Roadmap to Recovery: City Makes Plans

Brighton & Hove City Council have established a Covid-19 City Recovery Programme to steer the city and council through the recovery phase of the pandemic. Focussing on building a solid foundation so that Brighton & Hove emerges as a healthier and more sustainable city, the programme was created as a sub-committee by the Policy and Resources committee and will consist of five members, chaired by the council leader, Nancy Platts (Labour).

“Whilst our immediate priority remains to protect the health of our residents and overcome the Covid-19 outbreak, it is important that the council and its partners also start to look at shaping our city for the future. How recovery efforts are structured will define our city for decades to come. The City Recovery Programme will aim to build a solid foundation so that Brighton & Hove has the best opportunity to emerge as healthier, more equal and a sustainable place to live, work and visit” said Nancy Platts.

The objective of the Programme is to develop a co-ordinated recovery programme that will guide the city and the council through the transition, from the emergency response of the outbreak to recovery and shaping the future.

The programme will co-ordinate the economic recovery within the city in collaboration with businesses, residents and partner organisations. It will also oversee the co-ordination of the recovery effort with local, regional and national bodies, including co-ordinating a lobbying strategy where appropriate.

The Covid-19 City Recovery Programme will be split up into three phases.

The first stage will be developing the City Recovery Programme and establishing the key work-streams and recovery plans intended to be used in response to the pandemic.

The second stage will be the delivery of the initial recovery strategy. This will include the relaxation  from the lockdown arrangements and implementing the initial recovery plans.

The third and final stage will be putting the recovery plans into practice.

The preparations for recovery will enable the council, its residents and businesses to be in the best possible position to minimise losses and make best use of opportunities that emerge. This will require a co-ordinated programme over the next 18 months.

The council will be working with businesses and communities across the city, including Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, the Universities and the NHS. The Recovery Programme will also be able to influence the development of wider recovery planning for regional bodies such as Greater Brighton and Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership.

Working with partners, the council will look at restarting projects, restoring projects, lobbying for financial support, and making positive changes to shape the city’s future.