Agenda item

Questions from the public

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 Tuesday 19 May at 12 noon.

 

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

 

Minutes:

A Member of the public asked the following question: I note with concern the vacancy in Eastbrook ward caused by the sad death of Cllr Les Alden. Emergency legislation postponed the May 2020 election for a year. This leaves an acute democratic deficit in Eastbrook lasting some 18 months. This situation (or similar) applies across the country at present. These are unprecedented circumstances. Does the Council propose taking any action  to address this reprehensible situation. The Leader told the Council that Section 89(3) Local Government Act 1972 provides that no by-election is held where a Councillor passes away within 6 months of his term of office coming to an end - rather the election to fill the casual vacancy arising is to be held at the next ordinary day of election, which would have been 7th May 2020. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Coronavirus Act 2020 came into force on 25th March 2020 and section 60 of the Act provides that all elections that were due to be held on 7th May 2020 are to be postponed until 6th May 2021. The Secretary of State made further regulations regarding Local Government elections on 7th April 2020. These regulations confirm at paragraph 5 that where a Councillor died giving rise to a casual vacancy that would have been held on 7th May 2020, no by election is to be held, and the election to fill the vacancy will be held at the next ordinary election day which is now 6th May 2021. The regulations are mandatory - they state that the election for this vacancy “is to be held” on the next ordinary election day and therefore there is no discretion for this Council to do anything else. If the Council were to hold a by election any earlier, in respect of the vacancy arising from Cllr Alden’s death, it would be acting unlawfully.

 

A member of the public asked the following question: Given CV has delayed many plans will the council confirm that tenants will be consulted on responsive repairs policy. The Council was told that it would be working with the ACF to put a summary of the responsive Repairs Policy on their Website. The Council has previously carried out the following to consult residents. Links to the policy and form were posted regularly via social media and on the Adur Homes web pages. Posters were distributed to inform tenants where they could see the policy in hard copy form and fill in a consultation from if unable to get online (Shoreham Centre, Southwick Library, Shoreham Library and Lancing Library) Posters were also put up in flats communal areas - Sompting, Southwick and Fishergate etc. The Head of Housing shared The draft policy was shared with all members of the Adur Homes Management Board and discussed at a meeting.

 

A Member of the public asked the following question: Tenant engagement has yet again be put on the back burner, understandably so. The ACF, now known as Adur Tenants Forum (ATF) would like a guarantee that we will not lose momentum with engagement and there will be a push to restart talks as soon as possible. The Executive Member for Customer Services stated that the Council had been in the process of writing a new Tenant Engagement Strategy to replace the Tenant Participation Strategy 2008 and the Working Together Tenants’ Compact 2009.  The aim of the new strategy was to build on the achievements already made in tenant participation. This would include reviewing the Tenant Participation Strategy 2008 and the Working Together Tenants’ Compact 2009. The new strategy would set out how Adur District Council will engage with all residents in its housing stock and create opportunities for tenants to be involved in working with Adur Homes to shape and develop its services. The new strategy, which tenants would be consulted on, would include an action plan on how the objectives in the strategy will be delivered. The delivery of the new strategy is being facilitated by Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS), who were successful following a tender process in September 2019, which both the Adur Consultative Forum (ACF) and Sheltered Housing Action Review Panel (SHARP) were on the panel.A task and finish group, involving tenants (8) and staff (3) met with the facilitator from TPAS a number of times last year and early this year to review the current tenant engagement process following which a working document was produced. The task and finish group  has not been able to meet due to the restrictions as some of them fall within the shield group. Arrangements were now being made to restart the group through using Video Conferencing to ensure members of the group are able to confirm with social distancing rules. The TPAS facilitator has confirmed that they can work with the group through this medium. Members of the group had been contacted to find out their IT needs (that is whether they have access to a computer, broadband and any training requirement to use these facilities). It was intended to restart this group within the next few weeks, when all IT requirements would have been resolved.

 

A Member asked How is Adur District Council soliciting local opinion to inform West Sussex County Council on priorities for cycle paths and other measures as per government policy, in addition to the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, given that this represents an additional, one off opportunity? The Leader of the Council told the meeting that the council were working with WSCC colleagues to expedite cycling and walking infrastructure across Adur. This was welcome news as there had been an increase in uptake during the lockdown period. The Council had provided three high level suggestions to West Sussex County Council that had been drawn from the Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) development process. This was an evidence based approach which included a full public consultation from December 2019 - January 2020. The consultation drew over 300 representations, with a higher number coming from Adur. Further information would be forthcoming at the next Joint Strategic Committee.

A Member of the public asked the following question: When will work start on the construction of temporary cycle lanes, in line with central government policy, given that public endorsement for specific routes has already been secured through the LCWIP process? The meeting was told that the Council was working closely with West Sussex County Council to see the project commence, however, it was stressed that West Sussex County Council were responsible for delivering the construction.