Cabinet
MINUTES of a meeting of the Cabinet held at Council Chamber, County Hall, Lewes on 9 January 2025.
PRESENT Councillors Keith Glazier (Chair), Nick Bennett (Vice Chair), Bob Bowdler, Claire Dowling, Carl Maynard and Bob Standley
Members spoke on the items indicated:
Councillor Bowdler - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Clark - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Collier - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Cross - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Daniel - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Denis - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Field - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Fox - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Hilton - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Liddiard - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Lunn - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Maples - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Maynard - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Robinson - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Scott - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Stephen Shing - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Standley - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Taylor - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Ungar - item 5 (minute 41)
Councillor Webb - item 5 (minute 41)
38. Minutes of the meeting held on 10 December 2024
38.1 The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on the 10 December were agreed as a correct record.
39. Apologies for absence
39.1 Apologies were received from Councillor di Cara.
40. REPORTS
40.1 Copies of the reports referred to below are included in the minute book.
41. Local Government Devolution and Reorganisation
41.1 The Cabinet considered a report by the Chief Executive.
41.2 It was RESOLVED to approve that the Leader writes to the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution:
1) Confirming the Council’s clear commitment to devolution and local government reorganisation as part of the Devolution Priority Programme, based on a proposal for the devolution of powers to a new combined authority for the Sussex area covering the areas of the three upper tier authorities.
2) Confirming the Council’s commitment to developing a proposal for unitary government in East Sussex.
3) Inviting the Government to postpone elections in May 2025, for a year, to enable the proposals for Local Government Reorganisation to be developed and the early implementation of the proposed devolution arrangements.
Reasons
41.3 It is recommended that the Council responds to the Government’s invitation by expressing a commitment to work with partners to develop proposals for a mayoral strategic authority for the area of Sussex, and to seek to take advantage of the benefits of participating in the Devolution Priority Programme. It is also recommended that the letter to the Government includes a commitment to reorganisation, with a view to taking advantage of the benefits that offers, and to ensure that we are aligned, and consistent with, the other upper tier local authorities in the proposed strategic authority.
41.4 The development and delivery of the proposed devolution and reorganisation will require significant commitment and resource. It is therefore proposed that the Government be invited to postpone the County Council elections, scheduled for May 2025, for a year to help enable detailed proposals for a Strategic Authority and local government reorganisation to be developed, with a view to helping manage the demands of devolution alongside reorganisation.
42. To agree which items are to be reported to the County Council
42.1 There were no items to report to the County Council.