Agenda and minutes

11.1     Councillor Glazier approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 29 June 2015.

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.

12.1     Councillor Glazier declared a personal interest in item 4 in that he is the East Sussex County Council representative on the SE LEP Accountability Board, but he did not consider this to be prejudicial. 

12.2     Councillor Simmons declared a personal item in item 5 in that he is a Director of Sea Change Sussex, but he did not consider this to be prejudicial.

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

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

14.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport. 

DECISIONS

14.2     RESOLVED to (1) agree the re-profile of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Fund allocation for the Newhaven Flood Alleviation Scheme as set out in paragraph 1.6 of the report within the agreed arrangements under the South East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Accountability and Assurance Framework;

(2)        Subject to the above, agree that the Section 151 Officer recommend to the Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Growth Board for East Sussex - Team East Sussex - under its ‘advisory capacity’ to formally agree the variation under the Local Accountability arrangements; and

(3)        Subject to the above, delegate authority to the Section 151 Officer to take any further actions required to enable the scheme’s request for variation to be taken to the South East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Accountability Board for approval.

Reasons

14.3     The delivery of the Newhaven Flood Alleviation Scheme by the Environment Agency is integral to realising the growth plans for the town as set out in SE LEP and C2C LEP’s Growth Deal. The scheme will protect existing residential and commercial properties as well as enable further housing and employment sites to come forward.

14.4     In its Growth Deal, SE LEP was allocated £1.5m towards the cost of delivering the NFAS scheme.  The EA have requested a re-profile of the available SE LEP funding, as set out in the report.  Under Section 1 of the SE LEP’s Accountability and Assurance Framework and our local accountability arrangements, the agreement of the Lead Member and comments of TES are required on any changes or variations to LGF schemes before reporting up to the SE LEP Accountability Board for approval. 

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

15.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.  The Lead Member reported the comments of Councillor Stogdon and Mr Coffee from the Campaign for Better Transport, received by email.  It was confirmed that a planning application had been submitted on 9 September 2015. 

DECISION

15.2     RESOLVED to (1) approve loan funding of £200,000 to Sea Change Sussex towards the scheme development costs of the North Bexhill Access Road; and

(2)        delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to approve the terms of any agreements and to take all other necessary actions in respect of resolution 1 above.

Reasons

15.3     The North Bexhill Access Road is one of the SE LEP Local Growth Deal schemes to come forward in East Sussex.  Along with the Bexhill Hastings Link Road and Queensway Gateway Road, its delivery will help unlock employment space and create jobs in the A21/A259 Bexhill/Hastings growth corridor.

15.4     Sea Change Sussex is a key delivery partner for the County Council in achieving its ambitions for driving economic growth in the county. The loan of £200,000 will contribute towards Sea Change Sussex taking their proposals for the North Bexhill Access Road through to the end of the planning process and submission of a business case to the SE LEP.