Agenda and minutes

Councillor Galley (Vice Chairman of the County Council) in the Chair

1.1          The following motion was moved by Councillor Glazier and seconded –

‘To elect Councillor Pragnell to serve as Chairman of the County Council for the ensuing year’.

1.2          There being no other nominations, the Vice-Chairman put the motion to the

vote and declared Councillor Pragnell elected as Chairman for the ensuing year. Councillor Pagnell made a declaration of acceptance of office and took the Chair.

Councillor Pragnell in the Chair

1.3       The Chairman thanked the Council for the honour it had bestowed on him in re-electing him as Chairman for a further year.

2.1       The following motion was moved by Councillor Glazier and seconded –

‘To appoint Councillor Galley to serve as Vice Chairman of the County Council for the ensuing year’.

2.2       The following motion was moved by Councillor Robinson and seconded –

‘To appoint Councillor Daniel to serve as Vice Chairman of the County Council for the ensuing year’.

2.3       The Council agreed to vote by a show of hands. Following the vote, the Chairman declared Councillor Galley appointed as Vice Chairman of the County Council for the ensuing year. Councillor Galley made a declaration of acceptance of office and took his seat as Vice Chairman.

3.1       RESOLVED – to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the County Council meeting held on 21 March 2023.

4.1       Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Kathryn Field, Julia Hilton, and Georgia Taylor.

COUNCILLOR RUPERT SIMMONS

5.1       The Chairman began with the sad news of the death of Councillor Rupert Simmons. Councillor Simmons served his community for a quarter of a century, having been elected to Heathfield and Waldron Parish Council in 1997, Wealden District Council in 1999, and East Sussex County Council in 2001. As an East Sussex County Councillor, Councillor Simmons was a long-standing member of the Cabinet, and served as Chairman of the County Council in the years 2009-2011. The Chairman noted that Councillor Simmons’ knowledge and commitment would be greatly missed, and offered his condolences to Councillor Simmons’ family and friends. The Leader of the Council and the other group leaders offered condolences and shared memories of Councillor Simmons. The Council stood for a moment’s silence as a mark of respect to Councillor Simmons.

CHAIRMAN’S ACTIVITIES

5.2       The Chairman reported that he had attended a number of engagements since the last County Council meeting including: the meeting of a Tractor Club at the Five Bells in Chailey, the High Sheriff’s Lunch at Westfield House, meeting the nominees for the King’s Award for Voluntary Service at Victoria Baptist Church in Eastbourne, the installation of the Reverend Canon Simon Holland as the interim Dean of Chichester Cathedral, and coronation celebration services at St. Anne’s Church in Lewes and Chichester Cathedral.

5.3       The Chairman thanked the Vice Chairman for his support in previous years and stated that he looked forward to working with him in the ensuing year.

PETITIONS

5.4       The Chairman announced that no petitions had been presented before the meeting.        

PRAYERS

5.5       The Chairman thanked Father David Hill, Rector of St. John’s the Evangelist Upper St. Leonards and the Rural Dean, for leading prayers before the meeting.

The Leader to present to the County Council their written record of delegations

of executive functions to Cabinet members including:

(a) names of the County Councillors appointed to the Cabinet;

(b) the extent of any authority delegated to cabinet members individually as

portfolio holders;

(c) appointment to the position of Deputy Leader

(d) the terms of reference and constitution of the Cabinet and any executive

committees together with the names of cabinet members appointed to them

(e) the nature and extent of any delegation of executive functions to local

committees

(f) the nature and extent of any delegation to officers

6.1       In accordance with the Constitution, the Leader of the Council presented his written record to the Council of the appointment of Deputy Leader and appointments to the Cabinet, their portfolios and his delegation of executive functions. A copy of the Leader’s report is attached to these minutes.

7.1       The following members declared personal interests in items on the agenda as follows:

Member                      Position giving rise                  Agenda item               Whether

to interest                                                                    interest

was prejudicial

Councillor David         Member of the Pension           Item 13                        No

Tutt                              Committee

Councillor Paul            Member of the Pension           Item 13                        No

Redstone                     Committee

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

Governance Committee report – paragraph 1 (Appointment of Members to Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels and Other Bodies)

Cabinet report – paragraph 1 (Scrutiny Review of Procurement, Social Value and Buying Local)

Place Scrutiny report – paragraph 1 (Scrutiny Review of Procurement, Social Value and Buying Local)

Standards Committee report – paragraph 1 (Annual Report of the Standards Committee)

NON-RESERVED PARAGRAPHS

8.2       There were none.

Paragraph 1 (Appointment of Members to Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels and Other Bodies)

9.1       Councillor Glazier moved the reserved paragraph in the Governance Committee’s report.

9.2       The motion was CARRIED after debate.

(a) Scrutiny Committees

Health Overview and Scrutiny

People

Place

(b) Audit Committee

(c) Governance Committee

(d) Regulatory Committee

(e) Planning Committee

(f) Standards Committee

(g) Pension Committee

(Note 1: The proposed nominations from political and independent groups will be tabled at the meeting)

(Note 2: In accordance with the statutory provisions, the proposed allocation of places to political and independent groups is set out in the report of the Governance Committee)

10.1     Councillor Bennett moved, and it was seconded, that the appointments be made to the Committees and Sub-Committees listed in item 8 of the agenda, in accordance with the list of nominations from the political and independent groups, which had been circulated.

10.2     The motion was CARRIED.

(a) County Joint Consultative Committee (5 members of the County Council)

(b) County Consultative Committee (Governors) (5 members of the County

Council)

(c) Joint Advisory Committee (Schools) (5 members of the County Council)

(d) Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (5 members of the

County)

(e) Corporate Parenting Panel (7 members of the County Council)

[The memberships proposed by the political and independent groups will be circulated to members in advance of the meeting]

11.1     Councillor Bennett moved, and it was seconded, that the appointments be made to the Committees and Panels listed in item 9 of the agenda, in accordance with the list of nominations from the political and independent groups, which had been circulated.

11.2     The motion was CARRIED.

Approved Marriage Premises Review Panel

Recruitment Panel (Chief Executive, Directors and Deputies)

Commons and Village Green Registration Panel

[The composition of these bodies is set out in the Constitution]

12.1     Councillor Bennett moved, and it was seconded, that the bodies listed in agenda item 10 be continued, that the political balance provisions shall not apply to these Panels and that members be appointed by the Chief Executive as the need arises.

12.2     The motion was CARRIED with no member voting against.

[The membership of the Panel, proposed by the political groups will be tabled at the meeting]

13.1     Councillor Bennett moved, and it was seconded, that the political balance provisions would not apply to the membership of the Discretionary Transport Appeal Panel and that members be appointed in accordance with the list of nominations from political groups that had been circulated.

13.2     The motion was CARRIED with no member voting against.

(a) Chair of the Regulatory Committee

(b) Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Scrutiny Committees

(c) Chair and Vice Chair of the Audit Committee

(d) Chair of the Governance Committee

(e) Chair and Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee

(f)  Chair of the Pension Committee

(g) Chair of the Standards Committee

14.1     The following motion, moved by Councillor Bennett and seconded, was CARRIED:

To appoint the following members to positions listed below:

15.1     Sarah Hazlehurst (a representative of the petitioners) addressed the County Council prior to the debate. The Council agreed to vary procedure to enable all councillors who wished to speak to do so.

15.2     The following motion was moved by Councillor Fox and seconded:

This Council:

1.    Notes the Petition.

2.     Notes that the Pension Fund is not the property of the Admin Authority, any employer in the Fund, or East Sussex residents, but is the deferred compensation of scheme members.

3.     Believes that tax policy is the preserve of national not local government.

4.    Notes that the Fund was awarded LGPS Fund of the year 2021 for its overall performance and highly commended for its approach to climate.

5.    Notes that the Pension Committee has already commissioned Fund officers and advisers to produce a report exploring the consequences of fossil fuel divestment.

6.    Reaffirms that this Full Council owes a fiduciary duty to the scheme members and has appointed the Pension Committee to act as a non-political body on its behalf under the advice of experts, including that related to the broad range of ESG issues, and that it should not seek to pre-determine the informed consideration of these issues by the Committee.

15.3     The following amendment was moved by Councillor Denis and seconded:

To delete the motion and replace with –

1. This Council believes that the fact that the world’s twenty largest oil and gas companies are expected to invest $932 billion developing new oil & gas fields by 2030 – none of which is compatible with limiting warming to 1.5°C – is clear evidence that the East Sussex Pension Fund's current policy of 'engaging' with fossil fuel companies has failed.

2. This Council believes that a public commitment by the East Sussex Pension Fund to fully divest from these companies would send a powerful signal to policymakers about the need to get serious about tackling the climate emergency, which requires the rapid phasing out of fossil fuels.

3. To further acknowledge the increasing urgency of the climate crisis, the Leader of the Council will write to the Prime Minister, urging him to: (i) close the massive loopholes in the existing windfall tax on companies that extract and sell oil and gas; and (ii) permanently require these companies to pass on excessive profits from the sale of dirty energy in the UK to the UK tax payer. 

15.4     A recorded vote on Councillor Denis’ amendment was requested and taken. The amendment was LOST, the votes being cast as follows:

FOR THE AMENDMENT

Councillors Collier, Daniel, Denis, Holt, Lambert, MacCleary, Maples, Murphy, Osborne, Robinson, Rodohan, Scott, Daniel Shing, Stephen Shing, Shuttleworth, Swansborough, Ungar, and Webb. 

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT

Councillors Adeniji, Azad, Beaver, Belsey, Bennett, Bowdler, Clark, di Cara, Chris Dowling, Claire Dowling, Fox, Galley, Geary, Glazier, Hay, Hollidge, Howell, Kirby-Green, Liddiard, Lunn, Marlow-Eastwood, Maynard, Milligan, Pragnell, Redstone, Standley, and Barry Taylor.

ABSTENTIONS

Councillor Tutt.

15.5     A recorded vote was requested and taken on the motion moved by Councillor Fox  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

16.1     There were no questions from members of the public.

Paragraph 1 (Scrutiny Review of Procurement: Social Value and Buying Local)

17.1     The Chairman reminded Council that this paragraph would be taken with the report of the Place Scrutiny Committee.

Paragraph 1 (Scrutiny Review of Procurement: Social Value and Buying Local)

18.1     The Chairman reminded the Council that he was taking paragraph 1 of this report with paragraph 1 of the Cabinet’s report.

18.2     Councillor Beaver moved the adoption of paragraph 1 of the Scrutiny Committee report.

18.3     Councillor Glazier moved the adoption of paragraph 1 of the Cabinet’s report. The motion, including the recommendations, was CARRIED after debate.

18.4     The motion to adopt paragraph 1 of the Scrutiny Committee’s report, including the recommendations, was CARRIED after debate on the basis that implementation would be in accordance with the recommendations of the Cabinet.

Paragraph 1 (Annual Report of the Standards Committee)

19.1     Councillor Belsey moved the reserved paragraph in the Standards

Committee’s report.

19.2     The motion was CARRIED after debate.

a) Oral questions to Cabinet Members

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

20.1     The following members asked questions of the Lead Cabinet Members indicated and they responded:

Questioner                 Respondent               Subject

Councillor Murphy      Councillor Claire         Quality of materials and workmanship on

Dowling                       highways and supervision of works

Councillor                    Councillor Claire         Works on highways and infrastructure

Swansborough            Dowling

Councillor                    Councillor Claire         Budget details of the Council’s

Lambert                       Dowling                       Emergency Travel Fund

Councillor                    Councillor                    Contacts regarding outstanding March

Robinson                     Claire Dowling            queries

Councillor Daniel         Councillor Glazier       Central Government funding to local

authorities since 2010 and effect on

East Sussex residents

Councillor                    Councillor                    Standards of roads in the county

Stephen Shing            Claire Dowling

Councillor Tutt             Councillor                    Pothole repairs and time taken to

Claire Dowling             complete repairs

Councillor Scott          Councillor                    Review of the criteria used for

                                    Claire Dowling             highway repairs and success of repairs

Councillor Maples       Councillor                    Briefing notes from previous

                                    Claire Dowling             Highways contractor

Councillor Denis          Councillor Glazier       Europe Day 2023

Councillor                    Councillor Bennett      Site formerly known as Hindsland

Stephen Shing                                                playing fields in Polegate, and

                                                                        surrounding land.

WRITTEN QUESTIONS PURSUANT TO STANDING ORDER 44

20.2     There were no written questions from Councillors.