Attended by some high profile global developers and a number of key local stakeholders and local MP Caroline Lucas, the City Plan Question Time was excellently chaired by the MD of Brighton & Hove Bus Company, Roger French OBE DL.

Panel members were Martin Randall [Brighton & Hove City Council’s Head of Planning & Public Protection], Colin Monk [Pro-Vice Chancellor Brighton University], regeneration expert Scott Marshall [This is Regeneration Ltd], Selma Montford MBE [The Brighton Society] and Paul Westbrook [Brighton College].

The debate featured a range of site specific topics, including the i360 project, the future of Brighton Marina, the further community engagement that Brighton College can provide and the innovative methods that the council are taking to address strategic sites that have failed to come to fruition.

Robert Sprunt, Executive Chairman at Sprunt said “Two years ago, Sprunt recognised the opportunity to work with a credible and well respected local company, Centurion Group, and our relationship has gone from strength to strength with the sole aim of creating sustainable developments for Brighton and Hove. This debate was designed to assist the council in its public consultation on the Core Strategy and for the private sector to get first hand answers on the way forward for development in Brighton & Hove”.

Ed Allison-Wright, Director at Centurion Group added “I was delighted to see such a great turnout of both global developers and key local stakeholders at our joint event. The debate has been filmed and our intention is to present this to the general public for greater community-wide engagement with an exciting and passionate debate. This consultation period is a prime opportunity for us [the local community] to contribute to our City’s future and I urge anyone with a concern or opinion to comment throughout this consultation process.”

Tony Mernagh, Executive Director of Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership stated “The City Plan is one of the most vital documents to come before the business community for consultation. Its effects will be felt for the next two decades and it is essential that we get it right. This is an excellent opportunity to interrogate the draft before it becomes reality”.

Paul Westbrook, Bursar and Deputy Headmaster of Brighton College, said: “We are very glad to have hosted this event and to have had the opportunity to engage with both the council and the wider community in debating what will be such an important framework for Brighton over the next 20 years. We find much to applaud in the proposals. For the College itself, given our continued growth and desire to expand our facilities by setting the best in contemporary architecture alongside our beautiful listed buildings, it is very pleasing to see support for such developments. More generally, we believe the council’s green agenda is laudable.”

Watch the video of the Question Time event