Good morning, Brighton. We made it through the weekend 😅. There’s plenty happening in Brighton this week. So grab your coffee, get comfy, and let’s catch you up before the day starts.

In today’s Brighton Scoop:

- Phil Reynolds

🌧️ Brighton & Hove is starting work next week to prepare for autumn/winter storms. Contractors will inspect and clear nearly 600 drains and gullies across 237 roads in flood-risk areas, focusing on cleaning, jetting, and identifying blockages or defects. Drains blocked by parked cars will be assessed and revisited later. A new storm response programme will also target critical sites when severe weather or named storms are forecast.

Councillor Trevor Muten said the council must adapt to climate change by proactively protecting vulnerable homes and businesses from surface water flooding before bad weather strikes.

This effort ties into the council's Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, currently open for public consultation, which takes a community-led, joined-up approach to flood risk. Over 46,000 residents live in areas at risk of surface water flooding. Read about the strategy and have your say in the survey - deadline 27th September.

❤️ BHCC has launched the Living Legacy service, offering residents and visitors a meaningful way to honour loved ones or mark personal milestones like birthdays, anniversaries or achievements. Benches and trees can be dedicated in parks, seafront locations, on-street sites, and select woodland areas.

Councillor Alan Robins said the scheme builds on the tradition of commemorative benches and trees, offering clearer choices, personalised guidance, and a sustainable way to create lasting tributes.

Dedicated council officers provide a highly personal service, guiding donors through the process with clear, costed information and illustrated examples of bench styles and tree species. Officers can also help design and install personalised plaques, though existing benches and trees can no longer be adopted. A greatly improved way for those who want to give back to the local area and remember a loved one at the same time!

Lib Dem councillor Robert Brown is demanding action after seafront lighting between Duke's Mound and Black Rock has stood unlit for four years, despite promises it would switch on within weeks of installation. He calls it a "bureaucratic failure" compromising public safety, especially with darker evenings approaching. Details of Black Rock Rejuvenation & Lighting (August 2023).

The council blames UK Power Networks (UKPN) for the delay, with cabinet member Jacob Allen saying council leader Bella Sankey has personally intervened, demanding lights be on before the clocks change. UKPN has since provided an updated plan, though it can't guarantee success.

UKPN, meanwhile, says it sent a revised quotation on 17 July and is still awaiting the council's confirmation and payment to proceed — leaving both sides pointing fingers while over 100 lighting units remain switched off along the beachfront.

🌤️ | 📈 21° | 📉 18° | ☔️ 10% | 🌬️ SW 9mph | 🌊 <1ft

🌤️ | 📈 22° | 📉 12° | ☔️ 30% | 🌬️ W 11mph | 🌊 <1ft

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Cinema’s aren’t going to fill themselves. Break a habit of a lifetime, turn off Netflix, get off the sofa and potter down to your local (cinema).

Duke of York’s Picturehouse - Book

Pressure | OASIS: Don’t Look Back in Anger | The Incomer

Dukes at Komedia - Book

The Incomer | Practical Magic 2 | Pressure | Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma | Leviticus | OASIS: Don’t Look Back in Anger | The Invite | Bad Apples | Exhibition on Screen: James McNeill Whistler

Koji & Kev run Irori, the Japanese street food truck operating across Brighton and Sussex, serving genuine Japanese food - at markets, taprooms, vineyards, private events & celebrations. Grab a craft beers, sake, or Japanese soft drinks and tuck in.

🎈 Family friendly events

Great to have you follow the Scoop today. If you liked it, do share it that friend who loves to belt out an 80’s ballad.