Date of meeting: 13 November 2025

A maximum period of fifteen minutes in total shall be made available at each meeting of the Executive for questions from Members of the Council.

The questions included on the list of questions referred to above shall be taken as read at the Cabinet meeting. The question will be answered either orally or at the discretion of the Chair by a written answer circulated after the meeting. Officers may assist the Leader or a Cabinet Member with technical answers to questions. No supplementary questions shall be permitted.

The following written questions have been received from Members:

(1) Councillor Earthey- A259 Hove to Portslade Active Travel Scheme Consultation

BHCC has allocated £2.7m from its Local Transport Plan, as well as a £4.3 million grant from Active Travel England, for the A259 Hove to Portslade active travel scheme. Do you agree that this £2.7 million would deliver more benefit for more people if it was spent on filling potholes, resurfacing roads that have failed, unblocking road drains, and reversing the 30p increase to the £1 short hop bus fare?

(2) Councillor Hill- School Admission Arrangements 2027-28

In February, Cllr Daniel outlined proposed improvements to the process around Priority 2 to help applications for SEND children who do not have an EHCP. Previously, the vast majority of applications for priority 2 were denied which in my view created an additional problem to implementing the open admissions policy. Has the situation improved and can you provide evidence regarding this?

(3) Councillor Hill- School Admission Arrangements 2027-28

Why has the administration chosen to keep the open admissions criteria it 5%? In February it seemed as though the plan was to increase the percentage to something like 20%. Is that still the case?

(4) Councillor Hill- School Admission Arrangements 2027-28

What engagement has been with Downs Junior School prior to the proposal to reduce their PAN?

(5) Councillor Shanks- School Admission Arrangements 2027-28

The school adjudicators report does not allow the council to reduce the PAN of Blatchington Mill and Dorothy Stringer. What implications will that have for school numbers and the councils attempt to address issues of inequality?

(6) Councillor West- A259 Hove to Portslade Active Travel Scheme Consultation

In May 2023, the new administration inherited an approved and funded active travel scheme for the A259 (Fourth Avenue to Wharf), with contracts already let. What has been the total financial impact, to date, of the costs of cancellation, delay, and diversion of funding from other schemes, to satisfy the administration’s inflated ambition for this section of the Hove to Portslade scheme?

(7) Councillor West- A259 Hove to Portslade Active Travel Scheme Consultation

Supporting increased levels of active travel through infrastructure investment is highly beneficial to road safety, health and well-being, the city’s economy, and in reducing reliance on cars, congestion and carbon impact. What has been the cost in terms of these metrics of the considerable and unnecessary delay in implementing an active travel scheme between Fourth Avenue and Wharf Road?

(8) Councillor Sykes – Homes for B&H: Sackville Road trading estate

Given the lamentable performance of the Building Safety Regulator in its consideration of Gateway 2 applications for work on high rise buildings and the acknowledged risk of delays and additional costs in this project because of this, what representations is the Administration making with Government and the Regulator?

(9) Councillor Sykes – A259 Hove to Portslade Active Travel Scheme Consultation

The report mentions the transfer of ATE funding from other projects to support the increased costs of the Hove to Portslade scheme, and this principally affected the planned Palace Pier to Hospital active travel scheme along Marine Parade. What is the status and timeline of that scheme now?