Protesters Halt Brighton Council Meeting Over Bailiff Use

A Brighton and Hove City Council cabinet meeting was briefly interrupted on Thursday (13 November) by protesters calling for a bailiff-free Britain.

Members of Acorn Brighton, a campaign group for fairer housing, unfurled banners from the public gallery, halting proceedings for around 15 minutes while councillors left the chamber at Hove Town Hall.

The protest coincided with a cabinet meeting set to approve £2.6 million in extra funding for hundreds of new affordable homes on the former Sackville Trading Estate.

The Homes for Brighton and Hove joint venture with the Hyde Group plans 306 flats, including 183 council homes.

Acorn Brighton said the action was a response to figures showing 11,000 bailiff visits by the council last year, a 120% increase on the previous year.

Chair Keziah Hall said:

“We made it very clear today that we’re not going to put up with it, and unless they stop, we’ll be back!”

Council leader Bella Sankey countered that the figures cited were out of date, with a new debt management policy introduced in March 2025 designed to support, not punish, residents in hardship.

Sankey added that the protest “took place while our Labour cabinet was trying to invest millions in affordable housing,” and described the action as counterproductive to building homes and supporting vulnerable people.

The extra funding approved will bring the council’s contribution to over £60 million, enabling the development of one- to four-bedroom flats, including 15 homes for people with disabilities.

Councillor Gill Williams, cabinet member for housing, said the scheme “reflects our commitment to truly affordable housing.

This isn’t just a place to live – it’s a place to thrive.”

For more on the council’s debt management policy, visit the Brighton & Hove City Council website.