Meeting Details

The Chair

The Leader announced that Councillor Gooch was replacing Councillor Gandy on the Cycling, Walking and Wheeling Working Group.

The Cabinet Members

There were no announcements from Cabinet Members. 

On the proposition of Councillor Candy, seconded by Councillor Daly it was unanimously

RESOLVED

 
That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2026, be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1. Supported Option 1 for Phase 1 works entailing a privately funded rock-bag solution proposed along 50m of this frontage proposed by the Thorpeness CIC.

2. Supported Option 2 for Phase 2 works entailing an urgent rock bag scheme to adjoin and extend the Phase 1 works, comprising extension of rock bag scheme to the front of the former Tinkers End and Stella Maris frontages

3. Approved the use of existing Coastal Management budgets and its earmarked reserve to cover the total cost of the Phase 2 works, estimated at circa £300k.

4. Delegated authority to the Strategic Director in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Coastal Management and Head of Legal and Democratic Services to:

- enter into a legal agreement(s) with the Thorpeness CIC to cover the implementation and ongoing management, maintenance and monitoring of the rock bags and any trigger levels required for their removal (Phase 1).

5. Delegated authority to the Strategic Director, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Planning and Coastal Management to:

- seek appropriate agreements and consents, including planning permission, from the local planning authority and other statutory bodies for these urgent works in this location (where required).

- apply to the Environment Agency’s Regional Flood and Coast Committee for any emergency funding and accept any funding allocated.

- to seek external professional support to connect any Phase 3 works with Phases 1 and 2 should potential private funding become available.

6. Delegated authority to the Head of Energy Planning and Coastal Management to instruct and oversee further flood and coastal studies to identify medium to long term risk of erosion and inundation in the area and develop appropriate proposals.

Councillor Langdon-Morris, Cabinet Member responsibility for Resources and Value for Money, introduced report ES-2609 which related to the Resilience and Emergency Response Fund.

The proposed fund of £500k was to provide emergency response funds should another emergency event occur – such as flooding or destruction due to severe / extreme weather. The funding would be managed by the Resilience Coordinator and would be split into two parts, which would be £350k and £150k which would form the small grant component. The funding would be managed over a five-year period. The money would be to support communities, training and provide key equipment.

Councillor Candy thanked Councillor Langdon-Morris for the work he has done since Storm Babet and getting the funding to the point of coming to Cabinet.

 Councillor Ashdown queried if the £150k grant element would mean that Parish Councils could apply for repairs such as damage from flooding. Councillor Langdon-Morris responded that the funding would focus on training and some provision of equipment such as emergency boxes. The Resilience Coordinator confirmed it would be dependant on what the repair requirement was and it would be measured on a case-by-case basis. There would be an element to support communities to find funding.

 Councillor Jepson questioned if expectation and demand would be able to be met. Councillor Langdon-Morris responded that the team work with Suffolk County Council who have their own budget, it was hoped that the teams could collaborate and work together. The Resilience Coordinator added that whilst it was a solo role, she was part of a wider team with partner organisations.

Councillor Byatt suggested that it could be a good time to have further member briefings on what to do and not to do in an emergency, especially in rural wards.

Councillor Langdon-Morris concluded that moving into LGR Emergency Response would continue to be a priority and needed to continue to be developed in the future.

On the proposition of Councillor Langdon-Morris seconded by Councillor Packard it was unanimously 

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1. Approved the amendment to the Terms of Reference for the Resilience and Emergency Response Fund, as outlined in Appendix A.

2. Allowed for future Resilience and Emergency Response Fund (RERF) financing to be considered as both ‘Resilience’ and ‘Emergency Response’ grants in the proportions agreed. 

Councillor David Beavan, Cabinet Member with the responsibility for Housing, introduced report ES-2724 which related to the Award of contract/s under the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Grant allocation.

The report sought Cabinet approval to procure a suite of essential homelessness and rough sleeping services funded through the Council’s multi year allocation of the ringfenced Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant for 2026–2029.

 The Government’s new ‘National Plan to End Homelessness’ placed a strong emphasis on prevention first, holistic service design, and multi agency collaboration. To meet these expectations and fulfil the Council’s statutory duties, the Council must commission specialist providers to deliver the Safe to Stay Hub and Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI) beds across East Suffolk.

 These services form a critical part of the local pathway, reducing crisis demand, improving outcomes, and enabling people to move away from rough sleeping into safe, sustainable accommodation.

 Councillor Beavan read the recommendations.

 Councillor Jepson raised concern over the vulnerability of the charitable sector in relation to operational costs and viability of organisations to continue to operate in a challenging financial climate. Councillor Beavan agreed it was a challenging time and stated that organisations needed to have robust governance mechanisms in place to ensure their future viability. The Councillor added that the Council needed to work closely with providers to seek assurance on their governance structures and overall operational viability to ensure commissioned services are delivered. Councillor Beavan concluded that charities should let the Council know if they are in trouble as early as possible. 

Councillor Byatt thanked staff for stepping in regarding a recent issue with a local organisation.  Councillor Byatt was surprised that there were no representatives from the Council on the Board of Trustees for Access Community Trust and commented that there would be lessons learned from the recent experience. Councillor Byatt added that even with due diligence checks organisations might not be completely transparent and the Council could not get involved in the running of organisations. 

Councillor Ashton considered if the Council should be doing some review of viability in the life of a contract rather than just at the point of procurement.

The Chair added that Access Community Trust had been providing services for a long time and there had been no cause for concern. The recent events had left everyone quite shocked and sad for the organisation as well as the staff and service users affected.

The Head of Housing added that due diligence was completed by the finance team who have the capacity to do that for the Council. There were options to contract to pay organisations monthly, if a contract presented higher risk.

The Chair thanked teams for stepping up quickly to address the situation. The Chair acknowledged the Communities team for opening the Community Hub on a Friday and all the staff that gathered and provided support.

Councillor Daly concluded that he had previously worked in field where accessing services was a key part of the job. He recognised that there could be a risk of exploitation and abuse and his experience was that people in support services would often go above and beyond.

On the proposition of Councillor Beavan seconded by Councillor Daly it was unanimously 

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1. Approved the procurement of homelessness and rough sleeping services funded through the Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Domestic Abuse Grant allocation for 2026–2029.

2. Delegated authority be given to the Head of Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member with responsiblity for Housing, to enter into contracts within the approved budget envelope, following a compliant procurement process in line with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules and Procurement Act 2023.

Councillor Beavan, Cabinet Member with the responsibility for Housing to introduced report ES-2723 which related to the Housing Revenue Account Asset Management Strategy 2026-2030.

Councillor Beavan was delighted to present the new Housing Revenue Account Asset Management Strategy 2026-2030. East Suffolk Council was required to have an Asset Management Strategy for the housing portfolio. The new strategy covered the period 2026-2030 and ensured increased capital investment, to reach full compliance with the Decent Homes Standard.

The strategy had five key objectives:

1. Ensuring Long-Term Value – through the development of a ‘Homes for 2050’ Standard and an asset appraisal model to guide development, investment, redevelopment, and disposal decisions.

 2. Improving Operational Efficiency – by streamlining service delivery, enhancing procurement, and maximising rental income through reduced voids.

 3. Delivering Investment and Safety for Residents – ensuring compliance, robust stock condition data, and a person-centred approach to health and safety.

4. Providing for the Future through Sustainability – improving EPC ratings, tackling fuel poverty, and embedding environmental impact into development decisions.

5. Governance and Risk Management – ensuring transparent delivery through resident engagement, performance scrutiny, and proactive risk mitigation.

Councillor Beavan added that it would be a data led approach, with two distinct phases. There would be key performance indicators (KPIs) and action plans to monitor and deliver.

Councillor Beavan read the recommendations.

Councillor Candy commented that it was refreshing to see a long-term approach being presented. 

Councillor Beavan was pleased with the document, and it was good to have a long-term approach with the monitoring and evaluation to get on top of the figures and have them presented visually. Councillor Beavan thanked the Housing Team.

On the proposition of Councillor Beavan seconded by Councillor Ashton it was unanimously 

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1. Approved the Housing Asset Management Strategy (Draft version), attached as Appendix A.

2. Gave delegated authority to the Head of Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Housing to make any presentational or clarificatory improvements or minor non-material amendments as necessary prior to its publication, including updating any data where this becomes available in the intervening period.

3. Gave delegated authority to Head of Housing to conduct an annual review of progress against the strategy and action plan, which should be reported to Cabinet and ensure the quarterly key performance indicators are reported as part of ESC’s Corporate Performance Framework. 

Councillor Candy, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Community Health, introduced report ES-2729 which related to a request for a variation of a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) – Felixstowe carparks leading from Viewpoint to Cliff Road, and surrounding area.

Councillor Candy stated that at the Cabinet meeting on 2 December 2025, the PSPO was approved.  A slight variation to the previously approved PSPO was required, it would remove the prohibited behaviour ‘Consumption of drugs and alcohol.’ There was no evidence base to support the contention that these activities were being carried in the restricted area to the degree that they have a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality.  There was also a technical legal error in the drafting that rendered that prohibition unenforceable and advice from the legal team was that challenges to questionable provisions of the PSPO could have the effect of undermining the key behaviour that required addressing; namely anti-social use of vehicles.

Further clarity on the “restricted area” was also required. The varied document was drafted to better address the key behaviours causing problems within the community.

Councillor Candy read the recommendations.

Councillor Reeves added that was gratifying to get to this stage of introducing the PSPO.

Councillor Jepson queried the legality, which the Communities Officer responded that the variation was ensure the PSPO was more robust.

Councillor Byatt queried if CCTV was available and would be considered in connection with the PSPO, monitoring of the area and providing a potential deterrent.  Councillor Candy responded that the Port had authorised use of their CCTV which had coverage of some of the area in question. Landgaurd Trust were seeking to get CCTV also.

The Chair thanked the Communities Officer. 

On the proposition of Councillor Candy, seconded by Councillor Noble it was unanimously 

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1. Approved the variation of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for ‘Felixstowe carparks leading from Viewpoint to Cliff Road, and surrounding area’, at Appendix B, to commence from 1 April 2026 until 12 December 2028 being the original date of expiry.

Councillor Langdon-Morris, Cabinet Member responsibility for Resources and Value for Money, introduced report ES-2728 which related to 2025/26 Quarter 3 Financial Performance Report.

The report provided an overview of the Council’s forecast outturn position at the end of Quarter 3 of 2025/26 (April to December) against the approved budget. The approved budget represented the original budget approved in February 2025, in respect of the General Fund, Reserves, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the Capital Programme, along with any approved budget changes in the year to date.

At the end of December 2025, the projected forecast for the year end was a surplus of approximately £4.369m, primarily due to notable increases in planning application income, treasury management investment income, and additional funding secured following budget setting. However, forecasts would be subject to change in the final quarter.

The 2025/26 HRA budget forecast reflected a surplus of £0.038m compared to the original budget of a £0.972m surplus, a negative movement of £0.934m. £0.613m was carry forward budgets from 2024/25, with the remaining negative movement of £0.321m being a combination of factors.

The General Fund Capital Programme Budget of £81.077m included £22.562m of carry forward underspend from 2024/25 due to project delays and rephasing. As at quarter 3 just over 18% of the General Fund capital budget for the current year had been spent, an increase of 8% from the quarter 2 position. As part of the 2026/27 budget review, capital programmes have been reviewed to ensure budget provisions are realistic and correctly profiled.

The focus in Q4 will be preparation for year-end and outturn will be finalised by the end of May 2026.

Councillor Langdon-Morris read the recommendations.

There were no questions or debate from Cabinet Members. 

On the proposition of Councillor Langdon-Morris seconded by Councillor Beavan it was unanimously 

RESOLVED

That Cabinet:

1. Noted the Council’s forecast outturn financial position as at Quarter 3 (April to December 2025) against the approved General Fund budget.

2. Noted approved budget change variations following the original 2025/26 budget approval in February 2025 and the impact on the General fund for the year.

3. Noted the areas of financial challenge for the current year and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy.

Councillor Ashton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Services - Digital, Customer Services, HR, Assets and Car Parking, introduced report ES-2727 which related to the Ports and Marine Facilities Safety Code Compliance Exercise.

Councillor Ashton stated that every three years, harbour authorities should notify the Maritime and Coastguard agency of its compliance status for South Harbour. East Suffolk Council was harbour authority and the Cabinet was the duty holder. It's therefore the Cabinet's duty to authorise the response to the Marine and Coastguard agency. To inform our view, a designated person had been appointed to provide independent assurance that the council's marine safety management system was functioning effectively. East Council has appointed a external consultant from ABP Met who joined the meeting online. The audit was completed on 21 January 2026 and the audit identified that the harbour was compliant in nine out of ten key measures. The non-compliance related to a requirement that the Council publish a marine safety plan at least every three years. The marine safety plan had been updated. The reason for the non-compliance was because it had not been approved and was in the papers being considered.

Councillor Ashton read the recommendations.

Councillor Candy welcomed the report and recommendations.

Councillor Byatt queried where Council obligation sat regarding rescue aids along the water lines. Councillor Beavan responded that the harbour lands covered the Walberswick bank and around to a bit further behind by the campsite. The ABP Consultant confirmed that in terms of safety as a marine asset owner the Council would be required to provide life-saving equipment where the assets were part of the Council portfolio. Third party owners would need to provide their own provisions, which would include egress ladders.

The Chair discussed recent water safety training, which was provided online training via the RNLI who can also conduct water safety audits too.

On the proposition of Councillor Ashton seconded by Councillor Beavan it was unanimously 

RESOLVED

That Cabinet approved:

1. The updated ‘Marine Safety Plan’ for Southwold Harbour, Version 2.0, for publication on the Council’s Southwold Harbour webpage.

2. The updated ‘Southwold Harbour Marine Safety Management System’, Version 2.0, for operational use. 

3. The sending out of a letter/statement, in its role as Duty Holder, confirming that Southwold Harbour is compliant with the requirements of the Ports and Marine Facilities Safety Code