Decisions

The DWP is inviting East Sussex County Council to submit a proposal to deliver a devolved Employment Support programme from April 2025 until April 2029. The Council will be accountable for the programme and spend. This decision is to seek agreement to submit a proposal for the DWP Employment Support Programme and to seek a delegation of responsibility for oversight and future decisions for the programme to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.

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

DECISIONS

5.2       The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1) Agree that the County Council accepts the request from the DWP to be the Accountable Body for the management and delivery of a countywide Supported Employment programme (Connect to Work) from April 2025; and

2) Delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to take any actions necessary in relation to the implementation of the Connect to Work programme.

REASONS

5.3       The County Council has identified that Connect to Work will support the county’s more vulnerable residents and those for whom the Council has a statutory responsibility to help into employment, simultaneously filling gaps in economic priority sectors.

This is a former school site that is surplus to operational requirements. Lead Member approval is being sought to formally declare the whole of the asset to be surplus to operational requirements and to approve the disposal of the former main school site. The Lead Member report will seek for the Chief Operating Officer to be granted authority to agree detailed terms with the preferred purchaser at a later date.

53.1     The Lead Member considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer together with exempt information in a later agenda item.

DECISIONS

53.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

1) Declare the former Broad Oak Community Primary School (the Property) to be surplus to the requirements of the Council;

2) Approve the disposal of the Property in accordance with s123 of the Local Government Act 1972;

3) Delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer to agree the terms of the sale to achieve best value for the Property in accordance with s123 of the Local Government Act 1972, including proceeding with the next best offer(s) in the event of the transaction(s) not completing within the expected timelines; and

4) Delegate authority to the Chief Operating Officer to take all actions necessary to give effect to the recommendations in this report.

REASONS

53.3     The Council has no ongoing operational use for the Property. It was on this basis that consent was granted by the Secretary of State for Education to dispose of the Property. The Property is surplus to the Council’s requirements and the disposal of it will reduce revenue liabilities relating to the management and holding costs of this surplus asset, as well as providing the Council with a capital receipt to invest in the improvement of the County’s sporting and education facilities.

53.4     Delegation to the Chief Operating Officer authority to agree the terms of the sale to achieve the best consideration for the Property in accordance with s123 of the Local Government Act 1972, including authority to proceed with the next best offer(s) in the event of the transaction(s) not completing within the expected timelines and to take all actions necessary to give effect to the recommendations in the report will facilitate the effective disposal of the Property.

To consider a petition for a traffic safety survey and implementation of a 40mph speed limit within the parish of Arlington.

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

35.2     Councillor Jackie Appleton, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to Full traffic safety survey through the villages of Arlington and Caneheath spoke to highlight concerns including road safety for vulnerable road users, the increased speed of vehicles observed since a previous speed survey was conducted, the use of the routes as a cut through between the A22 and A27 and the number of non-personal injury crashes in the area.

DECISIONS

35.3     The Lead Member RESOLVED to advise petitioners that:

(1) an assessment of the safety record of the roads detailed in the petition has been undertaken by the Road Safety Team and there are no locations that meet the Council’s threshold for inclusion in the annual road safety programme; and

(2) the roads and lanes within the parishes of Arlington, Berwick and Long Man set out at paragraph 1.1 of the report do not meet the Council’s policy for a 40mph speed limit, and measures such as gateway features, Vehicle Activated Signs and improved signage may be appropriate. These measures could be considered via the Community Match initiative. The Traffic and Safety team can provide Arlington Parish Council with advice over what measures could be considered.

REASONS

35.4     Speed surveys have shown that average speeds on Caneheath, The Street and Arlington Road West are already very close to or below 40mph, and it is expected that the other roads detailed in paragraph 1.1 of the report will have broadly similar average speeds. A lower speed limit on the roads and lanes detailed in paragraph 1.1 of the report does not meet the Council’s policy for a 40mph speed limit for the reasons set out in paragraphs 2.4 and 2.5 of the report. An assessment of the safety record of the roads specified in the petition has been carried out and there are no locations that meet the Council’s threshold for inclusion in the annual road safety programme.

35.5     Whilst a lower speed limit does not meet the Council’s policy for a 40mph limit, other road safety improvements could be considered should an alternative source of funding become available, or if an application through Community Match was successful. The Traffic and Safety Manager is happy to meet to discuss possible options for consideration through Community Match. The speed data for Caneheath, The Street and Arlington Road West that was recently collected can be provided to the group, upon request and further speed data collections can be arranged, should external funding be available.

To consider the outcome of the second public consultation on revised bus priority proposals for Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue as part of the East Sussex Bus Service Improvement Plan.

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

34.2     Ms Jodie Atherton, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to stop the proposed bus lane along Seaside Eastbourne spoke to highlight concerns including congestion, pedestrian safety, air quality and the importance of addressing views of local residents and businesses.

34.3     Mr Tom Nevill, the Lead Petitioner for the petition calling on the County Council to support Seaside, Eastbourne Bus Lane spoke to highlight the benefits of bus priority measures including journey times, reliability, sustainable transport and continuation of funding and support for bus service improvements.

DECISIONS

34.4     The Lead Member RESOLVED to:

(1) Note the outcomes of the second public consultation on revised bus priority proposals for Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue;

(2) Advise petitioners that the issues raised by both petitions relating to bus priority proposals for Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue have been reviewed and considered;

(3) Approve the revised Seaside and St Anthony’s bus priority scheme to proceed to detailed design and construction stage in 2025/26; and

(4) Delegate authority to the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to approve the final content of the Project Adjustment Request submitted to the Department for Transport.

REASONS

34.5     Following receipt of Government funding to deliver the County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, a package of 7 bus priority schemes were prioritised and put forward for public consultation between July and September 2023 on the basis that they generated the highest benefits for bus users, could generate additional bus passengers and meet the Department for Transport’s delivery timescales. The Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue scheme had the largest proportion of opposing responses, with 70.2% strongly opposing the scheme. Following the Lead Member’s decision in January 2024 for officers to review the Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue bus priority proposals, a revised design was subject to consultation between 15 July and 18 August 2024. The consultation outcomes, as set out in paragraphs 2.9 to 2.13 of the report, highlight that 56% of respondents supported the revised proposals with 37% opposing the revised proposals.

34.6     The outcomes of the traffic modelling demonstrated no determent to general traffic journey times going eastbound in the morning and afternoon peak times. The modelling also demonstrated that with amendments to the proposed scheme, as set out in paragraph 2.17 of the report, there will be no detriment, and a slight betterment, on vehicle journey times travelling westbound in the morning and afternoon peak times. These amendments will be considered as part of the scheme’s detailed design. In response to the previous feedback on the original proposals, 54% of the on-street parking will be retained on Seaside and 57% on St Anthony’s Avenue. This provides a balanced approach to the competing needs for parking, buses and general traffic on the corridor with the delivery of the bus lanes contributing towards achieving the objectives of East Sussex’s LTP4 and BSIP.

34.7     Following the County Council meeting on 8 October 2024, the Chairman referred 2 petitions to the Lead Member for Transport and Environment. The petition in support of the bus lane has 494 signatures and the petition opposing the bus lane has 2,531 signatures. Issues raised by both petitions relating to bus priority proposals for Seaside and St Anthony’s Avenue have been reviewed and considered alongside the consultation outcomes as part of the report.

To note and approve the revised scope for Eastbourne Town Centre Movement and Access Package Phase 2a.

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

DECISIONS

36.2     The Lead Member RESOLVED to approve the revised scope for Eastbourne Town Centre Movement and Access Package Phase 2a and moving forward to construction in 2025/26 subject to final approval of the business case and project change request by the Lead Member for Strategic Management and Economic Development.

REASONS

36.3     Since the County Council secured £3m of LGF monies from the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) towards the development and delivery of Phase 2a of the Eastbourne Town Centre Movement and Access Package (ETCMAP) in 2018, significant progress has been made on the design proposals for pedestrian improvements on Terminus Road between Bankers Corner (the junction with Cornfield Road) and Langney Road, aimed at supporting economic growth in Eastbourne Town Centre.

36.4     Additional funding has previously been secured from Active Travel England and allocated from the County Council’s capital programme of local transport improvements to increase the overall available funding to develop and deliver the Phase 2a scheme. However, scheme development and construction costs have increased significantly across the sector because of high inflation, the war in Ukraine and delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

36.5     Following a comprehensive design and cost review of the original Phase 2a scheme’s scope, the cost to deliver the remaining schemes exceeds the £3.6m remaining funding. With no other funding sources available to address the scheme’s funding gap, a descoping exercise has been undertaken to identify which elements of the existing scheme could be delivered in the current funding envelope.

36.6     The business case for the revised Phase 2a scope, as outlined in section 2.6 of the report, has been updated subject to approval by the Lead Member. This demonstrates that the proposed revised scheme represents very high value for money, with a benefit to cost ratio of 4.03, alongside delivering other non-monetised benefits. Therefore, the re-scoped scheme would continue to meet the original goals of creating a more pedestrian-friendly environment and supporting the town centre’s overall attractiveness that drives footfall, boosts local commerce, and contributes to the long-term vitality of Eastbourne’s economy.