EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL’S FORWARD PLAN
The Leader of the County Council is required to publish a forward plan setting out matters which the Leader believes will be the subject of a key decision by the Cabinet, individual Cabinet member or officer in the period covered by the Plan (the subsequent four months). The Council’s Constitution states that a key decision is one that involves
(a) expenditure which is, or the making of savings which are, significant having regard to the expenditure of the County Council’s budget, namely above £500,000 per annum; or
(b) is significant in terms of its effects on communities living or working in an area comprising two or more electoral divisions.
As a matter of good practice, the Council's Forward Plan includes other items in addition to key decisions that are to be considered by the Cabinet/individual members. This additional information is provided to inform local residents of all matters to be considered, with the exception of issues which are dealt with under the urgency provisions. Only key decisions to be taken by officers are included.
For each decision included on the Plan the following information is provided:
- the name of the individual or body that is to make the decision and the date of the meeting or relevant time period for an officer decision
- the title of the report and decision to be considered
- groups that will be consulted prior to the decision being taken
- a list of documents that will be considered when making the decision
- the name and telephone number of the contact officer for each item.
The Plan is updated and published every month on the Council’s website two weeks before the start of the period to be covered.
Meetings of the Cabinet/individual members are open to the public (with the exception of discussion regarding reports which contain exempt/confidential information). Copies of agenda and reports for meetings are available on the website in advance of meetings. Key decisions taken by officers will not be taken at a meeting – documents listed can be made available on request to the contact officer, with the exception of those which contain exempt/confidential information.
For further details on the time of meetings and general information about the Plan please contact Stuart McKeown at County Hall, St Anne’s Crescent, Lewes, BN7 1UE, or telephone 01273 481583 or send an e-mail to stuart.mckeown@eastsussex.gov.uk. For further detailed information regarding specific issues to be considered by the Cabinet, individual Member or officer please contact the named contact officer for the item concerned.
EAST SUSSEX COUNTY COUNCIL
County Hall, St Anne’s Crescent, Lewes, BN7 1UE
For copies of reports or other documents please contact the officer listed on the Plan or phone 01273 335274.
FORWARD PLAN – EXECUTIVE DECISIONS (including Key Decisions) –1 July 2025 TO 31 October 2025
Additional notices in relation to Key Decisions and/or private decisions are available on the Council’s website.
Cabinet membership:
Councillor Keith Glazier - Lead Member for Strategic Management and Economic Development
Councillor Nick Bennett – Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change
Councillor Penny di Cara – Lead Member for Economy
Councillor Claire Dowling – Lead Member for Transport and Environment
Councillor Carl Maynard – Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health
Councillor Bob Bowdler – Lead Member for Children and Families
Councillor Bob Standley – Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability
|
Date for Decision |
Decision Taker |
Decision/Key Issue |
Decision to be taken wholly or partly in private (P) or Key Decision (KD) |
Consultation
|
List of Documents to be submitted to decision maker |
Contact Officer |
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7 Jul 2025 |
Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability
|
East Sussex Fair Access Protocol 2025 To approve the East Sussex Fair Access Protocol 2025 document
|
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All Headteachers, Principals, Chief Executive Officers and Executive Headteachers have been consulted.
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Sarah Speedie 07879 117603
|
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7 Jul 2025 |
Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability
|
Chailey St Peter's Church of England Primary School - Consultation on Specialist Facility To report on the outcome of a consultation to establish a specialist facility with a designation of Autistic Spectrum Disorder at Chailey St Peter's CE Primary School.
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A consultation with key stakeholders, including the school community, commenced on 25 April and runs until 23 May 2025. A summary of consultation responses will be included in the report.
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Gary Langford 01273 481758
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8 Jul 2025 |
Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change
|
County Hall Campus - asset review update
|
P
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Nigel Brown 07394 410630
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15 Jul 2025 |
Cabinet
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24/25 Internal Audit Annual Report and Opinion To note the Internal Audit Service’s Opinion on the Council’s control environment.
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|
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Nigel Chilcott 01273 481992
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15 Jul 2025 |
Cabinet
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The future of the Linden Court Day Service for people with a learning disability. To consider the future of Linden Court following the call-in on the Cabinet decision. |
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Richard Lewis 01273 337765
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Between 15 Jul 2025 and 18 Jul 2025 |
Director of Adult Social Care and Health
|
Contract at risk of termination due to provider failure To agree the appointment of an alternative service provider in the event that the existing provider can no longer deliver the required services.
|
P
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
|
Shannon Durkan 07561 601270
|
|
July 2025 |
Chief Operating Officer
|
Sandbanks, Hailsham - Disposal of Freehold The Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change declared the property to be surplus on 22 April 2025 and approved the disposal of it. Authority was delegated to the Chief Operating Officer to agree detailed terms with the preferred purchaser at a later date. The property has been marketed on the open market and the Chief Operating Officer will consider the offers made and decide on sale terms.
|
P
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Rebecca Lewis 07955 312371
|
|
July 2025 |
Chief Operating Officer
|
Former Broad Oak Primary School (main site only) - Disposal of Freehold Approval by the Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change was given on 19 November 2024 to formally declare the site to be surplus to the Council’s operational requirements and for it to be disposed of. Authority was delegated to the Chief Operating Officer to approve the final sale terms. The site has been marketed on the open market and the Chief Operating Officer will approve the sale terms.
|
P
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
|
Rebecca Lewis 07955 312371
|
|
12 Aug 2025 |
Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change
|
Grove Park Secondary School - award of building contract for new school facilities Award of Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) Building Contract in relation to the constructing a new building to provide Special Educational Needs (SEN) Secondary facilities on the existing Grove Park Primary School site in Crowborough. The Secondary is relocating from its current shared site. The project will enable education provision for 60 pupils aged 2-16 with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) in one location.
|
P
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Nigel Brown 07394 410630
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12 Aug 2025 |
Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change
|
Phoenix Centre, Lewes - Options for next steps On 25 February 2025, Cabinet agreed to the closure of the Phoenix Centre Day Service in Lewes. The Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change will decide if the asset can now be declared as being surplus to the operational requirements of the Council, and to approve the next steps.
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Rebecca Lewis 07955 312371
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August 2025 |
Director of Communities, Economy and Transport
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Approval of modification to the Real Time Passenger Information increase spend
|
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Craig Lamberton 01273 337525
|
|
August 2025 |
Chief Operating Officer
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Extension of Managed Services for Temporary Agency Resources contract An allowed for extension of 12 months to the temporary agency resource contract. The contract is currently held by Adecco and the initial term is due to expire in November 2025. This contract is for the management and supply of temporary agency staffing across all council departments.
|
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Grace Kyte 01273 336432
|
|
8 Sep 2025 |
Lead Member for Transport and Environment
|
The East Sussex Freight Strategy 2025 - 2050 To consider responses from the key stakeholder and public consultations on the draft East Sussex Freight Strategy, alongside seeking approval of this as a supporting document to the East Sussex Local Transport Plan 4.
|
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Lisa Simmonds 03456 080190
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8 Sep 2025 |
Lead Member for Transport and Environment
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The East Sussex Rail Strategy 2025 - 2050 To consider responses from the key stakeholder and public consultations on the draft East Sussex Rail Strategy, alongside seeking approval of this as a supporting document to the East Sussex Local Transport Plan 4.
|
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Lisa Simmonds 03456 080190
|
|
8 Sep 2025 |
Lead Member for Transport and Environment
|
Highway Maintenance Incentive Funding 2025/26 A condition of the 2025/26 Highway Maintenance Block Funding is to provide information to the Department for Transport (DfT) regarding the value of the Council’s highway assets and evidence that the Council is following certain best practice criteria. The DfT require the information to be signed off by either the Leader of the Council or Lead Member for Transport and Environment. The report recommends approval of the draft report to the Department for Transport containing the information required.
|
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
|
Andrew Turner 07526 567283
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|
8 Sep 2025 |
Lead Member for Transport and Environment
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Petition regarding the 51 bus service To consider the petition on the 51 bus service. The petition is to ‘Stop Stagecoach from changing the 51 bus service to Eastbourne to hourly from half-hourly’.
|
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Craig Lamberton 01273 337525
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|
8 Sep 2025 |
Lead Member for Transport and Environment
|
Strategic Highways Policies and Plans - Update and Approvals As part of best practice, the Contracts Management Group for the East Sussex Highways contract is conducting a comprehensive review of East Sussex County Council’s strategic highways plans and policies to create a consistent, long-term approach to asset management. The Lead Member will consider proposed updates to key documents—including the Highway Asset Management Policy and Strategy - and consider introducing new policies on Commuted Sums and Winter Service. These updates align with Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP4) objectives, address identified policy gaps and reflect current best practice and government expectations linked to future funding.
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Rosslyn Mills 01273 336337
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25 Sep 2025 |
Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change
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Playing field adjacent to the Tilling Green Community Centre - outcome of the public consultation of the Council's proposal disposal of the land On 22 April 2025, the Lead Member gave approval to enter into a public consultation regarding the proposal to dispose of the land as per the requirement to do so under Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972. The consultation was held, and the responses will be considered by the Lead Member. Options for next steps will also be considered.
|
KD |
Public consultation was held. |
Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Rebecca Lewis 07955 312371
|
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September 2025 |
Director of Adult Social Care and Health
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Contract Award - Adult Drug and Treatment Services To decide of the outcome of the commissioning process to award the contract for the Adult Drug and Treatment Services.
|
P
KD |
The following have been consulted: A range of professional stakeholders, those who use or have used the existing service in the past, those who do not use the service, those who care for people use or have used the existing service and the wider community.
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Caz Kearton-Evans 07879 117579
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23 Oct 2025 |
Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health
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East Sussex Housing Partnership Strategy To approve a draft strategy which has been developed by East Sussex Housing Partnership. The strategy sets out a vision and priority areas of work for the local housing sector.
|
KD |
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Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Michael Courts
|
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23 Oct 2025 |
Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health
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Proposal to introduce admin fees for adults who fully fund care and support arranged by East Sussex County Council To consider the outcome of the public consultation on the proposed implementation of admin fees for adults who fully fund their care. This would apply to adults who have been financially assessed as having sufficient capital to be able to pay for their care themselves, under section 17 of the Care Act, and have requested that ESCC set up care on their behalf. The proposed fees would offset set-up costs and invoicing charges that the Council incurs when setting up this care
|
KD |
A public consultation will be undertaken for this proposal (running from May-July). The 2400 individuals who could be impacted were contacted directly. The survey is available publicly online and will be promoted through local networks and the council social media channels. Feedback from this consultation will be used to inform the final proposal. This proposal has the potential to impact individuals across all wards, as adults who fully fund their care live countywide. |
Report, other documents may also be submitted
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Ben Baker, Sonny Butler 01273 482830
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