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Agenda and minutes

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41.

Minutes of the meeting held on 1 December 2020 pdf icon PDF 732 KB

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Minutes:

41.1     RESOLVED – to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the County Council meeting held on 1 December 2020 as a correct record.

42.

Apologies for absence

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Minutes:

42.1     Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillor Simon Elford.

43.

Chairman's business

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Minutes:

KEITH BRIDGER

43.1     The Chairman referred to the death in January of a former colleague, Keith Bridger who had represented the Bexhill North Division form 1997 to 2005 and during his time as a county councillor was also the Leader of the Labour Group. The Chairman and other councillors paid tribute to Keith Bridger and on behalf of the Council the Chairman offered condolences to Keith’s family and friends. The Council remained silent as a mark of respect to Keith Bridger.

 

TILLEY AWARDS

43.2       The Chairman reported that five partnership projects from across the UK had been recognised as leaders in the Problem Solving and Crime Prevention Programme for this year’s Tilley Awards. This year the local partnership, made up of staff from both Sussex Police and ESCC, was voted the winner for the Neighbourhoods category, tackling anti-social behaviour and crime within Uckfield, with excellent results for local young people. The winning five projects, selected from 92 entries from police forces and partner agencies across the country, would now present their project at this year’s National Problem Solving Conference in September 2021, before an overall winner is announced.

NEW YEAR’S HONOURS

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

 

44.

Questions from members of the public pdf icon PDF 442 KB

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Minutes:

44.1     Copies of the questions received from members of the public and the answers from Councillor Fox (Chair of the Pension Committee) are attached to these minutes.

45.

Declarations of Interest

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Minutes:

45.1     There were no declarations of interest.

46.

Reports

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Minutes:

46.1     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), paragraph 3 (scrutiny review of becoming a carbon neutral council) and paragraph 4 (annual report of looked after children’s services)

Place Scrutiny Committee report – paragraph 1 (scrutiny review of becoming a carbon neutral council)

NON-RESERVED PARAGRAPHS

 

46.2     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) and paragraph 5 (treasury management policy and strategy)

Governance Committee report – paragraph 1 (bylaws for local nature reserve)

 

47.

Report of the Cabinet pdf icon PDF 593 KB

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Minutes:

Paragraph 1 – Reconciling Policy Performance and Resources

47.1     Under Standing Order 23, the Council agreed that the speeches of the Leaders of the 5 Groups (or their nominees) on paragraph 1 of the Cabinet’s report be extended beyond 5 minutes.

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

47.3     The following amendment was moved by Councillor Tutt and seconded:

Delete paragraph 1.56 of the Cabinet’s report and replace with:-

 

            (1)  approve, in principle, the draft Council Plan 2021/22 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 £416.7m for 2021/22 as set out on Appendix 3 (Medium Term Financial Plan) and 4 (Budget Summary) and authorise the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, Leader and Deputy Leader, to make adjustments to the presentation of the Budget Summary to reflect the final settlement and budget decisions with the following amendments:

 

1.    Potential Investment Areas in the MTFP - £980,000: recognising that focused work is still to be undertaken to determine actual investment, it is requested that consideration is given to the potential investment of: -

a.    Training and information on respite services – indicative £100,000

b.    A grant fund to support voluntary sector resilience – indicative £200,000

c.    Adult Social Care mental health support – indicative - £200,000

d.    Community Hubs resilience – indicative £380,000

e.    Business resilience and recovery – indicative £100,000

2.    Additional one off expenditure on child mental health to assess the impact of the pandemic on need - £200,000

3.    Additional permanent SEND support for schools - £200,000

4.    Additional permanent increased advice and support to primary schools - £200,000

5.    Additional revenue contribution for 3 years to capital to increase repairs to pavements - £200,000

6.    One-off use of Priority Outcomes and Transformation reserve to accelerate the preparation of the Climate Emergency Plan and to contribute to rectifying the environmental damage from tree felling - £250,000

7.    Additional cost of borrowing a further £1,000,000 for Climate Emergency Plan actions - £38,500

 

Total of proposed revenue amendments - £2,068,500

 

To be funded by:

 

8.    Potential Investment Areas in the MTFP - £980,000: consideration of use of budget as areas of investment are developed.

9.    Use of the Priority Outcomes and Transformation reserve - £250,000

10.  Use of COVID-19 reserve for child mental health - £200,000

11.  Chief Operating Officer: deletion of role - £88,500

12.  Reduce venue hire budget - £100,000

13.  Reduce communications budget - £200,000

14.  Reduce Governance and Organisational Development - £100,000

15.  Reduce waste management budget - £150,000

 

Total of proposed revenue funding amendments - £2,068,500

 

 

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

 

(i)           the net budget requirement is £416.7m and the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council as its council tax requirement (see Appendix 6) for the year 2021/22 is £310.4m;

 

(ii)           the amount calculated by East Sussex  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.

48.

Report of the Place Scrutiny Committee pdf icon PDF 138 KB

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Minutes:

Paragraph 1 (Scrutiny review of becoming a carbon neutral council)

 

48.1     The Chairman reminded the Council that he was taking paragraph 1 of this report with paragraph 3 of the Cabinet’s report.

48.2     Councillor Bowdler moved the adoption of paragraph 1 of the Scrutiny Committee’s report.

48.3 Councillor Glazier moved the adoption of paragraph 3 of the Cabinet’s report. The motion, including the recommendations, was CARRIED after debate.

 

48.4 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.

 

49.

Questions from County Councillors pdf icon PDF 320 KB

(a)  Oral questions to Cabinet Members

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

 

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Minutes:

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

Questioner

Respondent

Subject

 

Councillor Field

Councillor Glazier

Supplementary questions in relation to public questions at County Council meetings   

 

Councillor Ungar

Councillor Maynard

Covid vaccinations for care home workers

Councillor Shuttleworth

Councillor Bentley

Capacity in East Sussex to offer counselling, refuge places etc to victims of domestic abuse/violence   

 

Councillor Godfrey Daniel

Councillor Standley

125 year Free School Lease for the Ropemakers’ Academy, Hailsham

 

Councillor Stephen Shing

Councillor Glazier

Performance of contractors and contract monitoring during the current pandemic

 

Councillor Fox

Councillor Bennett

Promotion of decarbonisation programme and electric vehicles

 

Councillor Daniel Shing

Councillor Claire Dowling

Policy for the granting of licenses  for adverts and notices on street furniture

 

 

 

49.2     Four written questions were received from Councillors Osborne, Lambert and Stephen Shing  for the Leader and the Lead Member for Transport and Environment. The questions and answers are attached to these minutes. The Leader and Lead Member responded to  supplementary questions.