Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber & Blue Room, Arun Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, BN17 5LF. View directions

Contact: Jane Fulton 

Items
No. Item

318.

Welcome

Minutes:

            The Chair welcomed Councillors, members of the public, press and officers to the meeting and in doing so reminded everyone that this meeting had been convened following the adjourned meeting of 14 September 2022.

 

319.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

320.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

            Councillor Dixon declared a Personal Interest in Agenda Item 11 [Policy & Finance Committee – 6 September 2022 – Minute 236 [Strategic Options for the Regeneration of the Regis Centre and Heads of Terms for Hotel and Regis Centre] as he owned fourteen Whitbread shares.

 

            The following Councillors also declared a Personal Interest in this item:

 

·         Councillors Goodheart and Needs as Members of Bognor Regis Town Council

 

            Councillor Northeast declared a Personal Interest in Agenda Item 12 [Motions] as his wife was an employee of the council.

 

             The Declaration of Interest Sheet set out below confirms those Members who had made a declaration of their personal interest as a Member of a Town or Parish Councillor or a West Sussex County Councillor, as confirmed in their Register of Interest as these declarations could apply to any of the issues to be discussed at the meeting. 

 

            Name

Town or Parish Council or West Sussex County Council [WSCC]

Councillor Tracy Baker

Littlehampton

Councillor Kenton Batley

Bognor Regis

Councillor Jamie Bennett

Rustington

Councillor Paul Bicknell

Angmering

Councillor Billy Blanchard-Cooper

Littlehampton

Councillor Jim Brooks

Bognor Regis

Councillor Ian Buckland

Littlehampton and WSCC

Councillor David Chace

Littlehampton

Councillor Mike Clayden

Rustington

Councillor Andy Cooper

Rustington

Councillor Alison Cooper

Rustington and WSCC

Councillor Sandra Daniells

Bognor Regis

Councillor Roger Elkins

Ferring and WSCC

Councillor Paul English

Felpham

Councillor Steve Goodheart

Bognor Regis

Councillor Pauline Gregory

Rustington

Councillor June Hamilton

Pagham

Councillor Shirley Haywood

Middleton-on-Sea

Councillor David Huntley

Pagham

Councillor Henry Jones

Bognor Regis

Councillor Martin Lury

Bersted

Councillor Claire Needs

Bognor Regis

Councillor Mike Northeast

Littlehampton

Councillor Francis Oppler

WSCC

Councillor Jacky Pendleton

Middleton-on-Sea and WSCC

Councillor Vicky Rhodes

Littlehampton

Councillor Emily Seex

Littlehampton

Councillor Martin Smith

Aldwick

Councillor Samantha Staniforth

Bognor Regis

Councillor Matt Stanley

Bognor Regis

Councillor Will Tilbrook

Littlehampton

Councillor Isabel Thurston

Barnham & Eastergate

Councillor James Walsh

Littlehampton and WSCC

Councillor Jeanette Warr

Bognor Regis

Councillor Amanda Worne

Yapton

Councillor Gillian Yeates

Bersted

 

 

321.

Public Question Time

Minutes:

The Chair confirmed that nine public questions had been submitted for the meeting adjourned on 14 September 2022.  The questions have been very briefly summarised below:

 

(1)  From Mr Chester to the Chair of the Policy & Finance Committee, Councillor Gunner regarding increased costs to the council’s budget for energy bills and staffing costs as a result of any pay offer.  The Chair confirmed that since 14 September 2022, this question had been withdrawn by the questioner.

(2)  From Mr Slater to the Chair of the Economy Committee, Councillor Cooper, regarding the Economy Committee’s decision to demolish 9 garages in Arundel and to approve their replacement with a 4 bedroom holiday let.

(3)  From Mr Meadmore to the Chair of the Planning Committee, Councillor Chapman regarding wastewater and sewage pollution incidents and how the Council should respond to this

(4)  From Mr Cosgrove to the Chair of the Environment Committee, Councillor Edwards regarding the Place St Maur project in Bognor Regis

(5)  From Mr Cosgrove to the Chair of the Policy & Finance Committee, Councillor Gunner regarding the Levelling-Up project for the Regis Centre, Bognor Regis

(6)  From Mr Cosgrove to the Chair of the Policy & Finance Committee, Councillor Gunner, regarding Levelling-Up project for the Regis Centre, Bognor Regis

(7)  From Mrs Smith to the Chair of the Planning Committee, Councillor Chapman, regarding planning application AL/121/16/PL and enforcement matters

(8)  From Mrs Smith to the Chair of the Planning Committee, Councillor Chapman, regarding enforcement and compliance issues relating to planning application AL/121/16/PL; and

(9)  From Mrs Smith to the Chair of the Planning Committee, Councillor Chapman, regarding enforcement investigations relating to AL/121/16/PL, although this question was not presented by the questioner and a statement made instead.

 

Having extended the time in place for Public Question Time to allow all questions to be presented to the meeting, the Chair confirmed that she would not permit any further extension to allow supplementary questions to be asked and so drew Public Question to a Close.

 

(A schedule of the full questions asked, and the responses provided can be found on the Public Question Web page at: https://www.arun.gov.uk/public-question-time)

 

322.

Questions from Members with Pecuniary/Prejudicial Interests

Minutes:

            No questions were asked.

323.

Petitions

Minutes:

            There were no petitions presented to this meeting.

324.

Minutes

Minutes:

The Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 13 July 2022 were approved by the Council as a correct record and would be signed by the Chair at the end of the meeting. 

 

325.

Chair's Announcements

Minutes:

The Chair provided some detail surrounding some of the recent engagements that she had attended and confirmed that full details of the events attended would be uploaded to her Facebook page and circulated to Members.

Having been asked about what charity she would be supporting during her year in office, she explained that although she had not confirmed one particular charity at this time, any monies raised from events would be directed towards a charity supporting teenage mental health issues.

 

326.

Urgent Matters [Non-Attednance by a Councillor for Six Months], [Clapham Parish Council - Temporary Appointments] and Review of Entitlement of Political Groups to Seats on Committees - Proportionality and Appointments to Committees]

Minutes:

            The Chair confirmed that there were three urgent items for this meeting to consider.

            The first related to the non-attendance by a Councillor for six months. The Chair invited the Group Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer to present his report which had been circulated to Councillors on 14 September 2022 and uploaded to the Full Council web pages that day.

            The Group Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer explained the urgent nature of this item, which was that on 3 September 2022 the six month period in respect of a Councillor performing their statutory duty to attend meetings had expired and that this was in respect of former Councillor Faye Catterson. It was important for the council to receive a report on this matter urgently as it was the council’s statutory duty to now declare this seat vacant forthwith and in line with Section 86 of The Local Government Act 1972, any delay in declaring this seat as vacant would not fulfil that duty and would prevent the electorate from deciding if they wished to call a by-election for the Arundel and Walberton ward. It was confirmed that the council had not yet entered the six-month period deadline before its own elections on 4 May 2023 which would prevent a by-election being called.

 

            Councillor Thurston then proposed the recommendation outlined in the report which was seconded by Councillor Gregory.

            The Chair then invited debate. A question was asked surrounding the recent Barnham By-Election held on 8 September 2022 and whether it could be confirmed how much this had cost the council. The Group Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer confirmed that he did not have this figure with him and could not respond at this precise time.

            Councillor Thurston as Leader of the Green Group wished to have placed on record confirmation that former Councillor Catterson’s absence and been down to ill health and no other reason. Although she had not been able to physically attend meetings, she had continued to perform her duties as best she could from home. Councillor Thurston thanked Councillor Catterson for her work and support as a Councillor.

 

            The Council

 

                        RESOLVED

 

That the Arundel and Walberton ward seat formerly occupied by Councillor Faye Catterson is declared vacant.

 

 

 

            The Chair then turned to the second urgent item relating to Clapham Parish Council and temporary appointments and invited the Group Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer to present his report.  This report had been circulated to Members on 28 September 2022 and uploaded to the Council’s web pages that same day.

 

            It was confirmed that the Clerk to Clapham Parish Council had been in contact with the council as its current situation meant that it no longer had a full membership of five Councillors. Following a number of Parish resignations, the Council now found itself in the position that it was no longer quorate and therefore could not proceed with co-option nor could it carry out any other business. Under Section 91  ...  view the full minutes text for item 326.

327.

Report from The Returning Officer of the Person Elected as District Councillor for Arun District Council on 8 September 2022

Minutes:

            The Council received and noted a report from the Chief Executive, circulated separately to the agenda as part of Supplement Pack 1, declaring that Councillor Sue Wallsgrove had been elected as a Member of Arun District Council’s Barnham Ward following the By-Election held on 8 September 2022.

 

 

328.

Audit & Governance Committee - 28 July 2022

Minutes:

            The Chair of the Audit & Governance Committee, Councillor Clayden, presented recommendations from the meeting of the Audit & Governance Committee held on 28 July 2022.

 

            Councillor Clayden, turned to the first set of recommendations at Minute 210 [Treasury Management Annual Report 2021/22] which he duly proposed.  The recommendations were then seconded by Councillor Chapman.

 

            The Council

 

                        RESOLVED – That

 

(1)          The actual prudential and treasury indicators for 2021/22 contained in the report be approved;

 

(2)          The annual treasury management report for 2021/22 be noted; and

 

(3)          The treasury activity during 2021/22 which had generated interest receipts of £460,000 (0.59%), Budget £332,000 (0.64%) be noted.

 

            Councillor Clayden then referred Members to the next recommendation at Minute 214 [Chair’s Annual Report to Full Council for 2021/22] which Councillor Clayden formally presented and proposed.  Councillor Chapman then seconded the recommendation for this report to be presented and endorsed by Council.

 

            The Council

 

                        RESOLVED

 

That the content of the Chair’s Annual Report to Full Council for 2021/22 be endorsed.

 

329.

Policy & Finance Committee - 6 September 2022

Minutes:

(Prior to the commencement of this item, Councillor Needs redeclared her Personal Interest made at the start of the meeting).

 

            The Chair of the Policy & Finance Committee, Councillor Gunner, presented recommendations from the meeting of the Policy & Finance Committee held on 6 September 2022.  The Minutes from this meeting had been circulated separately to the agenda having already been uploaded to the Council’s web pages and circulated to Members on 14 September 2022. 

 

            Councillor Gunner then presented a series of recommendations at Minute 236 [Strategic Options for the Regeneration of the Regis Centre and Heads of Terms for Hotel and Regis Centre] confirming that he supported the principles and ideas for investment in both recommendations which would help the council to deliver regeneration in Bognor Regis.  The proposals had been approved by the Policy & Finance Committee as part of a £25m scheme for investment in Bognor Regis and regeneration in the Town.  Councillor Gunner’s view was that he believed that all Councillors supported the idea of having a hotel on the seafront in Bognor Regis as well as plans to invest in the Alexandra Theatre and in the Town itself. The two recommendations before Members would ensure the delivery of this project and so Councillor Gunner was delighted to be able to formally propose them.  In proposing the recommendations, Councillor Gunner asked for a recorded vote to be undertaken on each of the recommendations. The recommendations were then seconded by Councillor Pendleton.

 

            Two Points of Order were raised over whether the debate on the recommendations would be held in Open or Exempt session. The Chair confirmed that she wished to conduct the debate in open session where possible accepting that if Councillors outlined that they wished to address details that were confirmed to be of a confidential nature, then the meeting would need to move into Exempt business at that point. Now that the Exempt report had been considered by the Policy & Finance Committee and the minutes from that item published as an open document, this was how she wished this part of the meeting to proceed. 

 

            A debate around the Exempt papers and Exempt discussion held at the Policy & Finance Committee on 6 September 2022 took place. It was one Councillor’s view that this discussion had been in breach of The Local Government Act 1972 and he explained why. In view of this, he asked why  the debate on the recommendations could be held in open session now?

 

            The Group Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer explained that the minutes [the decisions and recommendations] from the meeting of the Policy & Finance Committee on 6 September 2022 were an open document.  The council did not produce Exempt minutes.  The reports considered by the Policy & Finance Committee had been Exempt reports and the reason for their need to be Exempt fully explained. Those reports and their contents remained confidential as they contained commercially sensitive confidential information that had not been published and remained Exempt under Schedule 12A of the Local  ...  view the full minutes text for item 329.

330.

Motions

Minutes:

            The Chair confirmed that one motion had been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 15.

 

            Councillor Gregory was then invited to present and propose her motion to the Council. 

 

            She outlined that it was asking the Council to confirm a Cost of Living Emergency in acknowledging that its residents were suffering due to a cost-of-living crisis.

 

On 6 April 2022, the Government increased National Insurance by 1.25% which was projected to cost the average Arun family an additional £117.10 per year. Councillor Gregory also referred to recent figures provided by the Trussell Trust (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton Food Banks) for the last financial year confirming that 2,665 food parcels had been distributed, feeding 6,263 individuals (including repeat users) with 2,321 being distributed to children.

 

On 1 April 2022, Ofgem increased the energy price cap by 54%. The average standard tariff energy bill had increased by £693 with further increases due imminently to a capped average cost of £2.5K per annum for just two years, more for those on pre-payment meters.  Many households in Arun would be injected into immediate fuel poverty, meaning that more than 10% of their income would be spent on fuel particularly those on low pay and pensioners regardless of the additional monies received from Government and increased Winter Fuel Allowance.

 

Recent research undertaken with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation looked at the precarious position of the worst-off 40% of households. Recommendations had been made to Government including stopping deducting benefits at unaffordable rates; capping deductions from Universal Credit from 25% to 15%; increasing basic Universal Credit entitlements to enable people to afford their essentials.  In July 2022, inflation was confirmed to be 10.1% compared to 9.4% in June and this was still rising.

 

The Conservative Government had suspended the pensions “triple lock” for 2022/23, meaning Arun’s pensioners would see a below inflation increase. Councillor Gregory believed that underthis Government, people would see tax hikes, energy bills soaring and petrol, diesel and food prices rising dramatically regardless of any help that could be received. The Government had failed to tackle the cost-of-living crisis effectively and so it was felt relevant for this Council to declare a ”Cost of Living Emergency”.

 

            Councillor Gregory outlined that her motion was asking the council to:

 

 

            To declare a “Cost of Living Emergency” and as part of this, the Council should call on the Government to:

 

·                     Immediately reduce the standard rate of VAT from 20% to 17.5% for one year, saving the average Arun household £600

·                     Immediately scrap the 5% VAT levied on domestic energy bills

·                     Immediately implement the cut to the National Insurance Tax hike which is costing £117.10 to local families.

·                     Immediately use revenue from the windfall tax to help Arun families with their energy bills.

 

Council requests the Chief Executive to write to the Government to express the Council’s demands for VAT to be cut to 17.5% and to scrap the 5% VAT levied on domestic energy bills.

 

Further, Council requests:

 

·                     Officers to start working with a clear goal  ...  view the full minutes text for item 330.

331.

Questions from Members

Minutes:

            The Chair confirmed that no questions had been received for this meeting.

332.

Committee Memberships

Minutes:

            The Chair confirmed that in light of the urgent item considered earlier in the meeting, there were no changes to Committee Memberships to report to the meeting.

 

333.

Representation on Outside Bodies

Minutes: