Minutes
EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
MINUTES of a MEETING of the EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL held at Council Chamber, County Hall, Lewes on 6 December 2022at 10.00 am
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Present |
Councillors Sam Adeniji, Abul Azad, Matthew Beaver, Colin Belsey, Nick Bennett, Bob Bowdler, Charles Clark, Godfrey Daniel, Johnny Denis, Penny di Cara, Chris Dowling, Claire Dowling, Kathryn Field, Roy Galley (Vice Chairman), Nuala Geary, Keith Glazier, Alan Hay, Ian Hollidge, Stephen Holt, Johanna Howell, Eleanor Kirby-Green, Carolyn Lambert, Wendy Maples, Sorrell Marlow-Eastwood, Carl Maynard, Matthew Milligan, Steve Murphy, Sarah Osborne, Peter Pragnell (Chairman), Paul Redstone, Christine Robinson, Pat Rodohan, Phil Scott, Stephen Shing, Alan Shuttleworth, Rupert Simmons, Bob Standley, Barry Taylor, Georgia Taylor, John Ungar and Trevor Webb
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Before the start of the meeting The High Sheriff of East Sussex, Mrs Jane King, presented the Chairman with a framed copy of the Proclamation of King Charles III.
35. Minutes of the meeting held on 11 October 2022
35.1 RESOLVED - to confirm as a correct record minutes of the County Council meeting held on 11 October 2022.
36. Apologies for absence
36.1 Apologies were received on behalf of Councillors Chris Collier, Gerard Fox, Julia Hilton, Tom Liddiard, Phillip Lunn, James MacCleary, Colin Swansborough, Daniel Shing and David Tutt.
37. Chairman's business
BOB LACEY
37.1 The chairman referred to the death of a former colleague, Bob Lacey. Elected to the Council in 2005, Bob represented the Eastbourne Upperton Division before serving as Chairman 2007 to 2009, a role in which he served with distinction. The Chairman offered condolences to Bob’s family and friends on behalf of the Council. The Council stood and remained silent as a mark of respect to Bob Lacey.
CHAIRMAN’S ACTIVITIES
37.2 The Chairman reported that he had attended a number of engagements since the last meeting of the Council including: the Hastings Day Luncheon and Mini Expo Event, a tea for Ashdown Forest Volunteers Ashdown Park Hotel, the East Sussex High Sheriff's Annual Judge's Service, the Queen's Award for Enterprise, a Sussex Prayer Breakfast at East Sussex Downs Golf Club, an Eastbourne Silver Band Concert of Remembrance, the Remembrance Day Parade and Service in Lewes, the Hastings Remembrance Day, a Four Seasons Concert on Ashdown Forest, a Service of Remembrance for Canadian, Irish and West Indian soldiers from the Great War, Christmas Pontifical Sung Vespers at Arundel Cathedral, the opening of the Isabel Blackman Centre in Hastings, and the St John Sussex Carol Service in Eastbourne.
37.3 The Chairman thanked the Vice Chairman for his ongoing support.
PETITIONS
37.4 The following petitions were presented before the meeting by members:
Councillor Robinson * - calling for a pedestrian crossing on Sutton Avenue to access the South Coast Road and Dell Park.
*(on behalf of Councillor Collier)
PRAYERS
37.5 The Chairman thanked Reverend Ben Brown, Rector of St Anne's Church, Lewes, for leading the prayers before the meeting.
38. Questions from members of the public
38.1 A copy of the question from a member of the public and the answer from Councillor Claire Dowling (Lead Member for Transport and Environment) is attached to these minutes. A supplementary question was asked and responded to.
39. Declarations of interest
39.1 There were no declarations of interest.
40. Reports
40.1 The Chairman of the County Council, having called over the reports set out in the agenda, reserved the following for discussion:
Report of the Lead Member for Transport and Environment - paragraph 1 (Notice of Motion: No to Fracking)
NON-RSERVED PARAGRAPHS
40.2 There were none
41. Report of the Lead Member for Transport and Environment
Paragraph 1 – Notice of Motion: No to Fracking
41.1 Councillor Claire Dowling moved the reserved paragraph of the Lead Member’s report.
41.2 The following amendment was moved by Councillor Georgia Taylor and seconded:
1) The County Council recognises the significant public concerns over any initiatives to develop fracking, or other methods, for the extraction of shale oil or gas in East Sussex (insert) and accepts the scientific evidence that, to meet net zero targets, no new exploration or extraction of fossil fuels could take place.
2) The County Council, therefore, supports the Government’s recent announcement that reinstates the moratorium on fracking (insert) and the County Council continues to ensure implementation of and alignment with the 2008 Climate Act, and the National Planning Policy Framework and East Sussex County Council policies on climate and environment by opposing any future lifting of the moratorium and opposing any fossil fuel exploration, fracking or any other extraction of oil or gas within East Sussex.
41.3 A recorded vote on the amendment was requested and taken. The amendment was LOST, the votes being cast as follows:
FOR THE AMENDMENT
Councillors Denis, Field, Holt Lambert, Maples, Murphy, Osborne, Robinson, Rodohan, Stephen Shing, Shuttleworth, Georgia Taylor and Ungar.
AGAINST THE AMENDMENT
Councillors Adeniji, Azad, Beaver, Belsey, Bennett, Bowdler, Clark, di Cara, Chris Dowling, Claire Dowling, Galley, Geary, Glazier, Hay, Hollidge, Howell, Kirby-Green, Marlow-Eastwood, Maynard, Pragnell, Redstone, Simmons, Standley and Barry Taylor.
ABSTENTIONS
Councillors Daniel, Milligan, Scott and Webb.
41.4 A recorded vote on the motion moved by Councillor Claire Dowling was requested and taken as follows:
“The County Council recognises the significant public concerns over any initiatives to develop fracking, or other methods, for the extraction of shale oil or gas in East Sussex. The County Council, therefore, supports the Government’s recent announcement that reinstates the moratorium on fracking.”
41.5 The motion was CARRIED with the votes being cast as follows:
FOR THE MOTION
Councillors Adeniji, Azad, Beaver, Belsey, Bennett, Bowdler, Clark, Denis, di Cara, Chris Dowling, Claire Dowling, Field, Galley, Geary, Glazier, Hay, Hollidge, Holt, Howell, Kirby-Green, Lambert, Marlow-Eastwood, Maynard, Milligan, Murphy, Osborne, Pragnell, Redstone, Robinson, Rodohan, Shuttleworth, Simmons, Standley, Barry Taylor, Georgina Taylor, Ungar and Webb.
AGAINST THE MOTION
None
ABSTENTIONS
Councillors Daniel, Maples, Scott and Stephen Shing.
42. Questions from County Councillors
42.1 The following members asked questions of the Lead Cabinet Members indicated and they responded:
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Questioner |
Respondent |
Subject
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Councillor Field |
Councillor Maynard
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Care Quality Commission Inspection of Royal Sussex County Hospital
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Councillor Shuttleworth |
Councillor Standley |
Funding issues facing schools due to increasing demands and pressures |
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Councillor Murphy |
Councillor Glazier
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Cost of security operation for meetings at County Hall
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Councillor Daniel |
Councillor Glazier |
Central Government support for the residents of East Sussex
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Councillor Stephen Shing |
Councillor Glazier |
Cross party working on the County Council |
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THE CHAIRMAN DECLARED THE MEETING CLOSED AT 10.56 am
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The reports referred to are included in the minute book
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1. Jack Neil, Chairman, Royal British Legion, Lewes
Background
Every year the British Legion Lewes submits a list of barriers, signs and cones requires for Remembrance events in Lewes, on behalf of the Town Council to the Contracts Management Team at East Sussex Highways Department Ringmer. You will see from the guide attached that's all we are allowed to do as our contribution towards Remembrance as this is a civic event.
Whilst the list is always the same, we have to submit this every year as there appears to be no continuation as this is not held on the computer and the contractor changes, i.e. Kier, Costan, Colas dealing with this, and there is always a different person in the seat.
However, the response from the team is always the same, "you will have to collect, place, and return the items yourself" which clearly even if we had anyone in the organisation young enough to do, we are not allowed.
Usually after weeks of e mails haggling about this someone realises this is not a children's parade but a National Remembrance event which has been going on for over 100 years, which The Lord Lieutenant attends along with the High Sheriff, the M.P. and all the council leaders, including the leader of East Sussex Council as well as many more dignitaries. The requirements are then provided, placed and recovered by the Management Team.
Question
Can the council approve that these barriers, signs and cones are provided each year as East Sussex Councils contribution towards Remembrance in perpetuity, as without these this event will not take place?
Response by the Lead Member for Transport and Environment
The Council has historically provided traffic management equipment for the Lewes Remembrance Day events. Our usual policy for lending out equipment is for the organisation who are borrowing the equipment to collect and return the equipment to Ringmer depot. They also sign a waiver to ensure the equipment is used in the correct way and that they take responsibility for returning everything as it was lent out. However, for the Lewes Remembrance Day event we have delivered and collected the equipment from agreed locations in Lewes. This is an historic exception.
Whilst we recognise the importance of this and other Remembrance Day events across the county we do have limited resources and have to consider all requests for similar equipment. To date we have been able to support the Lewes event including delivering the equipment but we cannot commit to providing this service in perpetuity as we must consider this application along with all other applications each year to ensure we operate a fair system in supporting the many and varied charities and organisations across East Sussex.