Issue - items at meetings - Letters from Councillors

(The closing date for receipt of letters from Councillors is 10.00am on 27 May 2011)

(a)         Request for urgent review of sale of Council land, Whitehawk. Letter from Councillors Mitchell, Morgan and Turton (copy attached).

(b)        Whitehawk Primary School Play Area. Letter from Councillor Morgan (copy attached).

8A       Request for urgent review of sale of Council land

8a.1    The Cabinet considered a letter from Councillors Mitchell, Morgan and Turton requesting that an urgent review of the sale of Council owned land currently occupied by Whitehawk Library and Whitehawk Youth Centre on Whitehawk Road/Findon Road be commissioned, and the possibility of providing additional housing on the site in addition to re-provision of a youth centre be examined.

8a.2    The Chair acknowledged that there were a number of significant issues to be addressed in the Whitehawk area and advised that he had asked officers to provide further information to the Cabinet to ensure that work could focus on solutions that would make the biggest difference within the resources available. He proposed that a report be brought back to the Cabinet in September and welcomed the ongoing involvement of the East Brighton ward councillors in any discussions.

8a.3    RESOLVED –

(1)               That the letter be noted.

(2)               That a review of the sale of the land currently occupied by Whitehawk Library and Whitehawk Youth Centre on Whitehawk Road/Findon Road be commissioned and a report be brought back to the Cabinet in September 2011.

8B       Whitehawk Primary School play area

8b.1    The Cabinet considered a letter from Councillor Morgan concerning loss of the use of the grassed area used by Whitehawk Primary School for school sports due to work on the Whitehawk Co-Location project, and requesting that consideration be given to providing the school with exclusive use of land to the north of the school, currently designated as housing land, instead of land situated across the road from the school, which is often used by members of the public for exercising dogs.

8b.2    Councillor Morgan noted the following issues with the land currently used as raised by representatives of the School Council and Green Team: dog fouling; time take to walk there; access issues for children with special educational needs; rubbish; holes in the ground.

8b.3    Councillor Mitchell stated that the existing site presented serious equalities issues and the council had failed to provide a ramp. She hoped that departments would work together to find a solution.

8b.4    Councillor Shanks confirmed that she would ask officers in the relevant departments to work collaboratively on the matter. She added that she welcomed input from young people about their schools.

8b.5    RESOLVED – That the letter be noted.