Decisions

The supply of de-icing salt and the provision of a gritter fleet is critical to ensuring the County Council can meet its statutory duty to maintain the highways and to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe passage along a highway is not endangered by snow or ice. The contracts awarded for these services in 2018 are due to end and new contracts are required for winter 2019/2020.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure has approved:

1)   the commencement of the procurement process for a winter de-icing salt contract and a contract for the provision of a leased gritter fleet. (Both contracts to commence on 14 May 2019 and end on 31 March 2020, with an option to extend by a further twelve months); and

2)   delegation of authority to the Director of Highways and Transport to enter into the contracts, and extend if appropriate, in accordance with the Council’s Standing Orders on Procurement and Contracts.

In July 2013, the Council established a Strategic Transport Investment Programme (STIP) to identify and develop strategic (i.e. larger than local) transport schemes that are needed to support sustainable economic growth in the county. A long list of potential schemes was identified at that time, largely building on technical work to prepare local plans and these schemes were prioritised.

The STIP has been reviewed periodically since 2013 and consideration has been given to adding new priorities for investment and also removing schemes that are no longer considered to be priorities. Consultation has taken place with elected members and other stakeholders who were invited to put forward suggestions to inform the review. As the majority of funding for strategic transport projects will be subject to scheme appraisal in line with Department for Transport guidance, any new potential priorities will be appraised using a similar standardised approach.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Infrastructure has:

(1)     confirmed the schemes identified in Table 1 of the report as priorities for development through the Strategic Transport Investment Programme and notes the need for revenue funding in 2019/20 to complete feasibility studies for the following:

·         Chichester Area Sustainable Transport Package

·         Horsham Area Sustainable Transport Package

·         National Cycle Network Route 2

·         Worthing Area Sustainable Transport Package

(2)     approved the following schemes as new priorities for development through the STIP and notes the need for revenue funding in 2019/20 and 2020/21 to undertake feasibility studies on them:

·            A259 Chichester to Bognor Regis corridor

·            A259 Littlehampton to Bognor Regis corridor

·            A24 Worthing to Surrey corridor

The Community Initiative Fund is a County Local Committee (CLC) administered fund that provides assistance to local community projects.

The Director of Law and Assurance, in consultation with the Chairman of the Joint Western Arun Area 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:

327/JWAAC – Grandad’s Front Room CIC, Community 4 Community, up to £2,053 towards purchasing recycled tools and materials for the community allotment.

The County Council has set out a vision and strategy for Adult Social Care that details the ambition for West Sussex to continue to be a great place to grow older and an inclusive place for all adults with disabilities, mental health issues and their carers. 

To support this goal, within the context of an ageing population and a challenging financial position, adult services needs to change.  Furthermore adult services needs to make progress on the requirement to achieve integrated services with the NHS.

The strategy to deliver the vision is to work at a local level and support individuals to remain outside of services for as long as possible, maximising individual strengths and local assets to support this outcome.  Reviewing customer pathways to support these goals, adopting a different approach to commissioning, changing our in-house provider offer and supporting a resilient workforce will all contribute to the delivery of this strategy. 

Working with partners and stakeholders to co-produce future delivery models and provide jointed up services is also fundamental. 

The Cabinet Member for Adults and Health has approved the Vision and Strategy for Adult Social Care included at appendix 1 of this report.

New terms of reference for the Corporate Parenting Panel are proposed in order to deliver a more outward-focused Panel and to ensure that the voice of the child is central to all its work.  It is recommended that new terms of reference be agreed by the County Council as soon as possible, to ensure the best outcomes are being achieved for children looked after and care leavers in West Sussex at the earliest opportunity.  The key change is the proposal to widen the membership to become a multi-agency advisory panel, with members including a representative of Independent Reviewing Officers, a Foster Carer, Chairman or Vice Chairman of the West Sussex Foster Carer Association, a member of the Children in Care Council and a Care Leaver. These changes will be reviewed in six months and during this time it is proposed that there is consultation with the Children in Care Council to seek its views on how the Panel operates.

The Director of Law and Assurance has therefore used his powers under Standing Order 3.45(d), in consultation with the Chairman of the Governance Committee, to take the decision set out below.

That the new terms of reference and membership of the Corporate Parenting Panel be endorsed for recommendation to the County Council on 5 April 2019.

The report proposes that the County Council adopts a Pollinator Action Plan to support biodiversity, local food production, natural capital including flower-rich habitats and sustainable pollinator populations, as well as increasing the attractiveness of West Sussex as a place for people to live, work and visit.

The plan is a local response to the Government’s National Pollinator Strategy for England; a shared plan of action to meet the needs of pollinators through integrated land and habitat management.

The Plan links in with our existing sustainability strategy, our Breathing Better (air quality) Plan, as well as our management plans for our own estate. It builds on the work we are already doing and helps meet our statutory duty to conserve biodiversity.

The plan is built around 5 central aims:

1. To ensure the needs of pollinators are represented in local plans, policy and guidance where relevant
2. To protect, increase and enhance the amount of pollinator habitat in West Sussex and prevent any extinction and improve the status of any locally threatened species
3. To increase awareness of pollinators and their habitat needs across local residents, businesses and other landowners
4. To increase the contribution to pollinator conservation of land under the ownership of, or managed by the County Council
5. 5. To improve knowledge and understanding of pollinators in the local area.

A number of specific actions are identified under each aim and the County Council will work with its partners, contractors, schools, residents and businesses to deliver this plan.Progress on actions will be reported through the Sustainability Team’s business planning process.

The Cabinet Member for Environment has committed to helping to conserve the UK’s pollinators and has approved the Pollinator Action Plan 2019 - 2022, attached as an appendix to the report.

The Chairman of the County Council referred the Notice of Motion on Public Health (see Report) submitted to the County Council on 15 February 2019, to Mrs Amanda Jupp the Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, for consideration. 

The aim of the motion was to highlight the financial challenges faced by Public Health in West Sussex in carrying out vital work to improve the health of the local population and reduce health inequalities, and calls upon Cabinet to request that central government supports the ‘prevention first’ approach by providing fair and equitable funding for West Sussex.

The Cabinet Member for Adults and Health supports the motion as it was intended as a supportive, cross party motion, calling for wider understanding and support to the council’s public health function. The Cabinet Member for Adults and Health intends to propose an amendment to the motion at the County Council meeting on 5 April 2019.

The Chairman of the County Council referred the notice of motion on Climate Emergency submitted to the County Council on 15 February 2019 to Mrs Deborah Urquhart, the Cabinet Member for Environment, for consideration. 

The aim of the motion was to declare a climate emergency, pledge to attempt to make West Sussex carbon neutral by 2030, call upon the government to provide the necessary powers and resources to achieve the target and to work with other councils and partners to limit global warming.

Whilst the Cabinet Member supports many elements of the motion, she is unable to support its entirety as drafted, so will prepare an amendment in advance of the County Council meeting on 5 April.