Agenda and minutes

17.1     The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 18 December 2024.

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.

18.1     There were none.

Notification of any items which the Lead Member considers urgent and proposes to take at the appropriate part of the agenda.

19.1     There were none.

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

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

DECISIONS

21.2     The Leader and Lead Member RESOLVED to:

(1) Note the final 2023/24 spend for the Local Growth Fund programme;

(2) Note that no spend took place for the Getting Building Fund programme for the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years;

(3) Note the final 2023/24 spend for the Growing Places Fund programme;

(4) Agree the confirmed scheme spend profiles for the Local Growth Fund

programme for the 2024/25 financial year; and

(5) Agree the confirmed scheme spend profiles for the Growing Places Fund programme for the 2024/25 financial year.

REASONS

21.3     Taking into consideration the ongoing challenges to the delivery of capital infrastructure programmes, East Sussex County Council has continued to be successful in securing over £127m of funding across the Local Growth Fund, Getting Building Fund and Growing Places Fund projects by the end of the 2023/24 financial year.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

DECISIONS

22.2     The Leader and Lead Member RESOLVED to:

(1) Note that as part of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership transition, East Sussex County Council became the Accountable Body for the capital programmes delivered in East Sussex from 1 April 2024; and

(2) Approve the proposed East Sussex Local Growth Assurance Framework, set out in Appendix 1 of the report, in response to the dissolution of the South East Sussex Local Enterprise Partnership.

REASONS

22.3     The Government’s 2022 Levelling Up White Paper set out a commitment to extend devolution across England, empower local leaders, and integrate Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) functions into local democratic institutions. Following the Government’s decision in 2023 to discontinue funding for LEPs from April 2024 onwards, the County Council has worked proactively with its Upper Tier Local Authority (UTLA) partners in SELEP to draft both the SELEP integration plan and an East Sussex integration plan to enable a smooth and thorough transition of responsibilities to UTLAs.

22.4     The draft East Sussex Local Growth Assurance Framework is aligned to the Government’s guidance on LEP integration published in August 2023, and the Local Economic Development Funding: Assurance Framework issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in October 2024. It outlines clear governance structures and processes to enable the County Council to meet requirements by Government whilst maintaining oversight and assurance of legacy and/or existing and future local growth programmes, balancing risk management with decision-making at appropriate levels to inform and support project delivery.