The over all theme for this years Brighton Pride event is Freedom to live while the theme of the Pride Community Parade is The World’s a Disco.
In order to improve the experience for Trans* people attending this years Pride, organisers are asking Trans* people to complete a survey.
To fill in the survey, CLICK HERE:
The A259 eastbound at the junction with West Street was closed around 8am on Friday (April 25) due to the collapse of a roof of the Fortune of War pub in the King’s Road arches. The collapse has led to a weakness in the eastbound carriageway. Workman discovered the fault and the road was closed while structural engineers assessed the situation.
Structural engineers have now assessed the road and the eastbound carriageway will remain closed for the next few weeks.
The march was due to start at the junction of West Street and the A259, where the fault in the road appeared. The march will now start at the A259 junction with Middle Street.
There have been no changes to any of the conditions placed on those wishing to assemble to protest against the march. However, there have been slight variations made to the notices issued for assembly of the march and the conditions on it.
The section 14 notice for the assembly for the March for England states: ‘The March for England and those associated will assemble on the eastbound carriageway of the A259, Kings Road between the west most edge of the junction of the A259, Kings Road and Middle Street, and the west most edge of the A259, Kings Road and Ship St. The assembly will be confined to the road between the kerb lines to the north and centre line of the carriageway.
The march itself will follow the same route with the slightly amended starting point. The conditions issued under section 12 of the act state: “Using only the eastbound carriageway of the A259, Kings Road the procession will move eastbound along the A259 Kings Road. The procession will move no further east than the junction of Pool Valley and the A259, Kings Road. The procession will then return by the same route.”
The section 14 notice for those wishing to protest against the march remains the same and states: “Those wishing to assemble in order to protest against the March for England shall only do at the promenade to the south of the A259, Kings Road, between the pedestrian crossing at the eastern side of the junction of the A259, Kings Road and Black Lion Street to the pedestrian crossing at the western side of the junction of the A259, Kings Road and East Street.”
Superintendent Steve Whitton, said: “We have been working with the council and their engineers to assess the structure of the road and have decided to move the start of the march further eastwards on the A259.
“The march will now start at the A259 junction with Middle Street. They will then march east to the junction of Pool Valley and back again. It will still start no earlier than 12.30pm and finish no later than 1.30pm.
“Our focus is, as always, keeping people safe and we have worked with the council to make sure people taking part in both the march and the counter protest, as well as visitors to the city, are kept safe. For this reason the eastbound carriageway will be completely closed at West Street.
“It is really important people understand that the carriageway is closed for safety reasons and they should not enter the area which is cordoned off under any circumstances.
“Please talk to our officers, who will be very visible in the city, if you have any concerns.”
Executive Director Geoff Raw from Brighton and Hove City Council, added: “Structural engineers will be working over the weekend to assess the extent of the problem and which seems to have been caused by historic alterations to premises in the arches. We’re working as swiftly as possible with the police and key partners to ensure public safety and to keep the traffic moving as smoothly as possible. A contra flow system is now in place between Middle Street and West Street, please allow extra time for journeys through this area and check the council website for updates.”
To find up to date information, CLICK HERE:
Adele and John will be at the starting line to cheer on hundreds of Stonewall supporters raising money for the lesbian, gay and bisexual equality charity’s campaign: Gay. Let’s Get the Meaning Straight.
The campaign is tackling anti-gay language in schools across Britain following research that shows 99 per cent of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people hear phrases such as “that’s so gay’ or ‘you’re so gay”.
Last year Adele fronted Coming Out – a documentary on BBC Radio 1 – which gave a snapshot of what it’s like for young people to come out as lesbian, gay or bisexual in the UK today.
John won the 2012 series of hit BBC series the Great British Bake Off and has since launched and exclusive artisan chocolate shop, The Hungry Dog Artisan Chocolates.
Adele said: “It’s shocking that in 2014 nearly all gay young people still hear homophobic language like ‘that’s so gay’ when they go to school. That’s why supporting the Equality Walk is so important to me; it’s in aid of Stonewall’s crucial latest campaign to tackle homophobic language. Many people who casually use these terms don’t intentionally mean to be offensive but they cause hurt and distress. I urge lesbian, gay and bisexual people near and far to support this event.”
John added: “Too many children still fear going to school because of the abuse and bullying they suffer. No-one should be made to feel ashamed of who they are and how they were born. That is why I’m really excited and proud to support Stonewall’s Equality Walk and to help raise money so they can continue working with both primary and secondary schools up and down the country.”
The 10k Brighton Equality Walk – supported by American Express – takes place on Sunday, May 11. Registration for the event costs just £10 and under-12s can walk for free.
For more information and to register to walk, CLICK HERE:
The £168 million Pothole Fund, announced in the 2014 Budget, has opened for bids from councils, with applications closing next month.
The funding is enough to repair more than three million potholes across Britain, and comes on top of £10 billion already being given to councils in England for local roads maintenance between 2010 and 2021.
Local authorities who get funding will have to sign a pothole pledge setting out clearly how many potholes they will fix by March 2015 so that local communities can have confidence that action will be taken.
Simon Kirby, the MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven has today welcomed the new Government funding for pothole repairs and has once again urged Brighton and Hove City Council and East Sussex County Council to bid for support.
He said: “This is a great opportunity to improve the roads in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven and deal with the blight of potholes.
“Now Brighton and Hove and East Sussex Councils need to step up and bid for this money.
“Investing in Britain’s roads and infrastructure is a key part of the Conservatives’ long-term economic plan to secure a better future for Britain. By fixing Britain’s roads the Conservatives are supporting local businesses, and making life that bit easier for the hardworking people in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven who rely on them to get around.”
Police cordened the seafront following reports that the road had begun to subside.
Eastbound traffic is being diverted off the A259 Kingsway up the B2185 Grand Avenue and The Drive to join the A270 Old Shoreham Road. Westbound traffic is being diverted from the Aquarium roundabout up the A23 via London Road to the Old Shoreham Road causing the city centre to gridlock.
Sussex Police say they were originally informed that there was a “five foot hole” in the road but further investigations revealed a “depression” rather than a hole.
A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “It was discovered by workmen engaged in underground building work at the Forunte of War pub.
Labour moved quickly and called for the Greens to take urgent action to prevent further seafront collapses.
Warren Morgan, Leader of the Labour and Cooperative Group group on Brighton Council, said: ‘Today’s collapse of the structure under the A259 seafront road near the junction with West Street shows how critical the condition of our most important transport arteries is. It is vital for business, tourism and of course traffic, and major disruption will do immense harm to our city’s economy.
“I believe that despite knowing that the city’s main seafront road and the arches below it are in need of tens of millions of pounds of investment, the council’s Green leadership has chosen to spend money on a series of other traffic and transport projects it has deemed more important and more in line with their political priorities. This has to end now.”
Labour is calling for the £8 million of funding that the council has secured for the Valley Gardens improvement scheme to be diverted immediately to deal with the urgent work needed to keep the A259 seafront road open, and without delay set up a project board under a designated senior officer to oversee a thorough and immediate survey, and prioritise urgent repairs to the city’s most important piece of infrastructure.
The Greens spokesperson is on gardening leave.
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