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The Leader of the Council stated he was sure that members would want to join with him in expressing East Suffolk Council's (ESC's) deep sadness for the situation in Ukraine; he added that he struggled to find polite words to voice his condemnation of the Russian act of war that had already caused so much pain and suffering to so many innocent people. The Leader stated that ESC's thoughts, hopes and prayers were with the Ukrainian people and he added that he had discussed with his fellow Cabinet Members what practical support ESC could offer at this time, ever mindful of the quickly changing circumstances.
As always, the Leader added, ESC wanted to ensure that it did all it could and it was seeking meaningful actions, not empty gestures. The Finance Team was looking at all investments to ensure they were not supporting the Russian economy and ESC was fully supportive of the actions by Suffolk County Council to break the contract with Gazprom. The British Red Cross was working with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society to provide practical help to those that needed it the most and the Leader concluded that he would ensure that the link to its campaign was provided on ESC's website.
The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Transport announced that he had received a request to provide some parking for a heavy goods vehicle to collect donations, which would then be transported onwards to a central collection point; he would, of course, he stated, be pleased to accommodate this request. Should the same request be received from the Lowestoft area, Councillor Brooks stated, he would be pleased to accommodate it, if possible.
The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Transport also referred to the new bridge across the Lake Lothing and announced that the first section of the bridge had just arrived; it weighed 380 tonnes and was 55 metres long, and had taken 32 hours to to reach its destination, by sea, from Belgium, where it was manufactured. The job was ongoing, on budget, and on time Councillor Brooks was delighted to announce.
The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Communities, Leisure and Tourism, commenting on the situation in Ukraine, stated that she, with officers, would be actively monitoring the response within East Suffolk communities and would offer any assistance that could be provided
The Cabinet Member with responsibility for Community Health announced that a new Chief Executive had recently been appointed at the James Paget University Hospital; her name was Jo Segasby, and she had been the Trust's Chief Operating Officer since 2019.
The Deputy Leader, after referring to the very sad situation in Ukraine, provided an update in respect of the Digital Business Festival; he announced that 53 events had taken place and current views on the website were at 1445; the sessions were still available on the Council's YouTube channel along within the business support at East Suffolk Means Business.
The Deputy Leader also referred to the Town Celebration event that would be taking place in Beccles, between 10 am and 2 pm on 5 March 2022; he encouraged everyone to attend and he wished the event all the best of luck for every success.
The Leader, in conclusion and referring back to the situation in Ukraine, stated that ESC would be monitoring the asks from Central Government, particularly relating to the resettlement of refugees, and would be responding positively.