Agenda and minutes

1.1       RESOLVED – that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on 22 April 2025 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

2.1       Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Denis.

2.2       It was noted that Councillor Maples was in attendance as a substitute for Councillor Denis.

3.1       Copies of the reports referred to below are included in the minute book.

Report by the Chief Operating Officer

4.1       The Committee considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer regarding the implementation of the Neonatal Care Leave Policy.

4.2       The Committee RESOLVED to agree the implementation of the Neonatal Care Leave Policy based on the statutory provisions for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay.

Report by the Deputy Chief Executive

5.1       The Committee considered a report by the Deputy Chief Executive regarding the appointment of councillors to outside bodies.

5.2       The Committee RESOLVED to appoint councillors to outside bodies as set out below, for a term until the date of the annual council meeting in the next Council election year, or (where applicable) the Councillor ceases to be a member of the Council, whichever is sooner, or unless the appointee resigns or is removed before then.

Report by the Deputy Chief Executive

6.1       The Committee considered a report by the Deputy Chief Executive regarding the appointment of Conservative representatives to the Board of Conservators of Ashdown Forest, together with exempt information contained in a later agenda item.

6.2 The Committee RESOLVED to appoint Brett Akker, Matthew Street and Peter Young as Council representatives on the Board of Conservators of Ashdown Forest for a 4 year period, or until resignation or removal prior to the completion of the term.

Report by the Deputy Chief Executive

7.1       The Committee considered a report by the Deputy Chief Executive that provided an overview of the scrutiny activity being undertaken by the People, Place and Health Overview Scrutiny Committees and an update on the work of the Audit Committee.

7.2       The Committee RESOLVED to note the updates on recent scrutiny and Audit Committee activity and the current work programmes at appendices 1-4 of the report.

To consider excluding the public and press from the meeting for the remaining agenda items on the grounds that if the public and press were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as specified in paragraphs 1, 3 and 5 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). Namely information relating to any individual; to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information); and information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

8.1       It was RESOLVED to exclude the public and press from the meeting for the remaining agenda item on the grounds that if the public and press were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as specified under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act (namely, information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person) and paragraph 5 (which relates to information to which a claim of legal professional privilege could be maintained) would be disclosed to them, and that the public interest in withholding the exempt information outweighed the public interest in disclosing it.

Report by the Deputy Chief Executive

9.1       The Committee considered a report by the Deputy Chief Executive which provided exempt information in support of an earlier agenda item.

9.2       The Committee RESOLVED to note the report in support of an earlier agenda item.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

10.1     The Committee considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.

10.2     The Committee RESOLVED to note and consider the recommendations for the reasons set out in the report. Further details of the decision are set out in an exempt minute.