Brighton News
The latest Brighton news: planning decisions, council and crime updates, business and community stories, each linked back to its official source.
Top story
Brighton Loan Shark Arrest: Elm Grove Man, 43, Bailed
A 43-year-old man arrested in the Elm Grove area of Brighton on suspicion of illegal money lending has been bailed. How to spot a loan shark and get help.
More stories
Hove
Jeanne Saunders Centre, Hove: Exceptional in All Six Areas
Ofsted rates the Hove SEND nursery Exceptional, its top grade, in all six areas of its new report card. What the inspector saw, and what the 24-place centre does.
Whitehawk
Whitehawk £1 Bus Fare Extended to 31 March 2027
The £1 Whitehawk Link fare on the 1 and 21 now runs to 31 March 2027 instead of ending on 30 September. Where the zone starts and stops, and what it saves.
Environment
Brighton Air Quality: London Road Tops 2025 Pollution Table
London Road recorded Brighton's highest nitrogen dioxide in 2025 at 33.2, inside the legal limit of 40. Three streets still miss the council's own target.
Whitehawk
Whitehawk Grants: Up to £10,000 for Local Projects by 31 Oct
Whitehawk groups and residents can bid for up to £1,000 or £10,000 from Pride in Place. Send an expression of interest first; applications close 31 October.
Elections
Queen's Park By-Election Result: Green Wins by 337 Votes
Green Party's Mark Strong has won the Queen's Park by-election with 1,139 votes to Labour's 802. Turnout was 33.36%. Full result and what changes for the ward.
Planning
Coldean Neighbourhood Plan Passes: 374 Yes to 43 No
Coldean has voted 374 to 43 for its neighbourhood plan, which now counts in planning decisions. New HMO tests, eight protected green spaces and the next steps.
Kemptown
St James's Street Clean-Up Monday: Free Bulky Item Drop-Off
Council teams blitz St James's Street 7am to noon on Monday 28 September. Residents on the street and roads off it can dump one bulky item free, with ID.
Falmer
Falmer Pond Restoration: Comment by 9 Oct, Bat Walk Full
The application to dredge and restore Falmer Pond is open for comment until 9 October. Monday's bat walk is full; the October and December walks have places.
Health
Brighton Tobacco Sales: Born 2009 or Later Barred From 1 Jan
From 1 January 2027 no shop may sell tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009. The city's 13% smoking rate is the South East's highest, says the council.
Business
Brighton New Businesses: 30 Registered, West St Pub Winds Up
At least 30 companies registered a Brighton or Hove office in early September. The company behind The Victory Inn on West Street has resolved to wind up.
Transport
A259 Seafront: Two Cycle Lanes Become One, Say by 25 Oct
The seafront's two cycle lanes would become one two-way track from Fourth Avenue to West Street. The council's consultation closes at 11.59pm on 25 October.
Hove
Hove's Floral Clock: Three Options, Vote Closes 14 Oct
Palmeira Square's 1953 Floral Clock is beyond repair. The council is asking which of three replacements residents want, and the survey shuts on 14 October.
Schools
Brighton School Places Close 31 Oct: 83.5% Got 1st Choice
83.5% of Brighton families got their first-choice secondary school this year, up from 79.7%. Applications for September 2027 close on 31 October 2026.
Police
Brighton Beach Deaths: No Crime Found, Inquest to Follow
Sussex Police found no evidence of crime or third-party involvement in the deaths of three sisters found off Brighton beach in May. The inquest comes next.
Council
Brighton Gets £6.4m for Social Care and Homelessness
Brighton & Hove has won £6.4m over two years to spend earlier on adult social care and homelessness, with 2,300 households in temporary accommodation.
Community
Albion 125th Anniversary: Arsenal Beaten 3-0 at Record Amex
Brighton & Hove Albion marked 125 years with a 3-0 win over champions Arsenal before a record Amex crowd of 31,944, in a one-off kit modelled on the 1901 strip.
Council
Brighton Asylum Hotel to Close: Council Presses Home Office
Women and families in a Brighton asylum hotel will be moved within weeks. Council leader Bella Sankey has asked the Home Office to review how moves are handled.
House Prices
Brighton House Prices Fall £4,603 in a Year to £408,948
The average Brighton & Hove home was £408,948 in July, £4,603 less than a year earlier. Flats fell 3.1% and now cost less than the average Worthing home.
University
University of Brighton Plans to Close Falmer Campus by 2030
The university told staff it wants to move to two campuses, City and Moulsecoomb, from 2030, a day after telling unions their agreements end in June 2027.
Jobs
Brighton Claimant Count Rises for First Time Since March
8,650 people claimed unemployment-related benefits in August, up 200 on July after four months of falls. At 4.3%, the city sits above the South East and UK.
Coldean
Coldean Woods Elms Felled as Disease Cases Rise in Brighton
Coldean Lane is down to one lane this week while infected elms are felled at Coldean Woods. The council says elm disease is rising across the city.
Taxis
Brighton Taxi Fares: Two-Mile Trip Rises to £9.30
Cabinet agreed on 17 September that a two-mile Brighton taxi ride can rise from £8.70 to £9.30 after a statutory notice period. Future rises go to an officer.
Seafront
A259 Arches: £41m Bid to Stop a Seafront Closure
The council's own bid says the westbound A259 and the seafront cycle lane would have to close without repairs. It wants £37m from government and is adding £4m.
Parks
Brighton Park Rules: Four New £100 Bans, Two Dropped
Dog bans extend to Blakers Park and Preston Park velodrome and four new orders carry £100 fines, but the drone and dog-walker bans are dropped.
What's On
Guns N Roses Tribute Played Concorde 2 on 18 September
The Guns N Roses Experience play Concorde 2 on Friday 18 September at 7pm, their fourth show there. Tickets £20.13, 14+. The band told us what they will play.
Roadworks
Western Road Red Route Approved, Rebuild From 28 Sept
Cabinet agreed on 17 September that Western Road's experimental Red Route goes ahead, after reviewing legal correspondence. The rebuild starts 28 September.
Flooding
Brighton Drains: 600 Gullies Cleared on 237 Roads
Contractors start clearing nearly 600 drains across 237 flood-prone roads next week. The city's flood strategy consultation closes on Sunday 27 September.
Parking
Hove Parking Zone Plan: Drop-In on 29 September
Aldrington, Orchards, Nevill and Goldstone Valley could get a controlled parking zone. Officers take questions at Bishop Hannington Church on 29 September.
Council
Brighton Council Expansion Paused, May 2027 Election Is On
Ministers have paused the plan to add Peacehaven, Telscombe and East Saltdean to Brighton & Hove. The city's May 2027 election now runs on today's 23 wards.
Sport
Brighton Triathlon Sold: New Name, and a New August Date
The Brighton & Hove Triathlon has been bought by Supertri. From 2027 it is Supertri Brighton, on Sunday 29 August, and early-bird entries close on 19 September.
Business
Brighton Minimum Wage: Six Employers Named, £9,450 Owed
Six Brighton & Hove employers underpaid 23 workers £9,450.70, government figures published on 3 September show. Five of the six are hospitality businesses.
Parks
Royal Pavilion Elm Cut Back, Its Future Decided in Winter
Tree surgeons pollarded the Huntingdon Elm after dry weather left it leaning and lifting its roots. Whether it stays is settled by a root check this winter.
Charity
82-Year-Old on 550-Mile Alzheimer's Walk Rested in Brighton
Judy Benjamin, 82, rested in Brighton on 1 September, 15 years after Alzheimer's symptoms began. She told us what a day on the road to London looks like.
Business
Brighton Creative Workspace: 22,121 sq ft, Bids by 2 Oct
The council is offering 22,121 sq ft at Phoenix House and Lyndean House to creative firms. Bidders name their own rent, and bids close at noon on 2 October.
Planning
BHASVIC Pitch: 1,362 Objections, 7 Clashes With Theatre
Councillors ruled on BHASVIC's floodlit pitch on 2 September. Officers found it would clash with 7 of the theatre's 125 shows, and set 16 conditions.
Community
Make Change Count: 8 Brighton Charities Split Every £1
The city's homelessness appeal reopened on 4 September. Donations are split equally between eight frontline charities, with nothing taken out for admin.
Bins and recycling
Brighton Bins Set to Go Fortnightly in July 2027
The council is preparing to collect rubbish every two weeks from July 2027. Its own survey found 44% of what goes in a Brighton rubbish bin could still be recycled.
Planning
Brighton City Plan: Land Found for 30% of Homes Needed
Brighton needs about 2,500 homes a year and has found sites for roughly 30% of that to 2044. Councillors are now asked whether to build on the city's last industrial land.
Council
Brighton Memorial Rules: Flowers Stay 28 Days, Not 14
Roadside flowers can stay 28 days with no permission needed under Brighton's redrafted memorials policy. Memorial tree applications close on 30 September.
Council
Wellington House Brighton: Cabinet Approves Closure
Cabinet voted on 17 September to close the Elm Grove day centre used by 21 adults with learning disabilities. Nobody moves until a transition plan is agreed.
Elections
Queen's Park By-Election: Polls Open 7am to 10pm Today
Voting in the Queen's Park by-election runs from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 24 September. Four polling stations, five candidates, photo ID required, count on Friday.
Parks
The Level Play Area Closes 7 September for £300k Rebuild
The Level's playground shuts for about 10 weeks from 7 September, October half term included. A £300,000 inclusive adventure playground replaces the 2012 kit.
Trains
Lewes Derailment: Track Fault Filmed 2 Hours Before
RAIB's first findings say a track irregularity was visible on train CCTV before the 13 August derailment. 30 were hurt. The line reopens 1 September.
Housing
Brighton Rough Sleeping Funding: £1.35m Before Christmas
Brighton & Hove gets £1,350,803 this year, the biggest South East share, and £4.74m over three years. The government wants people off the street by Christmas.
House prices
Brighton House Prices Rise for First Time Since October
The average Brighton & Hove home reached £407,803 in June, up 0.3% on the year. Houses are pulling the city up; flats are still falling and now match Worthing.
Education
Brighton GCSE Results 2026: 69% in English and Maths
69% of Brighton & Hove pupils reached grade 4 in both English and maths, up from 67%. The city was on 70.3% two years running before last year's fall.
Seafront
Kings Road Paddling Pool: Bids Open, Pool Must Stay Free
The council wants a commercial partner for the Kings Road site by 27 September, on a 20-year lease. The paddling pool and playground must stay free.
Housing
Brighton Council Solar Panels: 1,400 Homes, £300 a Year
A three-year programme has fitted solar panels to more than 1,000 council homes, 200 more than planned. The council says tenants could save up to £300 a year.
Jobs
Brighton Claimant Count 8,575 in July, Up 260 in a Year
Brighton & Hove's claimant count reached 8,575 in July, 4.2% of working-age residents and 260 more than a year ago. Under-25s account for 160 of that rise.
Roadworks
Western Road Brighton: Rebuild Under Way, 16 Buses Diverted
Western Road is being rebuilt between Holland Road and Montpelier Road until 6 November. Sixteen bus routes are diverted and three stops are out of use.
Seafront
Brighton Wheel Could Return to Madeira Drive by Summer 2027
The Brighton Wheel's return to Madeira Drive goes to Cabinet on 17 September: a 25-year lease, then planning permission, and rides by summer 2027 if approved.
Trains
Lewes Line Reopens 1 September: Travel via Brighton
The Lewes to Haywards Heath line reopens Tuesday 1 September after the 13 August derailment. Until then Brighton is the diversion point: what runs and when.
Planning
King Alfred Approved: 8-Lane Pool, Ballroom Goes, 2028
Councillors backed the new King Alfred 8 to 1: a 25m eight-lane pool and 150 gym stations, but no ballroom and a third less space. It can still be called in.
Hove
Hove Seafront Railings: 300 Metres Back to Bare Metal
Blasting from 10 August strips 300 metres of Hove's 1880s cast iron railings to bare metal, uncovering the Sussex martlets. Phase two follows in spring 2027.
Hove
Knoll Park Games Area: £47,000 Rebuild From Recycled Kit
Knoll Park's football and basketball court is being resurfaced for about £47,000 with tarmac and fencing saved from Moulsecoomb. Work started on 5 August.
Housing
Brighton temporary accommodation hits 2,027 households
Official figures for 31 March 2026 record 2,027 Brighton & Hove households in temporary accommodation, up 32% in a year and the highest rate of any council outside London.
Education
Brighton A-level results 2026: 98.3% pass, 63.4% at A*-B
Brighton & Hove's provisional 2026 results: 98.3% of A-level entries graded A* to E, 63.4% at A* to B and a 97.4% VTQ pass rate. Plus where to get help this week.
Transport
Free bus travel for under 16s in Brighton ends 31 August
Under 16s ride free on every Brighton and Hove bus until 31 August, night buses and the Breeze Downs services included. What it saves, and what is not covered.
Food hygiene
Brighton and Hove food hygiene ratings, July 2026: every single inspection scored the top mark
All 21 Brighton and Hove food hygiene inspections rated in July 2026 scored the maximum 5, from Riddle and Finns and the Bandstand Cafe on the seafront to school kitchens, nurseries and Hove pubs.