plan is agreed.
Elections
Queen's Park By-Election: Polls Open 7am to 10pm Today
Voting in the Queen's Park by-election runs from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 24 September. Four polling stations, five candidates, photo ID required, count on Friday.
Housing
Brighton Rough Sleeping Funding: £1.35m Before Christmas
Brighton & Hove gets £1,350,803 this year, the biggest South East share, and £4.74m over three years. The government wants people off the street by Christmas.
Housing
Brighton temporary accommodation hits 2,027 households
Official figures for 31 March 2026 record 2,027 Brighton & Hove households in temporary accommodation, up 32% in a year and the highest rate of any council outside London.