Town Council Committees for Next Municipal Year

Following on from proposals made at the Annual Meeting of Hailsham Town Council held on Wednesday 17th May, the Council’s Committee structure for the next year has been put in place.

The following Standing Committees have been appointed for the 2023/24 municipal year:

ASSETS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Responsibilities include: Cemetery and Cemetery Buildings; Burial Records; James West Community Centre; Cortlandt Former Stable Block and Public Toilet Facility; Fleur de Lys Meeting Room; Union Corner Hall; Maurice Thornton Pavilion; Street Lighting; Youth Services (Square Youth Cafe/Friday Night Project/Hellingly Youth Hub/Monday Youth Club/Eastside Youth Hub/Safehub); Play Areas (Western Road/Battle Road/Stroma Gardens/Maurice Thornton Playing Field/Quinnell Drive); Public Open Spaces; Hailsham Country Park; Common Pond; Orchard Park and Grovelands Barn; Maurice Thornton Playing Field; Outdoor Gym Equipment (Western Road Recreation Ground and Maurice Thornton Playing Field); Western Road Recreation Ground; Allotments (Battle Road/Station Road/Harold Avenue); Dual-Purpose Waste Bins

COMMUNITIES COMMITTEE

Responsibilities include: Business, Retail and Town Centre Development; Town Revitalisation, Coordination of Hailsham Street Market; Christmas Market and Christmas Lights Switch-on Events; Community Events

FINANCE, BUDGET, RESOURCES & STAFFING COMMITTEE

Responsibilities include: Precept (recommending the Town Council’s budget); Insurance; Staff Structure and Administration; Policy & Policy Reviews; Health & Safety; Contracted Services; Leases; Banking & Investment; Grants; Joint Funded Projects; Subsidies; Section 137 Payments

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Delegated powers include: Commenting on Planning Applications; Enforcement Notices; Notices of Appeal (against planning decisions); Justices Licences; Tree Preservation Orders; Conservation Areas & Listed Buildings; Local Development Proposals; any other planning related matters; Street Closures; Street Naming; Footpath Diversions

NEIGHBOURHOOD PLANNING COMMITTEE

The Town Council established a Neighbourhood Planning Committee in 2015 to oversee a process that will result in the preparation of a Plan for Hailsham, which was put to a public referendum on 6th May 2021.

STAFFING COMMITTEE

Staffing matters; contracts of employment; salaries and pay scales; disciplinary matters; policies for staff; execution of new employment contracts and changes to existing contracts; health and safety at work; recruitment

STRATEGY COMMITTEE

Appointed to make recommendation to the Council in drawing up a business plan of priorities for Hailsham Town Council, working in partnership with other organisations, members of the Town Council or other Town Council committees or sub-committees to achieve these objectives.

DETAILS OF FUTURE MEETINGS

A full schedule of Committee meetings, in addition to bi-monthly meetings of Full Council, is available to view on the Town Council website.

A copy of the agenda for these meetings is displayed on the notice boards outside the Town Council offices and in Vicarage Field, as well as on the Town Council’s website.

Please note that all Town Council meetings and committee meetings are open to the public to attend as observers (with the exception of items of confidential business). However, residents are invited to address members during the 15 minutes set aside for this purpose at the start of each meeting. If several residents attend who wish to address members of the Town Council or Committee, the 15 minutes allocated will be shared between them.

MESSAGE FROM THE TOWN CLERK, JOHN HARRISON

“Local government needs local people. The Town Council is determined to make Hailsham a great place to live, work and learn and residents can get involved by attending, observing, making an enquiry or raising an issue relating to Town Council services at our regular meetings.”

“Council meetings are a great way to learn first-hand how local decisions are made and the Town Council is committed to community engagement. So, if there is an issue you think is important or where you believe the Town Council can make improvements you may want to bring it to the attention of members, please do consider observing some of our meetings.”