The meeting covered several key topics, including the approval of previous meeting minutes, an announcement about a successful electric vehicle event, the acceptance of an additional homelessness prevention grant, and the approval of the Council's pay policy statement for the financial year 2024/25.

Electric Vehicle Event

Councillor Blackman announced the success of an electric vehicle event held by Horsham District Council on May 24th. The event was organized by the council's Environmental Health, Sustainability, Economic Development, and Communications departments, with support from Let's Experience Electric. The event featured 11 local dealers showcasing 26 vehicles, 13 of which were available for test driving. There were also 15 stands with organizations, businesses, and universities related to sustainability and climate action. Notable speakers included Martin Offiah, MBE, a former professional rugby player and Tesla driver, who is a brand ambassador for Connected Kerb, an EV charging infrastructure company. Representatives from Energy Savings Trust and West Sussex County Council provided valuable information on EV myths, grants, and charging installations. The event attracted hundreds of attendees, including people from outside Horsham, and received good media coverage.

Homelessness Prevention Grant

Councillor Sam Rabe presented a recommendation from the Cabinet to accept an additional homelessness prevention grant of £266,546 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities¹. The grant is restricted to preventing and relieving homelessness and was not anticipated in the annual budget for 2024/25. The Council approved the expenditure of the grant on the Council's homeless prevention and relief service. Councillor Rabe emphasized the importance of this funding in helping residents at risk of homelessness and reducing the financial burden on the Council. The motion was unanimously approved.

Pay Policy Statement

Councillor Martin Boffee introduced the Council's pay policy statement for the financial year 2024/25. The policy is substantially unchanged from the previous year, except for updated salary increases and new pay ratios. The Council follows the national joint Council agreed pay increases and adjusts pay in line with the National Living Wage Foundation's recommendations. The Council approved the pay policy for publication.

Other Items

• The minutes of the previous meetings held on April 24th and May 8th were approved.
• There were no declarations of interest from members.
• There were no chairman's announcements.
• There were no questions from the public or members.
• There were no urgent matters, and the meeting was closed.