a) Questions from the public (for a period of up to 15 minutes).
b) Questions from Members with prejudicial interests (for a period of up to 15 minutes).
Minutes:
The Chairman confirmed that three questions had been submitted for this meeting in line with the Council’s Virtual Meeting Procedure Rules amended by Full Council on 15 July 2020
Two questions related to the A27 Arundel By-Pass and all were for the Leader of the Council, Councillor Dr Walsh to respond to.
The first question related to the recent Highways England public consultation of local affected citizens around Arundel regarding a proposed bypass, where an overwhelming 64% of respondents had been against any change or were for the "Arundel Alternative." A tiny amount supported the grey route - 7%. The remaining 29% supported other offline routes. Arun District Council had not supported the Grey route.
The questioner asked why the Council supported it now and in light of the Council’s very own emergency declaration on climate change. He also asked if the Council thought that this consultation had been worthwhile in any shape or form?
Councillor Dr Walsh responded stating that he had been an advocate of an offline solution for an Arundel Bypass for many years. With all the routes considered there were clearly positives and negatives for each option, and he would have preferred that Highways England had chosen the Magenta route option. They had not and had opted instead for the Grey route. There were clearly issues with this route that Highways England need to address but now the route had been identified as the preferred route it had his support in principle.
Regarding the broader questions, this country was not yet able to abandon the need to improve its road network. That required the Government to make far reaching decisions about how it moved people, goods and services around. In terms of the consultation, he believed it was important that there had been an opportunity for everyone to express an opinion.
The questioner then asked a supplementary question which was responded to at the meeting.
The second questioner explained the situation that he now found himself in as he had exchanged contracts on a house at Avisford Grange in February 2020 and so the new announcement from HE had been devastating for him and others in a similar situation. The questioner asked how the Council would make sure residents and homeowners were gong to to be protected from this plan and whether the Council would stand behind residents and help them to oppose this route?
Councillor Dr Walsh responded outlining that the Council had granted outline permission for the Avisford Grange development in February 2018, before the Grey route had emerged as an option. Councillor Dr Walsh stated that he was disappointed that Highways England, in making its statement on the preferred route, had not provided greater clarity to the residents affected in terms of how they intended to mitigate the impact of the proposed road. Councillor Dr Walsh confirmed that he intended to write to the Chief Executive of Highways England to ask that they provide the questioner and other similarly affected residents on this development with clarity on what they proposed to mitigate the impact of the scheme at the earliest opportunity. A copy of the response received would be provided.
The questioner then asked a supplementary question which was responded to at the meeting.
The third and final question related to the 3D art installations in Littlehampton Town Centre approved by Littlehampton Town Council (LTC) and the Council (ADC), and the Cabinet. The questioner confirmed that she could not find reference to this in agendas or minutes and could the payment be recouped by insurance for unacceptable outcome from Artist and installer?
Councillor Dr Walsh responded outlining that this initiative was being progressed by Littlehampton Town Council and he declared his own personal interest as a Member of the Littlehampton Town Council. The Town Council was involving and consulting with Arun District Council as the scheme progressed. ADC had passed the scheme to LTC and its Policy and Finance Committee agreed on 15 June 2019 to delegate authority to its Town Clerk in consultation with the Chairman to authorise to progress phases 1 and 2 of this scheme – in view of the fact that the Chairman was also a District Council Member, that authority was also delegated to also include the Vice-Chairman of the Policy and Finance Committee in all discussions and decisions. This work resulted in a contractor being selected from three quotations and confirmation of this could be found from the September and October meetings of the Policy and Finance Committee by looking on the Town Council’s web site. This was approved with no discussion and it had been noted at the October meeting with no concerns raised. The artwork had been installed and since repaired so there was no need to consider an insurance claim as the product was in place.
(A schedule of the full questions asked and the responses provided can be found on the Pubic Question Web page at: https://www.arun.gov.uk/public-question-time )
The Chairman then drew Public Question Time to a close.