Issue - items at meetings - Response to DEFRA consultation on the South Downs National Park Authority

Report of the Director of Environment (copy attached).

(1)         That the Cabinet Member approves the draft response to DEFRA attached at Appendix 1 regarding the proposed membership of the future South Downs National Park Authority.

48.1         The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of Environment concerning the Council’s response to the government’s ‘Consultation on the membership of the future South Downs National Park Authority’ document (for copy see minute book).

48.2         Councillor Mitchell supported the proposed response and queried how other local authorities were responding.

48.3         The Cabinet Member reported that the local authorities that would be allocated two members under the proposal for a larger Authority had stated a preference for this, while the other local authorities preferred a smaller Authority; the Council’s response included a caveat that if the larger Authority was agreed, Brighton and Hove should be allocated an additional member. He added that even the lower proposal of 29 members was higher than any other National Park Authority making 39 an unlikely proposition.

48.4         Councillor Rufus stated that the Council should push for greater representation for Brighton and Hove as one of the principal gateways to the National Park. He added that, as stakeholders, residents from the area should be permitted a directly elected representative on the Authority.

48.5         The Cabinet Member stated that the Council had made representations, but was restricted by the options proposed.  He added that any individuals or groups could respond to the consultation.

48.6         Councillor Mitchell stated that it was important that the maximum amount of funding was directed towards maintaining the National Park, rather than towards a larger Authority and that it was the responsibility of local authorities to ensure that residents were aware that they could feed comments through via their local Authority members.

48.7         RESOLVED - That having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet Member accepted the following recommendation:

(1)         That approval be given to the draft response to DEFRA, attached at Appendix 1, regarding the proposed membership of the future South Downs National Park Authority.