LEADER AND Lead Member for Strategic Management and Economic Development
DECISIONS made by the Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change, Councillor Nick Bennett, on behalf of the Leader and Lead Member for Strategic Management and Economic Development on 9 March 2026 at Remote Meeting via Microsoft Teams
Councillors Belsey, di Cara and Denis spoke on item 7 (see minute 23)
17. Decisions made by the Lead Cabinet Member on 18 February 2026
17.1 The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 18 February 2026.
18. Disclosure of Interests
18.1 Councillor Bennett declared a personal interest as a member of the East Sussex Invest Grants and Loans Panel when the Panel took the decision to grant the loan in 2017. He did not consider this to be prejudicial.
19. Urgent items
19.1 There were none.
20. Reports
20.1 Reports referred to in the minutes below are contained in the minute book.
21. Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (as amended) ('RIPA') and Investigative Powers Act 2016 ('IPA') update
21.1 The Deputy Leader and Lead Member considered a report by the Deputy Chief Executive.
DECISIONS
21.2 The Deputy Leader and Lead Member RESOLVED to approve the County Council’s Policy in relation to the use of covert investigative techniques (‘the Policy’) as set out in Appendix 1 of the report.
REASON
21.3 Approval of the relevant Policy is required to comply with the requirements of RIPA, IPA and the Home Office codes.
22. Exclusion of the Public and Press
22.1 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 paragraph 3 of Part 1 of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosure.
23. Eastbourne Fisherman's Quayside and infrastructure development project - reprofiling finances
23.1 The Deputy Leader and Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.
DECISIONS
23.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to approve the recommendations in the report, for the reasons set out in the report. The decision and reasons are set out in an exempt minute.