Limited support for Rother

We do not currently provide detailed weekly summaries for Rother Council. Running the service is expensive, and we need to cover our costs.

You can still subscribe!

If you're a professional subscriber and need support for this council, get in touch with us at community@opencouncil.network and we can enable it for you.

If you're a resident, subscribe below and we'll start sending you updates when they're available. We're enabling councils rapidly across the UK in order of demand, so the more people who subscribe to your council, the sooner we'll be able to support it.

If you represent this council and would like to have it supported, please contact us at community@opencouncil.network.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Monday 18th March 2024 6.30 pm

March 18, 2024 View on council website Watch video of meeting Read transcript (Professional subscription required)  Watch video of meeting

Chat with this meeting

Subscribe to our professional plan to ask questions about this meeting.

“Will grounds maintenance cuts impact local biodiversity?”

Subscribe to chat
AI Generated

Summary

The council meeting focused on reviewing various community and operational matters, including the grounds maintenance contract, a local enforcement plan, and the People's Strategy for workforce development. Decisions were made to adjust services and initiate reviews to align with budget constraints and strategic goals.

  1. Grounds Maintenance Contract: The council decided to reduce the budget for grounds maintenance, impacting the level of service. Arguments for the decision centered on financial necessity and prioritizing critical services. Opponents expressed concerns about the impact on local aesthetics and biodiversity. The decision may lead to increased reliance on town councils and community groups for maintenance tasks.

  2. Local Enforcement Plan: A task and finish group was established to review the local enforcement plan. The discussion highlighted the need for clearer enforcement strategies and better resource allocation. The group is expected to provide recommendations that could streamline enforcement processes and enhance compliance, potentially improving local governance and community standards.

  3. People's Strategy: The council endorsed the development of a People's Strategy to address workforce challenges. The strategy aims to enhance recruitment, support, and performance management. Proponents argued it would build a more resilient and capable workforce, while concerns were raised about the costs and implementation challenges. This strategy is crucial for the council's long-term operational effectiveness.

An interesting moment in the meeting was the extensive discussion on environmental sustainability within the grounds maintenance contract, reflecting growing community and council interest in green initiatives.

Attendees

Profile image for Councillor Paul Osborne
Councillor Paul Osborne Conservative • Eastern Rother
Profile image for Councillor Mrs Vikki Cook
Councillor Mrs Vikki Cook Liberal Democrats • South Battle & Telham
Profile image for Councillor John Barnes (MBE)
Councillor John Barnes (MBE) Conservative • Burwash & the Weald
Profile image for Councillor Mrs Mary Barnes
Councillor Mrs Mary Barnes Conservative • Hurst Green & Ticehurst
Profile image for Councillor Sue Burton
Councillor Sue Burton Green • North Battle, Netherfield & Whatlington
Profile image for Councillor Charles Clark
Councillor Charles Clark Independent • Bexhill Pebsham & St Michaels
Profile image for Councillor Beverley Coupar
Councillor Beverley Coupar Liberal Democrats • Sedlescombe & Westfield
Profile image for Councillor Cheryl Creaser
Councillor Cheryl Creaser Independent • Rye & Winchelsea
Profile image for Councillor Mark Legg
Councillor Mark Legg Labour • Bexhill Old Town & Worsham
Profile image for Councillor Carl Maynard
Councillor Carl Maynard Conservative Group Leader • Conservative • Sedlescombe & Westfield
Profile image for Councillor Simon McGurk
Councillor Simon McGurk Labour • Rye & Winchelsea
Profile image for Chas Pearce
Chas Pearce  Liberal Democrats •  Catsfield & Crowhurst
Profile image for Councillor Christine Bayliss
Councillor Christine Bayliss Labour Group Leader • Labour • Bexhill Central
Profile image for Councillor Hazel Timpe
Councillor Hazel Timpe Rother Association of Independent Councillors • Bexhill Sackville

Topics

No topics have been identified for this meeting yet.

Meeting Documents

Agenda

Agenda frontsheet 18th-Mar-2024 18.30 Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Reports Pack

Public reports pack 18th-Mar-2024 18.30 Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Additional Documents

Appendix 1A
Appendix 2
Appendix 3
Local Enforcement Plan Task and Finish Group
Grounds Maintenance Contract - Specification
Performance Report Third Quarter 202324 October December 2023
Annual Report of Rother Community Safety Partnership
Printed minutes 18th-Mar-2024 18.30 Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Revenue Budget and Capital Programme Monitoring as at Quarter 3 - 202324
Work Programme