Agenda item

Members question time will last up to 30 minutes, questions will be taken in order of receipt, in rotation from each political group on the Council. The deadline for submission of questions is 12 noon on 19 February 2024. Questions to be submitted to democratic.services@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Questions received can be asked of the following:

a)    The Chairman

b)    A Member of the Executive

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 Gabe Crisp asked the following question

What more can be done to compel Southern Water to come to committee to face questioning by Adur and Worthing Members?

The JOSC Chair replied that a press release had been published. The JOSC Chairs had written to the Chief Executive of Southern Water, asking him to reconsider. A response had been received, advising that Southern Water would not be able to attend a meeting of JOSC. They advised that there were 46 Unitary, Borough and District Councils within their area and it was not logistically possible to attend them all.

The JOSC Chairs have arranged a meeting with the Chief Executive of Adur & Worthing Councils to discuss what we can do collaboratively. The outcome of this meeting will be reported to JOSC on the 7th March where future actions will be considered.   

Cllr Joss Loader asked the following question

The UK is now officially in recession and it's tough for businesses.  Rent reviews have been mentioned to me by concerned business owners.  Please confirm what is proposed for council-owned property. 

How are you reconciling the need to increase commercial rents, to increase revenue, with the need to support local businesses and safeguard the future of our high streets and shopping areas?

The Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources advised that he would gather the appropriate facts and figures and provide a written response to the question. 

Rotation Two

Cllr Gabe Crisp asked the following question 

We all value the trees we have in Adur District. We are one of the least wooded areas of the country. Only 5.5% tree cover compared to a national average of 13%.

There are local organisations working very hard to increase our number of trees and to look after and water the newly planted saplings during their first 3 years until they become established. For example More Trees Please and Tree Action. However, individuals are having to carry a minimum of 20 litres of water per week per tree because there is no local supply at Adur Rec. Lack of access to water is also the case at some of our other spaces like Buckingham Park. 

In the short term can the Tree groups access water at the public toilet blocks on e.g Adur Rec by the installation of an outside tap? 

Or can they be enabled to access the water source used by the travelling fairs and circuses, if necessary paying for the water used?

In the longer term can we ensure that ALL council owned buildings in Adur have rainwater harvesting for community benefit (and flood alleviation)?

The Cabinet Member for Environment & Leisure replied that most Councillors would be aware of the groups of volunteers and the great work they do. Yes, watering was the issue, not the planting of the tree and it can take up to 4 years for trees to be fully established.  

The Cabinet Member advised that the Council was looking to provide some IPC boxes for the purpose along with watering cans. It was also noted that the Cabinet Member had been to a meeting with the Director for Place and the Tree Council, who had expressed keenness to become more involved.

The Council was working with third parties including Southern Water to fund, design and build rainwater harvesting and storage on some of the buildings in our parks which would help facilitate access to water for volunteer groups who water our trees and help support a sustainable tree planting model for the future.    

Rotation three

Cllr Gabe Crisp asked the following question

West Sussex has recently published its report on the A259 cycle lane consultation conducted a year ago. In that 67% of respondents were strongly in favour or in favour of the scheme. Apart from ADC encouraging investment in this vital active travel infrastructure, which has now been pushed back to 2026-27, what else can we do?

ADC has a budget of about £200k to enhance provision to encourage active travel and public transport and to promote alternatives to the car. Please can the cabinet member ensure that this money is spent on visible schemes, signage, education and publicity rather than on endless consultations (as seems to be the way with so much of WSCC transport budget)?

Would the member consider allocating some of this money to roadside signage to inform drivers (stuck on the semi permanent roadworks on the A259) how quickly they could walk or cycle from points A-B?

"Stuck in Traffic? You could walk to X in 10 minutes from here or cycle in 4 mins."

[a bit like the queue times at a theme park or the signs about train journeys on the A27 between Lewes and Eastbourne]

The Cabinet Member replied that road signage wasn’t really a matter for the District Council, but gave an undertaking to press West Sussex County Council on this issue.  

Part of the UK Shared Prosperity Funding had been allocated to sustainable transport improvements. The outcomes must evidence improvements to active travel, including cycling. 

This year, as part of the Council’s allocation, we have agreed to fund new cycle parking and community tool stations, all of which are due to be installed from Spring this year. This is a good indication of investing in projects and infrastructure that can support our residents now, rather than in the long term. 

By March 2025, a further £220,000 will be spent on similar active travel projects. Next year's allocation has a draft budget and is due to be discussed by Members next month, however the funding will need to be capital in order to fulfil the overall UKSPF targets. It is expected that the funding will be spent on tangible interventions, which could include increased signage. The Council continues to receive feedback from local groups, including Shoreham By Cycle, which is helping inform the decisions around this budget for 24/25 implementation, which is the final year of the UKSPF programme.