Agenda and minutes

1.1       Councillor Elkin approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 12 February 2015.

2.         Reports referred to in the minutes below are contained in the minute book.

Report by the Chief Operating Officer

3.1       The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer regarding the disposal of the residential property, Rose Cottage in Bexhill.  The Lead Member noted the written comments of Councillor Ensor, one of the local members, regarding liaising with Rother District Council.

DECISION

3.2       RESOLVED to (1) declare the property surplus to Council requirements and to approve the disposal of the property; and

(2) delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer to agree the final terms of the sale.

Reasons

3.3       The financial yield from the property, after maintenance commitments, is poor.  The property has no future use or benefit for the Council.  

Report by the Chief Operating Officer

4.1       The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer which sought approval for the appropriation for planning purposes of the former Grays Infant School, Western Road, Newhaven.

DECISION

4.2       RESOLVED to agree the appropriation of the site for planning purposes under section 122 of the Local Government Act 1972 in the interests of the proper planning of the area in order to enable the powers in section 237 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to be used to facilitate the redevelopment of the site.

Reasons

4.3       The appropriation will facilitate the development of the site in accordance with local planning policies.  Once appropriated the powers under section 237 of the 1990 Act will enable existing restrictive covenants to be dealt with as a claim for compensation.  The benefit of an appropriation and the 1990 Act powers can be passed to a purchaser/developer of the site.   

To consider excluding 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 in paragraph 3 of Part 1 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).

5.1     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 in paragraph 3 of Part 1 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

6.1       The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer which sought approval for the write off of debts in excess of £2500.

DECISION

6.2       RESOLVED (1) to authorise the writing off of 21 debts amounting to £166,134.07 in the County Council’s 2014/15 accounts;

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

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

Reasons

6.3       Some income becomes uncollectable and to allow for this the accounts of the County Council have always included a “provision for bad and doubtful debts”.  There is no prospect of recovering the 21 outstanding debts listed in appendix A of the report.  Work continues to review and streamline the debt recovery process, to learn lessons and to ensure we have robust systems and processes in place within Accounts Receivable to recover debt promptly.