Agenda and minutes

Venue: County Hall, Chichester PO19 1RQ

Contact: Clare Jones on 033 022 22526  Email:  clare.jones@westsussex.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

89.

Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Additional documents:

Minutes:

89.1     The Chairman reported that he has sent a Loyal Address to Her Majesty the Queen, offering the county’s congratulations on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee.

90.

Attendance and Apologies for Absence

Additional documents:

Minutes:

90.1     The following members attended the meeting virtually and therefore did not take part in or vote on items requiring a decision.

 

Cllr Hall (morning session), Cllr Mitchell, Cllr Pudaloff, Cllr Richardson and Cllr Smith.

 

90.2     Apologies were received from Cllr Bence, Cllr Bennett, Cllr Charles, Cllr Joy, Cllr Pendleton and Cllr Wall.

 

90.3     Apologies for the morning session were received from Cllr Oakley who arrived at 2.50 pm. Apologies for the afternoon session were received from Cllr Hall. Cllr Kenyon arrived for the afternoon session at 3.00 pm. Cllr Hillier gave his apologies and left at 3.30 pm.

 

90.4     Cllr Dunn and Cllr Evans left at 3.30 pm.

91.

Members' Interests pdf icon PDF 55 KB

Members are asked to disclose any pecuniary or personal interests in matters appearing on the agenda.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

91.1     Members declared interests as set out at Appendix 1.

92.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 114 KB

The Council is asked to confirm the minutes of the annual meeting of the County Council held on 1 April 2022.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

92.1     It was agreed that the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the County Council held on 1 April 2022 (pages 7 to 36) be approved as a correct record.

93.

Appointments pdf icon PDF 41 KB

To consider any proposed changes to appointments.  Any proposals will be circulated and changes will take effect from the end of the meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

93.1     The Council approved appointments as set out below.

 

Committee

Change

Children and Young People’s Services Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Payne in place of Cllr Charles

Communities, Highways and Environment Scrutiny Committee substitutes

Cllr Baxter to fill vacancy

Cllr Kerry-Bedell in place of Cllr O’Kelly

Fire and Rescue Service Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Evans and Cllr Patel in place of Cllr Charles and Cllr Richardson

Governance Committee

Cllr Walsh in place of Cllr Lord

Performance and Finance Scrutiny Committee

Cllr Baldwin and Cllr McDonald in place of Cllr Evans and Cllr Payne

Cllr Payne as substitute in place of Cllr McDonald

 

94.

Address by a Cabinet Member

At the discretion of the Chairman, to receive an address by a Cabinet Member on a matter of urgency and/or significant interest to the County Council and which relates to the powers and responsibilities of the County Council or which affects the Council.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

94.1     Members received an address by the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People on the Ofsted inspection of Children’s Service.

 

94.2     In relation to the recently-published Independent Report to the Government on Children’s Services, the Cabinet Member agreed to a request from Cllr Baldwin to keep members briefed on the implications and outcomes.

95.

Report of Urgent Action pdf icon PDF 80 KB

To note urgent action taken under regulation 11 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

95.1     The report of urgent action taken under regulation 11 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 (pages 37 to 40) was noted.

96.

Question Time pdf icon PDF 103 KB

Questions to the Leader and Cabinet Members on matters contained within the Cabinet report, written questions and any other questions relevant to their portfolios. Members may also ask questions of the Leader on anything that is currently relevant to the County Council. The report covers relevant Council business or developments in respect of portfolios arising since the meeting of the Council on 1 April 2022. A supplementary report may be published.

 

(2 hours is allocated for Question Time)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

96.1     Members asked questions of members of the Cabinet on matters relevant to their portfolios and asked questions of chairmen, as set out at Appendix 3. This included questions on those matters contained within the Cabinet report (pages 41 to 46) and a supplementary report (supplement page 1) and written questions and answers pursuant to Standing Order 2.38 (set out at Appendix 2).

97.

Motion on Water Neutrality pdf icon PDF 58 KB

To debate the following motion, submitted by Cllr Burrett, notice of which was given on 9 May 2022.

 

‘This Council notes that in September 2021, Natural England issued a Position Statement with regard to planning applications within the Sussex North Water Supply Zone, which required Local Planning Authorities to only permit planning applications which were able to demonstrate water neutrality in response to concerns about the effect of new developments on the water table in several protected sites in the Arun Valley.

 

The Council also notes the serious delays this has caused for Local Planning Authorities and for developers seeking to build or convert premises within the county, meaning that proposals for thousands of new homes for West Sussex people, and for thousands of square metres of new business premises which would provide employment for West Sussex people, have had to be put on hold indefinitely due to the inability of the relevant Local Planning Authority to grant planning permission in the absence of the evidence to demonstrate that these developments will be able to ensure water neutrality.

 

The Council recognises the significant efforts made by all parties to work together to try to negotiate and agree a resolution to this issue, but expresses serious concern about the length of time that this is taking and the lack of any definitive timescale within which the matter is likely to be resolved. The Council therefore calls upon the Leader to make further representations to the relevant Government departments and other stakeholders involved, urging them to seek a sustainable resolution to the problem as a matter of extreme urgency.

 

The Council also notes that, even when this issue has been resolved, concerns about water stress will remain, and that a sustainable solution to that problem needs to be found in order to mitigate the effects of water stress in the long term. The Council therefore asks the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, urging the Government to introduce legislation to require all new developments to conform to a minimum level of water efficiency in the future.’

Additional documents:

Minutes:

97.1     The following motion was moved by Cllr Burrett and seconded byCllr Baldwin.

 

‘This Council notes that in September 2021, Natural England issued a Position Statement with regard to planning applications within the Sussex North Water Supply Zone, which required Local Planning Authorities to only permit planning applications which were able to demonstrate water neutrality in response to concerns about the effect of new developments on the water table in several protected sites in the Arun Valley.

 

The Council also notes the serious delays this has caused for Local Planning Authorities and for developers seeking to build or convert premises within the county, meaning that proposals for thousands of new homes for West Sussex people, and for thousands of square metres of new business premises which would provide employment for West Sussex people, have had to be put on hold indefinitely due to the inability of the relevant Local Planning Authority to grant planning permission in the absence of the evidence to demonstrate that these developments will be able to ensure water neutrality.

 

The Council recognises the significant efforts made by all parties to work together to try to negotiate and agree a resolution to this issue, but expresses serious concern about the length of time that this is taking and the lack of any definitive timescale within which the matter is likely to be resolved. The Council therefore calls upon the Leader to make further representations to the relevant Government departments and other stakeholders involved, urging them to seek a sustainable resolution to the problem as a matter of extreme urgency.

 

The Council also notes that, even when this issue has been resolved, concerns about water stress will remain, and that a sustainable solution to that problem needs to be found in order to mitigate the effects of water stress in the long term. The Council therefore asks the Leader to write to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, urging the Government to introduce legislation to require all new developments to conform to a minimum level of water efficiency in the future.’

 

97.2     The motion was approved.

98.

Motion on Pension Divestments pdf icon PDF 77 KB

To debate the following motion, submitted by Cllr Baxter, notice of which was given on 15 March 2022.

 

‘The March 2021 full Council called on the West Sussex Pensions Committee to focus on sustainable investment. However, global events during 2021 and instability caused by the 2022 Russian in invasion of Ukraine have highlighted the urgent need for stronger and more specific action. The UK hosted the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), where the UK government sought to show global climate leadership.

 

·         Divesting pension funds from fossil fuels is a clear and meaningful action that can be taken at a local government level.

·         Renewable power is generating higher investment returns than fossil fuels.

·         Members on the Pensions Committee act as trustees of the fund on behalf of its fund scheme members. Trustees must consider the long-term interests of members who will potentially be affected more by climate change.

·         Investments in or linked to coal, oil and gas companies must be replaced with sustainable, renewable fuel investments as part of this council’s carbon reducing and climate strategy.

 

This Council calls on the Pensions Committee, as trustees for the fund, to take the necessary steps to divest all of its investments from fossil fuel companies by a date to be determined by that Committee.’

Additional documents:

Minutes:

98.1     The motion on pension divestments by Cllr Baxter was withdrawn.

99.

Motion on Smokefree Fund pdf icon PDF 78 KB

To debate the following motion, submitted by Cllr Ali, notice of which was given on 15 March 2022.

 

This Council notes that:

 

(1)        Preventable disease continues to have a massive impact on the public's health, the NHS and the economy.

 

(2)        Tobacco is the biggest preventable cause of cancer and death in the United Kingdom.

 

(3)        Decades of comprehensive policy action have meant that adult smoking prevalence in the United Kingdom in 2019 was at a record low at 14.1%, but this masks significant inequality.

 

(4)        Differences in smoking rates make it one of the leading drivers of health inequalities, responsible for half the difference in life expectancy between the lowest and highest income groups in England.

 

(5)        That through their public health duties, local authorities are responsible for improving the health of their populations and do this through initiatives such as stop smoking services and wider tobacco control activities.

 

This Council believes that local government must be adequately resourced to fulfil their public health duties.

 

This Council asks the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing to support Cancer Research UK’s calls for a Smokefree Fund (a fixed annual charge on the tobacco industry, making them pay for the damage their products cause without having any influence on how the funds are spent) to fund local tobacco control work, and urges the United Kingdom government to consider implementing a Smokefree Fund as part of its efforts to tackle health disparities.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

99.1     The following motion was moved by Cllr Ali and seconded by Cllr Cooper.

 

‘This Council notes that:

 

(1)         Preventable disease continues to have a massive impact on the public's health, the NHS and the economy.

 

(2)         Tobacco is the biggest preventable cause of cancer and death in the United Kingdom.

 

(3)         Decades of comprehensive policy action have meant that adult smoking prevalence in the United Kingdom in 2019 was at a record low at 14.1%, but this masks significant inequality.

 

(4)         Differences in smoking rates make it one of the leading drivers of health inequalities, responsible for half the difference in life expectancy between the lowest and highest income groups in England.

 

(5)         That through their public health duties, local authorities are responsible for improving the health of their populations and do this through initiatives such as stop smoking services and wider tobacco control activities.

 

This Council believes that local government must be adequately resourced to fulfil their public health duties.

 

This Council asks the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing to support Cancer Research UK’s calls for a Smokefree Fund (a fixed annual charge on the tobacco industry, making them pay for the damage their products cause without having any influence on how the funds are spent) to fund local tobacco control work, and urges the United Kingdom government to consider implementing a Smokefree Fund as part of its efforts to tackle health disparities.’

 

99.2     An amendment was moved by Cllr Walsh and seconded by Cllr O’Kelly.

 

This Council notes that:

 

(1)         Preventable disease continues to have a massive impact on the public's health, the NHS and the economy.

 

(2)         Tobacco is the biggest preventable cause of cancer and death in the United Kingdom.

 

(3)         Decades of comprehensive policy action have meant that adult smoking prevalence in the United Kingdom in 2019 was at a record low at 14.1%, but this masks significant inequality.

 

(4)         Differences in smoking rates make it one of the leading drivers of health inequalities, responsible for half the difference in life expectancy between the lowest and highest income groups in England.

 

(5)         That through their public health duties, local authorities are responsible for improving the health of their populations and do this through initiatives such as stop smoking services and wider tobacco control activities.

 

This Council believes that local government must be adequately resourced to fulfil their public health duties and deprecates the reduction in public health funding to local government over the last few years.

 

This Council asks the Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing to support Cancer Research UK's calls for a Smokefree Fund (a fixed annual charge on the tobacco industry, making them pay for the damage their products cause without having any influence on how the funds are spent) to fund local tobacco control work, and urges the United Kingdom government to consider implementing a Smokefree Fund as part of its efforts to tackle health disparities.

 

99.3     The amendment was put to a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 99.