Agenda and minutes

27.1     The Lead Member approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 22 November 2021.

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.

28.1     Councillor Godfrey Daniel declared a personal interest in Item 4, in that he is the President of the Hastings Welsh Society and knew the Lead Petitioner who is the Chair, but he did not consider this to be prejudicial.  

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

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

30.2     Ms Ivora Alexander spoke in support of the petition’s aims.

DECISIONS

30.3     The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise the petitioners that a potential scheme to provide:

•           A one-way system;

•           A footway outside of Nos. 1-3 Robertson’s Hill;

•           Traffic calming measures including a 20mph speed limit, speed bumps, width restriction and/or a priority working system;

has been assessed through our approved High Level Sift process and is not a priority for the County Council at the present time; and consideration could be given to an application to the Community Match Initiative for local highway improvements.

Reasons

30.4     Crash data supplied by Sussex Police for the period 01/10/2018 – 30/09/2021shows that there have been no crashes resulting in personal injury within Robertson’s Hill, with two slight injury crashes recorded at the junction with the A259.  The County Council has a limited amount of funding to develop local transport improvements and we need to ensure that we target our resources to those schemes which will be of greatest benefit to our local communities. The proposal(s) did not meet the benchmark score to enable them to be taken forward.

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

31.2     Mr Alan Covall spoke in support of the petition’s aims.

DECISIONS

31.3     The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise the petitioners that

(1)        A potential scheme to reduce vehicle speeds and overtaking is not a priority for the County Council at the present time; and

(2)        Petitioners and Battle Town Council may wish to consider taking a potential scheme forward through the Community Match Initiative. A Feasibility Study (at a cost of £500) would be required prior to a Community Match application.

Reasons

31.4     A request to install priority working build-outs/chicanes to reduce vehicle speeds on the straight section of Whatlington Road between Virgins Lane and the bends by Punchbowl Corner was made by Councillor Field in July 2021 and was assessed to determine if it was a priority to be funded through our Integrated Transport Programme. A potential scheme on this section of Whatlington Road was not identified as a priority for funding.  The crash data supplied by Sussex Police for the most recent three-year period (up to 30/09/2021) does not show any recorded personal injury crashes on the section of Whatlington Road from Caldbec Hill to a point north of the bends at Punchbowl Corner (by a property called ‘Olde Wayes’).

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

32.2     Mr Tyler Butterworth spoke in support of the petition’s aims.

DECISIONS

32.3     The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise the petitioners that

(1)        A 30mph speed limit in the hamlet of Milton Street does not meet the criteria requirements set out in approved policy PS05/02;

(2)        The investigation of additional measures is not a priority for East Sussex County Council;

(3)        The petitioners may wish to consider taking a potential scheme forward through the Community Match Initiative. A Feasibility Study (at a cost of £500) would be required prior to a Community Match application; and

(4)        Contact will be made with National Highways with a request to improve signing at the junction of the A27/Milton Street as this falls within their jurisdiction.

Reasons

32.4     At the present time, the County Council has very limited funding available for assessing lower speed limits and associated measures. The only resources currently available are being targeted at the ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads in the county with a crash rate above the county average. As Milton Street is a 'C' class road and in the absence of a recorded crash record in the most recent ten-year period, this would not be a priority for us to consider at the present time. 

Report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport

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

DECISIONS

33.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to (1) Note the significant progress made in delivering and implementing new services including the new children and young people’s offer to support literacy and numeracy, an enhanced modern eLibrary, and increased outreach work in our most disadvantaged communities.

(2)        Note that following the extensive review and update of the evidence base, including the Needs Assessment (Appendix 4 of the report) and Accessibility Analysis (Appendix 5 of the report) the current Vision and 4 Strategic Outcomes remain relevant and correct for the medium-term focus for the Library and Information Service and so remain unchanged. In addition, this assessment has concluded that we should maintain our network of 17 public library buildings, which have around 1 million visits annually as well as continuing to host partners and their service offers.

(3)        Agree the Updated Libraries Strategic Commissioning Strategy 2022/23 to 2027/2028 and implementation to ensure the Library and Information Service continues to support residents’ needs.

(4)        Agree the implementation of additional services to address the identified emerging needs, including the extension of homework and code clubs for children, the development of our Step into Reading service to help adults improve their reading and new services to help young people into employment including Job Pods. In addition, enhance access further to the Library and Information Service through removing reservations fees so that people can reserve books from across the whole catalogue and collect them at their local library, making the entire lending stock freely available to all residents (para.2.37 of the report).

Reasons

33.3     The report and accompanying appendices describe in detail the excellent progress made to deliver the Libraries Strategic Commissioning Strategy 2018-2023.  The offers outlined in the Libraries Strategic Commissioning Strategy 2022/23 to 2027/28 have been developed following a comprehensive review of the data.  The Strategic Outcomes allow for some flexibility in developing offers which will meet the challenges that the community will face going forward, in this period of Covid-19 recovery.