Agenda and minutes

28.1     RESOLVED – to confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the County Council held on 23 July 2021 as a correct record.

29.1     Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Charles Clark, Alan Hay, Julia Hilton, Stephen Holt, Peter Pragnell, Pat Rodohan and Daniel Shing.

JON FREEMAN

30.1     The Chairman referred to the recent death of a former colleague, Jon Freeman who had represented the Seaford Blatchington Division from 1993 to 2013.  On behalf of the Council the Chairman offered condolences to Jon’s family and friends. The Council remained silent as a mark of respect to Jon Freeman.

COUNCILLOR PRAGNELL

30.2     The Chairman announced that Councillor Pragnell was unwell and therefore unable to attend the meeting. On behalf of the Council, the Chairman sent best wishes to Peter for a full recovery.

CHAIRMAN’S ACTIVITIES

30.3     The Chairman reported that Councillor Pragnell had attended a number of events since the last Council meeting including the Festival of Accessible Sports, the centenary event of Hastings and Rother Voluntary Association for the Blind, meeting the new Lord Lieutenant and hosting a reception at Hendall Manor Barns in Uckfield. The Chairman reported that he had attended the Eastbourne and District Samaritans AGM.

PETITIONS

30.4     The following petitions were presented before the meeting by councillors:

PRAYERS

30.5     The Chairman thanked Jez Field, Pastor at Kings Church, Seaford for leading the prayers before the meeting.

Declarations of interest31.1    Copies of the questions from members of the public and the answers from Councillor Standley (Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability), Councillor Fox (Chair of then Pension Committee), Councillor Claire Dowling (Lead Member for Transport and Environment) and Councillor Glazier (Lead Member for Strategic Management and Economic Development) are attached to these minutes. Supplementary questions were asked and responded to.

32.1     There were no declarations of interest.

33.1     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), paragraph 2 annual progress report on achieving carbon neutrality) and paragraph 3 (Waste and Minerals Local Plan Review)

Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change report – paragraph 1 (Notice of Motion – Climate and Ecology Bill)

Lead Member for Transport and Environment report – paragraph 1 (Notice of Motion – community involvement in planning)

NON-RESERVED PARAGRAPHS

33.2     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:

Governance Committee report – paragraph 1 (review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme) and paragraph 2 (Councillor Parental Leave Policy)

Paragraphs 1 (Council monitoring) and paragraph 3 (Waste and Minerals Local Plan Review)

34.1     Councillor Glazier moved the adoption of the reserved paragraphs.

34.2     The motions were carried after debate.

Paragraph 2 (annual progress report on achieving carbon neutrality)

34.3     Councillor Glazier nominated Councillor Bennett to introduce the reserved paragraph following which there was a debate.

34.4     The paragraph was for information.

Paragraph 1 (Notice of Mot ion – Climate and Ecology Bill)

35.1     In introducing the paragraph, Councillor Bennett proposed an amended recommendation to the Council as follows:

Background

Tackling Climate Change is a priority for the UK Government. Britain was the first G7 country to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050. East Sussex County Council (ESCC) policy is aligned with that approach. The UK’s interim target of reducing emissions by 68 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030 is faster than any other major economy. The government has recently made the decision to end direct support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas as soon as possible. Over the next 5 years, the government will spend at least £3 billion providing transformational international climate finance on nature and biodiversity, while the UK, with 357 Marine Protected Areas of different types, is on course to protect over half of our waters.

The Climate and Ecology Bill: seeks to audit the UK’s global carbon footprint by including indirect UK emissions from our international supply chains which may have an adverse impact on developing countries; would involve a re-profiling, broadening and deepening of already ambitious existing carbon budgets; is likely too proscriptive on the use of negative emissions technologies; contains difficult to reconcile aspirations around its approach to domestic, international and inter-generational equity; inevitably imposes a greater burden on UK residents, threatening adverse impacts on their living standards; has recourse to citizen assemblies which are of dubious efficacy and runs counter to our Parliamentary traditions.

The County Council resolves

1. That it believes that:

1. Government climate and ecological initiative, as informed by its commitment to the Millennium and UN Sustainable Development Goals, its environmental policies and its current national carbon budgets as laid down in legislation, advised and audited by the Committee on Climate Change, strike the right balance for a country that leads the G7 on Climate initiative and accounts for approximately 1% of current global territorial emissions.
2. Focus on properly valuing eco-system services, safeguarding and enhancing carbon sinks, conserving and restoring biodiverse habitats, natural and human modified ecosystems and the health of their soils must be an increasing focus for policy.
3. High-level policy ambitions must be grounded at a national, regional and local authority level in direction & fine detail, supported by central funding.

2. To write to our MPs asking them to press Ministers for that greater direction, detail and support to assist us in delivering on net-zero. Additionally, to ask that they consider further policy action which puts a proper value on eco-system services, enhances carbon sinks, preserves and improves natural and human modified ecosystems and promotes biodiversity

35.2     The Chairman announced that the revised wording proposed by Councillor Bennett would be treated as an alteration to a motion and that the Council would be asked if it consented to the alteration. If the Council agreed to the alteration that would become the substantive motion and Councillor Georgia Taylor’s original motion would be treated as an amendment to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

Paragraph 1 (Notice of Motion – community involvement in planning)

36.1     Councillor Claire Dowling moved the reserved paragraph in the Lead Member’s report.

36.2     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

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

37.2     Three written questions were received from Councillors  Tutt and Murphy for  the Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability, the Lead Member for Adult Social Care and Health and the Lead Member for Resources and Climate Change. The questions and answers are attached to these minutes. The Lead Members responded to  supplementary questions.