Joint Labour Group leader and Westbourne Councillor Carmen Appich writes in Brighton and Hove News.

“Summer is over and it’s been a mixed bag of weather and issues! We’ve received lots of comments and complaints about weeds, refuse and recycling services and parking – all of which we’re taking very seriously and escalating with officers.

In the meantime, we’re also trying to implement decisions made back in July about one-off initiatives to utilise last year’s underspend.

They include a park and ride feasibility study, money for community initiatives to tackle weeds, investment in parks and the electric car share scheme, funds to consult around women’s safety as well as investment for community wealth-building initiatives and tackling disadvantage across our early years services.

I’ve attended the Royal Sussex County Hospital again today for a check-up and found some staff union members handing out leaflets outside.

I have to say I was shocked by the latest pay offer from the government of just 3 per cent.

Even before the extraordinary challenges of the pandemic, NHS staff have had to cope with increasing workloads and backlogs as well as understaffing. Now, the backlog of work is over five million patients.

The 3 per cent offer is hardly the investment needed to reward staff for their hard work, leaving many below the real Living Wage..”

To read councillor Appich’s full column, click here.

Photo credit: Creative Commons