Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on the 26 November 2024 were submitted and the Chair was authorised to sign them as a correct record, subject to the following amendment to minute 51. Report of the Southern Water Panel:

Resolved

1.     To support the recommendations of the Southern Water Panel and make recommendations to Full Council, subject to the amendment to A1(b) to include reference to ‘public health and wellbeing’ as follows:

A1.b To support the Government’s expressed intention to reform or replace Ofwat with a fit for purpose regulator capable of prioritising the public interest and health and wellbeing over company profits or financial viability, and of ensuring the environmental sustainability of water companies’ whole operations.

2.     To support the recommendations of the Southern Water Panel to the Policy and Performance Advisory Committee and agree:

·         To request that relevant officers and the relevant Cabinet Member provide a regular update to the Committee on ongoing discussions with Southern Water, including the work of the Southern Water Local Authority Stakeholder Group.

·         To invite the Head of Development Management to report back on the implementation of the inclusion in all reports relating to major developments, of a specific section on Core Policy 10 and the impact on watercourses, including the potential for the development to affect sewage outflow into watercourses (i.e. cumulative impact), or to flag if this information is not fully available, so that this information (or the lack of it) is clearly and transparently set out (approved in a motion by Full Council in May 2021).

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Keane and Councillor Meek was a substitute.

Disclosure by councillors of personal interests in matters on the agenda, the nature of any interest and whether the councillor regards the interest as prejudicial under the terms of the Code of Conduct.

There were none.

Items not on the agenda which the Chair of the meeting is of the opinion should be considered as a matter of urgency by reason of special circumstances as defined in Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972. A Supplementary Report will be circulated at the meeting to update the main Reports with any late information.

There were none.

To deal with written questions from councillors pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 12.3 (page D8 of the Constitution).

There were none.

Katie Dawkins, Housing Options and Wellbeing Strategic Lead, presented the report which sought the Cabinet’s approval to proceed with a public consultation on a new model of allocating Council housing stock. During discussion the following points were highlighted:

·       There were a wide number of different reasons for people refusing offered properties. If the property did not meet all of the applicant’s recognised needs or was not suitable, it did not count as one of three strikes adopted as part of the new policy. There were no significant changes in the new policy that would impact on t families with children.

·       The staff resources allocated across Lewes District and Eastbourne Borough Councils were evenly split, with two separate registers. There were currently people who made homeless applications who did not qualify for the housing register as they did not meet residency requirements. In those situations, the homeless applicants would be supported to find private housing accommodation. Certain parts of the Policy did not apply to homeless people and one reasonable offer would be made, which had to be accepted. The Local connection criteria did not apply to victims of domestic abuse, care leavers or rough sleepers.

Resolved to support the officer recommendations in the Cabinet report.

Nadeem Din, Head of Planning Policy, presented the report which sought the Cabinet’s approval to proceed with a public consultation on a new model of allocating Council housing stock. During discussion, the following points were highlighted:

·       It was confirmed that, following the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation, the deadline for submission of the Local Plan had been extended until December 2026. Although additional requests had been made as a result of changes to the NPPF, the work already done was still of value in the Plan making process. An example of the additional work needed, was that the latest NPPF asked for explicit identification, through evidence, of the need for social rent and the need for individuals’ social care. This was not included in the current housing need assessment.

Resolved to support the officer recommendations in the Cabinet report.

A presentation from Steve O’Connell, Community Speedwatch Officer, SPOC for Sussex Safer Roads Partnership.

Steve O’Connell, Community Speedwatch Officer and special point of contact (SPOC) for Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, provided a presentation which detailed the work of the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership, community speedwatch groups in the District, and police operations to tackle anti-social driving. Data was also provided on the number of prosecutions, educational courses and letters sent to those captured speeding.

Steve O’Connell used the Sussex Safer Roads Speed Management Plan to explain the process for processing complaints of speeding. The following list of useful websites was also provided:

www.sussexsaferroads.gov.uk

www.operationcrackdown.org

www.communityspeedwatch.org

Reporting by Parish & Town Councils for Speed Issues - Roads.communications@sussex.police.uk

During discussion, the following points were highlighted:

Based on previous government data, it was estimated that a one vehicle collision had a financial cost in excess of approximately £1.5 million which included all fire and rescue services, NHS, casualty and coroner costs.

East Sussex County Council, as the traffic authority, determined speed limits, with guidance from the Department for Transport. Lewes District Councillors were able to contact Stephen O’Connell for signposting to the appropriate areas where there were concerns about local speed limits. A government document released in March 2024 provided useful guidance to town and parish councils before approaching traffic authorities with proposed speed limit changes.

Stephen O’Connell was also the point of contact for Councillors who wished to flag local areas where speedwatch work was not taking place but where speeding vehicles was a concern. A risk assessment of the area would be undertaken and appropriate action would be taken.

The theatre in education programme was part of East Sussex County Council’s scheme. Other programmes such as ‘Biker Down’ and ‘Bike Safe’ were aimed at safe motorbiking on roads and motorcycle safety.

Malling Street in Lewes had been assessed on many occasions for speeding issues and the data collected did not suggest there were concerns over speeding. However, nudge signs, which displayed a number of warning messages to motorists, had been displayed in Malling Street. The nudge signs were used under temporary sign legislation and could only be displayed for a period of three months. If requested, they could be displayed again.

Operation Crackdown was an online evidential database that was used to collect information on incidents of speeding. Members of the public were encouraged to use the website to make anonymous reports and improve the evidence base, which then allowed further action to be taken.

Resolved to note the presentation.

Chris Bibb, Neighbourhood First Team Specialist Advisor (Green Consultancy), provided a presentation to the Committee which summarised the delivery of playground improvements in Lewes District between 2023 and 2024. The following areas were highlighted during the presentation:

·       The majority of funding had been provided through section 106 agreements and historically had been in areas where development had taken place locally, such as Peacehaven and Seaford, changes to the community infrastructure levy meant a different type of funding and the most recent tranche of improvements had been in areas where development had not taken place and where playground equipment was lacking or in a state or disrepair.

·       The most recent work involved targeted consultation with resident letter drops and online surveys at individual sites. Primary school visits were also undertaken to involve students in decisions for the schemes. The investment in the project was spread widely across 19 playgrounds. Playground equipment costs had increased by approximately 35%.

During discussion, the following points were highlighted:

·       All of the playgrounds had inclusive equipment such as nest-swings, swing seats with seatbelts, sensory boards and textile panels. Whenever tenders were sent out, they included a request for inclusivity that covered cognitive and sensory inclusivity, as well as the physical element.

·       The equipment required needed to be robust and durable as it would be sited in public areas and would have lots of use. This was reflected in the cost of equipment, but it was considered to be more cost effective in the long-term. The installation of outdoor gym equipment had received mixed results. It was found that whilst there was initial interest, experience showed that there was not a long-term use of the equipment. There were examples of various approaches to exercise equipment that provided good results, however, the weather was often a factor in its use.

·       Government had produced guidance approximately 12 years previously on how to get better value out of ‘play’ through the creation of different physical environments and different materials. Historically, the Council used a supplementary planning document that all developers were required to agree to. The SPD was used by the Council to manage the provision of playground schemes as part of new developments and included consultation with residents and communities. Currently, the SPD was not used sufficiently and the budget for this area had reduced. It was hoped that, as the newest Local Plan developed, the emphasis again would be for the Council to have more influence over these types of playground schemes.

Resolved to note the update.

Lee Banner, Assistant Director - Neighbourhood and Transformation, provided an update on the Council’s website and highlighted the following points:

The project had not progressed as anticipated due to resources with the ICT Team, which had now been resolved. Discussions were being held with the relevant portfolio holders to decide on how the website will look, the areas to prioritise and how it would look. One area that required consideration in terms of its impact and the opportunities available as the project progressed, was the English Devolution White Paper. Further guidance from Government would be sought on the Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation Programme prior to deciding on a direction of travel and reprioritising if necessary.

The Chair of the Committee requested that a further update be provided after 6 months.

Resolved to note the update.

The Chair, Councillor Brett, introduced the report and advised Members that it was for information purposes only and provided a summary of the recommendations in the Cabinet reports, included in the agenda.

Jo Harper, Head of Business Planning and Performance, presented the report which provided information on the Government White Paper on Devolution and the response made to the paper impacting on the Sussex area. Members were advised that, at the time of considering the report, it was not known whether East Sussex County Council had, following its submission of a formal request, been accepted on to the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme. It was anticipated that a response would be received by the end of January 2025. During discussion, the following point was highlighted:

·       The information in the report, including part 7. which referred to legal implications, was based on the current position and with Lewes District Council as the relevant authority.

Resolved to support the officer recommendations in the report, in full.

Homira Javadi, Chief Finance Officer and Lynn Ingram, Interim Head of Financial Planning, presented the report which sought the Cabinet’s agreement to the General Fund Budget 2025/26, updated Medium Term Financial Strategy and the updated Capital Programme and Treasury Management position. During discussion, the following points were highlighted:

·       For the previous two years, target budgets for Bereavement Services had not been met. As a result, a benchmarking exercise showed the charges of neighbouring authorities and consequently a number of Bereavement Services charges had increased and were more comparative. Members expressed concern at the increase in charges and the condition of cemeteries and crematorium. This was an area of concern that officers were aware of and work was being undertaken to make improvements.

·       It was not sustainable to use reserves to fund ongoing expenditure and the Council’s approach was to top up earmarked reserves at outturn positions, when capacity allowed. The high level of uncertainty year-on-year around what the financial settlement from Government would be, made planning the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) difficult and a prudent approach was being taken on assumptions on income levels.

·       Parking charges had not been significantly increased for the previous 7 years and it was decided that small charges on an annual basis would be preferable to raising charges every 6-7 years. This approach reflected the move to user technology meaning implementation of the changes would have lower costs.

·       The use of the Extended Producer Responsibility Grant was being transferred to reserves as there were no known current commitments. The approach for future grants was that they would be directly in relation to some of the responsibilities it was expected the Council would have.

·       There were ongoing campaigns and discussions focused on addressing the lack of increase in local housing allowances while rent levels were increasing. However, assurances that it would be resolved before the Fair Funding review had not been forthcoming. Central Government needed a more targeted approach in supporting those authorities that were significantly compromised in terms of finance and topping up shortfalls in local housing allowances.

Resolved to support the officer recommendations in the Cabinet report, in full.

Ross Sutton, Head of Financial Reporting, presented the report which sought the Cabinet’s approval of the Council’s Annual Treasury Management Strategy, Capital Strategy & Investment Strategy together with the Treasury and Prudential Indicators.

There was no further discussion on this item.

Resolved to support the officer recommendations in the Cabinet report.

Homira Javadi, Chief Financial Officer and Lynn Ingram, Interim Head of Financial Planning, presented the report which sought the Cabinet’s agreement on the detailed HRA budget proposals, rent levels and

service charges for 2025/26, and the HRA Capital Programme 2024-29.

There was no further discussion on the item.

Resolved to support the officer recommendations in the Cabinet report.

To receive the Forward Plan of the Cabinet.

The Chair, Councillor Brett, introduced the Forward Plan of Cabinet Decisions, which provided details of reports due for consideration by the Cabinet on the 20 March and which the Committee was able to request for consideration at next meeting on the 13 March.

Members requested that all the reports on the Forward Plan due for the 20 March Cabinet be considered at the Policy and Performance Advisory Committee meeting on the 13 March.

Resolved to note the Committee’s work programme.

To receive the Policy and Performance Advisory Committee Work Programme.

Members were referred to items included in the Committee’s work programme and advised that if there were areas of concern or topics that required oversight or scrutiny, they could be added to the work programme for discussion at a future meeting.

·       A Member requested that an update on the progression of the Council’s Local Plan be provided to a future meeting.

Resolved to note the Policy and Performance Advisory Committee work programme.

To note that the next meeting of the Policy and Performance Advisory Committee is scheduled to be held on 13 March 2025, 5pm at Marine Workshops, Railway Quay, Newhaven.

Resolved to note that the next meeting of the Policy and Performance Advisory Committee was scheduled to be held on the 13 March 2024, 5.00pm at Marine Workshops, Railway Quay, Newhaven, BN9 0ER.