Agenda and minutes

50.1     RESOLVED- to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the County Council meeting held on 9 February 2021.

51.1     There were no apologies for absence.

COUNTY COUNCIL ELECTIONS

52.1     The Chairman announced that this was the last Full Council meeting before the elections in May.  The Chairman wished all councillors every success in the future whether they were seeking re-election or were retiring and thanked all councillors for their work on behalf of the people of East Sussex. The Chairman reminded councillors that the pre-election period arrangements formally come into force next week and the need for you to exercise discretion in the coming weeks.

PETITIONS

52.2     The following petitions were presented before the meeting by members:

PRAYERS

52.3     The Chairman thanked the Reverend Annette Hawkins for leading the prayers before the meeting

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

54.1     There were no declarations of interest.

55.1     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 (Council monitoring)  

Lead member for Transport and Environment report (paragraph 1 (Notice of Motion – road safety on the A259)

NON-RESERVED PARAGRAPHS

55.2     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 (Conservators of Ashdown Forest Budget)

Governance Committee report – paragraph 1 (Coronavirus meeting arrangements) and paragraph 2 (Pay Policy Statement)

Paragraph 1 (Council monitoring)

56.1     Councillor Glazier moved the reserved paragraph in the Cabinet’s report.

56.2     The motion was CARRIED after debate.

Paragraph 1 (Notice of Motion – Road Safety on the A259)

57.1     Councillor Claire Dowling moved the reserved paragraph of the Lead Member’s report.

57.2     The Chairman stated that as the recommendation of the Lead Member for Transport and Environment was to reject the motion rather than proposing an amendment the Council would vote on the original motion as proposed by Councillor Lambert and seconded by Councillor Grover as set out in paragraph 1.1 of the report.

57.3     Councillor Lambert indicated that she wished to amend the motion she had submitted as follows:

Members will be aware of the two accidents in two days that closed the A259 in Seaford at the junction with Marine Parade.  Statistically, the roads in East Sussex are among the highest in the country for killed and seriously injured people. Seaford is the biggest town in Lewes district and is continuing to grow.

East Sussex County Council agrees to (1) request the Cabinet to:

• undertake a proper survey of the whole town, not just the Buckle by-pass, with particular focus on all the junctions with the A259, to identify the areas of greatest risk to both car users, cyclists and pedestrians, and to come up with some concrete proposals to enhance road safety. The County Council is already undertaking a review of the A259 from Seaford to Brighton in terms of congestion and the safety of both car users, pedestrians and cyclists should be part of that;
• impose lower speed limits on the approaches to Seaford and to work with partners to ensure these are enforced;
• provide safe pedestrian crossings at key points of the A259 including at the Bishopstone junctions

(2) bearing in mind the wider concerns about road safety, to request the Place Scrutiny Committee, to undertake a review of the criteria for intervention on road safety issues including work on setting lower speed limits. .  

57.4     In accordance with Standing order 29 a vote was taken on whether the Council consented to the original motion being amended and the Council did not consent to the alteration of the motion.

57.5     The following motion was LOST after debate:

Members will be aware of the two accidents in two days that closed the A259 in Seaford at the junction with Marine Parade.  Statistically, the roads in East Sussex are among the highest in the country for killed and seriously injured people. Seaford is the biggest town in Lewes district and is continuing to grow.

East Sussex County Council agrees to request the Cabinet to:

• undertake a proper survey of the whole town, not just the Buckle by-pass, with particular focus on all the junctions with the A259, to identify the areas of greatest risk to both car users, cyclists and pedestrians, and to come up with some concrete proposals to enhance road safety. The County Council is already undertaking a review of the A259 from Seaford to Brighton in terms of congestion and the safety of both car users, pedestrians and cyclists should be  ...  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

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

58.2     Five written questions were received from Councillors Stogdon, Lambert, Field, Ungar and Philip Daniel  for the Chair of the Pension Committee, the Lead Member for Transport and Environment, the Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability and the Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health. The questions and answers are attached to these minutes. The Chair and the Pension Committee and the Lead Members responded to  supplementary questions.