Agenda and minutes

The Mayor advised that since the agenda had been sent out, the Council had been advised that former Councillor Bob Lacey, OBE had sadly passed away on Saturday, and who had served as a Conservative Councillor for Upperton between May 1998 and May 2007.  The Council paid tribute to Bob Lacey OBE and held a minutes’ silence in memory. 

RESOLVED (unanimously) – That the minutes of the meeting of the Full Council held on 20 July 2022 be approved and signed as an accurate record.

There were no declarations of interest.

A list of the Mayor’s announcements in respect of his activities since the last meeting is attached for information.

The Mayor drew Members’ attention to the list of his and the Deputy Mayor’s activities from July to November 2022.

The Mayor highlighted, in particular, the historic occasion of the Borough Proclamation Ceremony where King Charles III was announced as the new king to residents of Eastbourne.  The Mayor expressed his pleasure at the number of young entrepreneurs who received awards at the Eastbourne Business Awards.  The Mayor highlighted that the Climate Emergency Hub had been opened on 1 November and would continue up to Christmas, giving residents the opportunity to find out about local environmental projects, and how to contribute to tackling the climate emergency. Finally, he thanked the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Vaughan, for standing in for him on a number of occasions, and in particular whilst he and the mayoress had Covid.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Dow and Whippy.

The Mayor to report any requests received from a member of the public under council procedure rule 11 in respect of any referred item or motion listed below.

There had been no requests to speak from members of the public. 

The Council may vary the order of business if, in the opinion of the Mayor, a matter should be given precedence by reason of special urgency.

No change to the order of business had been requested.

To receive the result of the St Anthony’s Ward By-Election held on 6 October 2022 and welcome Councillor Hugh Parker (Liberal Democrat) as a new member of the Council.

The Mayor advised that since the last Council meeting Councillor Burton had resigned, and Councillor Parker had been elected to the vacancy in the St Anthony’s Ward by-election.  In addition, Councillor Metcalfe had resigned due to ill health, and his vacant seat would be filled at the elections in May 2023.

Councillors paid tribute to the retiring Councillors and welcomed Councillor Parker to the Council.

A resolution was moved by Councillor Tutt and seconded by Councillor Smart, and:

RESOLVED (unanimously) –

1.    To note the results of the By-Election for St Anthony’s Ward By-Election held on 6 October 2022.

2.    That the new member, Councillor Hugh Parker be congratulated and welcomed onto the Council; and

3.    To express thanks to Councillor Burton and Councillor Metcalfe, who have resigned since the last meeting of the Council and wish them well.

Report of the Head of Democratic Services.

Councillor Wallis moved and Councillor Tutt seconded the recommendation of the report of the Head of Democratic Services to propose a minor amendment to the terms of reference for Conservation Advisory Group (CAG).  This would allow Full Council flexibility to appoint a nominee to the Group, in the event that the Council’s Heritage Champion was appointed to the Planning Committee or otherwise unable to act as the Heritage Champion non-voting advisor to CAG.

The report was debated by Council and the recommendations were put to a vote and carried.

RESOLVED (By 17 votes to 7) -

1.      To approve a minor amendment to the revised Terms of Reference (ToR) in respect of the Council’s Heritage Champion, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report;

2.      To authorise the Head of Democratic Services and Deputy Monitoring Officer to make the necessary changes to the Council’s Constitution in order to give effect to these changes;

3.      To re-confirm the appointment of Councillor Hugh Parker as the Council’s Heritage Champion for the remainder of the municipal year, following his election to the Council; and

4.      To authorise the Head of Democratic Services and Deputy Monitoring Officer to appoint a nominee (as the Council’s Heritage Champion sits on the membership of Planning Committee), to act as a Co-opted advisor to the Conservation Advisory Group, in consultation with the relevant Group Leader, Chair of Conservation Advisory Group and Head of Planning for the remaining municipal year.

The following matters are submitted to the Council for decision (council procedure rule 12 refers):-

Report of Councillor Swansborough on behalf of the Cabinet. Referred from Cabinet on 2 November 2022.

Councillor Swansborough moved and Councillor Tutt the recommendation to Council made by Cabinet on 2 November, to approve the Local Development Scheme 2022-2025.

The Council debated the referral report and appendices.  It was noted that the Local Development Scheme was the Council’s timetable for the production of planning document and key milestones for a three-year period from 2022-2025.  

The recommendations were put to a vote and carried.

RESOLVED (By 17 votes to 4 with 3 abstentions)

1.    To adopt the Eastbourne Local Development Scheme 2022-2025 as set out at Appendix 1 to the report; and

2.    To delegate authority to the Director of Regeneration and Planning in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Heritage Assets, Place Services and Special Projects to make minor and technical updates to timetables within the Local Development Scheme where necessary.

The following motions have been submitted by members under council procedure rule 13:-

Councillor Vaughan has submitted the following motion:

“Eastbourne Borough Council recognises that the cost of specialist items, such as school uniform is putting enormous additional financial pressure and stress on families and can also lead to discriminatory and mental health issues.

This Council calls upon the Government to issue guidance to schools to require a more flexible approach in this cost of living crisis.”

Councillor Vaughan moved and Councillor Parker seconded the following motion as set out in the agenda papers:

“Eastbourne Borough Council recognises that the cost of specialist items, such as school uniform is putting enormous additional financial pressure and stress on families and can also lead to discriminatory and mental health issues.

This Council calls upon the Government to issue guidance to schools to require a more flexible approach in this cost of living crisis.”

The Council debated the motion in full.  The motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

RESOLVED that (By 15 votes to 0 with 9 abstentions) –

1.    Eastbourne Borough Council recognises that the cost of specialist items, such as school uniform is putting enormous additional financial pressure and stress on families and can also lead to discriminatory and mental health issues.

2.    This Council calls upon the Government to issue guidance to schools to require a more flexible approach in this cost of living crisis.

Councillor Babarinde has submitted the following motion:

“This Council notes that:

·         Under the Conservative Government, inflation rose to 10.1% in September 2022 and The International Monetary Fund has predicted that UK inflation will be the highest in the G7 by the end of 2023.

·         Under the Conservative Government, mortgage rates have sharply risen, with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation forecasting that homeowners will face average mortgage increases of £250 per month.

·         Under the Conservative Government, the Bank of England has predicted that the UK will experience its longest recession since records began.

·         Under the Conservative Government, Eastbourne’s Foodbank has become the busiest Foodbank in the UK.

·         Eastbourne’s Conservative Member of Parliament has supported the Conservative Government in 99% of votes in the House of Commons.

·         The UK’s third Conservative Prime Minister of 2022, Rishi Sunak, has been given no mandate to govern from the people of Eastbourne.

·         Conservative Minister Zac Goldsmith has said that a General Election is “morally unavoidable”.

·         Former Conservative Cabinet Minister Nadine Dorries has said that “it will now be impossible to avoid a General Election”.

The Council therefore:

·         Has no confidence in the UK’s Conservative Government;

·         Has no confidence in Eastbourne’s Conservative Member of Parliament; and

·         Demands that the Conservative Government calls a General Election immediately to give the people of Eastbourne, and the people of the UK, a say.”

Councillor Babarinde moved and Councillor Shuttleworth seconded the following motion, which had been revised and circulated to Councillors in advance of the meeting.  This was read out for the benefit of those present:

“This Council notes that:

·         Under the Conservative Government, inflation rose to 10.1% in September 2022 and The International Monetary Fund has predicted that UK inflation will be the highest in the G7 by the end of 2023.

·         Under the Conservative Government, mortgage rates have sharply risen, with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation forecasting that homeowners will face average mortgage increases of £250 per month.

·         Under the Conservative Government, the Bank of England has predicted that the UK will experience its longest recession since records began.

·         Under the Conservative Government, Eastbourne’s Foodbank has become the busiest Foodbank in the UK.

·         The UK’s third Conservative Prime Minister of 2022, Rishi Sunak, has been given no mandate to govern from the people of Eastbourne.

·         Conservative Minister Zac Goldsmith has said that a General Election is “morally unavoidable”.

·         Former Conservative Cabinet Minister Nadine Dorries has said that “it will now be impossible to avoid a General Election”.

This Council therefore:

·         Has no confidence in the UK’s Conservative Government;

·         Has no confidence in Conservative Members of Parliament; and

·         Demands that the Conservative Government calls a General Election immediately to give the people of Eastbourne, and the people of the UK, a say.”

The Council debated the motion in full.  The motion was put to the vote and declared carried.

RESOLVED that (By 16 votes to 7 with 1 abstention) –

1.    This Council notes that:

·         Under the Conservative Government, inflation rose to 10.1% in September 2022 and The International Monetary Fund has predicted that UK inflation will be the highest in the G7 by the end of 2023.

·         Under the Conservative Government, mortgage rates have sharply risen, with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation forecasting that homeowners will face average mortgage increases of £250 per month.

·         Under the Conservative Government, the Bank of England has predicted that the UK will experience its longest recession since records began.

·         Under the Conservative Government, Eastbourne’s Foodbank has become the busiest Foodbank in the UK.

·         The UK’s third Conservative Prime Minister of 2022, Rishi Sunak, has been given no mandate to govern from the people of Eastbourne.

·         Conservative Minister Zac Goldsmith has said that a General Election is “morally unavoidable”.

·         Former Conservative Cabinet Minister Nadine Dorries has said that “it will now be impossible to avoid a General Election”.

2.    This Council therefore:

·         Has no confidence in the UK’s Conservative Government;

·         Has no confidence in Conservative Members of Parliament; and

·         Demands that the Conservative Government calls a General Election immediately to give the people of Eastbourne, and the people of the UK, a say.

Members of the Council who wish to raise items for discussion (council procedure rule 14) on any of the minutes of the meetings of formal council bodies listed below must submit their request to the Head of Democratic Services no later than 10.00 am on the day of the meeting. A list of such items (if any) will be circulated prior to the start of the meeting.

The following are appended to this agenda:-

The minutes of the following Council bodies were submitted to the meeting for information as part of the agenda:

• Planning Committee – 25 July, 3 October and 17 October 2002
• Audit and Governance Committee – 28 September 2022
• Scrutiny Committee – 10 October 2022
• Cabinet – 2 November 2022

Requests to speak on specific minutes had been made by Councillors Wallis, Freebody, Tutt and Smart, as follows:

1. Councillors Wallis and Freebody spoke in respect of Item 11d, Scrutiny Minutes of 10 October 2022, Minute 30 ‘A review of the Eastbourne Airshow’.  They each expressed their concern as to the level of scrutiny of the report, that it had incomplete information when considered, and the conflict with Council’s commitment to be Carbon Neutral by 2030.  Councillor Tutt responded by highlighting the importance of the event for the local economy, confirmed that it took time each year for an assessment of the impact of Airbourne to be available, and advised that one of the key areas was the need to reduce traffic impact of Airbourne or any such event.  Councillor Babarinde explained why he at Scrutiny Committee had accepted the report and supported Airbourne for 2023 on the basis of continued reductions in carbon impact.  Other Councillors spoke to the questions raised. 

2. Councillors Tutt and Smart spoke in respect of Item 11f, Cabinet minutes of 2 November 2022, Minute 28 ‘Eastbourne Local Plan – Growth Strategy Consultation.  Councillor Tutt highlighted that this was the opportunity for detailed consultation with residents on local plan sites.  He advised that he and other Councillors would not support all those proposed, and that they would continue to push for a reduction in housing numbers, but that this was the opportunity to shape the local plan.  Councillor Smart advised that he shared the Leader’s concerns that the housing numbers required were flawed, but that he would have wished to see the consultation started earlier and would like to see greater emphasis on employment sites.  Councillor Shuttleworth highlighted the need for housing and asked for support from all parties in lobbying the Government to unlock funding to enable the Bedfordwell Road housing site to be delivered.   Other Councillors spoke to the questions raised. 

Councillor Bannister moved and Councillor Lamb seconded acceptance of the minutes.

RESOLVED (unanimously) – That the minutes be accepted.

The next meeting of Full Council is scheduled for 22 February 2023 at 6 pm.

The next meeting of Full Council would be scheduled for 22 February 2023 at 6 pm.