The Argus • 19/04/2025

MP says Hove is 'giving Miami a run for its money'

Labour MP Peter Kyle for Hove and Portslade praised the new Hove Beach Park in an interview with The Argus. The project, known as Kingsway to the Sea, was established by Brighton and Hove City Council to regenerate the “underused” and “run-down” seafront in West Hove by creating a new park. Following a public online vote in February 2023, the park was then named Hove Beach Park. “I was very closely involved in Kingsway to the sea. In fact, I signed the original application for having...

The Argus • 18/04/2025

Technology secretary and Hove MP reveals why he used ChatGPT to ask about policy

Peter Kyle, the secretary of State for science, innovation and technology, told The Argus that media reports about his AI usage in government have “no context”. On March 13 an article was published in New Scientist headlined "How the UK tech secretary uses ChatGPT for policy advice" following a Freedom of Information request asking for his records using the AI software. READ MORE: Residents contact MP ‘in terror’ over disability benefit cuts The Hove and Portslade MP explained that h...

The Argus • 16/04/2025

Residents contact MP ‘in terror’ over disability benefit cuts

In an exclusive interview, Sian Berry, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion slammed the government’s proposed £5 billion of savings through welfare reforms, as she says it "rips away" vulnerable people’s ability to live. She told the Argus that 31 per cent of her constituents are living with someone who is disabled. “Why are they [the government] cracking down on the people who are already struggling so much?” the MP said. “They said they want to grow our domestic product but then they're...

The Argus • 12/04/2025

'Young people are moving to London because its cheaper than living here'

In an exclusive interview with The Argus, Peter Kyle, Labour MP for Hove and Portslade, emphasised that he wants young people to “stay local if they want to” and that he is “pro-development”. “It's rare for me to oppose development,” the MP said. “I see part of my job as steering development, developers and communities to come together to get the development that communities like. “People want us to be a city where young people can grow up, leave home, but stay local if they want to....

The Argus • 10/04/2025

Parking permits cost increases by more than 300 due to council ‘error’

Lancing Parish Council has confirmed that it was wrongfully charging Lancing residents £60 for annual parking permits in the last three years due to an “error by the previous Clerk”. This effects permit holders for the Lancing Beach Green and Widewater Lagoon car parks. The council has confirmed that the annual fee for the coming year will be £250, a 317 per cent increase from the previous year. Lancing Beach Green car park (Image: Eddie Mitchell) In a letter to permit holders, the p...

The Argus • 08/04/2025

'53 more roads in city will be resurfaced' thanks to funding boost

The Argus can reveal that the overall funding for road maintenance this financial year will be £7.3 million - up from £5.7million last year - after getting extra money from the government.  Cllr Jacob Taylor and Cllr Trevor Muten in Hillside, Moulsecoomb visiting the road resurfacing (Image: NQ) Council cabinet members Jacob Taylor and Trevor Muten visited the first road resurfacing paid for by the increased funding in Hillside, Moulsecoomb, on April 3. Highway maintenance workers were a...

The Argus • 06/04/2025

Jobs saved at primary school after parents, teachers and politicians strike

National Education Union (NEU) members at Western Road Community Primary School, Lewes, have persuaded their employer to abandon plans to cut more than half the school’s teaching assistants. Nick Childs, the NEU senior regional officer, said he was “pleased” that the school has been able to “avoid compulsory redundancies of permanent teaching assistants”. Parents, teachers and students protesting against the cuts in Lewes (Image: Supplied) The move comes after members took part in strike...

The Argus • 04/04/2025

Ex-councillor slams decision to approve 100 homes on city's 'last green lung'

Ex-Brighton and Hove City councillor Dawn Barnett condemned the council’s decision to give the green light to the housing project in Benfield Valley, Hangleton, and said the community will not stop fighting against the development. On Wednesday, campaigners gathered outside Hove Town Hall prior to the planning committee meeting to protest against the application by Benfield Investments Ltd and Benfield Property Ltd to build on the site just north of Hangleton Lane and east of the A293 link r...

The Argus • 03/04/2025

Labour MPs banned from city's Trans Pride event

Trans Pride Brighton announced on social media that Peter Kyle, MP for Hove and Portslade, and Chris Ward, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, are not welcome at its event on July 19. In response to the news, Peter emphasised that he would continue to “fight for equality". He told The Argus: “I hope everyone at this year’s Trans Pride has a great time. “Those attending can rest assured that I’ll continue my fight for equality just as I always have.” MP Peter Kyle in Downing...

The Argus • 31/03/2025

MPs condemn government’s ‘reckless’ Spring Budget

On Wednesday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves used her spring statement to announce a series of public spending cuts in order to balance the books without raising taxes. Following the Spring Statement, Liberal Democrat MP James for Lewes has said that the Chancellor “missed her chance” to deliver the change needed for his constituents, whilst Tory MP Mims Davies for East Grinsted and Uckfield called it “reckless”. Liberal Democrat MP James for Lewes in the House of Commons (Image: House of Comm...

The Argus • 28/03/2025

Academic says university must ‘move on’ from free speech row after investigation

The Office for Students (OfS) issued a record penalty of £585,000 to the university after an investigation ruled it had failed in its duty to uphold freedom of speech on campus. The investigation, which took nearly three-and-a-half years, came after protests called for the dismissal of former academic Professor Kathleen Stock in 2021 over her views on gender identity. University of Sussex in Falmer (Image: Eddie Mitchell) Writing for the online magazine UnHerd today, professor Stock said...

The Argus • 24/03/2025

Councils will get millions more to fix potholes - if they prove they are fixing them

From mid-April, local authorities will start to receive their share of the Government’s record £1.6bn highway maintenance funding, including an extra £79m for the South East.  This includes Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC), West Sussex County Council and East Sussex County Council. But to get the full amount, all councils in England must now publish annual progress reports and prove public confidence in their work.  Local authorities who fail to meet these strict conditions will...

The Argus • 22/03/2025

Protest held against welfare reforms in Brighton city centre

Supporters of Crips Against Cuts Brighton (CACB), a disabled-led pressure group, were demonstrating at the Clock Tower, Brighton on Saturday. The demonstration aimed to raise awareness of the “devastating impact” that the recently announced cuts will have on local residents. The £5 billion of savings, through the welfare reforms, will largely come from changes to eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), but also from a reduction of the health element of universal credit,...

The Argus • 17/03/2025

Council wants to turn hospital building into 500 social housing units

Deputy Council Leader Jacob Taylor said the authority wants to work in partnership with owners Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust to create social housing at the  Brighton General Hospital site in Elm Grove. This would include turning the Arundel Building into housing units, while also supporting the trust in building a long-awaited health hub on the land.Deputy Council Leader Jacob Taylor and Cllr Ty Galvin in front of Brighton General Hospital (Image: Ramy Abou-Setta/The Argus) Cllr Tay...

The Argus • 13/03/2025

School could be shut for five days over strikes protesting job cuts

Parents, teachers, students and politicians gathered outside Western Road Community Primary School in Lewes on Wednesday morning for the first day of strike action. The National Education Union (NEU) has called for five more days of strikes due to the proposed reduction of teachers and teaching assistant positions in the school. Strike days coming up include:  March 18, March 20, March 25, March 26, and March 27. The school, which according to parents is already "oversubscribed and h...

The Argus • 09/03/2025

Plans revealed to permanently block off busy road to prevent 'rat run'

Brighton and Hove City Council has proposed a traffic regulation order to the junction of Fonthill Road and Newtown Road in Hove. Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for transport, parking and public realm, said: “This is designed to reduce vehicle speed, to limit the use of these residential streets as rat runs, and to make this area safer for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and the community as a whole." The proposed plans by the council (Image: BHCC) READ MORE: Brighton potho...

The Argus • 07/03/2025

Cabbies' pothole fury as driver says constant swerving makes him look drunk

But Brighton and Hove City Council said tackling potholes is a "real priority" and welcomed a large increase in funding to help with road maintenance. Andrew Peters is part of the Brighton and Hove Cab Trade Association - which consists of drivers from across the city. READ MORE: Large pothole has been discovered on A259 in Brighton He said potholes across the city are so bad, he has had to tell customers he is not drunk - just swerving around the trenches in the road. Andrew sai...

The Argus • 06/03/2025

The 8 key issues from Brighton and Hove's budget discussed by top councillor

Last week, the council put forward its budget for 2025/26 totalling around £1.1 billion, which was backed by the cabinet members. Speaking with the Argus, deputy leader of the council Jacob Taylor, who is also cabinet member for finance and city regeneration, shared details about the priorities of the council within this budget, the reason for cuts in some sectors and why the council will be paying back £2.2 million for the next 14 years. "If we go back to September, we published a budge...

The Argus • 03/03/2025

Sussex hospital trust delivers biggest waiting list reduction in entire NHS

The reduction achieved by University Hospitals Sussex accounted for nearly one-fifth of England’s total reduction in 2024, according to the trust. Dr George Findlay, the trust’s chief executive, said: “Clearly, too many people are waiting too long to access hospital services, and I wish to apologise to everyone who continues to wait for treatment at one of our hospitals. “However, it’s also important we acknowledge and commend the hard work and innovations of our teams in Sussex, especia...

The Argus • 28/02/2025

Council staff taken to hospital after suspected 'airborne issue' in Brighton office

Brighton and Hove City Council had to close its offices on Thursday in Bartholomew House, Brighton after two council staff working there "required medical attention". Jess Gibbons, chief executive of Brighton and Hove City Council, said: “As a precaution, due to concerns that it may have been caused by an airborne issue, we took immediate steps to close the building while investigations were undertaken." The offices will be closed to staff until Monday. Bartholomew House in BrightonS...