Call for group to tackle anti-social behaviour

Brighton & Hove City Council lets more than 12,000 houses and flats

A council committee is calling for a group to be set up to look at tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) in social housing in Brighton.

Brighton & Hove City Council's People Overview and Scrutiny Committee is calling for a "task and finish" group.

If agreed, the group would draw up a report with recommendations to be presented to the committee in January, followed by the council's cabinet.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said there had been several cases of ASB affecting council tenants in Hollingdean, Craven Vale, Kemptown and the North Laine in the past five years.

The group's focus is expected to be assessing the level of ASB in social housing in the area, understanding the impact of ASB, considering current policies for dealing with ASB, and exploring procedures used by other councils and housing associations.

If agreed by the committee, the task and finish group would include three Labour councillors, one Green, one Conservative and one independent.

A report to the committee said 675 new ASB cases were reported in 2023-24.

Figures released in the council's housing performance report for 2024-25 showed a further 785 cases were reported last year.

The council lets more than 12,000 houses and flats and, in each of the past two years, three people were evicted as a result of ASB, the LDRS said.

The report said: "This shows that the majority of council tenants in Brighton and Hove are good tenants who follow their tenancy agreements and do not conduct ASB."

However, it says the issue may be under-reported as some residents might raise issues directly with Sussex Police.

The People Overview and Scrutiny Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday.