Agenda and minutes

51.1     RESOLVED – to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the County Council meeting held on 3 December 2019 as a correct record.

52.1     Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillor Phil Boorman.

DAVID AMIES

52.1     The Chairman referred to the death in January of a former colleague, David Amies who had represented the Battle division from 1981 to 1989. On behalf of the Council the Chairman offered his condolences to David’s family and friends. The Council stood in silence as a mark of respect to David Amies.

NEW YEAR’S HONOURS

52.2     On behalf of the Council, the Chairman congratulated all those who lived or worked in East Sussex who were recognised in the New Year’s honours.

CHAIRMAN’S ANNOUCEMENTS

52.3     The Chairman reported that he and the Vice-Chairman had attended a number of events since the last Council including the Wealden Works annual awards event to celebrate young people’s achievements, the opening of the Grove Theatre, Eastbourne, the Bangladesh Victory Day and Human Rights Day at Eastbourne Town Hall, a Holocaust memorial event in Eastbourne, the national apprenticeship week event in Lewes and a number of carol services.

CHINESE NEW YEAR

52.4     The Chairman reported that the Chinese New Year had begun on 25 January and wished all a happy Chinese New Year.

PRAYERS

52.5     The Chairman thanked Reverend Steve Daughtery for leading the prayers before the meeting.

PETITIONS

52.6     The following petitions were presented by members immediately before the meeting:

54.1     Copies of questions from Gabriel Carlyle from St Leonards on Sea and Andrea Needham from Hastings and the answers from Councillor Fox (Chair of the Pension Committee) are attached to these minutes.

55.1     There were no declarations of interest

56.1     The Chairman of the County Council, having called over the reports set out in the agenda, reserved the following for discussion:

Cabinet report - paragraph 1 (Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources) and paragraph 3 (Annual Report for Looked After Children’s Services)

NON-RESERVED PARAGRAPHS

56.2 On the motion of the Chairman of the County Council, the Council ADOPTED those paragraphs in the reports that had not been reserved for discussion as follows:

Cabinet report – paragraph 2 (Council monitoring), paragraph 4 (Treasury Management Policy and Strategy) and paragraph 5 (Conservators of Ashdown Forest budget)

Governance Committee report paragraph 1 – Procurement and Contract Standing Orders), paragraph 2 (Constitutional changes arising from the withdrawal from the European Union), paragraph (officer employment rules) and 4 (Pension Board – change to quorum)

Paragraph 1 – Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources

57.1 Under Standing Order 23, the Council agreed that the speeches of the Leaders of the five groups (or their nominees) on paragraph 1 of the Cabinet’s report be extended beyond five minutes.

57.2 Councillor Bennett moved the adoption of paragraph 1 of the Cabinet’s report.

57.3 The following amendment was moved by Councillor Webb and seconded:

Delete paragraph 1.41 of the Cabinet’s report and replace with:-

            (1)  approve, in principle, the draft Council Plan at Appendix 1 and authorise the Chief Executive to finalise the Plan in consultation with the relevant Lead Members;

           (2)  approve the net Revenue Budget estimates totalling £403.4m for 2020/21 as set out in Appendices 2 (Medium Term Financial Plan) and 3 (Budget Summary) and authorise the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, Leader and Deputy Leader, to make adjustments to the presentation of the budget to reflect the final settlement and budget decisions subject to the following amendments:

1.    Reverse the proposed saving for I-SEND EHCP Assessment Services for one year £188,000

Total of proposed revenue amendments - £188,000

To be funded by:

2.    A draw from Financing Reserve - £188,000

Total of proposed revenue funding amendments - £188,000

            (3)  in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to agree that:

(i)           the net budget requirement is £403.4m and the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council  as its council tax requirement (see Appendix 6) for the year 2020/21 is £300.9m;

(ii)           the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council as the basic amount of its council tax (i.e. for a band D property) for the year 2020/21 is £1,492.02 and represents a 3.99% (2% of which relates to the Adult Social Care precept) increase on the previous year;

(4)  advise the District and Borough Councils of the relevant amounts payable and council tax in other bands in line with the regulations and to issue precepts accordingly in accordance with an agreed schedule of instalments as set out at Appendix 6;

(5) note the fees and charges set out in Appendix 10 that have been increased above inflation;

(6)  approve the Capital Strategy and Programme as set out at Appendix 9;

(7)  note the Medium Term Financial Plan forecast for the period 2020/21 to 2022/23 as set out in Appendix 2 and amended by the proposals in paragraph (2) above;

(8)  note the comments of the Chief Finance Officer on budget risks and robustness as set out in Appendix 7; and

(9)  note the comments from the engagement exercises as set out in Appendix 8.

57.4 A recorded vote on Councillor Webb’s amendment was taken. The amendment was LOST, the votes being cast as follows:

FOR THE AMENDMENT

Councillors Charman, Godfrey Daniel, Philip Daniel, Field, Grover, Lambert, O’Keeffe, Osborne, Rodohan, Scott, Daniel Shing, Stephen Shing, Shuttleworth, Swansborough, Tutt, Ungar, Wallis and Webb.

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT

Councillors Barnes, Beaver, Belsey, Bennett, Bentley, Bowdler, Charles Clark, Martin Clarke, Davies, Chris  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

(a)  Oral questions to Cabinet Members

(b)  Written Questions of which notice has been given pursuant to Standing Order 44

nf58.1  The following members asked questions of the Lead Cabinet Members indicated and they responded:

WRITTEN QUESTIONS PURSUANT TO STANDING ORDER 44

58.2     Two written questions were received from Councillors Davies and Field for the Lead Member for Economy and  the Lead Member for Transport and Environment. The questions and answers are attached to these minutes. The

Lead Members responded to supplementary questions.