To consider the receipt of funding to prepare the Coastal Strategy by working with Partners.

The Leader of the Council presented a report to consider receiving funding to prepare the Coastal Strategy and provided an update on the Lincs 2100+ proposals and highlighted the implications and opportunities afforded by this strategic collaborative work on the current and future works to be undertaken for the East Lindsey Local Plan.

Members were advised that the proposed works for Coastal Strategy offered major outcomes and opportunities for not only East Lindsey and the coast, but also wider Lincolnshire.  The benefits of this programme of works could include the following:

• The document and evidence base produced by this work would form the basis for business cases and discussions by the partner organisations with the Government for funding to deliver the proposed vision, strategy and delivery plan.

• This work would enable the Council’s wider ambition of maintaining coastal defence and providing future security for our businesses and communities.

• It would support and accelerate the continuing collaboration with partners in enabling development, bring forward economic change and enhance community resilience.

• The work proposed here would have long term implications on ensuring food security/productivity, energy resilience (current and future) and the visitor economy at local, regional and national level.

• This work would help to bring forward a Local Plan predicated on managed growth and help unlock development potential for coastal communities.

The background to the report was highlighted to Members, as set out at Sections 1 and 2 of the report, pages 90 to 93 of the report refer.

Following which, the recommendations were duly Proposed and Seconded.

Members were invited to put their comments and questions forward.

As a Point of Order, a Member asked for clarification on how accepting the money from Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) via the Environment Agency (EA) to undertake the works for coastal strategy ensured the Council’s independence with NWS.

A Member strongly disagreed with the Council accepting money from NWS via the EA and proposed an amendment to Recommendation No. 2 as follows:

‘That this Council rejects the NWS and EA funding stream, and requests that our Executive Board work with the Environment Agency and that the EA takes responsibility for funding and delivery of the coastal strategy, thus keeping East Lindsey District Council out of the pocket of NWS via the Environment Agency’.

In response, the Chief Executive explained that the proposed amendment negated the recommendation put in front of Members.  Therefore, if the Member wished to go ahead with what had been proposed it would be a case of voting against the recommendation.

A Member strongly opposed Recommendation No. 2 and was disappointed that the Council was accepting the money from NWS via the EA.  He was further concerned that there remained a clear risk that if the funding proposed by NWS should cease for any reason, for example work discontinuing on a GDF as a consequence of a change in strategic direction or a negative vote of public confidence that the money would have to be found from alternative sources.

A Member commented that he would not be supporting the recommendations as he made decisions based on evidence and not on how big someone’s wallet was.

A Member raised her concerns over flooding issues and highlighted that despite many issues being raised over the years there had been little done on the coast in terms of improving flood defences.  The Member was disappointed that the money was coming from NWS and that there were no suggestions within the report for alternative funding streams, however acknowledged that flood defences were needed to protect people’s lives.

Further concerns were also raised in relation to the risk of non-payment if NWS withdrew at any stage and it was queried how the investment was divided into phases of work and what the timescale would be for each.  It was further clarified that the £3m was not going to result in building works but was for desk-based studies and strategies.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning referred to a scrutiny panel on flooding in 2015 which included the state of the sea defences and the challenges with funding at that time.  Although beach re-nourishment had continued on the Lincolnshire coast since that time, it was considered that to improve the existing sea defences would be several hundred million pounds and was currently well in excess of that amount as by 2040 the sea defences would need replacing in their entirety.  As such, Members had a clear duty to the people they were elected to serve to accept the money from the EA and put it to good use because fundamentally the decision on whether a GDF happened or not would come down to a test of public support and not made by the Council.

It was further highlighted that the government was imposing a 150% uplift in housing targets and he referred to the current restraints and challenges that already existed with new housing development in the coastal zone.  He added that he did not want housing in these areas to stagnate and urged Members to support the paper as it was a fantastic opportunity to accept this money and put it to good use.

As a Point of Order, a Member highlighted Recommendation No. 2 and Option 3 under ‘Other Options’ which he understood was actually part of the original recommendation rather than a separate option as set out in the report, pages 89 to 90 of the Agenda refer.

A Member who lived close to the sea and represented the people in Mablethorpe understood how important the sea defences were.  However, she was of the opinion to save houses and the community, people would have to accept a GDF but wanted reassurance that money would be available for the sea defences.

A Member referred to the Nolan Principles and considered that if the £3m was accepted from NWS through the EA the Council would lose its integrity.  However, it was agreed that a coastal strategy was needed and suggested that other forms of funding coming in to the Council should be utilised for this.

In response to the comments made, the Leader of the Council considered that there was a misunderstanding about how the EA was funded and how it worked along the coast and added that over the years there had been various iterations of the coastal strategy.  The EA currently had £100m backlog in maintenance and had a 25-year backlog in maintenance in terms of work, not including the lesser river courses and the government would not fund significant infrastructure along the coast after repeated endeavours by Lincolnshire County Council.  It was clarified that the £3m was for the study of what was proposed along the coastline and not capital funding and if ELDC withdrew from the process LCC remained.  Members were further advised that it had been clearly stated that NWS would not reclaim the money.

N.B.  Councillor Andrew Leonard joined the Meeting at 4.11pm.

The Leader of the Council considered the first challenge was getting a coastal flood defence study in place and urged Members to support the paper to invest in this.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 18.5, Members asked for a recorded vote to be taken on the Motion.  Upon being put to the vote, Members voted as follows:

For the Proposal:

Councillors: Ashton, Avison, Bowkett, Davie, Dawson, Devereux, Dickinson, Evans, Foster, Fry, Gray, Alex Hall, David Hall, Jackson, Leyland, Lyons, McNally, Macey, Graham Marsh, Mossop, Rickett, Simpson and Taylor (23)

Against the Proposal:

Councillors: Aldridge, Bristow, Billy Brookes, Danny Brookes, Jimmy Brookes, Eyre, Hesketh, Hobson, Horton, Terry Knowles, Makinson-Sanders, Ellie Marsh, Watson and Yarsley (14)

Abstentions:

Councillors:  Campbell-Wardman, Cullen, Leonard and Marnoch (4)

RESOLVED:

1.     That the work being undertaken by the Council and its partners in preparing the Coastal Strategy, delivery plan and associated workstreams for coastal development in collaboration with the Environment Agency (EA) and Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) be noted.

2.     That the receipt of up to £3m from Environment Agency (EA) to undertake the works and amend the Council’s revenue budget for this purpose be approved.

N.B.  The Meeting adjourned for a comfort break at 4.25pm and reconvened at 4.35pm.

N.B.  Councillors Terry Aldridge and Jimmy Brookes left the Meeting at 4.25pm.