The Chair was authorised to sign the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 18 December 2023 as a correct record of the proceedings. 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors F.H. Chowdhury, A.K. Jeeawon, Mrs E.M. Kirby-Green and S.M. Prochak (MBE).

To receive any disclosures by Members of disclosable pecuniary interests / other registerable interests / non-registerable interests in matters on the agenda and the nature of any interest and details of any dispensations obtained.  Members are reminded of the need to repeat their declaration immediately prior to the commencement of the item in question.

Declarations of interest were made by Councillors in the Minutes as indicated below:

Barnes, J       Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as Chair of Etchingham Parish Council.

Burton                        Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as a Member of Battle Town Council and a Member of its Finance and General Purposes Committee. 

Byrne                         Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as an elected Member of Bexhill Town Council.

Clark                          Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as an elected Member of East Sussex County Council.

Coupar          Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as a Member of Sedlescombe and Westfield Parish Councils.

Creaser          Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as a Member of Rye Town Council.            

Drayson         Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as an elected Member of Bexhill Town Council and a Member of its Finance and General Purposes Committee.

Field                           Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as an elected Member of East Sussex County Council.

Maynard        Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as an elected Member of East Sussex County Council.

Timpe                         Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as an elected Member of Bexhill Town Council and a Member of its Finance Committee.

Winter                        Agenda Items 7 and 8 – Other Registerable Interest as an elected Member of Bexhill Town Council and a Member of its Finance and General Purposes Committee.

The Chair made the following announcements:

-     There had not been as many invitations to attend events and functions in January and February compared to November and December 2023.

-     As Chairman she tried to attend every meeting and since January she had sat in on several informal briefings and attended planning committee meetings.

-     In January, the Chair and Vice-Chair hosted a reception for all officers to  say thank you for their hard work. This included members of Customer Services, Democratic Services, IT, Housing and Homelessness, and Planning as well as members of the Senior Leadership Team. The Chair was introduced to the Council’s new Chief Financial Officer, Andrew Vallance, and looked forward to working with him.

-     Talking to the Housing and Homelessness Team resulted in an invitation to visit and sit in their office to listen to calls and begin to understand the width and breadth and complexity of cases they deal with on a daily basis.

-     On Wednesday 7 February, the Chair spent several hours at the Town Hall with the Customer Service Team, both in the reception and in the call centre.  The Chair was struck by the compassion of the staff in dealing with a wide variety of calls.  Juggling two screens with many tabs open they were able to answer most enquiries without having to forward the resident to a new department, thus honouring the “Tell it Once” strategy discussed at the Anti-Poverty strategy meeting that the Alliance worked on in the last administration. 

-     The Chair congratulated everyone she met for the great job they do that really made a difference to residents.   The Chair would be returning to the Housing and Homelessness department and in addition spending time in the planning department.  The Chair commended all Councillors whether they had been in office for 10 months or 10 years or longer to follow her lead, as the staff really appreciated it.

-     On 3 February, the Chair and Vice-Chair attended a concert at St Barnabas church to hear the Premiere of Iseult, written by local musical director Kenneth Roberts. It told the story of forbidden love between Princess Iseult of Ireland and Tristan of Lothian.

-     On Friday 15 February, the Chair enjoyed a morning at Little Gate Farm, shown around by their Chief Executive Officer, Andrea Randall Smith, where the Chair learnt about the ethos behind the project.  It helped that the day was sunny and warm, but everyone was happy in what they were doing, and the Chair commended the staff there for their incredible passion for those in need of their support.

-     On Saturday 17 February, the Chair was invited to open the Strandliners event held in Rye and thanked their members for continuing to clear stretches of our river. There were many community and voluntary groups all working together to benefit the ecology of our district; many expressed their gratitude for this Council’s grant support.

-     The Chair advised of the sad and  ...  view the full minutes text for item C23/69.

1.     Pursuant to Paragraph 11 of the Council Procedure Rules the following question was put by Mr Bernard Brown and answered by Councillor Oliver.

Question: All external work was reported to have been stopped on the Town Hall Development Project by December 2022. Since that date a further £130,000 is reported to have been spent.  What has this money been spent on?  Who authorised the expenditure?  Where and when was this extra expenditure approved by elected Members?  Where in any Council minutes can the decision to authorise such an increase be found? 

Answer: This scheme is currently being reviewed alongside a more fundamental review of the larger projects within the capital programme, and an options paper will be coming forward to Cabinet for consideration this year.

This review has required further expenditure to enable officers to progress different options for consideration by Members with additional costs incurred in relation to consultancy and architects’ fees, which will have been authorised by various officers.

The budget provision of £856,000 was recommended for approval by Cabinet in July 2023 as part of the 2022/23 outturn report, the minutes for which can be found here.

Supplementary Oral Question: I thank the Leader for his reply.  In December 2022 he told this Chamber no further work on the Town Hall Project was taking place.  Had this been true with no actual outcome, the expenditure to date would have had to have been written off against revenue and only creative accounting would prevent that.  The last paragraph of today's answer says the budget provision of £856,000 was recommended for approval by Cabinet in July 2023.  The only reference to this can be found on page 13 of the report to Cabinet in the midst of Appendix B. Nowhere else has the project been mentioned by name since 2022.  Appendix B shows a total actual spend of £856,000 with a prior year spend of £303,000 and an actual spend by March 2023 of £553,000.  All three months before the recommendation to Cabinet.  No budget has ever been recommended for this amount.  You cannot create a budget after the money has been spent, at least not in the real world.  Members have never authorised this expenditure. Would it not be appropriate to at least say sorry to the residents and be in the public interest to hold those responsible for this incredible waste of money and unapproved expenditure to account?

Answer: I do not totally agree with your comments with regard to making an apology or otherwise, but we are in a situation where we reviewed this particular project and it went through the Senior Leadership Team in order that we may move forward and, if so, on their authorisation these additional funds were committed.

1.     Pursuant to Paragraph 12 of the Council Procedure Rules the following question was put by Councillor Ganly and answered by Councillor Oliver.

Question: Agenda Item 8. Page 24 b/ Car park income. This states that the 2023/24 budget currently assumes gross income of £2.5m from all car parking related fees and charges.

On what is this money spent?

Answer: The Council’s total cost of services is around £15m net, however that is made up of £47m gross expenditure offset by £32m gross income, which includes fees and charges. The net figure of £15m remaining is then covered by the Council’s other income such as council tax, business rates, Government grant and reserves to balance the budget.

The gross income figure for car parks for 2024/25 is £2.5m, however the gross expenditure is £600,000 so that gives a net income figure of £1.9m, this balance is then used to support all Council services in the same way that other income is and is not ring fenced for any particular purpose or area any more than council tax or business rates are.

Supplementary Oral Question: In that case surely you are breaking the law because, as I understand it, the law requires that money should be spent on car parks and associated areas and not on other matters.

Answer:  I am not aware of that - I will get clarification on that for you.

5 February 2024

Ø    Draft Revenue Budget 2024/25 (CB23/61) (See Agenda Item 8)

Ø    New Housing Allocations Policy (CB23/62)

Ø    Revenue Budget and Capital Programme Monitoring as at Quarter 3 - 2023/24 (CB23/63)

Ø    Members’ Allowance Scheme 2024-2027 (CB23/64)

1.     It was moved by Councillor Oliver and seconded that the report of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 5 February 2024, as set out in the Agenda, with the exception of Minute CB23/61 which would be considered at Agenda Item 8 be approved and adopted.

2.     The Chair of the Council having called over the reports, no minutes were reserved for discussion. 

3.     On the Motion of the Chair of the Council, duly seconded, the Council approved and adopted the following reports:

CB23/62 -      New Housing Allocations Policy

CB23/63 -      Revenue Budget and Capital Programme Monitoring as at Quarter 3 – 2023/24

CB23/64 -      Members Allowance Scheme 2024-2027 

CB23/61 – DRAFT REVENUE BUDGET 2024/25

It was moved by Councillor Oliver, seconded and agreed that Council Procedure Rules 15.4 (content and length of speeches) and 15.5 (when a Member may speak again) be waived for the duration of this item.

It was moved by Councillor Oliver and seconded by Councillor Bayliss that the formal Council Tax Resolution at Appendix A to the report and Minute CB23/61 from the Cabinet meeting held on 5 February 2024 be approved and adopted.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.5(b) a vote by roll call in respect of recommendation 5) of CB23/61 regarding the Council Tax Reduction Scheme was taken, as follows:

FOR the Motion (22): Bayliss, Burton, Byrne, Coleman, Mrs Cook, Coupar, Creaser, Delany, Drayson, Gray, Hayward, Killeen, Legg, McCourt, McGurk, Mier, Oliver, Pearce, Rathbone Ariel, Stanger, Thomas and Timpe.

AGAINST the Motion (9): J. Barnes, Mrs. Barnes, Biggs, Ganly, Gordon, Grohne, Hacking, Osborne and Winter.

The Motion being put forward was declared CARRIED.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.5(b) a vote by roll call in respect of recommendations 1) to 7), excluding 5) of CB23/61 was taken, as follows:

FOR the Motion (24): Bayliss, Burton, Byrne, Clark, Coleman, Mrs Cook, Coupar, Creaser, Delany, Drayson, Field, Gray, Hayward, Killeen, Legg, McCourt, McGurk, Mier, Oliver, Pearce, Rathbone Ariel, Stanger, Thomas and Timpe.

AGAINST the Motion (10): J. Barnes, Mrs. Barnes, Biggs, Ganly, Gordon, Grohne, Hacking, Maynard, Osborne and Winter.

The Motion being put forward was declared CARRIED.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.5(b) a vote by roll call in respect of recommendations 1) to 3) of the Budget 2024/25 report which included the formal Council Tax Resolution set out Appendix B was taken, as follows:

FOR the Motion (24): Bayliss, Burton, Byrne, Clark, Coleman, Mrs Cook, Coupar, Creaser, Delany, Drayson, Field, Gray, Hayward, Killeen, Legg, McCourt, McGurk, Mier, Oliver, Pearce, Rathbone Ariel, Stanger, Thomas and Timpe.

AGAINST the Motion (10): J. Barnes, Mrs. Barnes, Biggs, Ganly, Gordon, Grohne, Hacking, Maynard, Osborne and Winter.

The Motion being put forward was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED: That CB23/61 from the Cabinet meeting held on 5 February 2024 be approved and adopted; and

1)     the updated General Fund Summary and movement in reserves be approved as submitted (Appendix A);

2)     the formal Council Tax Resolution as set out below be approved; and

3)     the Optimum Level of the General Fund Reserve for 2024/25 to 2027/28 be approved as submitted (Appendix D).

1.   (a)   That Council approves the Rother District Council General Fund Council Tax Requirement of £8,017,457 for 2024/25 and the resultant Band D tax of £204.54 as set out in this report.

(b)     As per the delegation included within the budget report to Cabinet, the special expenses position has now been reviewed and a provision of £786,630 has been made as detailed within Appendix C. The expenses incurred by the Council, in the sum of £711,556 in respect of Bexhill and £75,074 in respect of Rye,  ...  view the full minutes text for item C23/73.

It was moved by Councillor Oliver and seconded that the report detailing an urgent decision taken by Cabinet at its meeting held on 11 December 2023 be received.

RESOLVED: That the report be received.

15 January 2024

Ø    Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy (LG23/12) 

It was moved by Councillor Thomas and seconded that the report of the Licensing and General Purposes Committee held on 15 January 2024, be approved and adopted.

RESOLVED: That Minute LG23/08 be approved and adopted.

Following the appointment of Andrew Vallance as the Council’s new Deputy Chief Executive by the Senior Officer Appointments Panel, it was necessary for full Council to approve Andrew Vallance as the Council’s designated Section 151 Officer (Chief Finance Officer).  It was noted that Andrew Vallance would take up the position on 8 April 2024.

RESOLVED: That Andrew Vallance be designated as the Council’s Section 151 Officer (Chief Finance Officer) with effect from 8 April 2024.

Consideration was given to a Member Representative appointment to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee managed by East Sussex County Council, following the resignation of Councillor McGurk who had been appointed at the Annual Council meeting and was no longer able to commit to the Substantive position.  Councillor Coupar was appointed as the Substantive Member and as the current Substitute Member, a replacement Substitute Member was also appointed.    

RESOLVED: That Councillor Coupar be appointed to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee as the Substantive Member and that Councillor McGurk be appointed as the Substitute Member for the remainder of this current term of office, expiring in May 2027 and that attendance thereat be designated an approved duty.

Consideration was given to the appointment of a Member Representative to Bexhill Festival of Music and to add this body to the list of outside bodies to which formal appointments were made.  

RESOLVED: That:

1)        Bexhill Festival of Music be added to the Council’s list of outside bodies to which formal appointments are made; and

2)        Councillor Timpe be appointed as the Council’s representative up until the end of the current council term (May 2027) and to designate attendance thereat as an approved duty.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13, consideration was given to the Motion moved by Councillor McGurk and seconded by Councillor Gray on the Climate and Ecology Bill.

RESOLVED: That the Motion on being put was declared CARRIED as follows:

That Rother District Council:

1)     supports the Climate and Ecology Bill;

2)     will inform local residents and inform local press/media of this decision;

3)     will write to Sally Ann Hart and Huw Merriman to inform them that this Motion has been passed, and urge them to sign up to support the CE Bill—or thank them for already doing so; and

4)     will write to Zero Hour, the organisers of the cross-party campaign for the CE Bill, expressing Rother District Council’s support (councils@zerohour.uk).

(In accordance with normal practice, this process is intended to determine the names to be put forward at the Annual Council Meeting). 

Nominations were received for the appointment of Councillor Thomas as Chair and Councillor Mier for Vice-Chair respectively of the Council for the Council Year 2024/25.

RESOLVED: That the names of Councillors Thomas and Mier be presented to the Annual Meeting of the Council for appointment respectively as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Council for the Council Year 2024/25.