Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies received by the Chairman.

Members and officers must declare any disclosable pecuniary interests in relation to any business on the agenda. Declarations should also be made at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting.

If in doubt contact the Legal or Democratic Services representative for this meeting.

Councillor Catherine Arnold declared an interest as a parent with a child at Swiss Gardens Primary School and as the CEO of Adur Voluntary Action.

Councillor Dan Flower declared an interest as a parent with a child at Swiss Gardens Primary School.

To receive any questions from members of the public addressed to Members of the Executive in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11. There is up to 5 minutes for each question, one supplementary question may be asked arising from the original question.

Questions must relate to any matter the Council has power or which affects the District except no questions may be asked on

a)    A specific planning or licensing application

b)    A specific staffing appointment or appeal or Standards determination

Public question time will last up to 30 minute; questions will be taken in order of receipt. The deadline for submissions is 17^th April 2023 at 12 noon.

Questions to be submitted to democratic.services@adur-worthing.gov.uk

The Chairman advised that 2 public questions had been received in advance of the meeting.

Q1 from Mr Ben Abbo to the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources - Cllr Angus Dunn

Given that section 5.5 of the Meads report recommending a hybrid pitch in the Meads fenced area states that the solution should deliver a significant improvement to the current drainage situation in the wider Meads:

Will there be a drainage and flood risk assessment of hybrid pitch solutions, undertaken by experts, independent of the pitch suppliers who understand the complex issues with the current local drainage system and the area’s flood risks including the coming impacts of climate change, that includes the whole surrounding area, including the houses next to the school that already suffer from flooding and the school itself that has had backed up sewage incidents also affecting neighbouring gardens, and undertaken in winter, when the drainage system is most stressed and flooding and water logging commonplace?

The Cabinet Member replied that as part of the project, advice would be sought from the Council's in-house team and consultants to advise on the implications for flood risk, mindful of the climate emergency.  As you rightly point out, the intention is to make things better, not worse, as the Council delivers this important new facility that will improve opportunities for play and recreation at the Meads.

Mr Abbo asked the following supplementary question:-

How much of the S106 money will be used for project management, including the cost of commissioning a drainage and flood risk assessment?

The Cabinet Member replied that the Council didn’t know at this stage in the project but would allow for this in its project management.

Q2 from Mr Tony Hodgson to the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategic Planning - Cllr Steve Neocleous

My main question is:

Now that new residential and commercial development along the Western Harbour Arm is well underway and a further large-scale planning application was recently approved, could the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategic Planning state what estimated economic value to the Adur District local economy is forecast by the current Joint Area Action Plan for the Western Harbour Arm and whether it is on track for Adur District to achieve this economic benefit?

The Cabinet Member replied that the Shoreham Harbour regeneration supported development in two significant ways.

Firstly, by delivering the port masterplan which protects existing jobs by consolidating port-related activities along the Eastern Harbour Arm and Canal Basin. This would assist in facilitating the Port Masterplan and supported the existing 1,600 jobs from businesses located at the port.

Along with delivering housing 1,100 homes in Adur, the policies in the JAAP also supported the delivery of 23,500sqm of employment generating floorspace in the harbour area, increasing job opportunities and supporting economic growth.

Figures from the Home Building Federation indicated that the development of 1,100 homes would:

·         Support the employment of 3,410 people

·         Provide 37 apprentices, graduates or trainees

·         Increase open space, community sport, leisure  ...  view the full minutes text for item c/137/22-23

To approve the minutes of the Full Council meeting held on 23^rd February 2023, copies of which have been previously circulated.

Resolved, that the minutes of the meeting held on 23 February 2023 be approved as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

The Chairman made the following announcement:-

‘The 27th January 2023 was Holocaust Memorial Day. I made no announcements at the subsequent meeting as it was the Budget meeting. This is, therefore, the first opportunity I’ve had to speak about the theme of Holocaust Memorial Day.

And the theme of this year's Holocaust Memorial Day was ordinary people. I was asked to say some words on this subject. I was very moved and found this subject difficult – I will explain later.

The crimes of the Holocaust would not have been possible/without the cooperation of ordinary people, either by actively taking part or/by standing by and doing nothing. As is often quoted, "All it takes/for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing". This is a real story. In 1944, a five-year-old boy, Martin Stern, the son/of a Jew, an ordinary person, still alive today, was at school in the time of the Nazi regime and Adolf Hitler.

Two young men, ordinary people, came to Martin's class at school and asked, “is Martin Stern here today?” The teacher, an ordinary person who knew what was going on, answered, “no, he's not here today”. But Martin put up his hand and said, "I'm here". As he was being led out of the class, Martin looked back and saw the ashen face of the teacher. She knew where Martin was being taken.

Martin ended up with his sister in a prison camp. Martin saw many people being loaded as prisoners into cattle trucks. Ordinary people, railway workers and soldiers were just doing their jobs with no expression on their faces. One brave, local woman said she wanted to look after some of the children. She chose. Martin and his two-year-old sister. An ordinary man, came to their dormitory full of children and read out the children’s names one by one. And those children were escorted onto a train until it was just Martin with his two-year-old sister in the arms of this brave local woman, an ordinary person, in the prison dormitory.

All the other children were taken to the Auschwitz extermination camp. What can we do, us ordinary people? We can choose. We could choose to be like the two young men who gathered up Jewish children for extermination. We could choose to be like those railway workers and train drivers, all ordinary people. But people who took innocent children to their deaths. We could choose to be like the man who read the list of children to be taken to their deaths. Or we could choose, like many people, to do nothing. Or we can choose to be like the teacher, an ordinary person who did her best to protect Martin. And we can choose to be like the local woman who saved a brother and sister from extermination. We can only pacify our conscience by the delusion that we can do no harm if we take no part in evil. Bad men  ...  view the full minutes text for item c/139/22-23

To consider any items the Chairman has agreed are urgent.

The Chairman announced that there were no urgent items. 

To consider recommendations to the Council, details of which are set out in the attached items as 7A. 

Full reports are available on the website as listed below:

7(a)                  Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee - 16 March 2023

Joint Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme Setting 2023/24

The Chairman of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee introduced the recommendation from the Committee, which was seconded by Cllr Buxton and following a vote it was unanimously supported.

Resolved: that the Council approved the amended JOSC Work Programme for 2023/24 to bring Our Plan forward to the July meeting.

To receive a report from the Leader. The report contains cabinet decisions since the last Council meeting.

There is up to 15 minutes for Cabinet Members to make any statements on the report.

There is up to 15 minutes for Cabinet Members to respond to questions on the report; these questions will not be the same as any asked under ‘Members Questions under Council Procedure Rule 12’   

The Leader of the Council presented their report on decisions taken by the Cabinet since the last meeting of the Council, which were detailed in Item 8.

During consideration of the report a question was asked in relation to Article 4 directions being adhered to. The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategic Planning advised that issues should be brought to the Council’s attention as there were procedures in place for dealing with such matters.  

A Member sought an update in relation to the motion referred to the Adur Joint Strategic Sub-Committee regarding Fair Tax, particularly in relation to actions around procurement. The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources advised that a report on the matter was due to be brought back to the Adur Joint Strategic Sub-Committee.

Questions were also asked in relation to the decision regarding the Meads including, could the Cabinet Member indicate the envisaged timescales for the planning & procurement process and confirm that all significant final decisions following this process will be made by elected representatives and therefore subject to democratic scrutiny; would the facility be ready for the summer season and what funding had been made available for the delivery of the project. The Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources replied that at this stage the timetable was being developed by the Council’s project manager in close consultation with the School and the County Council.  As with any such project, any procurement activity that either the District Council or the County Council undertook involving significant expenditure would be subject to proper process and democratic scrutiny. It wasn’t possible to say how long delivery of the project would take, however, the Council had taken ownership of the project and that it would be nice if work could be undertaken over the summer. The Cabinet Member also confirmed that Adur District Council were not receiving money from West Sussex County Council, but were managing the project on their behalf.

To receive from the Proper Officer, the Director for Communities, the schedule of meetings for the Council and other meetings in the next Municipal Year. 

A copy of the schedule is attached as item 9. 

The Council is invited to formally approve the dates for its meetings and to note the proposed meeting dates for Committees.

Before the Council was a report by the Proper Officer, the Director for Communities,  a copy of which was circulated to all members, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes as item 9.

Before the Council, was the schedule of meetings of the Council and joint meetings for 2023/24. Council was invited to formally approve the dates for its Meetings during this period whilst noting the proposed dates for other committees.

The Schedule of Meetings for 2023/24 was proposed, seconded and unanimously supported.

Resolved,

That Adur District Council approved the Schedule of Meetings for 2023/24.

Members question time will last up to 30 minutes, questions will be taken in order of receipt and in rotation from each political group on the Council. The deadline for submission of questions is 17^th April 2023 at 12 noon. Questions to be submitted via democratic.services@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Questions received can be asked of the following:

a)    The Chairman

b)    A Member of the Cabinet

c)    The Chairman of any Committee

d)    The Councils representative on any outside body

Questions cannot be asked on the following

a)    A specific planning or licensing application

b)    A specific staffing appointment, appeal or Standards determination

Rotation One

Cllr Arnold asked the following question:

In your outside interest role on Greater Brighton Economic Board (Adur). Can you tell us how you feel about the scrapping of Local Enterprise Boards (Spring Budget) and when you expect this to take place and how we can gain as much joint value out of the relationship before this council's exit?

The Leader replied that the Council hadn’t had the opportunity to truly reflect on the news about LEP’s in the Spring Budget, however the Council welcomed the support from the Coast to Capital LEP over the years, especially with Local Growth Fund investment in Adur.

In partnership with other authorities across West Sussex, especially those coastal authorities that shared similar challenges and opportunities, the Council would be contributing and providing a coordinated response regarding this news. This would be complementary to other responses across the region, including the business community via Adur & Worthing Business Partnership and Coastal West Sussex. 

The Council would continue to have active dialogue with Coast to Capital as they continued to support community-led work in Lancing, whilst also supporting a number of businesses via their Growth Hub services. The Council would continue to monitor the LEP over the course of the next 12 months as the services from Coast to Capital may change within that period. 

Cllr Crisp asked the following question

This question relates to the tidal wall from the railway bridge north along the boundary with the Waterfront development.

It has been widely reported that since the removal of the unsightly chain link fencing many people have been walking along the top of the tidal defence wall. There is a 2.4 m / 8' drop from the top of the wall down into the residents gardens. This is a significant risk which the public walking past are not aware of. The residents have no redress to prevent accidents and protect their own property from damage. The Chair of the Waterfront Residents Association, John Burrows, asked a public question at the April planning meeting. Since then the issue has been passed to WSCC, Hyde homes and the Environment agency. However, there is still no signage and no identified process for resolving this. As the weather continues to improve and the river path is used more and more frequently the risk increases. It was shocking to see film (posted on facebook on Sunday) of a woman allowing her dog to walk along the wall.

What can ADC do to expedite a rapid investigation of and resolution of this significant risk to members of our community?

The Cabinet Member for Communities and Wellbeing replied that the Residents Association were advised at the March Committee that the Environment Agency (EA) had passed responsibility for the future maintenance of the wall back to the landowner (Hyde Housing).  At this meeting it was also clarified that the District Council did not own any section of the riverside walkway.

Initially Hyde had not been prepared to accept the  ...  view the full minutes text for item c/144/22-23