"Catching the Sun" solar energy event on Fri 21st Jan

Hanover Action for Sustainable Living (HASL) formed just over a year ago as a spontaneous reaction to a showing of the film The Age of Stupid in Hanover. I feel it still has the spirit of "This is important, right what are we going to do about it?" which I love.

I suggested the idea of bringing solar energy installers together with local Hanover residents, to publicise the Labour government's feed-in-tariffs deal. Feed-in tariffs mean that if you install solar PV panels, you get paid for every unit of electricity they generate, even if you use it yourself, and if you generate surplus electricity it goes back into the grid. It's designed to offer a generous incentive to those home owners who are able to make the initial investment and willing to lead the way. What you generate will vary, but typically the return on investment is around 9% over the whole 25-year period you get the tariff. Crucially, if there are several people interested, they can work together with installers to get a good deal on the installation costs.

The idea of an event was taken up enthusiastically by HASL, and it has grown to include a presentation from Brighton and Hove Energy Co-operative, amongst other things, for those people who are interested in investing in FITs but don't happen to own a roof! It's all happening this coming Friday, Jan 21st, at 7.30pm at the Hanover Centre.

Tracey Hill

Ed Miliband's approach is right for the party and the country

Listening to Ed Miliband's Q and A session in Hove this morning, I really felt that his approach at this time is right. Of course in the press, Labour can do nothing right, but Ed was elected leader on the basis that he would get back in touch with members of the party and with the broader public. And that takes time - sessions like the one today with hundreds of people of all political persuasions, listening to their concerns and feeding them in, allowing them to steer where we go next. It would be easy to wade in with policy ideas now and risk alienating voters and Labour loyalists all over again. We need to recognise what we got wrong, while at the same time appreciating what we did well, and that is absolutely what Ed is doing.

Ed really shows himself to be someone who cares about doing things right on issues I agree with - reducing inequality, combating climate change and ensuring that we have excellent public services. He is a great Leader of the Opposition for Brighton and Hove, and anyone who would like to see the back of this Coalition government should be right behind him.

Points raised were varied but included - what more can we do to address climate change, NHS funding and staffing, libraries, further education, police handling of protests, and attitudes to people on benefit. On this latter, I was struck by the experiences of someone who advises benefit claimants: we are always hearing about benefit cheats and of course that needs to be addressed, but there are many people out there who are under-claiming, and not getting what they need and are entitled to.

The Level Redesign - consultation continues through Jan

The Council are proposing some exciting improvements to The Level and are asking people for their views on two different options. Visit their website to find out when the various consultation events are. They continue right through January so there's still time to take a look.

There are two separate parts to the development - the garden and park element, a Heritage Lottery Fund application, and the skatepark, which will be funded separately. There are different views, particularly on the location of the skatepark, which in an earlier proposal was in the north part of The Level on what is currently the large grassy area. The two current options have the skatepark just to the north of the Rosewalk and just to the south.

See also Friends of the Level for more info.

It's important that as many people as possible have a say on this - not just current users of the space but those who may use it in the future.

Bus Service Subsidies Cut - Petition

Update: there's now an online petition to sign to show your support for buses in this part of the city:

http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=180&RPID=843218

School Sports - continuing the campaign

The Government's recent announcement on School Sports Partnership still represents an 80% cut in funding, and the measures announced are only short term. We would like to see more done to keep SSPs going.

So we are still collecting signatures across the city. Even in blizzard conditions! See this photo of sturdy campaigner Anna outside Elm Grove School on the last day of term as the snow came in. That's dedication for you.

The petition will be presented at the Council meeting on 27th January. If we get enough signatures it will trigger a debate, so please do sign up if you haven't already. We'll be doing more on this in the New Year. The SSP in Brighton and Hove was highly successful, and we'll do everything we can to keep as much of it in place as possible.

Attack on the young

Canvassing in Bonchurch Road, off Elm Grove, yesterday, I was struck by how many people reported how they were personally being affected by the cuts in services for young people. It is almost as if there is a war on the young being waged by this government and Brighton and Hove council. As a governor at Varndean School I see it from the inside too as cuts in services such as Connexions, which offers a whole range of advice and help for young people, begin to bite. Now we have the plan to cut the Schools Sports Partnerships, which have helped so many schools in our area. If you want to do something about this then sign the petition on the council website at:
http://present.brighton-hove.gov.uk/mgePetitionListDisplay.aspx?bcr=1
If enough people sign it then the city council cabinet will be forced to debate and justify this move openly.
Leo Barraclough

Patch Winter Warmer

This was a great afternoon event to brighten up a winter's day - a couple of fires to huddle by, a live band, pyrotechnics and a nice bit of mulled wine. Here's me trying not to look cold!