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Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet - Wednesday, 24th September, 2025 6.00 pm
September 24, 2025 View on council websiteSummary
The Eastbourne Borough Council Cabinet convened to discuss several key issues, including local government reorganisation, strategic finances, and the introduction of food waste collections. The cabinet approved a joint East Sussex proposal for local government reorganisation, recommended the continuation of the flexible use of capital receipts policy to the full council, and approved plans for new food waste collections in 2026. Additionally, the cabinet reviewed the council's financial and corporate performance for the first quarter of 2025/26.
Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution
The cabinet approved the East Sussex proposal for submission to the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, with Councillor Stephen Holt, Leader of the Council, delegated to make any final minor amendments. This decision comes as Brighton & Hove City Council considers expanding its boundaries, prompting a review of the economic importance of neighbouring areas to East Sussex.
A key consideration was the economic impact of potentially losing areas like Newhaven, Telscombe (including East Saltdean), Peacehaven, and Kingston. The Agenda Supplement - Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution - Appendix 3 24th-Sep-2025 18.00.pdf includes an economic impact report that highlights the critical contribution these areas make to East Sussex's economic scale. The report notes:
Retaining Newhaven, Telscombe (including East Saltdean), Peacehaven, and Kingston is critical to East Sussex's economic resilience and future growth capacity.
The report further breaks down the individual strengths of each area:
- Newhaven: Described as the industrial powerhouse, contributing a significant portion of the county's commercial floorspace and a mix of industrial and technical businesses.
- Kingston: Recognised for its high density of highly qualified and relatively wealthy residents, playing an outsized role in Gross Value Added (GVA).
- Peacehaven, Telscombe & East Saltdean: Providing the largest contribution in terms of residents and housing stock, supporting the other areas in both labour force and service demand.
The report also warns of strategic risks, stating that losing these areas would reduce the economic diversity of East Sussex, weaken local supply chains, and shrink the county's fiscal base.
Strategic Finance Programme
The cabinet agreed to recommend to the Full Council the continuation of the policy for the flexible use of capital receipts1, as outlined in the Strategic Finance Programme - Report.pdf. This decision follows the final report of the Independent Panel, which worked with the council in response to central government's requirement after the council received Exceptional Financial Support in 2024.
Food Waste Collections in Eastbourne
The cabinet approved proposals to introduce food waste collections in Eastbourne in 2026. This includes providing compostable caddy liners to households, approving outline plans for the pilot and roll out of the new service, and approving the public engagement plans. The Food Waste Collections in Eastbourne.pdf report details the work programme proposed to prepare the waste and recycling operations at SEESL2 for the new collections. The cabinet also authorised the Director of Tourism and Place to negotiate and agree suitable variations to the council’s contract with SEESL to deliver the new service.
Revenue and Capital Financial Monitoring Report - Quarter 1 - 2025/26
The cabinet reviewed the council’s financial performance, revenue budgets, and capital programme for the first quarter of 2025/26. They noted the forecast outturn position for 2025/26 and associated risks, as detailed in the Revenue and Capital Financial Monitoring Report - Quarter 1 2025-26.pdf. The cabinet delegated authority to the Director of Finance and Performance and the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Resources and Community Wealth Building to apply the required budget virements3 to support effective management of the overall budget. The Section 8 analysis of the council’s current savings plan was also noted.
Corporate Performance - Quarter 1 - 2025/26
The cabinet noted the progress and performance against Corporate Plan priority actions, performance indicators, and targets for Quarter 1 2025/26, as detailed in the Corporate performance - Quarter 1 - 2025-26.pdf.
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Capital receipts are proceeds from the sale of assets, such as land or buildings, owned by the council. The flexible use of capital receipts policy allows councils to use these funds for service transformation projects, rather than solely for capital investments. ↩
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South East Environmental Services Ltd ↩
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A virement is the transfer of funds from one budget line to another within the same financial year. ↩
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