Agenda and minutes

Venue: Hollybank Room, Public Service Plaza, Civic Centre Road, Havant, Hants PO9 2AX. View directions

Contact: Penny Milne  Democratic Services Team Leader

Items
No. Item

39.

Apologies for Absence

To receive and record any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

40.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 85 KB

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 11 October 2017.

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Cabinet held on 11 October 2017 were approved as a correct record.

41.

Declarations of Interests

To receive and record any declarations of interest.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest from any of the members present.

42.

Chairman's Report

To receive any matters the Chairman wishes to report.

Minutes:

There were no matters the Chairman wished to report.

43.

Cabinet Lead Delegated Decisions and Urgent Decisions pdf icon PDF 62 KB

To note the following delegated decisions taken in accordance with the scheme of delegations to Cabinet Leads and urgent decision taken under Standing Order 48:

 

(1)  Delegated Decision:  Proposed Traffic Regulation Order, Coronation Road;

(2)  Delegated Decision:  Proposed Traffic Regulation Order, Holybourne Road;

(3)  Delegated Decision:  Proposed Traffic Regulation Order, Owslebury Grove;

(4)  Urgent Decision: Extension of IT Contract (Chairman of Scrutiny Board notified on 1 November)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the following delegated decisions taken in accordance with the scheme of delegations to Cabinet Lead and urgent decision taken under Standing Order 48 be noted:

 

(1)  Delegated Decision: Proposed Traffic Regulation Order, Coronation Road;

(2)  Delegated Decision: Proposed Traffic Regulation Order, Holybourne Road;

(3)  Delegated Decision: Proposed Traffic Regulation Order, Owlesbury Grove; and

(4)   Urgent Decision:  Extension of IT Contract

44.

Recommendation from the Scrutiny Board - Beach Huts Review pdf icon PDF 67 KB

To consider the recommendations from the Scrutiny Board as set out in the attached report.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet considered a report and recommendations from the Scrutiny Board arising from the Board’s consideration of the findings of the Operations, Environmental Services and Norse Scrutiny and Policy Development Panel following its review of Beach Hut provision in the Borough.

 

Councillor Paul Buckley, as Chairman of Scrutiny Board, and Councillor Jackie Branson as Scrutiny Lead, were invited to join the meeting and presented the findings and recommendations.

 

Cabinet members were appreciative of the work that had been put into this lengthy and complex scrutiny review by both members and officers, and were mindful of the need for the Council to balance fairness to residents and to act reasonably as a public body within the context of adopting a more commercial approach to delivering services in order to mitigate the significant financial challenges facing the Council in the short and medium term.

 

Cabinet agreed as a priority that any future changes in charging structures would need to be supported by robust and timely communications to beach hut owners.

 

The Cabinet considered carefully all the recommendations put forward by the Scrutiny Board.  In relation to recommendations 2.1.1 – 2.1.3, Cabinet noted that these matters would be included within the wider regeneration proposals to be brought to Cabinet on 18 December for debate as part of the emerging new Local Plan.

 

The Cabinet having considered all the recommendations put forward, it was:

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1)          The Cabinet agrees the provision of beach huts by the Council is a discretionary service and charges should reflect the market rate for this service;

 

(2)          The fee for a Beach Hut Plot Licence shall be £550 for 2017/18 with a view to increasing incrementally over a period of time to a market rate;

 

(3)          Officers be requested to establish a market rate and report back to Cabinet for consideration;

 

(4)          The Beach Hut Plot transfer licence fee for 2017/18 be set at £100 and shall be reviewed for following years;

 

(5)          Cabinet endorses the principle that the Beach Hut Plot Transfer Licence Fee includes other elements in addition to administrative costs;

 

(6)          Cabinet agrees that the facility to pay by equal instalments by Direct Debit over a six-month period specified by NORSE South East be offered to new and existing licensees with no administrative charge included or added;

(7)          Cabinet agrees that the instalment facility be made available for every year and not just this financial year;

(8)          Cabinet agrees that officers of the Council and NORSE South East be requested to build a working relationship with the newly formed Beach Hut Association;

(9)          Cabinet endorses a more robust management of non-payment of fees; and

(10)           Cabinet agrees that residents of the Borough be given first choice of new beach huts.

45.

Conservation Area Appraisal, Mill Lane, Langstone pdf icon PDF 108 KB

To consider the recommendations set out in the attached report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Guest presented a report summarising the outcome of the public consultation on the draft Mill Lane Conservation Area Appraisal and the proposed amendments arising from the consultation.

 

Significant concern was expressed by Cabinet members present in relation to the poor condition of the former railway signalmen’s cottages at Langstone and whether their historical importance in the local area merited their inclusion within the boundary of the Conservation Area.

 

Officers gave an assurance that, currently, the cottages were fully protected under listed building legislation and that action could be taken by the Council under that legislation to ensure that the buildings were maintained to a fit state of repair, however there could be a cost implication and the Council would need to demonstrate that it had made every effort to engage fully with the property owner to secure improvements. 

 

Cabinet therefore was minded to request that a separate report be brought back for Cabinet consideration, setting out potential courses of action that might be open to the Council together with all associated resource or liability implications

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1)          The responses to the recent consultation (Appendix 3 to the report) be noted;

(2)          The proposed changes to the Mill Lane Conservation Area Character Appraisal (Appendix 1 to the report) be approved;

(3)          The proposed changes to the Mill Lane Conservation Area boundary (Appendix 2 to the report) be approved;

(4)          Full Council be RECOMMENDED that the Mill Lane Conservation Area Character Appraisal (Appendix 1 to the report) is approved as a material consideration alongside the Local Plan;

(5)          Cabinet approval be given to implement an Article 4(1) Direction and authority be delegated to the Head of Planning, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead for Planning and Placemaking,  to determine the draft form and content of the direction prior to this being publicised (referred to sections 4.6-4.10 and 6.1-6.6 of the report) and that officers report back to Cabinet at a later date with the draft form and content;

(6)               Authority be delegated to the Head of Planning and Placemaking to make any necessary amendments to the documents listed above.  These shall be limited to grammatical, typographical, formatting and graphic design changes and shall not change the meaning of the material; and

(7)               A further report be brought back for Cabinet consideration, setting out potential courses of action that might be open to the Council in order to secure improvements to the structure of the former signalmen’s cottages at Langstone, together with an assessment of any related resource or liability implications

46.

Council Tax Support Scheme 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 67 KB

To consider the recommendations set out in the attached report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Bowerman presented a report to Cabinet seeking endorsement of the draft Council Tax Support Scheme prior to its formal consideration by full Council on 13 December:

 

RECOMMENDED to full Council that:

 

(1)          The 2017/18 Council Tax Support Scheme be retained in 2018/19 but with the following amendments:

 

(i)            the Allowances and Premiums used in determining entitlement for working age claims are changed as set out in paragraph 5.3 of the report; and

(ii)          the Non-Dependent deductions used in determining entitlement for working age claims are changes as set out in paragraph 5.4 of the report; and

(2)          the necessary arrangements are made to the Council Tax Support Scheme document and that it is then published in accordance with Local Government Finance Act 1992 Section 13A(2); and

(3)               an Annual Council Tax Support Hardship Fund of £5,000 be introduced to support the most vulnerable Council Tax Support Customers as set out in paragraph 5.5 of the report.  The £5,000 to form part of the budget process (2018/19) to be agreed at full Council in February 2018.

47.

Councillor Development pdf icon PDF 56 KB

To consider the recommendations set out in the attached report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Bowerman presented a report seeking Cabinet endorsement for the updated Councillor Development Strategy to be recommended to full Council for approval and for Cabinet to note the progress to date made by the Councillor Development Panel.

 

Councillor Bowerman outlined the work that had been done to date by the Panel to evaluate responses to the Councillors’ training needs assessment, review feedback from Councillors attending various training sessions and to look ahead at the induction process for newly elected members in  May 2018.

 

Councillor Bowerman also took the opportunity to thank the officers for the significant contribution in supporting the Panel to take forward the Council’s bid for accreditation under the South East Employers’ Charter for Eelected Member Development.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(1)          The updated Councillor Development Strategy be RECOMMENDED to full Council for approval; and

(2)               the progress update on the work of the Councillor Development Panel be noted.