Rother District Council s10

Rother District Council

CABINET 16 March 2009

Minutes of the Cabinet meeting held at the Town Hall, Bexhill-on-Sea on Monday 16 March 2009 at 2.00pm.

Cabinet Members present: Councillors C.R. Maynard (Leader), I.G.F. Jenkins, J.M. Johnson, Mrs J.M. Hughes, P.N. Osborne, R.H. Patten, D.W.E. Russell and Mrs D.C. Williams.

Other Members present: Councillors R.V. Elliston, M.D. Ensor, M.S. Forster, A.E. Ganly, Mrs B.A. George, Mrs S.I. Holmes, B. Kentfield, R.E. Parren, C.F. Starnes, D.W.L.M. Vereker and Ms G. Wheeler.

Advisory Officers present: Director of Services, Director of Resources, Head of Policy and Performance (in part), Head of Planning, Head of Regeneration, Principal Planning Officer (Strategy), Policy Officer (in part), Regeneration and Tourism Officer, Senior Communications Officer and Senior Democratic Services Officer.

Also present: Mrs M. Jones, Bexhill Youth Council Adult Support Group, Sean O’Brien, Bexhill Youth Council, David Cockett, Adult Support Group Treasurer and a member of the local press.

Publication Date: 18 March 2009 The decisions made under PART II will come into force on 26 March 2009 unless they have been subject to the call-in procedure.

CB08/162. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from the Chairman of Council, Councillor Mrs Gadd and the Chief Executive, Derek Stevens.

CB08/163. MINUTES

The Chairman was authorised to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 16 February 2009 as a correct record of the proceedings.

CB08/164. EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

RESOLVED: That the press and public be excluded whilst matters containing exempt information, as prescribed by Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended and relating to Minutes CB08/170 and CB08/171 were under consideration. The reports submitted in connection with these items and which contain information exempt from publication by virtue of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act shall remain confidential if and so long as, in all the

1 circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

PART II – EXECUTIVE DECISIONS – subject to call-in procedure under Rule 16 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules by no later than 4pm on 25 March 2009.

CB08/165. LOCAL ACTION PLAN SUPPORT PROGRAMME – PHASE 3 (6.1) As part of its support to the work of the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), the Council has acted as accountable body and managed the Second Homes Council Tax funds on behalf of the other funding providers, East Sussex County Council (ESCC), Sussex Police and the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. Despite the best efforts of this Council to encourage ESCC, Police and Fire Service to continue to support local community planning through this funding, no further monies would be allocated. Members expressed their disappointment at the decision of the other funding providers to withdraw their funding from the process. The information gained through the Local Action Plan (LAP) process was of immense use to the other partners and future consideration would need to be given to a different type of support programme once this final phase was completed.

At its Board meeting on 28 January 2009, the Rother LSP took the decision to allocate the remaining £40,000 to the continuation of the LAP Support Programme. The continuation programme would deliver a twelve-month programme of support to local communities in the Rother area wishing to consider, develop or implement a LAP with the main focus of this final phase being on Bexhill and the remaining rural areas that want to engage.

Members’ approval was sought to affix the common seal of the Council to the contract with Rother Voluntary Action, the service provider to the programme.

RESOLVED: That

1) the Chief Executive be authorised to enter into a Local Action Plans Support Programme contract; and

2) Rother Voluntary Action be appointed as main service provider in respect of the Local Action Plans Support Programme.

(Councillors Ensor and Forster both declared a personal interest in this matter as elected Members of East Sussex County Council and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof.)

(Councillor Maynard declared a personal interest in this matter as both Chairman of the Local Strategic Partnership and an elected Member of East Sussex County Council and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof.)

2 CB08/166. BEXHILL YOUTH COUNCIL (6.2) Bexhill Youth Council (BYC) was set up in May 2000 in response to requests from young people in the town who wished to become involved in the community and to have a voice on matters of particular interest and concern to them. The Council already financially supported the BYC and Members were requested to support a continuation of the funding, through a 2 year funding agreement.

The funding agreement would be drawn up in line with spending rounds and Members were invited to suggest key issues which the Council would expect the BYC to contribute to in return for the £500 per annum funding, which could be met from existing revenue budgets.

Mindful that the Bexhill Youth Council did not have a remit in the rural areas, it was suggested that officers explore the potential for complementary arrangements with young people in the rural areas of Rother. The Leader of the Council commented on the successful youth conference held at Pett last week and looked forward to an improved working relationship between the Council and the various youth organisations across the District. The Council was committed to consultation with youth groups and hoped that this could be further strengthened through the work of the LSP.

RESOLVED: That a funding agreement with Bexhill Youth Council be entered into for 2 years at £500 per annum, on terms and conditions to be agreed by the Chief Executive.

CB08/167. REVISED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME (7.1) Under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 the Council was obliged to maintain an up-to-date Local Development Scheme (LDS), and to submit it to the Secretary of State. Its form and scope was set out in relevant Regulations, PPS12: Local Development Frameworks and guidance produced by the Planning Advisory Service entitled ‘Devising an effective LDS’. The LDS was essentially a process document that set out the 3 year timetable for the preparation of local development documents that together constituted the Local Development Framework (LDF).

The LDS had a critical role both in managing the Council’s plan-making work and in communicating this to the service providers, landowners, businesses and the public. It was also noted that the plan-making programme and milestones agreed via the LDS provided the baseline for Government’s assessment of progress in the context of awards of ‘Housing and Planning Delivery Grant’ (HPDG).

The report set out the rationale for revision, resource implications and the proposed programme in relation to the Core Strategy, Site Allocations, North East Bexhill, Rock Channel, Rye, The Down Site and Town Centre, Bexhill and development contributions. Members were keen to ensure that the North East Bexhill Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) did not slip, given the confidence of the link road 3 being under construction by the end of next year. Officers would be looking towards SeaSpace / Hastings and Bexhill Renaissance Limited (HBRL) to be a key partner in the development of business sites in North East Bexhill as the previous uncertainties over the link road no longer existed.

It was agreed that the LDS would deliver a sound and responsive planning framework for the District in a timely manner.

RESOLVED: That

1) the revised Local Development Scheme 2009, as set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved for submission to the Secretary of State;

2) subject to any amendments sought by the Secretary of State and agreed by the Director of Services in liaison with the Portfolio Holder and within identified resources, the revised Local Development Scheme shall have effect from 30 March 2009 or as soon as possible thereafter.

(Councillor Maynard declared a personal interest in this matter as the Council appointed representative to the Hastings and Rother Task Force and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof.)

(Councillor Patten declared a personal interest in this matter as the Council appointed representative to HBRL and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof.)

CB08/168. HIGH WEALD AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY (7.2) MANAGEMENT PLAN REVIEW 2009

The Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 (CROW Act) placed a statutory responsibility on local authorities to produce and regularly review AONB Management Plans. In the case of the High Weald AONB, this responsibility was discharged through the AONB Joint Advisory Committee (JAC). The current AONB Plan was adopted in March 2004 and regulations specify that the Plan be reviewed every five years.

Following a period of consultation, the JAC had revised the 2004 Plan and now commended the updated version to the constituent Local Authorities for adoption by the end of March. The revised Plan was essentially an up-dating of the existing Management Plan rather than a fundamentally new strategy. The overall vision was substantially unchanged, as are those for each of the various components of ‘natural beauty’.

It was considered that the Plan and the emerging LDF Core Strategy complemented each other in the effective conservation of the area’s natural beauty, as well as supporting a living and working countryside.

4 RESOLVED: That the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan Review 2009 (as approved by the Joint Advisory Committee, at Appendix 1 to the report) be formally adopted.

(Councillor Kentfield declared a personal interest in this matter as the Council appointed representative to the AONB Joint Advisory Committee and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof.)

CB08/169. MITIGATING THE IMPACT OF THE RECESSION (7.3) Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Resources that set out the various activities the Council was undertaking or planning to undertake in meeting its key aims as well as helping residents and businesses mitigate against the impact of the recession. Members were reassured to note that the Council was involved in many helpful initiatives and were pleased that the Council was doing all that it could and more to support local residents and businesses alike during the current difficult times.

RESOLVED: That the measures the Council is taking to mitigate against the impact of the recession on its resident and businesses be noted.

(Councillor Starnes declared a personal interest in this matter as the Council’s appointed representative to 1066 Enterprise Board and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof.)

(The Leader of the Council had accepted this item onto the Agenda as an Additional Agenda Item to enable the Council to raise awareness of the support that was available during the current recession).

CB08/170. RENEWAL OF LEASE – 5 RED BARN MEWS, BATTLE (9.1) Members considered the confidential report of the Director of Resources on the renewal of the lease of 5 Red Barn Mews occupied by the WARR Partnership. As Accountable Body to the Partnership the Council was responsible for entering into contractual arrangements on behalf of the Partnership, including amongst other matters, premises. Cabinet was asked to approve a new 4 year lease, the terms of which, had been agreed with the Landlord.

RESOLVED: That a new lease and licence be entered into as negotiated and otherwise on terms and conditions to be determined by the Chief Executive.

(This matter was considered exempt from publication by virtue of paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended).

5 PART III - URGENT DECISIONS - The Chairman of Council had agreed that the following decision was urgent in accordance with Paragraph 17 of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules contained in Part 4 of the Council’s Constitution. The call- in procedure does not therefore apply to this decision.

CB08/171. RYE TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE (10.1) At the last meeting Members had considered the award of contract for the provision of Tourist Information Centre services at Rye. As there were a number of problematic outstanding matters to be negotiated and yet to be resolved between the current and in-coming contractor, authority was sought to extend the current contract for a period of up to 3 months.

RESOLVED: That the current contract with Rye Town Council for the operation of Rye Tourist Information Centre be extended for a period of up to 3 months from 31 March 2009, on the same terms and conditions and officers be authorised to take all necessary steps in the matter.

(Councillors Osborne and Russell each declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this matter as elected Members of Rye Town Council and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct left the room during the consideration thereof.)

(Councillor Mrs Williams declared a personal interest in this matter as the Council’s appointed Representative to Tourism South East and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the room during the consideration thereof.)

(The Leader had accepted this item on to the Agenda as an Additional Agenda Item to ensure continuity of TIC services at Rye beyond 31 March 2009).

(The Chairman of Council had agreed that this decision could be taken as an urgent decision in order to allow negotiations between Tourism South East and Rye Town Council over the lease of the Heritage Centre to run their course and to allow officers time to investigate and recommend alternative options for TIC provision in Rye should this be required.)

CHAIRMAN The meeting closed at 2.50 pm cb090316LJA