Agenda and minutes

15.1     Councillor Glazier approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2017.

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 Simmons declared a personal interest in item 5 in that he is a director of Sea Change Sussex.

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

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

DECISIONS

18.2     RESOLVED to (1) approve the terms and conditions of the new Assurance Framework for the South East Local Enterprise Partnership; and

(2)        delegate responsibility to both the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport and the S151 officer to carry out the new requirements and practices.

Reasons

18.3     The new Assurance Framework acts as the constitution for the SE LEP, describing its structure, the make-up and responsibilities of its boards, outlines its governance processes and provides reassurance to Government that appropriate steps are taken to ensure the most effective use of capital investment, and that clear decision making and accountability is in place. 

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

DECISIONS

19.2     RESOLVED to (1) approve grant funding, to the value of £8.2m to Sea Change Sussex to fund the delivery of the East Sussex Strategic Growth Package; 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 and to give effect to recommendation 1 above.

Reasons

19.3     The East Sussex Strategic Growth Package is critical to accelerated economic development in key growth corridors and across the county. The ambition is to provide much needed, high quality commercial and office space that will catalyse additional private investment in the area and support the council’s core priority of driving economic growth across the county.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

DECISIONS

20.2     RESOLVED to (1) approve the actions to mitigate underspend in the 2016/17 Local Growth Fund programme and the re-profiling of funds between schemes within approved local tolerances;

(2)        approve the re-allocation of spend on the East Sussex Strategic Growth Package by commencing the project in the 2016/17 financial year, as per Option 2 in the Assurance Framework;

(3)        note the forecast final 2016/17 spend for the Local Growth Fund programme and the amount of funds requested to be re-profiled into the East Sussex County Council Capital Programme, as per Option 4 in the Assurance Framework;

(4)        agree the individual scheme re-profiles for the Local Growth Fund programme in the 2017/18 financial year; and

(5)        delegate authority to the S151 officer and the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to confirm the final spend of Local Growth Fund monies in 2016/17 to the South East Local Enterprise Partnership and re-allocate all unspent funds to other schemes within the County Council’s Capital Programme, as per Option 4 in the Assurance Framework.

Reasons

20.3     Following a review of the delivery of East Sussex’s 2016/17 Local Growth Fund schemes, a total of £5.026m was identified as at risk of underspend and in need of mitigation. It is important for East Sussex to take advantage of the flexibility awarded in the mitigation options available in the Assurance Framework to continue to drive forward economic growth and deliver schemes as early as possible.