Minutes:
Deputy Leader
The Deputy Leader highlighted the recent agreement by the Council to accept a bid for land at Bolnore Road for the purpose of building residential properties. This will generate a £1.25m capital receipt with 50% affordable houses on site. She declined to comment on the result of a planning permission decision raised by a Member in relation to a site on Paddockhall Road.
Cabinet Member for Economic Growth
The Cabinet Member confirmed that work was being continued to draft an Economic Covid19 Recovery Plan. He noted that several grants are currently available including Micro Business Grants with an incentive for apprenticeship, alongside a £300k Covid19 Recovery grant to help businesses facing additional costs as a result of the pandemic.
The Cabinet Member drew Member’s attention to a new campaign to ‘Bring Christmas Home’ launched by the Council inviting all businesses to register on a directory to promote local shopping over the Christmas period. He also noted that Covid19 safety measures in local highstreets had been reassessed in October and deemed suitable to remain in place.
Cabinet Member for Customer Services
The Cabinet Member encouraged Members to help share the message that the Revenues and Benefits Team and the Housing Needs Team are available to assist if people are struggling to pay bills or facing other financial hardship. Free independent debt advice is also available.
She provided an update on the Council’s Full Fibre Gigabit Project which is progressing well with 8km laid so far and due to be completed in Spring 2021.
Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery
The Cabinet Member has circulated information to Members on the September statistics for Leisure Centres and will provide the October results in due course. He noted that garden waste collection services are projected to continue through the current lockdown period and recycling centres run by West Sussex County Council (WSCC) will also remain open. He acknowledged that a pilot of food waste recycling has paused but that work is continuing with Serco and WSCC with a service waste redesign proposal due in the new year which may include food waste. He announced that Mid Sussex District Council will be launching a small waste and electronic equipment (WEE) recycling project over the coming weeks with information provided to Members and residents.
Cabinet Member for Community
The Cabinet Member reiterated that Covid19 recovery grants are available for the local community, and the Council has been able to add to the generous amount pledged by the Government.
He thanked residents for following Government guidance to stay safe during the pandemic. During the second lockdown, WSCC will lead on support for the clinically extremely vulnerable and will operate the Community Hub. The Wellbeing Team will provide localised support. The Hub is anticipated to pro-actively contact over 4000 residents that have previously sought help. Environmental Health Officers are working with the Director of Public Health at WSCC to use track-and-trace information to contain and control local outbreaks.
Council run health courses such as weight management and smoking cessation continue, and Sport England has funded 50 spaces on a 12-week exercise programme. Officers are also working to ensure that Armistice and Remembrance Day can be acknowledged in line with current Government guidelines.
Cabinet Member for Housing
The Cabinet Member confirmed that at the end of October, 126 units of affordable housing were delivered across the District, with 91 for rent and 35 for shared ownership.
Regarding rough sleepers, he reiterated that Council is awaiting Government guidance on requirements to bring them in during the second lockdown. If not required by Government, the Council is considering the capability to still bring them in and an expected grant for winter funding to bring them in may be enable the Council to facilitate this.
A Member highlighted the Cabinet Member’s response to the Governments Planning White Paper and hoped the response could be more widely publicised.