Names on the buses

365 Mary Mears

Connections with Brighton and Hove : Mary Mears (1951–2024), was the former leader of Brighton & Hove City Council; she grew up in Whitehawk and was part of a larger Brighton family that had long associations with various forms of market trading across the city. She had a strong and abiding interest in housing issues, particularly council housing and she was instrumental in re-starting Brighton’s council housebuilding scheme which had lapsed over many years. One of her aims was to improve the existing Council housing stock to a ‘decent homes standard ‘and Brighton & Hove became one of the most innovative councils in dealing with housing. Her intense interest in housing issues saw her serving as a board member of Brighton Housing Trust. She represented Rottingdean Coastal ward as a Conservative, and was the last Conservative leader of the council holding the top job from 2008-2011, but she attracted support for her work from across the political spectrum, from the Greens and the Labour party. Being described by one colleague as ‘A true Brightonian’ was a tribute that she must have relished. Although Mary was due to become Mayor in 2023, in May 2022 she suffered a stroke which caused paralysis and she died in July 2024.

ADL Enviro 365 carried name since December 2024.