- Hove Park ward Councillor Vanessa Brown to retire after 28 years as a Councillor in Hove;
- Cllr Brown had a senior role in the 2007-2011 Conservative Administration, overseeing the set-up of several of the City’s new academy schools;
- Conservatives announce new team to contest new ward of Westdene & Hove Park.
Longstanding Conservative Councillor Vanessa Brown has announced that she will retire in May.
Cllr Brown has served as a Councillor in Hove since 1995, first being elected onto the former Hove Borough Council for the Westbourne ward. After the unification of Brighton and Hove Borough Councils in 1997, Cllr Brown moved to the Stanford Ward (later renamed Hove Park ward) where she successfully stood for the Conservatives at a further seven elections.
A former schoolteacher by profession, Vanessa took on the Children and schools portfolio during the last Conservative Council Administration in the City during 2007-2011. Here she oversaw the establishment of Brighton Aldridge Academy and began the work to set up the Portslade Academy. Vanessa has been a spokesperson for the Conservatives on Schools throughout her time on the Council.
Vanessa has written a piece reflecting on her time as a Councillor (see below).
Conservative Group Leader Steve Bell has today paid tribute to Cllr Vanessa Brown.
“Vanessa has gained immense respect across the City for the job she has done as a Councillor.
“Her knowledge on schools and childrens’ issues are second to none and when she speaks everyone listens up.
“She has had a big impact on the City and no doubt the thousands of children who have graduated from the schools that she helped establish.
“After 28 years’ service I completely understand Vanessa’s wish to retire to spend more time with her grandchildren who she loves dearly. With her Hove Park ward being enlarged to form the new Westdene & Hove Park ward, her timing is apt” Cllr Bell said.
NEW CONSERVATIVE TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR WESTDENE & HOVE PARK WARD
Following Vanessa’s retirement, Brighton & Hove Conservatives have announced a new team that will contest the Westdene & Hove Park ward at the May 2023 City Council Elections.
The new three-councillor Westdene & Hove Park ward has been created by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, following its 20-year review of City Council wards. It brings together the entirety of the existing Hove Park Ward with some parts of the former Withdean ward, including the entirety of the Westdene and Withdean neighbourhood.
At a selection meeting in early January held at Withdean Stadium, Brighton & Hove Conservative members selected existing Hove Park ward Councillor Samer Bagaeen, Hove Park resident Dr Emma Hogan and Westdene resident Ivan Lyons as the Conservative Candidates for Westdene & Hove Park ward.
Cllr Samer Bagaeen is the current sitting Councillor for the Hove Park ward, having been elected in 2019. He is a Professor of Planning & Resilience, works in environmental consulting and has served as a Governor for three schools in the city since 2009. He has been a member of Rotary in Brighton and Hove since 2008 supporting charities across the city.
Dr Emma Hogan is a Hove Park resident who works in the NHS as a doctor in mental health. She is also a Trustee of The Sussex Heart Charity. She is active in community sport and coaches Synchro at Prince Regent Swimming Pool.
Mr Ivan Lyons is a Westdene resident, who together with his family have always lived in the City. Ivan is the Managing Director of a Firm of Financial Advisers and is currently on track to run his 300th full marathon for the benefit of a number of local charities.
Cllr Samer Bagaeen said that he will miss Vanessa and her deep knowledge of the ward but was equally excited about contesting the larger ward with Emma and Ivan.
“I am looking forward to getting to work in the new ward and returning to the streets of Westdene which I remember well from local Rotary club Christmas collection rounds.
“I am also excited about delivering major infrastructure improvement in Hove Park through the projects secured in and around the park through the Community Liaison Group that has been working to allocate £1m worth of funding to projects identified by our residents” Cllr Bagaeen said.
Dr Emma Hogan said she was excited to stand in the new ward and would push for leisure and recreation improvements at local parks.
“Vanessa has been an example to all of us of hard work and commitment to her role. She has worked tirelessly for us in Hove Park over the many years she has been in office” Dr Hogan said.
“As a resident of the newly formed Westdene & Hove park ward I would love to continue her work and make sure that the area remains the beautiful and safe place we all call home.
“I will be working to improve facilities at local parks, including a focus on defibrillators, better signage, new play and sports equipment and funding for bigger capacity bins” Dr Hogan said.
Ivan Lyons said that he aimed to give Westdene a strong voice on the City Council.
“Here in Westdene we have seen residents’ concerns ignored by the Green Council, particularly around traffic and roads. Green Councillors have stopped engaging with the Westdene & Withdean Local Action Team. This needs to change and I aim to bring the voice of Westdene residents to the City Council.
“As a local businessman I want to encourage employers to locate to our City. I am looking to improve our roads & infrastructure as the way forward. The Council needs to stop increasing parking charges & reducing car-parking spaces in the city.
“Cleaning up graffiti is high on my agenda. The Council fines victims of graffiti such as hard working shopkeepers and businesses, but ignores graffiti blighting council property.
“The contribution that Vanessa has made to our City over the last 28 years is truly incredible. Her dedication to the community, involvement with the setting up of two academies within Brighton & Hove are long-lasting and fitting testimonies of many years of hard work. Our new team will be guided & supported by Vanessa in moving forward” Mr Lyons said.
Vanessa Brown…
My time as a councillor
After a great deal of thought I have decided not to stand as a councillor at the May elections in 2023.I have been a councillor since 1995 when I was elected to represent Westbourne Ward on Hove Borough Council. This was the first year that Hove had a Labour administration! Hove then joined with Brighton to become a Unitary Authority in 1997. I soon transferred to Hove Park, or Stanford Ward as it was called then, as it is where I live, and I have been lucky enough to represent the ward ever since.
The Conservative Group came to power in 2007 until 2011. At that time I was one of the deputy leaders, with Councillor Mary Mears as Leader. I was Chairman of the Children , Families and Schools Committee and oversaw the setting up of the Brighton Aldridge Academy and began the work to set up the Portslade Academy. We also bought in the catchment areas for secondary admissions that are still in place today. During those years I was also lucky enough to open a number of new Childrens’ Centres, Connaught Road Infant School and several school extensions as there was a boom in the birth rate.
Through the years I have sat on many committees such as Environment, Transport and Sustainability, Tourism, Economy and Culture and the Health and Wellbeing Board but I have always been on Children, Families and Schools, or Children, Young People and Skills as it is now called. As a primary school teacher for many years this committee has always been my greatest interest. I have learnt a great deal by being on different committees and I have been fortunate enough to meet many interesting people.
I have enjoyed working with all my colleagues over the years and have enjoyed working with Samer this past four years. I shall be sorry to leave and I am sure I will miss all the challenges but I have decided that the time is right to spend more time with my family and maybe have a few more holidays! I have enjoyed my twenty eight years as a councillor very much and I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the many residents of Hove Park Ward who have helped and encouraged me over the years. Sometimes the work has been very frustrating but at other times very rewarding. I would also like to thank all the voluntary and community groups that I have worked with. These residents give freely of their time to help make the area a better place to live.
Hove Park Ward is now being enlarged to include Westdene so there will be a requirement for three councillors rather than two. I am very pleased to announce that Emma Hogan and Ivan Lyons, both of whom live in the new ward, will be joining Samer Bagaeen, who many of you already know, as the three prospective Conservative candidates for Westdene and Hove Park Ward. I know that if they should be lucky enough to be elected they will work tirelessly for the residents. I wish them every success.