Brighton and Hove Council sets out its plans to create a One Planet Super City (From The Argus)

Brighton and Hove Council sets out its plans to create a One Planet Super City

3:51pm Wednesday 1st August 2012 in Business News By John Keenan, business editor

Open data, smarter transport and more support for green companies – these are the aims behind a city’s bid for a multi-million pound prize fund.

Last week The Argus revealed that Brighton and Hove is in the running to scoop a £24 million fund to boost the city’s economy.

The council has been awarded £50,000 from the Technology Strategy Board, the Government’s innovation agency, to undertake a feasibility study to show how the city can join up its transport, communications and other infrastructure. The leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Jason Kitcat, said the grant will be put towards working on a final proposal for the Futures Cities Demonstrator competition.

He said: “We will be striving to put together a distinctive and compelling presentation of how we aim to create economic prosperity in the city whilst meeting climate change objectives. “Our proposal will show how Brighton and Hove will take steps towards an open data policy and using smart transport systems. “It will also explore ways of making Brighton and Hove a One Planet Super City.

“This involves exploring ways to reduce ecological and carbon footprints and adopting more sustainable ways of living. “Our city already has a great track record of supporting businesses in the environment sector, and we would like to continue to lead the way in new green technologies.

“The Brighton-founded EcoTechnology Show is a fantastic example of local passion for creating technologies which promote business opportunities and jobs and protect the environment through minimising waste, saving energy, reducing environmental impact and saving people money.

“We will be inviting local businesses and communities to get involved, and we hope to gather the support of neighbouring authorities and the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership.”

Helmut Lusser, chairman at Hove Civic Society, said that the project must focus on green issues.

He said: “We really need to prepare for the decarbonisation of the city. It’s a big issue and very complicated. “One thing we would like the council to look at is piped heat across the city. A number of central boilers could supply heat across the city using the waste heat from Shoreham power station which currently goes straight into the sea.”

Greg Hadfield, the Brighton-based digital entrepreneur and founder of Open-data Cities, said: “It’s fantastic that Brighton and Hove has been successful in the initial bid. But there’s a lot of work to be done. “Ours is an ideal city to use new technologies – including those associated with open data – to offer integrated solutions that are centred on citizens rather than bureaucracies.

“For example, we can perhaps address the issue of sustainable transport in a manner that is coherent rather than a collection of piecemeal efforts by different companies and institutions.We have to focus on credible goals.”