'Greater Brighton' sees councils join together to save money

1:00pm Thursday 14th February 2013 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter

Brighton and Hove City Council leader Jason Kitcat is one of the leaders behind the scheme to push for more money for Sussex councils Brighton and Hove City Council leader Jason Kitcat is one of the leaders behind the scheme to push for more money for Sussex councils

A “Greater Brighton” has been formed to rival London, Manchester and Birmingham.

Politicians representing 500,000 people from Goring to Cuckmere Haven have joined forces for the first time to attract funding of hundreds of millions of pounds.

It comes as part of a bid by Brighton and Hove, Lewes, Adur and Worthing councils to the Government for devolved powers to “kick start” the economy across the south coast.

Bosses at Brighton and Hove City Council said even if the City Deal bid is unsuccessful, “Greater Brighton” will continue to represent the region on a national and international stage.

This would put it on a par with cities like London, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham when competing for investment.

But council leaders denied that working together meant they were giving up individual identities.

City council leader Jason Kitcat told The Argus: “This is first and foremost about influencing government and business.

“Joining together pushes us beyond that valuable 500,000 population mark which opens up possibilities on the funding front. It’s not about losing any identity.

“If you look at London and Manchester, they have a regional identity but there is also a local one.

“It’s about recognising that the area is all connected.”

Up-and-coming

But Adur district councillor Liza McKinney said: “Brighton has always had its eyes on us. I think their argument centres on the port and they have already nabbed the airport off us.

"I think it would be pitchforks and riots in the street if they joined Shoreham and Southwick with Brighton.”

The Greater Brighton region was one of just 20 up-and-coming areas invited to submit bids in the second stage of the City Deal.

The councils joined the city’s two universities, business leaders and key companies, such as E.ON, American Express, Ricardo, and EDF, to draw up a plan. It is focused on boosting “eco tech” industries.

The proposals include reviving stalled redevelopment sites such as Newhaven Port, Preston Barracks and Shoreham Harbour.

Regional powerhouse

Bosses also want to have flexibility to set local tax rates and remove red tape to help smaller and medium sized businesses.

The exact powers will be decided after negotiations with Whitehall officials and ministers.

Coun Kitcat said: “We are bidding to cement our position as a regional powerhouse for digital and eco-tech businesses whilst ensuring key development projects can regain momentum.”

Adur District Council leader Neil Parkin said he had been working with Brighton and Hove for a number of years. He added: “We will do anything that will bring money into our communities. But it certainly will not affect our identity.”

Raising profile

Lewes District Council leader James Page said: “There’s no question of losing identity. We’re bringing quite a substantial amount to the party. There are examples, such as the ultrafast broadband bid, where Brighton has missed out due to population levels.

“If we can help out Brighton and raise the regional profile then so be it.”

Tony Mernagh, of Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: “We have to be able to be bigger than just Brighton in order to be attractive to both industries and central government.”

City bosses believe an announcement on whether Greater Brighton will reach the next stage will be made this week.

A spokeswoman for the Cabinet Office said no date had yet been set.

If successful in the initial stage, a final bid will be submitted to the Government by June 2013.

Talking point: To what extent do you welcome the idea of Sussex council's joining together? Share your views by commenting below or write a longer piece for The Argus letters pages by emailing letters@theargus.co.uk

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Comments(59)

Kiddon72 says...
1:30pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Good bye to individuality.

All must now be part of the larger Soviet Commune.
Think correct thoughts and speak correct words and you will be a true member of the party.

Report this post »

ArundelTerrazzo says...
1:34pm Thu 14 Feb 13

My favourite “kick start” would be to kick out the Greens.

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NickBtn says...
1:37pm Thu 14 Feb 13

There seems to be lots of individuals with very differing views quoted. Each a big fish in a small pond. However they now want one larger pond.

I suspect they will spend most of their time fighting with each other

Or worse, if these "fish" are as well cared for as the ones in Preston Park.....

Report this post »

paul76 says...
1:40pm Thu 14 Feb 13

As long as the greens don't push their anti car views west towards Lancing.

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Morpheus says...
1:41pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Just more waffle and no substance.

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Charismatic Andrew says...
1:45pm Thu 14 Feb 13

But Adur district councillor Liza McKinney said: "I think it would be pitchforks and riots in the street if they joined Shoreham and Southwick with Brighton.”

..... pitchforks?? PITCHFORKS????? Has Liza McKinney been transported in time from the 1300s?

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Crystal Ball says...
1:57pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Whilst it's an old and previously used picture of Kit Kat, it's worth mentioning the lack of respect he showed the position he holds and colleagues by not wearing a tie and letting his vest ride up.

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NickBrt says...
2:01pm Thu 14 Feb 13

But think of the opportunities for travellers to have so many more pitches to choose from if we amalgamated. Well done, Jason Kitecat.

Report this post »

jamus77 says...
2:11pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Oh look, people are slagging off the Green party again, for no apparent reason. ZZzzzz.....

Report this post »

NickBrt says...
2:29pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Theres always a reason to slag off the greens jamus.

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Hoarder12345444 says...
2:40pm Thu 14 Feb 13

I have always thought of it as that in a way and in others not, places like saltdean and Newhaven and Portslade are essentially part of greater Brighton. They are also part of Sussex so it's a bit pointless saying this really. Brighton and Hove is no way as big as Manchester or London.

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Smartbloke says...
3:19pm Thu 14 Feb 13

NickBrt wrote:
Theres always a reason to slag off the greens jamus.
No there isn't, unless you wish to do exactly the same to all the parties, especially the Government parties.

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Smartbloke says...
3:20pm Thu 14 Feb 13

paul76 wrote:
As long as the greens don't push their anti car views west towards Lancing.
Which anti-car views would they be? The ones you've just made up?

I assume you haven't seen the plans for Valley Gardens in central Brighton which allow for more cars...? Nope, didn't think so.

Twerp.

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taman says...
3:26pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Well 500,000 people from Goring to Cuckmere Haven best get yourself ready for... cyclists encouraged to go the wrong way along one way streets,£25 to park your car, hundreds of traffic wardens many on motor scooters who often work the streets 24 hours a day,unneeded and costly bus lanes put in to "FORCE" residents onto expensive busses,perminant travelers sites on your door step,"shared spaces"at bus stops wheres theres danger of being hit by a cyclist, dead fish in your park ponds,oh and your going to love parking permits

Report this post »

006 and a third says...
3:32pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Have the letters "Fuc" been obscured in the picture by Mr Kitcat's head?

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medianscore says...
4:07pm Thu 14 Feb 13

I can't think of anything worse than the filth of B&H expanding its tentacles into Lewes and the Cuckmere Haven.

B&H is a filthy hole run by an equally filthy soviet style council. Thank god I live in Rye, far away from the dump.

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Hoarder12345444 says...
4:17pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Smartbloke wrote:
paul76 wrote:
As long as the greens don't push their anti car views west towards Lancing.
Which anti-car views would they be? The ones you've just made up?

I assume you haven't seen the plans for Valley Gardens in central Brighton which allow for more cars...? Nope, didn't think so.

Twerp.
Arrogant freak.

Report this post »

jamus77 says...
4:26pm Thu 14 Feb 13

taman wrote:
Well 500,000 people from Goring to Cuckmere Haven best get yourself ready for... cyclists encouraged to go the wrong way along one way streets,£25 to park your car, hundreds of traffic wardens many on motor scooters who often work the streets 24 hours a day,unneeded and costly bus lanes put in to "FORCE" residents onto expensive busses,perminant travelers sites on your door step,"shared spaces"at bus stops wheres theres danger of being hit by a cyclist, dead fish in your park ponds,oh and your going to love parking permits
But it's got nothing to do with forming a unitary authority, so why would any of the things you state happen? Oh.... you're trying to be funny. Another one.

Report this post »

Phani Tikkala says...
4:50pm Thu 14 Feb 13

jamus77 wrote:
taman wrote:
Well 500,000 people from Goring to Cuckmere Haven best get yourself ready for... cyclists encouraged to go the wrong way along one way streets,£25 to park your car, hundreds of traffic wardens many on motor scooters who often work the streets 24 hours a day,unneeded and costly bus lanes put in to "FORCE" residents onto expensive busses,perminant travelers sites on your door step,"shared spaces"at bus stops wheres theres danger of being hit by a cyclist, dead fish in your park ponds,oh and your going to love parking permits
But it's got nothing to do with forming a unitary authority, so why would any of the things you state happen? Oh.... you're trying to be funny. Another one.
Given that most of the funding the greens seem to have secured so far is for gigantic cycle lanes, travellers and skate parks, taman has a point

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george smith says...
5:04pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Heres praying west sussex and east sussex, carve up brighton and its good bye to this lot

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fred clause says...
5:06pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Smartbloke wrote:
paul76 wrote:
As long as the greens don't push their anti car views west towards Lancing.
Which anti-car views would they be? The ones you've just made up?

I assume you haven't seen the plans for Valley Gardens in central Brighton which allow for more cars...? Nope, didn't think so.

Twerp.
well anti car views part 1 this 20 mph debacle there spreading under the safety banner but will just cause more gridlock and pollution as confirmed by those in the know http://www.theaa.com
/public_affairs/news
/20mph-roads-emissio
ns.html and not the green friendly rubbish Kitkat trys to fob you off with

Report this post »

fred clause says...
5:09pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Also noticed whenever you tweet Jason he always trys to give you loads of answers until you prove him wrong which doesn't take much then he stops tweeting you.

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dawind says...
5:47pm Thu 14 Feb 13

People claiming Disability Benefit better watch out as Brighton & Hove City Council have now sent out debit forms for Council Tax so they can suck some of the benefit money into the coffers.
Shame on the Greens.
PS I've voted Green for 31 years. Never again!

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wole says...
5:58pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Please resign Kitcat, your ideas are just so pathetic!

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saraman says...
6:17pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Stop at the Portslade/Southwick border. We are happy(ish) in West Sussex. We don't want Kitkat and co anywhere near us. Any one noticed that of all the kids requiring adoption along the south coast, most are in East Sussex, (Whitehawk, Moulescomb etc)

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Richard M says...
6:21pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Hope it doesn't mean more nutty schemes like the Beddingham to Firle cycle path, which I've never seen a single person use, and when what's really needed is a dual carriageway upgrade.

Traditionally Brighton council has seen the rest of East Sussex either as an adjacent national park, or as somewhere to dump the rubbish.

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localboy78 says...
6:23pm Thu 14 Feb 13

First of all, should it be 'Greater Brighton & Hove'??? 'Brighton' is the name of the town within the city of 'Brighton & Hove'!

If they want to save money, they should abolish Brighton & Hove council and all the other Sussex district councils and make East and West Sussex county councils unitary authorities, or merge East and West to form one big 'Sussex Council'.

It's also interesting to note that during the Sussex local government reforms in the mid-90's the preferred proposal was to have a 'Sussex Coastal Council' unitary district going all the way from Worthing through to Peacehaven!

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localboy78 says...
6:26pm Thu 14 Feb 13

saraman wrote:
Stop at the Portslade/Southwick border. We are happy(ish) in West Sussex. We don't want Kitkat and co anywhere near us. Any one noticed that of all the kids requiring adoption along the south coast, most are in East Sussex, (Whitehawk, Moulescomb etc)
Can you imagine how us Hove lot felt when Hove Borough Council was abolished and we were lumped in with Brighton to form a new joint council? In the good old days of the Borough of Hove we were just like Southwick and Shoreham - next to Brighton but administratively separate.

Hove even asked if it could join Adur district rather than join up with Brighton but Adur councillors hated the idea!

Please Adur - can Hove join you? We HATE being part of this horrible Brighton-centric looney Green council!

Report this post »

saraman says...
6:29pm Thu 14 Feb 13

localboy78 wrote:
First of all, should it be 'Greater Brighton & Hove'??? 'Brighton' is the name of the town within the city of 'Brighton & Hove'! If they want to save money, they should abolish Brighton & Hove council and all the other Sussex district councils and make East and West Sussex county councils unitary authorities, or merge East and West to form one big 'Sussex Council'. It's also interesting to note that during the Sussex local government reforms in the mid-90's the preferred proposal was to have a 'Sussex Coastal Council' unitary district going all the way from Worthing through to Peacehaven!
No thank you. You keep East Sussex, we'll keep West Sussex.

Report this post »

queen of carling says...
6:33pm Thu 14 Feb 13

What is Mr Kitcat's obsession with changing the names of our streets, and town? It wasn't that long ago that he wanted the western end of Brighton called Westlaine!! Can't the workers at the Council keep him occupied with a bit of filing and photocopying to occupy his mind. Maybe even make the tea. O and get him a colouring book and some felt tips.

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Hovite says...
6:35pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Should drop Brighton & Hove as the city name, too much of a mouthful. It should simply be the City of Lewes. Afrer all it is the county town of East Sussex.

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saraman says...
6:38pm Thu 14 Feb 13

localboy78 wrote:
saraman wrote: Stop at the Portslade/Southwick border. We are happy(ish) in West Sussex. We don't want Kitkat and co anywhere near us. Any one noticed that of all the kids requiring adoption along the south coast, most are in East Sussex, (Whitehawk, Moulescomb etc)
Can you imagine how us Hove lot felt when Hove Borough Council was abolished and we were lumped in with Brighton to form a new joint council? In the good old days of the Borough of Hove we were just like Southwick and Shoreham - next to Brighton but administratively separate. Hove even asked if it could join Adur district rather than join up with Brighton but Adur councillors hated the idea! Please Adur - can Hove join you? We HATE being part of this horrible Brighton-centric looney Green council!
We would welcome Hove Localboy78, but it stops there. We could use some Hove money.

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ruberducker says...
6:53pm Thu 14 Feb 13

queen of carling wrote:
What is Mr Kitcat's obsession with changing the names of our streets, and town? It wasn't that long ago that he wanted the western end of Brighton called Westlaine!! Can't the workers at the Council keep him occupied with a bit of filing and photocopying to occupy his mind. Maybe even make the tea. O and get him a colouring book and some felt tips.
as long as you take out the pink and blue felt tip's first..

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Bob_The_Ferret says...
6:57pm Thu 14 Feb 13

While it does of course make sense for adjoining local authorities to work together on matters that may have an impact on a wider area than just one locality, the idea of trying to brand a large part of the Sussex coastal region as Greater Brighton is quite distasteful, and understandably irks those who find the idea of extending the green influence around Sussex quite repugnant.

The identities and independence of the various localities involved are very important to the people who live there, but this doesn't mean that the local authorities can't work together on policies and initiatives that share a common aim.

We saw under the last government how unpopular the idea of trying to impose the EU inspired regional assemblies was. We obstinate English folk remained fiercely aligned to our already long established regions - our counties - and rejected the idea of the imposition of a new tier of government, less democratically answerable to the local people. This doesn't mean that authorities don't work together on a regional level, they do - on many issues, but the local accountability remains.

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pjwilk says...
7:21pm Thu 14 Feb 13

If they are all combining we should be able to get rid of 75% of the councilers so cutting council tax and doing away with parking fees,which would mean getting rid of parking wardens and saving even more money.Our council tax could be halved.(am i wishful thinking they will never get rid of the non jobs,or should i say non productive,unless you mean ripping us off of our poverty line incomes is productive)

Report this post »

AmboGuy says...
7:30pm Thu 14 Feb 13

I'm not a violent man at all but there's something about KitKats face that's just so punchable I'm not sure I could help myself if I ever met him!

Report this post »

worthingite says...
7:35pm Thu 14 Feb 13

AmboGuy wrote:
I'm not a violent man at all but there's something about KitKats face that's just so punchable I'm not sure I could help myself if I ever met him!
I would not like to be on your patient transport boogie bus,all comes out in the end,I think you should change jobs transporting the elderly and vulnerable around.

Report this post »

queen of carling says...
7:41pm Thu 14 Feb 13

We are being ripped off, left, right and
centre. Thats the bottom line.

Report this post »

leobrighton says...
7:47pm Thu 14 Feb 13

I don't see the story in this, it all seems like good common sense. Nobody has a decent argument against it. The Greater Brighton title seems to be made up by the Argus

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tradebooker says...
7:51pm Thu 14 Feb 13

VOTE THE GREENS OUT. Vote here now: http://thelatest.co.
uk/brighton/2012/11/
06/the-vote-who-woul
d-you-vote-for-today
/

Report this post »

Nathan AdIer says...
8:10pm Thu 14 Feb 13

What is the point of saying anything bad about the snot Greens?

Jason Kitwat only listens to one person, and that's the alien in his own head.

The snot Greens have more hate in them than the BNP. And the BNP are pretty hateful.

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Ancienthistorian says...
9:40pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Surely in Shoreham there would mild tutting and letters to the editor, the only pitchforks are in the museum.

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thommy says...
10:40pm Thu 14 Feb 13

I was impressed with the acuracy of the statement from "medianscore" earlier. He/She just about sums Brighton up. There has been an "Emperors clothes" situation about Brighton for some time. The level of derangement from the lefty lovies is actually terrifying. Brighton is in reality a scruffy dusty toilet with nothing going for it. KK reminds me of the Iraqi government bloke who appeared on tv a few years ago talking of winning the first gulf war when there was americans watching him from across the street.

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Maxwell's Ghost says...
10:55pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Queen of Carling.
Business management courses will teach you that managers without business experience always, always bluster into post and attempt to make pointless changes.
They move furniture, change department names, move a few people about.
It's a good indicator of a poor manager.
Good managers ask the staff what is wrong, examine the targets, examine the performance and then make changes with staff included as part of improvement and change.
I think it's obvious Cllr Kitkat has no idea and is an amateur in the business place.
An easy way to hook up and save would be for councils to procure services together ie waste contracts, back office, IT, call centres etc and of course, cut the number of councillors but Kitkat and his cronies wont allow that because they receive a salary from the council they would never, ever, ever command in the real world.
Some of them should work in charity shops ironing clothes and discussing window displays.
Anything else really is too taxing....literally.

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ICantThinkOfAName says...
11:03pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Perhaps a few moments of refection are needed.
a) The proposal as I understand it isw that the Councils concerned would remain independent and only work together on projects of mutual interest which seems to me to be sensible. After all Worthing and Adur Councils all ready share certain services (eg: Refuse Collection) but remain as independent authorites.

b) The "Knock the Greens Brigade" have nothing to fear because if the Councils were to amalgamate, looking at the current Councillor balance of all these present Councils, a new authority would be overwhelmingly Consrvative Party dominated.

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Vigilia says...
11:23pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Das Grosse Grune Brighton?

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Zeta Function says...
11:42pm Thu 14 Feb 13

Portslade area is run down, desperately in need of development.

A ferry service from Palace pier to Worthing pier.

Report this post »

Morpheus says...
8:34am Fri 15 Feb 13

That's a lot of people who can look forward to having their gender neutralised.

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Tailgaters Anonymous says...
9:29am Fri 15 Feb 13

Groan! Do I hear strains of 'If I ruled the world...'?
The only sense of Brighton in this context is Grater as in 'grates on one's nerves'!!
Why does this non-city believe its influence is anything but in the drug/drink ridden conurbation that is geographically Brighton and leave the rest of decent East & West Sussex well alone!

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Stripes says...
1:30pm Fri 15 Feb 13

I don't think the residents of East & West Sussex are bothered about parking / residential permits.

It might surprise some city dwellers but take a step outside of the B&H boundaries and you'll find most people living in slightly more comfortable surroundings than over populated flats and miles of cramped terraced housing.

Most of us even have our own driveway's, fancy that!

Report this post »

tradebooker says...
6:40pm Fri 15 Feb 13

Votethegreens.com

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queen of carling says...
7:03pm Fri 15 Feb 13

Stripes wrote:
I don't think the residents of East & West Sussex are bothered about parking / residential permits.

It might surprise some city dwellers but take a step outside of the B&H boundaries and you'll find most people living in slightly more comfortable surroundings than over populated flats and miles of cramped terraced housing.

Most of us even have our own driveway's, fancy that!
I used to love Brighton. Its my home town,but I hate it now. Its shabby, worn out and frayed at the edges. Hove is now going that way too. I want to go to West Sussex to keep some sanity!

Report this post »

mickage says...
6:03pm Sat 16 Feb 13

How can so many look at a positive move , trying to attract more investment to the area, and complain about the non issue of them losing their identity..or complain about the Green party, completely irrelevant........al
l you complainers bring to mind the Australian moniker for the English...."Whinging Poms"

Report this post »

pc?notme says...
7:46pm Sat 16 Feb 13

AmboGuy wrote:
I'm not a violent man at all but there's something about KitKats face that's just so punchable I'm not sure I could help myself if I ever met him!
LOL yes you could definetly punch his face all day long and not get bored...I dream of doing this hahahahahahaha

Report this post »

Fercri Sakes says...
10:22pm Sat 16 Feb 13

pc?notme wrote:
AmboGuy wrote:
I'm not a violent man at all but there's something about KitKats face that's just so punchable I'm not sure I could help myself if I ever met him!
LOL yes you could definetly punch his face all day long and not get bored...I dream of doing this hahahahahahaha
Who are you yobs going to vote for next time?

Report this post »

PorkBoat says...
6:29pm Sun 17 Feb 13

medianscore wrote:
I can't think of anything worse than the filth of B&H expanding its tentacles into Lewes and the Cuckmere Haven.

B&H is a filthy hole run by an equally filthy soviet style council. Thank god I live in Rye, far away from the dump.
They had a hurricane in Rye a while ago. Caused millions of pounds worth of improvements. Luckily the residents were able to swim through the floods, what with having webbed feet and hands and all that. Those that couldn't swim grabbed on to the tails of the others.

Report this post »

PorkBoat says...
6:32pm Sun 17 Feb 13

fred clause wrote:
Also noticed whenever you tweet Jason he always trys to give you loads of answers until you prove him wrong which doesn't take much then he stops tweeting you.
He'll also ignore awkward questions regarding how the council came up with the figures that justify building the i-360.

Report this post »

Fairfax Sakes says...
4:26pm Mon 18 Feb 13

Turning the hoses on the lot of them would be a good starting point, I should say.

Report this post »

Nosfaratu says...
8:17pm Mon 18 Feb 13

Just think, more Blue's Reds's and Yellow's in the Greater Brighton area means less % Green's, and a quick gooby to Quickcrap.

I vote yes to the
Greater Telscombe Cliffs Council, Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah !

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