Agenda and minutes

53.1     The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 22 February 2016.

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.

54.1     Councillor Maynard declared a personal interest in items 5 and 8 in that he is Leader of Rother District Council, and a further personal interest in item 8 in that he is a member of the Bexhill Town Centre Steering Group, but he did not consider these to be prejudicial. 

54.2     Councillor O’Keeffe declared a personal interest in item 5 as a member of the Cross Party Member Panel, and a personal interest in item 6 as a Member of Lewes Town Council, but she did not consider these to be prejudicial.   

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

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

DECISION

56.2     RESOLVED to recommend that the County Council agree an amended Motion, as set out below: 

“This Council believes that Local Government should maintain the responsibility that it currently enjoys in respect of determining planning applications within its boundaries.  This Council requests its Leader:

i) to take all possible measures to lobby Central Government to ensure that local responsibility is maintained

ii) enlist the help of the Local Government Association and the County Councils' Network to pursue this aim.”

Reasons

56.3     The original Motion did not fully reflect the statutory position affecting the County Council in determining planning applications.  The South Downs National Park Authority is the local planning authority for all land within the National Park. The County Council can only appraise planning applications relating to waste and minerals, and its own development.  All other types of development which require planning applications are considered by the Borough and District Councils.  There are powers for the Secretary of State to call in applications for his determination. The amended Motion seeks to address the statutory position.   

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

57.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.  Councillor Taylor reported the views of Bespoke regarding Eastbourne Seafront. 

DECISION

57.2     RESOLVED to: (1) agree the programme of local transport improvements for 2016/17 set out in appendix 1 of the report with the proviso that no construction works would take place on implementing the Eastbourne Seafront cycle route before a decision has been taken by the DCLG on the Eastbourne Borough Council bye-law that covers the use of the Promenade;  

(2) agree the allocation of County Council capital funding, development contributions and Local Growth Fund monies towards specific improvements identified in the 2016/17 programme;

(3) thank the officers for their work in preparing the programme.

Reasons

57.3     The capital programme represents a balanced programme of improvements which will help deliver not only the objectives of the County Council’s Local Transport Plan but also contribute to achieving broader corporate objectives.               

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

58.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.  Officers confirmed that Sedlescombe Parish Council wished to withdraw from the footpath scheme.  The written comments of Councillors Galley and Davies were noted. 

58.2     The scheme for the footway at Blackham and Ashurst will be subject to a Road Safety Audit, the results of which will be shared with Councillor Whetstone and Withyham Parish Council.  It was confirmed that the Parish Council would not incur any of the design costs, should the Road Safety Audit recommend a more expensive solution to the scheme and the community be unable to raise any revised match funding target. 

DECISIONS

58.3     RESOLVED to (1) agree that £26,750 of match funding should be allocated towards four specific community led transport improvement schemes for construction in 2016/17, the spend of £21,250 at Withyham to be subject to the outcome of the Road Safety Audit;

(2) agree that development work on two further community match schemes should commence for possible match funding later in 2016/17;

(3) agree that the remaining unallocated £122,857 from the match funding available in 2016/17 should be held for potential allocation to schemes in the next round of funding in autumn 2016; and

(4) thank the officers for their liaison work with funding partners.

Reasons

58.4     The decisions are in line with the recommendations of the Cross Party Member panel. 

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

59.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.  It was confirmed that an updated version of the Implementation Plan, with illustrative maps, is now available.   

DECISIONS

59.2     RESOLVED to (1)  approve the final draft Local Transport Plan Implementation Plan 2016/17 – 2020/21, subject to an additional line in Table 5 to address the use of the C7 between Newhaven and Lewes; and

(2) thank the officers for their work on the Implementation Plan.   

Reasons

59.3     The Implementation Plan sets out the Council’s plans for investment in transport infrastructure to support economic growth in the county over the next five years to 2010/21 and has been shaped by the comments received through the public consultation.  The ability to deliver the measures identified in the Implementation Plan will be dependent on the level of funding available from a range of sources and as such has been developed with maximum flexibility to reflect this.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

60.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.  The written comments of Councillor Ensor were noted. 

DECISIONS

60.2     RESOLVED to (1) note the outcomes of the review of the detailed design work associated with the proposed improvements at the Sackville Road Roundabout, Bexhill;

(2) agree that the alternative design (Figure 2 of Appendix 1) should be taken forward to detailed design and construction as part of the 2016/17 capital programme for Local Transport Improvements; and

(3) agree that the draft Traffic Regulation Order to enable changes to be made to the on-street parking arrangements on Marina to facilitate access to the west end stage door of the De La Warr Pavilion be made.               

Reasons

60.3     As part of the ongoing value engineering exercise, an alternative design has been developed, which significantly reduces the overall cost and impact during construction whilst retaining the main aims and benefits of the original scheme.