Agenda and minutes

21.1     RESOLVED – to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the County Council meeting held on 20 May 2025.

22.1     Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillor Kirby-Green.

KING’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS

23.1     On behalf of the Council, the Chairman congratulated all those who live or work in East Sussex who were recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours. Including Councillor Keith Glazier OBE, Holly Aquilina BEM – Employability and Skills Manager for East Sussex County Council, Dame Anna Rausing DBE, Sir Roger Daltrey CBE, Mrs Kerry Lester OBE, Dr Samantha Morton OBE, Mr David Pickard OBE, Mrs Vanessa Barden MBE, Mr Stephen Thompsett MBE, Mr Eric Brown BEM, and Ms Christine Maddocks BEM.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE, BECKY SHAW

23.2     On behalf of the Council, the Chairman passed on his well wishes to Becky Shaw, Chief Executive.

CHAIRMAN’S ACTIVITIES

23.3     The Chairman reported that he had attended a number of engagements since the last meeting of the Council including the Lord Lieutenant’s Reception (for the new Mayors and Chairmen), the King’s Award for the Voluntary Service 2025, the Visit England Awards for Excellence (chaired by Patricia Yates CEO and Lady Victoria Borwick), the Opening of Bexhill Beach Garden and Friends of Sussex Hospices Summer Cabaret at Framfield Grange.

23.4     The Chairman thanked the Vice-Chairman for his ongoing support, including attendance at the Eastbourne Cultural involvement Group Event, Annual Chattri Memorial Service with Davinder Dhillion OBE DL, Armed Forces Briefing with SE Reserve Forces’ and Cadets Association and County Chair Colonel (Retd) Mark Siebenaller TD VR, Sussex Annual Forum with Professor Robin Banerjee, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Global and Civic Engagement, the Sussex Day Business and Community Luncheon, Royal Society of St George Celebration of the Kings Birthday Dinner, a Reception for Civic Representatives, Military, the NHS and Emergency Services with the Bishop of Chichester, and the Right Reverend Dr Martin Warner and the Patronal Festal Evensong at St Peter’s Church, Bexhill.

PETITIONS

23.5     The following petition was presented before the meeting by Councillor MacCleary:

PRAYERS

23.6     The Chairman thanked Major Ralph Walker QVA, Commanding Officer, Eastbourne Salvation Army, for leading the prayers before the meeting.

24.1     Copies of questions from members of the public and the answers from Councillor Glazier, Lead Member for Strategic Management and Economic Development, Councillor Claire Dowling, Lead Member for Transport and Environment, and Councillor Bob Standley, Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability are attached to these minutes. Two supplementary questions were asked and responded to.

25.1     Councillor Webb declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest in item 5 on the agenda as a Member of Hastings Borough Council.

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

Cabinet report - Paragraph 2 (Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources – State of the County).

NON-RESERVED PARAGRAPHS

26.2     On the motion of the Chairman of the County Council, the Council adopted those paragraphs in the report that had not been reserved for discussion as follows:

Cabinet Report – Paragraph 1 (Council Monitoring, Quarter 4 2024/25).

Paragraph 2 (Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR) – State of the County)

27.1     The Chairman indicated that there would be a single debate on the Cabinet Priorities for the forthcoming year (Item 6) and the State of the County report.

27.2     Councillor Glazier outlined the priorities for the forthcoming year and introduced paragraph 2 of the Cabinet report. The other Group Leaders commented on these, following which there was a debate.

27.3     The paragraph was noted after the debate.

28.1     This item was taken with paragraph 2 of the Cabinet report.

The Chairman has directed under Standing Order 36.9 (1) that the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor Taylor shall stand referred to the County Council.

East Sussex has a significant number of nature protected areas including National Landscapes, and National and Local Nature Reserves, that are essential for the local ecosystem survival and for carbon sequestration (of national relevance) and the survival of seriously endangered insects, wildlife and plant life. This Council does not accept the current Part 3 of the new Bill and will do everything we can to ensure our essential protected areas do not get destroyed by development.

This Council calls on the Leader to write to the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Angela Rayner MP and the Right Honourable Steve Reed, to request:

?        That Part 3 of the Bill is withdrawn (or, if not, accept substantial amendments to improve protection and regeneration of nature in this part)

?        That positive proposals for nature are added to other parts of the Bill

?        Assurance that East Sussex nature protected sites remain fully protected

This Council also request that the Leader of the Council write to our local MPs asking them to support amendments to the bill that address the concerns outlined in the motion, and in the event that the bill remains substantially the same, to call on our MPs to vote against its adoption on the grounds that it will set back nature recovery whilst failing to help deliver either truly the affordable housing or the social housing local people need. 

29.1     With agreement from Council, Councillor Taylor moved an altered motion, which was seconded by Councillor Tutt.

East Sussex has a significant number of nature protected areas including National Landscapes, and National and Local Nature Reserves (see Annex 1), that are essential for the local ecosystem survival and for carbon sequestration (of national relevance) and the survival of seriously endangered insects, wildlife and plant life. This Council does not accept the current Part 3 of the new Bill and will do everything we can to ensure our essential protected areas do not get destroyed by development.

This Council calls on the Leader to write to the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Angela Rayner MP and (delete the following wording) the Right Honourable Steve Reed, [add the following wording] Baroness Taylor of Stevenage to request:

?        (delete the following wording) That Part 3 of the Bill is withdrawn (or, if not, accept substantial amendments to improve protection and regeneration of nature in this part)

?        [add the following wording] Substantial amendments to Part 3 of the Bill to improve protection and regeneration of nature (see Annex 2)

?        [add the following wording] That proposals to enhance the protections for Dark Skies sites as outlined by Parliament’s Dark Skies APPG are incorporated within the bill

?        That positive proposals for nature are added to other parts of the Bill

?        Assurance that East Sussex nature protected sites remain fully protected

This Council also request that the Leader of the Council to write to our local MPs asking them to support amendments to the bill that address the concerns outlined above and below in Annex 2 and, in the event that the bill remains substantially the same, to call on our MPs to vote against its adoption on the grounds that it will set back nature recovery whilst failing to help deliver either truly the affordable housing or the social housing local people need. 

29.2     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

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

30.2     There were four written questions received from Councillors Hilton, Lambert, MacCleary, and Wright to the Lead Member for Transport and Environment, and the Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability. The Lead Members responded to supplementary questions.