Agenda and draft minutes

1.1      The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 19 May 2025.

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.

2.1       Councillor Johnny Denis declared a personal interest as Cabinet Member for Lewes District Council, he did not consider this to be prejudicial.

2.2       Councillor Wendy Maples declared a personal interest as Cabinet Member for Lewes District Council, she did not consider this to be prejudicial.  

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

3.1       There were none.

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

Report by the Chief Executive

5.1       The Leader and Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Executive.

DECISIONS

5.2       The Leader and Lead Member RESOLVED to recommend to Council to:

1)    Note the business case setting out the proposal for a single tier of local Government in East Sussex; and

2)    Express views to Cabinet on the proposals set out in the report and appendices for decision by Cabinet at its meeting on 24 September 2025.

REASONS

5.3      ‘One East Sussex’, the proposal for a single tier of Local Government for East Sussex as a unitary council on the current footprint of the county council, is due to be considered by Cabinet 24 September 2025, following a meeting of the Full Council.

5.4       The meeting of Full Council affords an opportunity for all Members to express views on the proposals ahead of consideration by Cabinet.

Report by the Deputy Chief Executive

6.1       The Leader and Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Executive.

DECISIONS

6.2       The Leader and Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1) Note the update; and

2) seek the views of the County Council.

REASONS

6.3       With the statutory tests to establish the Sussex Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA) having been met, work continues to understand the full implications that its creation will have on East Sussex County Council. The next step will be for the Constituent Authorities to consider whether to consent to the laying of the Statutory Implement (SI) in Parliament which would enable the MCCA to be legally established.

6.4       The report outlines the impacts the SI and English Devolution Bill would have on East Sussex County Council and provides further detail on the expected role and functions of the Sussex MCCA.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

DECISIONS

7.2       The Leader and Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1) Note the current progress of the implementation of the East Sussex Lane Rental Scheme;

2) Note how the surplus Lane Rental funds will be allocated;

3) Agree the delegation to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to approve projects with a value of up to £500,000 be included in the Council’s Scheme of Delegation to Officers; and

4) Recommend to the County Council that the Constitution is updated accordingly.

REASONS

7.3       Work to implement and progress the Lane Rental Scheme has been successful and is operating as envisaged.

7.4       Since the Cabinet agreed that a Lane Rental scheme be developed, the arrangements for the spend of the surplus funds have been updated in accordance with Government expectations, with 50% of surplus being applied to highway maintenance.

7.5       Delegation to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to approve any schemes and/or projects with a value of up to £500,000 will allow a more efficient application of surplus funds.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

DECISIONS

8.2       The Leader and Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1) Note the final spend in 2024/25 for the Local Growth Fund and Growing Places Fund programmes;

2) Note the project updates that took place across the Local Growth Fund, Growing Places Fund and Getting Building Fund programmes in 2024/25; and

3) Agree the forecast scheme spend profiles for the Local Growth Fund programme as detailed at Appendix 3 of the report and Growing Places Fund programme as detailed at Appendix 6 of the report for the 2025/26 financial year.

REASONS

8.3       As part of the closure of South East Local Enterprise Partnership, the County Council has become the Accountable Body for the legacy capital programmes in East Sussex. A new governance structure, the East Sussex Local Growth Assurance Framework (ESLGAF) has been created to manage these new responsibilities. A smooth transfer has taken place with the remaining projects continuing towards completion and the completed projects delivering outputs and outcomes for the benefit of the East Sussex economy.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

9.1       The Leader and Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport together with exempt information in a later agenda item.

DECISIONS

9.2           The Leader and Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1)             Agree to extend the repayment term of the two Growing Places Fund loans as outlined in the report; and

2)             Agree the financial proposals set out in the exempt report; and 

3)             Delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport, to finalise the terms of the legal charge. 

REASONS

9.3       The redevelopment of the Observer Building by Hastings Commons has been partly funded by £3,366,500 of Growing Places Fund (GPF) revolving loan funding awarded by South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) and due for repayment in full by 31 March 2026.

9.4      As part of the closure of Local Enterprise Partnerships and the transition of relevant responsibilities to upper tier local authorities the County Council is now the accountable body for the Growing Places Fund (GPF) programme in the county.

9.5       Following a number of unforeseen events since the award of the loan, Hastings Commons notified the County Council in 2023 that they are seeking an extension of the terms of the repayment of the loan.

9.6       County Council officers have since been engaged in ongoing discussions with the project leads to find an approach to this issue that balances the need to see the timely return of the GPF loan and securing an appropriate level of security over the loan, whilst supporting the locally significant project and organisation.

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 Schedule 12A to 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).

10.1     The Leader and Lead Member RESOLVED to exclude the public and press from the meeting for the remaining agenda items 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 Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

11.1     The Leader and Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport which set out exempt information in support of an earlier item on the agenda.

11.2     The Leader and Lead Member RESOLVED to approve the recommendations in the report for the reasons set out in the report. The decisions and reasons are set out in an exempt minute.