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The following Questions had been submitted by Members as provided for by Council Procedure Rule 9. The written response to each Question, below, was provided at the meeting.
(a) Question from Councillor M Deacon to the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Economic Development:
“Councillor Byatt and I recently met with a senior ABP representative and were given a full briefing about the contribution ABP makes to Lowestoft Port and the surrounding area. Will the Deputy Leader extend an invitation to ABP Port Management to address Full Council about their operations and share their vision for the future part they can play in local economic development?”
Response from Councillor C Rivett, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Development:
“ESC has been working closely with ABP in relation to their port operations at Lowestoft for many years now. The role of the port in the Lowestoft economy cannot be underestimated and our ongoing work has been focussed on how we can assist the growth of the port’s operations and, in particular, the close relationship they have with the offshore energy sector.
The Economic Development team have been working closely with Scottish Power Renewables, Petersons, James Fisher Marine Services and Cauldwell Marine – all recent inward investments to the port and surrounding areas to determine how we (and our partners such as the LEP) can help maintain and grow their business operations. Furthermore, as part of the Renaissance in East Anglia Fishing (REAF) Group, ESC are working alongside ABP to determine what opportunities BREXIT and the UK’s withdrawal from the Common Fisheries Policy can present to our local fishing sector and what investment, particularly in the port, will need to be made to exploit these potential growth opportunities.
The Council is also working very closely with ABP regarding the Lowestoft Flood Risk Management Project and is in close contact regarding the Third Crossing Project. It is therefore very clear that ESC views ABP as a key partner in supporting economic growth in Lowestoft and indeed the port is at the centre of the Central Lowestoft Regeneration Area.
ABP have also recently consulted on a masterplan for Lowestoft Port and ESC provided a supportive and comprehensive response to their plans to develop the port. Again, our response was based on how the port’s operation can support the town’s economic growth and our role in enabling this.
This demonstrates that ESC and ABP have a long history of collaborative working across a number of areas. I am therefore very happy to extend an invite to ABP to attend Full Council so they can provide further details on their growth plans for Lowestoft port and how this will benefit the wider Lowestoft economy."
Councillor Deacon thanked the Deputy Leader for his response and said he was delighted that ABP would be invited to attend a future meeting of the Full Council. Councillor Deacon asked, as a supplemental question, if the Council was aware of ABPs concerns regarding the siting of the third crossing.
Councillor Rivett replied that ABP had fully stated its concerns within a masterplan for Lowestoft Port and that the Council had provided a constructive response to the consultation on that masterplan. He added that the Council would continue to work proactively with ABP to ensure a harmonious resolution to the siting of the crossing.
(b) Question from Councillor T Gandy to the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Community Health:
“Given the serious implications for public safety, how satisfied were you with the emergency evacuation procedures in place for the recent emergency in Normanhurst Close, and what lessons may have been learned for any future incidents requiring evacuation of residents and others?”
Response from Councillor M Rudd, Cabinet Member for Community Health
“Evacuation in Suffolk is led by Suffolk Constabulary and is only undertaken as a last resort in response to an emergency. The roles and responsibilities for each multi-agency partner are defined in the Suffolk Resilience Forum Guide to Evacuation and Shelter in Suffolk that is available on the Suffolk Resilience website.
East Suffolk Council supported a police-led emergency evacuation of over 100 properties on Sunday 28 July 2019 after dangerous chemicals were discovered in Normanhurst Close, Lowestoft. The Local Authority, supported by the Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit and Sentinel Leisure Trust, established a Rest Centre for 37 evacuees at Water Lane Leisure Centre, dispatched a Liaison Officer to the incident to liaise with the Emergency Services and ran an ad hoc Emergency Control Centre to co-ordinate the support. In the following week, teams within the Housing Service supported two tenants who were unable to return to their properties due to the on-going complex police investigation.
The key lessons for the Local Authority were considered at the quarterly Emergency Preparedness Forum on 21 August 2019. A multi-agency de-brief for all the Category 1 responders, including the police and Local Authority, was held on 23 September 2019.”
Councillor Gandy thanked the Cabinet Member for her response and, as a supplemental question, asked for clarification on the state of the two properties the two residents had been moved to. The response to this question was not available at the meeting but was subsequently provided to all Councillors.
(c) Question from Councillor P Byatt to the Leader of the Council:
“Following the previous disappointment in July with the Future High Streets Funds, does the recent announcement about our success with the New Towns Fund mean that plans for the Heritage Action Zone can be incorporated into this funding stream?”
Response from Councillor S Gallant, Leader of the Council
“The outcome of East Suffolk Council’s bid to the Future High Streets fund was very disappointing especially given the substantial work Officers from across the Council had contributed to the bid and the widespread support it received locally, regionally and nationally. The key lesson learnt from this experience is that the towns that were successful had a masterplan in place for their town centres. As a result of this ESC are now currently developing such a masterplan for Lowestoft’s town centre which will support a further bid for round 2 of the Future High Streets Fund and a bid into the recently announced Towns Funds that Lowestoft was invited to bid for. A crucial element in the production of an effective masterplan will be engaging with key stakeholders such as Lowestoft Town Council during its development.
The Towns Fund invites us to bid for up to £25m for Lowestoft (not restricted to the town centre) for progress regeneration and development projects. The Government expects communities, businesses and local leaders to join forces to draw up ambitious plans to transform their town’s economic growth prospects with a focus on improved transport, boosting productivity, broadband connectivity, skills and culture. However, we still await detailed criteria from the Government so we know exactly what we can bid for.
The development of the town centre masterplan will provide a comprehensive approach to repurposing the town centre and guide future development and inward investment opportunities. Furthermore, it will include the HAZ area and will provide the basis for our bid to the Towns Fund and the second round of the Future High Street Fund. The North Lowestoft Heritage Action Zone is and will continue to play a vital role in the future regeneration of Lowestoft. The HAZ will help shape regeneration proposals within that area, complementing other key areas within the town (including the town centre and south seafront). This will allow ESC to seek further external grant funding, from a variety of sources, including the Towns Fund. The HAZ will also allow us to bring key partners to the table to ensure that initiatives are supported by a wide range of partners / community.”
Councillor Byatt thanked the Leader for his response and, as a supplemental comment, suggested that, in addition to the Council's existing Heritage Champion, the Leader consider appointing an Assistant Heritage Champion. He added that, in comparison to the current "febrile" national political atmosphere, it was additionally important for the Council to be seen as a constant that continued to work with enthusiasm for and on behalf of its local communities, town and parish councils. The Leader of the Council stated that the Council would continue to work closely with all three tiers of local government and he was very pleased that Lowestoft Town Council was keen to work with the Council to develop the masterplan for the town centre.