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Agenda item
Questions from Councillors Under Rule 12.1
a) Members of the public under Rule 11
b) Councillors under Rule 12
Minutes:
No written questions had been received from members of the public or Councillors.
Questions to the Leader, Deputy Leader and other Lead Members were asked and answered in accordance with Rule 12.1 as follows: -
Questioner and Councillor
Subject
Reply Given By Councillor
Lee
Congratulations to Councillor Clark would the Leader of the Council join with him in congratulating Councillor Lee Clark on the money he raised recently by taking part in a charity boxing match? Would the Leader of the Council also confirm if free parking would be available during the month of December in council-owned car parks?
Councillor Chowney congratulated Councillor Clark on the money he raised for charity. Councillor Chowney confirmed that free parking would be offered in council-owned car parks on the same days that East Sussex County Council offered free on-street parking, which was the same arrangement as previous years.
Chowney
Scott
Investment of Council Reserves the recent purchase of a commercial retail property by the council is to be welcomed. Would the Leader of the Council confirm if the same prudent approach to investing council resources will continue in the future?
Councillor Chowney confirmed that the council had recently purchased the retail property units occupied by Dunelm Mill and Pets At Home. This would generate a net income to the council of £150,000 per year. He explained that the council would need to continue to explore new income generation opportunities in the future as the funding it received from other sources reduced over time.
Chowney
Patmore
Local Housing Company when the proposal to set up a local housing company had been discussed by Cabinet, members were advised that the company would be used to develop new properties on council owned land. However, in a recent newsletter issued by the Leader of the Council it is stated that the company will be used to purchase poor quality housing, refurbish it and then make it available for rent. Which model for property investment will be used?
Councillor Chowney said that the new housing company the council was setting up would be used to purchase existing properties and then make them available for rent as stated in the Cabinet report. The company may be used to develop properties on council owned land in the future, however, this was considered to be a higher risk option.
Chowney
Batsford
Play Strategy the council is rightly committed to providing good quality play spaces and has a robust policy in place to support this. Would the lead member provide an update on work undertaken since the Play Strategy was adopted to ensure these facilities are maintained in the future?
Councillor Poole explained that the council owned approximately 30 play parks around the borough, plus a number of multi-use games area. A comprehensive review was underway to assess how these facilities could be maintained in the future. As part of this review, it was important to consider the impact on the communities in which each of these play parks were located, as well as broader efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour and alleviate the effects of deprivation. Individual ward members would also be engaged in the review process.
Poole
Cooke
Motion to Council the council approved a motion last year to encourage and protect bee habitats within Alexandra Park. Would the Lead Member give an overview of the work that has been undertaken since the motion was approved?
Councillor Davies advised that works had been undertaken in Alexandra Park to cultivate a wildflower meadow. Similar initiatives were also being considered for other green spaces around the town.
Davies
Rankin
Street Drinking a number of residents have expressed concern at the level of street drinking taking place, particularly in the town centre. Will the lead member provide an update on what is being done to tackle this issue?
Councillor Davies explained that the council had been working closely with its partner agencies, including the Police and East Sussex County Council, to address the issue of street drinking. The issue had also been identified as a high priority by the joint Hastings and Rother crime reduction partnership. He added that it was important to address both the anti-social effects of street drinking, but also the underlying cause of the issue. Residents were encouraged to report any issues they experience directly to the Police. An all-member briefing on efforts to tackle street drinking would be held in 2017.
Davies
Charman
Alcohol Enquiry I attended a meeting recently with the lead member as part of a local alcohol enquiry. Would the lead member provide an overview of how the recommendations of the enquiry will be implemented?
Councillor Davies commented that the enquiry had resulted in a number of recommendations around improved education and alcohol awareness which would be implemented in partnership with local schools. A mentoring scheme would also be set up to help young people who may be at risk of developing an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. The council was working in partnership with other local organisations, including the Clinical Commissioning Group, St Johns Ambulance and the Street Pastors to set up safe zones within the town. The council would also review its own policies in respect of licensing and the provision of taxi marshals in the town. Councillor Davies added that two members of the enquiry had been co-opted onto the Community Alcohol Partnership.
Davies
Atkins
Ecclesbourne Glen a recent report by the Local Government Ombudsman had recommended improved communication in respect of planning and licensing issues at Ecclesbourne Glen. What will be done to implement these recommendations?
The time allocated for questions from Councillors had expired at this point. A written response to this question would be supplied to Councillor Atkins by the Leader of the Council.
Chowney
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