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.