Agenda, decisions and minutes

Members of Central and South Mid Sussex County Local Committee are Pete Bradbury, Andrew Lea, Joy Dennis, Kirsty Lord, Sujan Wickremaratchi, Stephen Hillier, Anne Jones, member for Burgess Hill East and Andrew Barrett-Miles.

30.1 The Chairman welcomed everyone to the meeting. Members and

Officers introduced themselves.

Members and officers must declare any pecuniary or personal interest in any business on the agenda. They should also make declarations at any stage such an interest becomes apparent during the meeting. Consideration should be given to leaving the meeting if the nature of the interest warrants it. If in doubt contact Democratic Services before the meeting.

31.1   Mr Bradbury declared the following personal interests:

·         Member of Mid Sussex District Council

·         Trustee of Sussex Learning Trust

·         Chairman of the charity Building Heroes

31.2   Mr Barrett-Miles declared the following personal interests:

·         Member of Mid Sussex District Council

·         Grandchildren attend Downlands School, in relation to the Community Initiative Fund agenda item.

31.3   Mrs Jones declared the following personal interests:

·         Member of Mid Sussex District Council

·         Member of Burgess Hill Town Council

·         Has worked on Music Memory projects in Burgess Hill, in relation to the Community Initiative Fund agenda item.

31.4   Ms Lord declared a personal interest as her child is due to attend Downlands School, in relation to the Community Initiative Fund agenda item.

31.5   Mr Hillier declared a personal interest as a member of Haywards Heath Town Council.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 30 October 2018 (cream paper).

32.1   The Committee agreed an amendment to minute 24.1, final bullet; to remove the capitalisation from ‘Birch Trees’.

32.2   Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 30 October 2018, amended as above, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Report by the Director of Law and Assurance.

The report summarises the Community Initiative Funding applications received via The West Sussex Crowd.  The Committee is invited to consider the applications and pledge funding if appropriate.

The Community Initiative Fund is a County Local Committee (CLC) administered fund that provides assistance to local community projects. Bids should show evidence of projects that have the support of the community and make a positive impact on people’s wellbeing and support The West Sussex Plan.

At its meeting on 12 March 2019 the Central and South Mid Sussex County Local Committee considered the Community Initiative Funding applications received via the West Sussex Crowd as set out in Appendix A.

The following pledges were approved:-

278/CSMS – Parish of Clayton with Keymer, Hassocks community garden at St Francis, up to £3,000 – Towards laying a wet pour playground surface.

294/CSMS – Cuckfield Music Festival, up to £3,000 - Towards venue hire plus programme design and printing.

307/CSMS – Downlands School Association, Hassocks Outdoor Performance Space, up to £1,000 - Towards constructing an open-air theatre within the school grounds.

315/CSMS – Ansty and Staplefield Parish Council, Mobile Speed Indicator Device (SID), up to £1,750 - Towards purchasing a SID and replacement battery.

318/CSMS – Sussex Oakleaf, The Big Mental Health Pop Up, up to £1,400 - Towards marketing and workshop costs.

338/CSMS – Maple Drive Community Group, Maple Drive Summer Fayre, up to £2,500 - Towards equipment, security and PA broadcasting costs.

339/CSMS – Sheddingdean Baptist Church, Music for Memories, up to £3,000 - Towards purchasing equipment and personalised music for individuals experiencing memory loss.

The call-in deadline is 20 March 2019.

34.1   The Committee considered a report by the Director of Law and Assurance (copy appended to the signed minutes).

34.2   Resolved -

That the following awards be made:

278/CSMS – Parish of Clayton with Keymer, Hassocks community garden at St Francis, up to £3,000 – Towards laying a wet pour playground surface.

294/CSMS – Cuckfield Music Festival, up to £3,000 - Towards venue hire plus programme design and printing.

307/CSMS – Downlands School Association, Hassocks Outdoor Performance Space, up to £1,000 - Towards constructing an open-air theatre within the school grounds.

315/CSMS – Ansty and Staplefield Parish Council, Mobile Speed Indicator Device (SID), £1,750 - Towards purchasing a SID and replacement battery.

318/CSMS – Sussex Oakleaf, The Big Mental Health Pop Up, up to £1,400 - Towards marketing and workshop costs.

338/CSMS – Maple Drive Community Group, Maple Drive Summer Fayre, up to £2,500 - Towards equipment, security and PA broadcasting costs.

339/CSMS – Sheddingdean Baptist Church, Music for Memories, up to £3,000 - Towards purchasing equipment and personalised music for individuals experiencing memory loss.

To invite questions from the public present at the meeting on subjects other than those on the agenda. 

The Committee would encourage members of the public with more complex issues to submit their question before the meeting to allow a substantive answer to be given.

This item will be 20 minutes in total and residents will be asked to limit questions to 2 minutes.

Questions should be submitted to monique.smart@westsussex.gov.uk

34.1 The Chairman introduced the item and advised that the open forum was an opportunity for comments and questions to be raised on items not already on the agenda, and over which the County Council has a reasonable interest. The following issues were raised and responses made.

·       A resident had submitted a question in advance regarding the 6th form college provision in Haywards Heath to which the resident had received a response.  - Mr Burrett, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills reiterated the main elements of the response which was that Chichester College was recommended as the preferred partner and was awaiting a decision from Treasury.

·       A resident had submitted a question in advance in relation to proposed cuts to County Council services which supported vulnerable people.  - Mr Bradbury confirmed that joint working was continuing with District and Boroughs.  The County Council had to make savings which would impact a large portion of the budget.  Assurance was given that mitigation steps were being investigated to reduce impact where possible.

·       A resident had submitted a question in advance concerning a previously submitted petition regarding parking concerns in Burgess Hill.  - Richard Speller apologised for the delay in response and the mislaying of the petition.  An explanation was given on the aims of the Road Space Audit (RSA) and how Norman Road should be aligned with this strategy.  Results from the RSA should be available in the Summer.  Mr Barrett-Miles agreed to work with Richard Speller on this issue.

·       Query from a resident asking if the County Council had applied to the Department for Transport to bid for available funds to make Wivelsfield Railway Station more accessible.  - Adam Chisnall took the resident’s details and resolved to investigate.

·       Requested an update on the issue with McDonald’s drive through in Burgess Hill.  - Mr Bradbury agreed to move this discussion to the Progress Statement item.

·       Concerns raised over the location of Iceland and the lack of pavement or pedestrian crossing from the car park.  - Mr Barrett-Miles proposed this could be look at as part of the current project where West Sussex was working with District and Borough Councils to improve Highways and Sideways.

·       Asked what was happening with the temporary Library in Burgess Hill.  - Mrs Jones reported that the library was likely to remain in the same location.  For the site to remain permanent, works were required to make it appropriate e.g. increased lift size.

The document contains brief updates on statements of progress made on issues raised at previous meetings.  The Committee is asked to note the report.

35.1   The Committee considered the progress statement on matters arising from previous meetings (copy appended to the signed minutes).

35.2   Mr Burrett updated the Committee on the progress with Woodlands Meed.  £20m had been allocated from the Capital Programme with £0.5m allocated towards design works.

35.3   Leigh Hunnikin, Project Manager within the Capital Projects and Planning team, confirmed that expressions of interest were being investigated with six architects; three of these would be invited to present their designs.  An architect would be appointed by the end of April.  Plans were still on track to open in September 2021. 

35.4   Mr Bradbury reported that Marion Wilcock, Chairman of Woodlands Meed Governing Body, had written to say the project was progressing satisfactorily.

35.5   Mr Burrett reported that the next stage of work was behind the scenes; but gave assurance that while no visible works were happening, work would be progressing. 

35.6   The Committee welcomed the update and progress, and resolved to keep Woodlands Meed on the Progress Statement until the school was complete.  Mr Burrett also welcomed people emailing him or the governing body if they had concerns with the site.

35.7   The Chairman invited questions from the public on the Progress Statement.

·       A member of the public queried if the County Council was pursuing a Sports for England grant for the Woodlands Meed sports hall.  - Mr Burrett explained that this would be for the Governing Body to do without the County Council.  The County Council would provide an adequate sports hall for the school as part of the design work; however it would not look to create a sports hall with a Centre of Excellence rating.

·       A Member of the public queried if the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) strategy for post 16 provision would align with the plans for Haywards Heath.  – Mr Burrett confirmed that the current SEND strategy ran from 2016 to 2019 and that the consultation had just been launched for the 2019 – 2023 strategy.  Officers were aware of the Haywards Heath provision and the need to link it with the strategy.

35.8   Richard Speller updated the members on the highway elements of the Progress Statement.

35.9   It was reported that conversations were taking place with McDonalds over the issues with the drive through in Burgess Hill.  The manager of McDonalds had explained that burgers had to be sold within 10 minutes of being made and so the issue with the drive through was linked to the correct management of customer levels with staff.  Highways officers were reluctant to spend resources without a clear outcome.  Current lining could be refreshed as part of routine maintenance arrangements. 

35.10 A member of the public commented that customers drive in the ‘out’ lane and that improving the access on site would with this.  - Richard Speller resolved to raise this with McDonalds.

35.11 Richard Speller reported that there was a delay in the publishing of the Annual Delivery Programme which would provide updates on projects. Richard Speller  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35.

Report by Director of Education and Skills.

The Committee are asked to approve the nominations of Authority School Governors as set out in the report.

The function of the nomination of school governors to maintained schools and academies is delegated to County Local Committees (CLCs) as it enables county councillors to maintain a valuable link with the schools and helps promote to the wider public the important role of school governors.

Under the Education Act 2011 local authority governors are nominated by the local authority but appointed by the governing body. The CLC can nominate any eligible person as a local authority governor, but it is for the governing body to decide whether their nominee has the skills to contribute to the effective governance and success of the school and meets any other eligibility criteria they have set.

At its meeting on 12 March 2019 the Central and South Mid Sussex County Local Committee approved the following nominations under the 2012 Regulations:

Nominations for appointment:

Mr Nick Johnston to Sheddingdean Community Primary School for a four year term

Mr Derek Hayes to The Gattons Infant School, Burgess Hill for a four year term

The call-in deadline is 20 March 2019.

37.1   The Committee considered a report by the Director of Education and Skills (copy appended to the signed minutes).

37.2   Resolved – that the following nominations for appointment under the 2012 Regulations be approved:

·         Mr Nick Johnston to Sheddingdean Community Primary School for a four year term

·         Mr Derek Hayes to The Gattons Infant School, Burgess Hill for a four year term

The Committee is asked to note that the Director of Law and Assurance, in consultation with the Chairman of the Central and South Mid Sussex County Local Committee and the Chairman of the Performance and Finance Select Committee, has used his delegated powers under Standing Order 3.45 to approve the following CIF Application:

264/CSMS – Parochial Church Council of Bolney, Helping Hand,

Up to £2,500.00 – Towards installation of handrails above stone steps

on churchyard’s well-used public footpath.

Background Papers

Letters and report for Urgent Action CSMS10(18/19)

37.1   The Committee noted the urgent action decision that the Director of Law and Assurance had taken in consultation with the Chairman of the Central and South Mid Sussex County Local Committee and the Chairman of the Performance and Finance Select Committee.

The next meeting of the Committee will take place at 7.00 pm on Wednesday 12 June 2019 at a venue to be confirmed.

Members wishing to place an item on the agenda should notify Monique Smart via email: monique.smart@westsussex.gov.uk or phone on 033 022 22540.

38.1   The Committee noted that the next meeting would take place on Wednesday 12 June 2019 at a venue to be confirmed.