Agenda and minutes

The Vice-Chairman carried out a roll call to establish attendance at the meeting. The Solicitor to the Council provided information on the format of the virtual meeting.

Cllr Hatton substituted on behalf of Cllr Dempsey.

Apologies were received from Councillors Clarke and Dempsey.

Cllr Sweatman declared a personal interest in Item 7: Mid Sussex Partnership Annual Report as he sits on the Mid Sussex Partnership Board where he represents the Mid Sussex Association of Town Councils.

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 April 2021 were agreed as a correct

record and electronically signed by the Chairman.

The Chairman had no urgent business.

Neal Barton, Policy, Performance & Partnerships Manager, introduced the annual report on the work of the Mid Sussex Partnership (MSP), the Council’s main strategic partnership involving key public sector partners that is chaired by the Leader of the Council. He provided Members with information on the work undertaken under the umbrella of the MSP in 2020/21 and the programme for the year ahead. He drew attention to the Strategic Intelligence Assessment 2021 (SIA) which noted that Mid Sussex is the joint safest district in West Sussex alongside Horsham and that crime has reduced by 4% compared with the previous year.  Future work of the partnership included consultations for further Public Space Protection Orders in other  parts of the District and the roll out of the Safe Places Pilot  following its success in East Grinstead.

The Chairman thanked the officers for the report and believed that it would be useful for all Members to have sight of the Strategic Intelligence Assessment 2021 via the Member Information Service.

A Member found the SIA to be helpful. She noted that Mid Sussex is the least deprived area in Sussex however made the point that there are pockets of deprivation in these communities. She expressed worry that access to national funding streams is perhaps easier when  an area is recognised as one of deprivation but much harder when the area as a whole is known as one of the least deprived therefore making it harder for some communities in those areas to access support. The Member felt pleased about the new CCTV cameras and asked for some feedback from the headquarters in Lewes about what they are seeing. The Member noted the recent Sarah Everard case and the issues that may be faced by   women walking alone through the many pathways in the district’s parks and open spaces, some of which are not lit well. She asked whether  areas could be subtly lit to make them safer. The Member expressed thanks that the other towns have come forward to implement the Safe Place project and asked all members to keep highlighting the places so that residents always know where they are just in case they need them.

The Policy, Performance and Partnerships Manager asked that when residents report instances of concern they state where and when it has taken place as, due to the number of cameras in operation at Lewes, they often have to look back at previous footage to ascertain a pattern of concern.

Emma Sheridan, Business Unit Leader for Community Services, Policy and Performance, acknowledged the existence of pockets of significant deprivation in the district. She confirmed that it could be  a challenge to justify funding under, or even meet the basic criteria of, many  national funding streams but that wherever possible the Council do make strong bids for funds on the basis of nested deprivation. Being in a deprived area in an otherwise affluent area can sometimes be harder than being in a widely deprived area which is a challenge  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The Chairman introduced the Work Programme and noted that the meeting commenced at 5pm where other Committees have been convening at 6pm. She appreciated that it may be early for some Members and proposed a vote for moving the commencement of the forthcoming meetings to 6pm. This was approved with 8 votes in favour, 2 votes against and 3 abstention.

Tom Clark, Head of Regulatory Services, presented the Work Programme which has scheduled two meetings ahead with the usual reports. He noted that the Chairman has agreed an additional meeting to be held on 17 November 2021 to deal with governance reviews for both Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common Parish Council and Worth Parish Council.

The Chairman noted that no Member wished to speak so took Members to a vote on the recommendation contained in the report. This was approved unanimously.

None.