Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change
DECISIONS made by the Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change, Councillor Nick Bennett, on 31 March 2025 at Remote Meeting via Microsoft Teams
Councillor Maples spoke on item 5 (see minute 69)
64. Decisions made by the Lead Cabinet Member on 14 January 2025
64.1 The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 14 January 2025.
65. Disclosure of Interests
65.1 Councillor Maples declared a personal interest in items 5 and 10 as a Member of Lewes District Council. She did not consider this to be prejudicial.
66. Urgent items
66.1 There were none.
67. Reports
67.1 Reports referred to in the minutes below are contained in the minute book.
68. Write-off of Debts
68.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer together with exempt information in a later agenda item.
DECISIONS
68.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to:
1) Approve the writing-off of 12 debts amounting to £208,591.46 in the Council’s 2024/2025 accounts;
2) Note that provision is made for bad and doubtful debts; and
3) Note the current debt position and steps being put in place to make improvements.
REASONS
68.3 There is no prospect of recovering the 12 outstanding debts despite efforts made to recover the outstanding sums, all routes have now been exhausted.
69. Land parcels at the Phoenix Causeway and North Street, Lewes - Disposal of Freehold
69.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer together with exempt information in a later agenda item.
DECISIONS
69.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to:
1) Subject to formal stopping up procedures, declare land under the adopted highway at North Street, Lewes, required for the North Street Quarter regeneration scheme, surplus to requirements of the Council;
2) Delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer to:
(a) declare the exact extent of the identified land parcels, hatched blue set out in Appendix 1 of the report to be surplus to the requirements of the Council;
(b) agree the terms of the sale to achieve best consideration for the land parcels to be disposed of, in accordance with s123 of the Local Government Act 1972, including proceeding with the next best offer(s) in the event of the transaction(s) not completing within the expected timelines; and
(c) take all actions necessary to give effect to the recommendations in the report.
and
3) Approve the disposal of the land parcels in accordance with s.123 of the Local Government Act 1972.
REASONS
69.3 When development of North Street Quarter is brought forward, benefits for the wider community will be realised, including new homes, employment opportunities, flood defence works and the provision of a new bus layby and associated infrastructure.
69.4 Declaring the land parcels surplus to the operational requirements of the Council and disposing of them to the developer (subject to conditions for the highway land and the developer entering into a Section 278 Agreement so that the exact extent of the land to be disposed of to the developer can be agreed), enables the Council to facilitate the regeneration of a strategic brownfield site in Lewes.
69.5 The exact extent of East Sussex County Council land to be disposed of cannot be confirmed until the final designs for the bus layby and bus shelter have been produced and agreed. Therefore, the delegations to the Chief Operating Officer will facilitate the effective disposal.
70. Former Sidley Depot Site, Bexhill - Alternative Occupation Arrangements
70.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer together with exempt information in a later agenda item and written comments from Local Member, Councillor Azad.
DECISIONS
70.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to:
1) Approve Rother District Council taking a new lease of Sidley Depot, Bexhill for a period of 10 years to use as a Refuse Vehicle depot; and
2) Delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer to determine the detailed terms of the lease, to approve the final lease negotiations and the signing of the lease by East Sussex County Council and to take any other actions considered appropriate to give effect to the above resolution.
REASONS
70.3 By entering into the proposed lease arrangements with Rother District Council, East Sussex County Council can help to support a public sector partner in the expansion of waste collection services in the local area. The proposed terms are considered to reflect the best consideration for the Site in accordance with s.123 of the Local Government Act 1972.
70.4 Delegation of authority to the Chief Operating Officer to approve the final lease negotiations, the signing and completion by East Sussex County Council of the new lease and any related documentation and to take any other actions considered appropriate to give effect of resolution 1) above, will facilitate the timely completion of the lease documentation.
71. Exclusion of the Public and Press
71.1 It was RESOLVED to exclude the public and press from the meeting for the remaining agenda items on the grounds that if the public and press were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as specified in paragraphs 1 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), namely information relating to any individual and information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).
72. Write-off of Debts 2024/25 - Exempt Information
72.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer which provided exempt information in support of an earlier item on the agenda.
DECISIONS
72.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to note the exempt information in relation to an earlier item on the agenda.
REASONS
72.3 The report contained exempt information in relation to an earlier item on the agenda.
73. Land parcels at the Phoenix Causeway and North Street, Lewes - Disposal of Freehold - Exempt Information
73.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer which provided exempt information in support of an earlier item on the agenda.
DECISIONS
73.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to note the exempt information contained in this report in support of an earlier agenda item.
REASONS
73.3 The report contained exempt information in relation to an earlier item on the agenda.
74. Former Sidley Depot Site, Bexhill - Alternative Occupation Arrangements - Exempt Information
74.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer which provided exempt information in support of an earlier item on the agenda.
DECISIONS
74.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to note the exempt information contained in this report in support of an earlier agenda item.
REASONS
74.3 The report contained exempt information in relation to an earlier item on the agenda.