Rother District Council convened on Monday 15 September 2025, and addressed a number of important issues including the rights of rivers and trees, the budget outturn for 2024/25, and changes to committee and cabinet membership. Councillors voted in favour of motions supporting the rights of rivers and trees, and approved the budget outturn and changes to committee membership. A motion regarding neurodiversity was withdrawn and will be resubmitted at the next meeting.

Rights for Rother Rivers

The council voted to support a motion on the rights of Rother rivers. The motion recognises the importance of rivers and freshwater systems and aims to establish a framework for rethinking the relationship between humans and the natural world.

The approved motion includes:

• Support for the rights of rivers and water courses in Rother
• Support for the creation of ecologically sound management plans for particular water courses
• A commitment to respond positively to proposals from community groups and organisations that develop and enhance their management plans based on these rights
• Consideration of how to reflect the motion in the Revised Local Plan
• Updating the council's Climate Action Plan to reflect the motion
• Informing local residents and the press/media of the decision

The motion was moved by Councillor Sue Burton and seconded by Councillor Nicola McLaren.

The motion states that the council:

supports the introduction into law of the following rights for rivers:

1. the right to flow;
2. the right to perform essential functions within their ecosystems;
3. the right to be free from pollution;
4. the right to feed, and to be fed by, sustainable aquifers;
5. the right to native biodiversity;
6. the right to regeneration and restoration; and
7. the right to have an articulated voice in the community.

The motion references the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers by the Earth Law Centre and International Rivers, and refers to the River Brede as being in poor ecological health in 2022 according to the Rivers Trust's 2024 State of Our Rivers report. It also mentions that citizen scientists testing the Powdermill Stream in Battle/Crowhurst have found unacceptable levels of phosphate.

Councillor John Barnes declared a non-registerable interest as a member of the Friends of Bewl Water, while Councillors Andrew Mier and Susan Prochak declared other registerable interests as council-appointed representatives on the Romney Marshes Area Internal Drainage Board and as members of Rother Environmental Group. Councillor Richard Thomas declared an other registerable interest as a council-appointed representative on the Pevensey & Cuckmere Water Level Management Board and Bexhill Environment Group.

Rights of Rother Trees

The council voted to support a motion on the rights of Rother trees. The motion recognises the importance of trees and aims to establish a framework for rethinking the relationship between humans and the natural world.

The approved motion includes:

• Welcoming the decision of Crowhurst Parish Council to support personhood status for the 1066 Yew tree and inviting them, together with the community of Crowhurst, to take on guardianship of the tree to protect it for future generations.
• Consideration of how to reflect the motion in its revised Rother Local Plan.
• Updating the council's Climate Strategy Action Plan to reflect the motion.
• Continuing to work in partnership with local environmental organisations to utilise this motion to support their work.
• Supporting proposals from community groups and organisations for similar declarations in respect of other Rother trees that can be considered as a heritage and/or cultural asset .
• Informing local residents and local press/media of this decision.

The motion was moved by Councillor Nicola McLaren and seconded by Councillor Sue Burton.

The motion states that the council supports the introduction into law of legislation which would require those taking decisions affecting trees to have regard to the trees' rights to:

1. exist and grow;
2. have their own mycelium (underground fungi) protected;
3. access to their adjacent root-wide-web;
4. have their wellbeing protected for future generations;
5. not to be wilfully injured or damaged;
6. not to be killed;
7. not to be polluted with poisons;
8. have an articulated voice in the community; and
9. hold polluters and vandals accountable.

The motion references the Sentencing Remarks in relation to the felling of Hadrian's Wall Sycamore Tree 9 May 2025, the Forestry Journal article Trees of the world: The 1066 Yew, and the World Economic Forum on Environmental Personhood.

Councillor Sue Burton declared a non-registerable interest as a supporter of Battle for Trees, while Councillors Andrew Mier and Susan Prochak each declared an other registerable interest as council appointed representatives on the Romney Marshes Area Internal Drainage Board and as members of Rother Environmental Group. Councillor Richard Thomas declared an other registerable interest as a council appointed representative on the Pevensey & Cuckmere Water Level Management Board and Bexhill Environment Group.

Budget Outturn 2024/25, Revenue and Capital Monitoring and Productivity Plan Update

The council approved and adopted the report of the Cabinet on the Budget Outturn 2024/25, Revenue and Capital Monitoring and Productivity Plan Update.

The report detailed the budget outturn position for the 2024/25 financial year, revenue and capital monitoring, and an update on the productivity plan. The Revenue Budget (RB), Capital Programme (CP) position, impact on the council's reserves, and updated Productivity Plan (PP) were summarised in the appendices to the report.

The RB draft outturn position was an overall surplus of £433,000 against the approved budgeted drawdown from Reserves of £186,000. The General Fund reserve currently stands at its optimum £5m level at the end of 2024/25.

The draft CP outturn as at 31 March 2025 was £24m, which represented 83% of the revised 2024/25 budget of £29m. The current projected spend for 2025/26 through to 2028/29 is approximately £115m.

The updated PP (2025/26 to 2027/28) has been extended through to March 2028 to align with the savings and efficiency proposals within the budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy, plus the anticipated formation of the new Unitary Authority from April 2028. It was noted that £2.8m was available to support the proposals contained within the Government's Directive to extend the ability to use capital receipts flexibly, enabling the council to use capital receipts from the sale of assets to help fund the revenue costs of transformation projects and Local Government Reorganisation and release savings.

Councillor Beverley Coupar declared an other registerable interest in this matter as she was a Director of Rother DC Housing Company Ltd, and Councillor Richard Thomas declared an other registerable interest as he was Chair of Rother DC Housing Company Ltd.

Revised Anti-Fraud and Corruption Framework and Audit Committee Annual Report

The council approved and adopted the Revised Anti-Fraud and Corruption Framework and the Audit Committee Annual Report.

The council is firmly opposed to fraud and corruption of any kind and has a suite of policies and procedures used to promote a culture of openness, honesty, and opposition to fraud. The documents form part of the council's Anti-Fraud and Corruption Framework and were last approved at full council in December 2022. The framework has recently been reviewed and all proposed changes were cosmetic in nature which included post holder and job title changes, and a few updates to the wording to improve its clarity.

The Audit Committee Annual Report outlined the role, purpose, and background of the committee, as well as a summary of the audit-related work undertaken throughout the 2024/25 financial year.

Change in Committee and Cabinet Membership

The council noted the changes in membership of the Cabinet, Audit, and Planning Committees.

Councillor Susan Prochak was reinstated as Deputy Leader and appointed back into Cabinet with a new portfolio responsibility for rural Rother, with an emphasis on the impact of Local Government Reorganisation to Parish and Town Councils (excluding Bexhill). Councillor Gareth Delany replaced Councillor Sam Coleman in the Cabinet, taking over the existing portfolio responsibilities for Community Safety, Wellbeing, Equalities and Age Friendly Communities and Member Training Champion.

Councillor Fazlul Chowdhury replaced Councillor Gareth Delany on the Audit Committee, and Councillor Nicola McLaren replaced Councillor Susan Prochak on the Planning Committee.

The Leader of the Council paid tribute to Councillor Sam Coleman for his work on anti-poverty, and the Deputy Leader and Leader of the Labour Group echoed these sentiments.

Since the last meeting, Councillor Beverley Coupar had become a member of the Liberal Democrat Group. Following a review of the allocation of committee seats, all Group Leaders agreed to retain the current allocation of committee seats to political groups.

Motion to Council - Neurodiversity Declaration

In the absence of Councillor Jimmy Stanger, this matter was withdrawn and will be resubmitted to the next full council meeting being held on 15 December 2025. The motion affirms that responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty¹ extend to those who are neurodiverse, and that people who are neurodiverse and the groups that represent them should be considered, consulted, and involved in council decisions where possible.

Report of the Human Resources Committee

The council approved and adopted the recommendations of the Human Resources Committee, which had been recommended to council as printed. The recommendations included approving the proposed restructure within the Senior Management Team and authorising the Chief Executive and Leader of the Council to proceed with the restructure.

Public Question Time

The council addressed questions from members of the public. Bernard Brown asked what assurances could be given that Rother District Council adequately and fully protects the most vulnerable from harm and abuse within the council's area of responsibility. Councillor Gareth Delany answered that East Sussex County Council holds primary responsibility for meeting the needs of vulnerable people, while Sussex Police leads on investigating criminal activity.

In the absence of the questioner, Rachel Hills, the Chair proceeded to deal with the question put to Councillor Teresa Killeen. The question asked whether future tenants of the Colonnade units would be required to demonstrate that their business would be working within and supporting the Bexhill Cultural Centre strategy. Councillor Teresa Killeen answered that the council has no need to seek planning permission when letting its units at the Colonnade as no change of use requiring planning permission is proposed.