Agenda and draft minutes

To receive and record apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Carpenter, Quantrill and Fairhurst.

To confirm the minutes of the Scrutiny Board held on 31 January 2017

The minutes of the meeting of the Scrutiny Board held on 31 January 2017 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Members requested responses to the queries raised by the Scrutiny Board at its meeting on 31 January 2017 regarding the Budget be circulated to all Councillors.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Chairman to report the outcome of meetings attended or  other information arising since the last meeting.

The Chairman informed the Board that he had attended a meeting of the PUSH Overview and Scrutiny Committee. No meetings of the 6 Councils Contract Scrutiny Committee had yet taken place.

The Chairman also passed on his thanks to the Scrutiny Leads and Panel members for their hard work in the past year.

The Board was given an opportunity to review progress made by the Crime and Disorder Panel and the Scrutiny and Policy Development Panels since the last meeting.

During the debate, the Scrutiny Lead for the Budget Scrutiny and Policy Development Panel updated the Board on the progress of the Review of the Constitution. The Panel was due to meet on 18 April 2017 to consider the proposed changes to the Constitution, which included clearer guidelines on the decision making process, new standing orders for Committees to allow for freer debate and the formalisation of the deputation procedures for Committees.

The Scrutiny Lead recommended that authority be delegated to the Budget Scrutiny and Policy Development Panel to complete the review of the Constitution and make recommendations, on behalf of the Scrutiny Board, to the Governance and Audit Committee / Council.

RESOLVED that;

(a)          authority be delegated to the Budget Scrutiny and Policy Development Panel to complete the review of the Constitution and make recommendations, on behalf of the Scrutiny Board, to the Governance and Audit Committee / Council;

(b)          the progress reports of the Crime and Disorder Panel and the Scrutiny and Policy Development Panels be noted; and

(c)          the future topics identified in Appendix C of the report be included in the Scrutiny Board Work Programme 2016/17.

The Board was given the opportunity to consider and comment upon the Scrutiny on the Provision of Beach Huts in the Borough Report. The Scrutiny Lead for the Operations, Environmental Services and Norse Scrutiny and Policy Development Panel presented the report and answered any questions raised. The Cabinet Lead for Operations, Environmental Services and Norse was also invited to join the meeting and answer any questions in relation to the report.

During the debate, members raised queries on the timescales for the implementation of new beach huts, and were informed that it was hoped that new huts would be in place from May 2017. Members also raised concerns on the level of public consultation in the review, and were advised that Hayling Island Ward Councillors had been consulted and no issues had been raised.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Board recommend that Cabinet;

(a)          endorse a more robust management attitude towards non payment of fees i.e. the termination of the licence when a fee is not paid within a required time limit;

(b)          consider ways it could maximise the income it could recover for the transfer of privately owned beach huts on Council sites;

(c)          consider changing the current letting arrangements (licences) e.g. by increasing fees and leasing the beach hut sites so as to generate more income from the beach hut service;

(d)          consider ways of improving the appearance and design of the sites and beach huts;

(e)          consider providing new beach huts in the car park adjoining the Hayling Island skatepark as shown in Appendix A of the report. Such development to be constructed under permitted development rights subject to public consultation and consultation with statutory consultees; and

(f)           endorse the view that any additional beach huts should infill within existing beach hut sites on Hayling Island.

The Board was given the opportunity to consider and comment upon the Review of the Safer Havant Partnership (Troubled Families Programme) Report. The Chairman of the Crime and Disorder Panel introduced the report and answered any questions raised. The Cabinet Lead for Communities and Housing was also invited to join the meeting and answer any questions in relation to the report.

During the course of the debate, members commented on the success of the Programme within Hampshire and the importance of securing funding for its continuation.

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Board recommend to Cabinet that;

(a)          Hampshire County Council be requested to relax the scheduled timescales for working with families within the Troubled Families Programme to allow for full support to be given;

(b)          Hampshire County Council be requested to extend the length of grant funding to be given over a three-year period to allow for long-term planning and resource allocation;

(c)          the Department of Work and Pensions be requested to allow for the access of data for agencies within the Troubled Families Programme;

(d)          the Leader of the Council be requested to seek the support of the local Members of Parliament for an extension of the funding for the Programme beyond 2020; and

(e)          an investigation be undertaken into the feasibility of requiring a contribution towards the Programme as part of the planning permission for certain developments.