Agenda item - Seasonal Lifeguard Service 2023

RESOLVED:

That Committee:

1.    Agreed to extend the seasonal lifeguard service to a further three beaches, as outlined in para 4.5 as soon as practicably possible. This is subject to the recruitment and availability of qualified and appropriately trained staff.

2.    Noted the risk-based approach to prioritising the beaches which will have lifeguard stations during the recruitment of additional qualified and trained staff.

3.    Noted the additional financial requirement of net £0.093m to extend the service after budget savings already taken. For 2023/24 financial year this will be covered by service efficiencies across the seafront budget.

9.1 The Chair invited Mark Fisher to introduce the report starting on page 25 of the Agenda.

9.2 Councillors Hill and Bagaeen raised concerns about the national lifeguard shortage, recruitment, funding allocation (signage, the Volks electric railway, and Visit Brighton), sustainable funding models, numbers of people on different beaches, budget pressures, and requested more detail about income and savings. The Chair responded that there would be work happening to provide more sustainable funding the lifeguard service but it was more important to have it in place than to make a saving and risk people’s lives.

9.3 Councillor Stevens thanked officers for the report and how quickly it was created, and mentioned how important the lifeguard service is to safeguard everyone using the beaches.

9.4 The Chair took a vote on the item which was passed with 1 abstention from Councillor Hill.

RESOLVED:

That Committee:

1.    Agreed to extend the seasonal lifeguard service to a further three beaches, as outlined in para 4.5 as soon as practicably possible. This is subject to the recruitment and availability of qualified and appropriately trained staff.

2.    Noted the risk-based approach to prioritising the beaches which will have lifeguard stations during the recruitment of additional qualified and trained staff.

3.    Noted the additional financial requirement of net £0.093m to extend the service after budget savings already taken. For 2023/24 financial year this will be covered by service efficiencies across the seafront budget.