Audit, Standards & General Purposes Committee
Date: 27 January 2026
Time: 4.00pm
Venue: Council Chamber, Hove Town Hall, Hove, BN3 3BQ
Members: Councillors: West (Chair), Loughran (Deputy Chair), Atkinson, Baghoth, Guilmant, Helliwell, Hewitt and Meadows
Co-optees: David Bradly (Independent Person), Barbara Beardwell (Independent Person) and David Gill (Independent Person)
Contact: Grace Leonard
Democratic Services Officer
01273 29 1065
grace.leonard@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Agendas and minutes are published on the council’s website www.brighton-hove.gov.uk. Agendas are available to view five working days prior to the meeting date. Electronic agendas can also be accessed through our meetings app available through ModernGov: iOS/Windows/Android
This agenda and all accompanying reports are printed on recycled paper
Hove Town Hall
Norton Road
Hove BN3 3BQ
Date of Publication - Monday, 19 January 2026
AGENDA
Part One Page
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42 Procedural Business |
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(a) Declarations of Substitutes: Where councillors are unable to attend a meeting, a substitute Member from the same political group may attend, speak and vote in their place for that meeting.
(b) Declarations of Interest:
(a) Disclosable pecuniary interests; (b) Any other interests required to be registered under the local code; (c) Any other general interest as a result of which a decision on the matter might reasonably be regarded as affecting you or a partner more than a majority of other people or businesses in the ward/s affected by the decision.
In each case, you need to declare (i) the item on the agenda the interest relates to; (ii) the nature of the interest; and (iii) whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest or some other interest.
If unsure, Members should seek advice from the committee lawyer or administrator preferably before the meeting.
(c) Exclusion of Press and Public: To consider whether, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, the press and public should be excluded from the meeting when any of the following items are under consideration.
Note: Any item appearing in Part Two of the agenda states in its heading the category under which the information disclosed in the report is exempt from disclosure and therefore not available to the press and public. A list and description of the exempt categories is available for public inspection at Brighton and Hove Town Halls and on-line in the Constitution at part 7.1. |
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43 Minutes |
7 - 12 |
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To consider the minutes of the meeting held on 25 November 2025. |
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Contact Officer: |
Grace Leonard |
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Ward Affected: |
All Wards |
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44 Chair's Communications |
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45 CALL OVER |
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(a) Items 48-52 will be read out at the meeting and Members invited to reserve the items for consideration.
(b) Those items not reserved will be taken as having been received and the reports’ recommendations agreed. |
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46 Public Involvement |
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To consider the following matters raised by members of the public:
(a) Petitions: to receive any petitions presented to the full council or at the meeting itself;
(b) Written Questions: to receive any questions submitted by the due date of 12 noon on the 21 January 2026;
(c) Deputations: to receive any deputations submitted by the due date |
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47 Member Involvement |
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To consider the following matters raised by councillors:
(a) Petitions: to receive any petitions submitted to the full Council or at the meeting itself;
(b) Written Questions: to consider any written questions;
(c) Letters: to consider any letters;
(d) Notices of Motion: to consider any Notices of Motion referred from Council or submitted directly to the Committee. |
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48 Auditor’s Annual Report (Value for Money) Year ending 31 March 2025 (2024/25) |
13 - 70 |
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Contact Officer: |
Jane Strudwick |
Tel: 01273 291255 |
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Ward Affected: |
All Wards |
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49 Annual Surveillance Report 2025 |
71 - 114 |
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Contact Officer: |
David Currie |
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50 General Fund Draft Budget and Resources Update – 2026-27 to 2029-30 |
115 - 144 |
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Contact Officer: |
John Hooton |
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Ward Affected: |
All Wards |
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51 Code of Corporate Governance and Risk Management Framework |
145 - 214 |
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Contact Officer: |
Jenny Garlick |
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Ward Affected: |
All Wards |
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52 Standards Update |
215 - 230 |
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Contact Officer: |
Victoria Simpson |
Tel: 01273 294687 |
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Ward Affected: |
All Wards |
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53 Items Referred For Council |
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(1) To consider items to be submitted to full Council for information.
In accordance with Procedure Rule 24.3a, the Committee may determine that any item is to be included in its report to Council. In addition, any Group may specify one further item to be included by notifying the Chief Executive no later than 10am on the eighth working day before the Council meeting at which the report is to be made, or if the Committee meeting take place after this deadline, immediately at the conclusion of the Committee meeting |
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54 Items for the next meeting |
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The City Council actively welcomes members of the public and the press to attend its meetings and holds as many of its meetings as possible in public. Provision is also made on the agendas for public questions to committees and details of how questions can be raised can be found on the website and/or on agendas for the meetings.
The closing date for receipt of public questions and deputations for the next meeting is 10am on the eighth working day before the meeting.
Meeting papers can be provided, on request, in large print, in Braille, on audio tape or on disc, or translated into any other language as requested.
Infra-red hearing aids are available for use during the meeting. If you require any further information or assistance, please contact the receptionist on arrival.
Further information
For further details and general enquiries about this meeting contact Grace Leonard, (01273 29 1065, email grace.leonard@brighton-hove.gov.uk) or email democratic.services@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Webcasting notice
This meeting may be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s website. At the start of the meeting the Chair will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed. You should be aware that the Council is a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 1998. Data collected during this web cast will be retained in accordance with the Council’s published policy.
Therefore, by entering the meeting room and using the seats in the chamber you are deemed to be consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings for the purpose of web casting and/or Member training. If members of the public do not wish to have their image captured, they should sit in the public gallery area.
Access notice
The Public Gallery is situated on the first floor of the Town Hall and is limited in size but does have 2 spaces designated for wheelchair users. The lift cannot be used in an emergency. Evac Chairs are available for self-transfer and you are requested to inform Reception prior to going up to the Public Gallery. For your own safety please do not go beyond the Ground Floor if you are unable to use the stairs.
Please inform staff on Reception of this affects you so that you can be directed to the Council Chamber where you can watch the meeting or if you need to take part in the proceedings e.g. because you have submitted a public question.
Meeting Accessibility
To ensure that our meetings remain safe and accessible there are a number of measures that are in place. Please take note of them before and during your attendance at one of our meetings that are held in public:
· Visitors are admitted on condition that they allow themselves and their belongings to be searched.
· You will be asked to sign in upon arrival and may be asked to show proof of identity.
The following items are not permitted at any of our meetings which are held in public:
· Sharp items e.g. knives (including Swiss army knives) scissors, cutlery and screwdrivers;
· Paint spray or similar items;
· Padlocks, chains and climbing gear;
· Items that make a noise (e.g. whistles, loud hailers, mega phones); and,
· Banners, placards and flags or similar items.
Please restrict the size of bags brought to meetings as there are no facilities for storage of bags or other personal items – all bags will be searched upon entry. You may also be subject to secondary searches once inside the meeting.
Conduct at meetings
Councillors must be able to make themselves heard on behalf of those they represent.
The Mayor or the Chair will not allow behaviour that disrupts council business.
Under the Council’s Constitution, Part 3A, Council Procedure Rules 16.2 -16.3, at any meeting of the Council, the Mayor/Chair has the power to order the removal of any member of the public who:
· interrupts the proceedings
· acts in a way that impacts the proper and orderly conduct of the meeting
In the interest of order during a meeting, the Mayor/Chair may suspend or adjourn a meeting for any length of time they decide.
You must follow the Mayor's/Chairs direction, including any requests to sit down or stop acting in a way that disrupts the Council business.
In most meetings, there are no incidents and Council is not disturbed. We hope this continues so there is no need for the Mayor or any Chair of a meeting to take these actions.
Fire & emergency evacuation procedure
If the fire alarm sounds continuously, or if you are instructed to do so, you must leave the building by the nearest available exit. You will be directed to the nearest exit by council staff. It is vital that you follow their instructions:
· You should proceed calmly; do not run and do not use the lifts;
· Do not stop to collect personal belongings;
· Once you are outside, please do not wait immediately next to the building, but move some distance away and await further instructions; and
· Do not re-enter the building until told that it is safe to do so
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