Agenda item

To consider a report by the Director for Digital, Sustainability and Communities, copy attached as item 7

Before the Committee was a report by the Director of Communities, a copy of which had been circulated to all members, a copy of which is attached to the signed copy of these minutes

The Leaders were present to answer questions posed by the Committee.

A member asked the following question: What do you view as the biggest threat to the Council's operational effectiveness over the next 12 months? How do you plan to respond? The Leader of Worthing explained that the Council had put in place a number of agile infrastructures to enable the Council to be able to cope with the unexpected pandemic including new digital systems. This had enabled the Council to come through the pandemic relatively well.

A Member asked the following question: What do you identify as any areas of council activity that we could most improve and what would be the strategic plan to address this/these? The committee was told that the Leader would not single out any individual area over another and sought constant improvement across all areas. The Leader was looking forward to improve on areas connected to digital and data capability.

A Member asked the following question: Lancing Parish Council has committed to improve its working relationships with ADC and WSCC.  This commitment already appears to be working well.  Can the Leader give any examples of where this new working relationship has already made a difference and any future plans for the co-working agreement? The Leader told the committee that there had been strong collaborative working and sited examples such as the introduction of the lancing farmers market.

A Member asked the following question: The Adur & Worthing Climate Assembly focussed local efforts to address the climate emergency. What other community consultations are planned over the next 12 months to address issues of concern to the community? The Worthing Leader told the committee that th Council used a number of different ways to consult across different areas and thee was constant development of the way that engagement was carried out and would continue to carry out good consultations. The consultation on the climate change had demonstrated the value of holding assemblies on certain issues.

A Member asked the following question Given the 11,500 people in council tax arrears and the potential risks to business rates due to issues with the viability of town centre shopping (outlined in Para 4.13.2 in Item 10 regarding the council owned retail premises), what concerns do you have that item 10 (Para 3.2) suggests we are relying increasingly heavily on these as our sources of income? The Leader told the committee that the arrears issue was negligible in relation to Council owned premises as the council did not have housing stock. In relation to Council Tax the authority had a good record of collection and very high levels of payment. The Council would continue to work with people to offer support where it could. In relation to rental income the Council did not enter lightly into agreements and that risk had been spread to diversify the portfolio and minimise risk.

A member asked the following question: How will you address the potential contradiction between our financial reliance on car parking revenue and our commitment to addressing the climate emergency? The Leader explained to the committee tthat there was currently a transitional period where many people were still car reliant and the councils needed to cater for all road users. There was colabration with county to procure an EV operator to deliver an extensive EV charging network in all the councils’ car parks which would offer renewably powered, consistent, accessible EV charging across our places. The authorities were also pursuing the vision, stated in the A&W LCWIP, that walking and cycling would be the easiest way to travel. To that end, the council was working with BHCC to bring a bike share scheme into A&W, which planed to offer 322 rental bikes: 50% e-bikes and 50% pedal cycles. The authority would also work with the county to improve cycle infrastructure, maximising use of the government’s active travel fund to build safe new cycle lanes.

A Member asked the following question: Given persistent issues with affordable housing and health inequalities across the town, what strategic work will be done in the next 12 months to address these? The Leader told members that the strategic work could be found within the ‘platforms for our places’ document and the ‘and then’ document. The council would continue to deliver housing support to people who had needs.

Resolved: that the interview of the Leaders be noted.