Agenda and minutes

15.1     The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meting held on 23 January 2018. 

Disclosure by all Members present of personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the Members regard the interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct

16.1     Councillor O’Keeffe declared a personal interest in Item 4 as a trustee of Pippa’s Group, but she did not consider this to be prejudicial. 

16.2     Councillor Daniel declared a personal interest in item 4 as the Local Member for the neighbouring division, but he did not consider this to be prejudicial. 

Report by the Chief Operating Officer

17.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer.

17.2     Ms Debbie Twitchen, Chair of the Landport Residents’ Association and Trustee of Pippa’s Group, the Lead Petitioner, spoke in support of the petition’s aims.

DECISIONS

17.3     The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise the petitioners that (1) the petition is acknowledged;

(2) the Chief Operating Officer is authorised to continue with the marketing of the site; and

(3) any consideration of the local need for Forest School related activities be considered as part of future planning and development in the local area.

Reasons

17.4     The former Pells School site is currently being marketed by the Diocese of Chichester on behalf of the Diocese and the County Council.   Any development proposals that might arise on the sit e will be required to provide of open space provision, and the potential to include and protect the small parcel of fenced land to support any education offer should be taken into account at the point of considering potential development of the whole site.

Report by the Chief Operating Officer

18.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer.

DECISIONS

18.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to (1) authorise officer to trigger options to purchase lands east of Battle Road (Reef Way) and land east of Park Road, Hailsham to support the provision of local education; and

(2) authorise the Chief Operating Officer to acquire the sites subject to satisfactory terms.

Reasons

18.3     The Council have a commitment and funds set aside within the approved capital Programme, for the delivery of two new schools in Hailsham.  Site purchases are part of the process that need to be concluded to enable planning, construction and delivery for the scheduled opening of each school.   

18.4     The terms of the option agreements, valuation and negotiation process for the land purchase are subject to specific processes and each negotiation benefits from a dispute resolution process if terms cannot be agreed by mutual agreement.

To consider excluding the public and press from the meeting for the remaining items of the agenda on the grounds that if the public and press were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as specified in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

19.1     RESOLVED to exclude the public and press from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that if the public and press were present there would be disclosure to them of exempt information as specified in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended, namely information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).     

Report by the Chief Operating Officer

20.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer.

DECISIONS

20.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to (1) authorise the writing off of 25 debts amounting to £203,153.79 in the Council’s 2017/18 accounts;

(2) note that provision is made for bad and doubtful debts; and

(3) note the positive steps being put in place to make improvements going forward.

Reasons

20.3     There is no prospect of recovering the 25 outstanding debts.    Like all local authorities, some income become becomes uncollectable and to allow for this the accounts of the Council include a provision for bad and doubtful debts which recognise that a proportion of outstanding debtors at year end may not collected. This provision is monitored each month. 

20.4     Work continues to review and streamline the debt recovery process, to learn the lessons and to ensure that the council have robust systems and processes to recover debt promptly.