The following motion has been submitted by Councillor Hugh Parker:
“Many of the highways within the Borough are now in a disgraceful state of disrepair. This applies to potholes in roads and uneven pavements some of which have only been patched and repatched rather than repaired, with others outstanding. Further to the announcement that East Sussex County Council unanimously approved the additional spending from reserves to pay for extra patching and drainage work, and to increase the capital programme, funded through borrowing, and a decision on capital funding due to be made this month - Eastbourne Borough Council asks the Leader and Chief Executive:
1. To contact East Sussex County Council and ask that the County, if it has not already done so, undertakes an immediate and comprehensive condition survey of all Borough highways and within 3 months of that contact, provide this Council with a work plan for undertaking the necessary repairs and resurfacing over a period not exceeding 12 months, giving priority to the more serious conditions; and
2. To invite the relevant officers from East Sussex County Council to attend an early meeting of this Council’s Scrutiny Committee to provide details of the arrangements for the repair and maintenance of the highways.”
Minutes:
Councillor Parker moved and Councillor Butcher seconded the following motion, which had been slightly amended since its publication on the agenda. The affect of the amendments was to delete the first two sentences of the proposed motion and add in ‘and pavements’ into point 1.
“Further to the announcement that East Sussex County Council unanimously approved the additional spending from reserves to pay for extra patching and drainage work, and to increase the capital programme, funded through borrowing, and a decision on capital funding due to be made this month - Eastbourne Borough Council asks the Leader and Chief Executive:
1. To contact East Sussex County Council and ask that the County, if it has not already done so, undertakes an immediate and comprehensive condition survey of all Borough highways and pavements and within 3 months of that contact, provide this Council with a work plan for undertaking the necessary repairs and resurfacing over a period not exceeding 12 months, giving priority to the more serious conditions; and
2. To invite the relevant officers from East Sussex County Council to attend an early meeting of this Council’s Scrutiny Committee to provide details of the arrangements for the repair and maintenance of the highways.”
The Council gave its consent to the motion being amended prior to discussion.
Councillor Small then moved an amendment to the motion which had been circulated, which was seconded by Councillor Shore, to add three additional recommendations:
“3. To reinstate two yearly weed sprays of all Borough highways in order to combat the prevalence of weeds across the borough and to prevent any further unnecessary damage to the borough's highways, subject to Cabinet’s approval, once they have considered the financial, strategic and policy implications of this.
4. To ask Council officers to investigate and report back to the relevant Council body on how best the Borough Council (in conjunction with relevant authorities) can address problematic parking on pavements and verges in order to protect against the damage this causes, to ensure disabled residents can navigate the town safely and to support active travel.
5. To note East Sussex County Council’s recent decision to invest an additional £15.7 million in pothole repairs, alongside the £2.4 million Government grant announced by the chancellor in the 2023 budget. “
The motion and the amendment were debated in full by the Council.
The amendment proposed by Councillor Small was then put to vote by a show of hands and declared lost by 8 votes to 15.
The motion proposed by Councillor Parker was then put to a vote and carried unanimously.
RESOLVED (unanimously) – Further to the announcement that East Sussex County Council unanimously approved the additional spending from reserves to pay for extra patching and drainage work, and to increase the capital programme, funded through borrowing, and a decision on capital funding due to be made this month - Eastbourne Borough Council asks the Leader and Chief Executive:
1. To contact East Sussex County Council and ask that the County, if it has not already done so, undertakes an immediate and comprehensive condition survey of all Borough highways and pavements and within 3 months of that contact, provide this Council with a work plan for undertaking the necessary repairs and resurfacing over a period not exceeding 12 months, giving priority to the more serious conditions; and
2. To invite the relevant officers from East Sussex County Council to attend an early meeting of this Council’s Scrutiny Committee to provide details of the arrangements for the repair and maintenance of the highways.