Agenda and minutes

To receive and record any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Bains and Denton.

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 07 September 2022.

The minutes of the meeting held on 7 September 2022 were approved as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive and record any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of pecuniary interests relating to matters on the agenda.

Minute 39 - Business Rates – Discretionary Rate Relief Review

Councillor Pike declared a non-pecuniary interest in Minute 39 as he was a trustee for some of the organisations referred to in the Appendix B of the report. He advised that he would take part in the debate but would not vote.

The Monitoring officer advised that if a member was in a position of general control or management of a body referred to in a report submitted to Cabinet, such as a trustee, he or should declare a non-pecuniary interest. A non -pecuniary interest, in this case, did not prevent a member from taking part in the debate on an issue but prohibited a member from taking part in the vote.

The Leader, on behalf of Cabinet, thanked the staff who prepared the events put in place to help residents and councillors grieve and show their respect to Her Majesty the Queen. The Leader also expressed the Council’s condolences to the Royal Family.

The Leader introduced a report proposing a revised Corporate Strategy.

The Cabinet was reassured that:

(i)         an engagement programme was being prepared to ensure that the Council used a mix of consultation methods to obtain the views of a wide range of residents and communities; and

(ii)        a system would be put in place to monitor the delivery of the strategy and to regularly update members on the Council’s performance.

A motion proposed by the Leader and seconded by Councillor Pike to agree the recommendations set out in the submitted report was approved. It was therefore

RESOLVED that Council be:

1.                  recommended to adopt the new Corporate Strategy; and

2.                  requested to note that the new Corporate Strategy will be brought back before Cabinet in December 2022 for further consideration following the course of public engagement referenced further in the submitted report 

The Cabinet Lead for Environmental Services introduced a report setting out the implications of terminating the delegation agreement with East Hampshire District Council relating to the delivery of environmental services.

It was noted that although some of the financial effects of the recent uplift in Drivers and Loaders pay were included in the 2022/23 HBC Revenue Budget Re-base Report, submitted to Cabinet on 7 September 2022; the updated costs, including terminating the agreement with EHDC, would be included in future budget monitoring reports.

Cabinet was reassured that the aim was to improve the operation of environmental services and in doing so improve the appearance of the Borough.

A motion proposed by Councillor Bowerman and seconded by the Leader to agree the recommendations set out in the submitted report was approved. It was therefore

RESOLVED that Council be recommended:

1          that the Council withdraw from the existing delegation arrangements regarding delivery of environmental services on behalf of East Hampshire District Council;

2          that the Chief Executive (acting in consultation with the Leader, Cabinet Lead for Environmental Services, S151 Officer, Monitoring Officer and Executive Head of Commercial) be delegated the authority to facilitate the withdrawal (on or before the end of December 2022 where possible) from the delegation arrangements around environmental services and in particular be delegated the authority to:

i.          agree an early termination of the Delegation Agreement dated 27 September 2019 with East Hampshire District Council for the delivery of environmental services functions; and

ii.          agree the negotiation and novation of the existing Supplemental Agreement dated 23 September 2019 between HBC and NSE, so that East Hampshire District Council might make its own separate arrangements for delivery of this service;

3          that the Chief Executive in consultation with the S151 Officer, Monitoring Officer and Executive Head of Commercial arrange for a quarterly report to be presented to Cabinet by way of progress report on the environmental services arrangements; and

4          to approve an uplift of renumeration for Drivers and Loaders as detailed in Appendix1. 

5          to approve previously unexpected expenditure (as per paragraph 4.4. of the report) relating to the hiring of a specialist skip vehicle and driver to cover the period up to the anticipated termination of the Delegation Agreement

The Cabinet Lead for Affordable Housing, Communities and CIL introduced a report setting out the next steps and funding required to take forward a housing strategy and evaluate an operating model to deliver it for the Borough.

Cabinet was reassured that the list of sites set out in the exempt appendix was indicative.

A motion proposed by the Councillor Robinson and seconded by the Leader to agree the recommendations set out in the submitted report was approved. It was therefore

RESOLVED that

1          the content of the report be noted

2          the drawdown up to £150,000 from the Regeneration Reserve to complete a draft business case for housing development on council owned land, which will include detailed asset valuations be approved.

The Cabinet Lead for Affordable Housing, Communities and CIL introduced a report setting out the changes to Government policy regarding asylum dispersal.

Cabinet considered an amendment to the recommendations set out in the report requesting the Leader to write to the Home Office to outline some of the challenges faced by Havant Borough Council in achieving the numbers set out by Government. Following a proposal by the Councillor Robinson, which was seconded by the Leader it was RESOLVED to amend the recommendations to include:

“The Council welcomes the positive move by the Home Office to engage with Councils on asylum arrangements, however it must balance the huge demands for housing by residents of the Borough together with the needs of asylum seekers. Cabinet resolves for the Leader to write to the Home Office to outline some of the challenges faced by Havant Borough Council in achieving the numbers set out by Government.”

A motion proposed by the Councillor Robinson and seconded by Councillor Lloyd to agree the recommendations set out in the submitted report as amended was agreed. It was therefore

RESOLVED that

1.                  Cabinet note that the Home Office is proposing a scheme for dispersal of asylum seekers under a model of fair distribution to each Council based upon the population of the South East region

2.                  Cabinet note the impact this may have upon Havant Borough Council; and

3.                  The Council welcomes the positive move by the Home Office to engage with Councils on asylum arrangements, however it must balance the huge demands for housing by residents of the Borough together with the needs of asylum seekers. Cabinet resolves for the Leader to write to the Home Office to outline some of the challenges faced by Havant Borough Council in achieving the numbers set out by Government.

(Councillor Pike participated in the debate but did not vote on this matter (see Minute 33))

The Leader introduced a report outlining the review of the discretionary rate relief, for charities, not for profit organisations and hardship relief and updated the existing scheme.

A motion proposed by the Leader and seconded by Councillor Satchwell to agree the recommendations set out in the submitted report was approved. It was therefore

RESOLVED that Council be recommended to approve the updated Discretionary Rate Relief Scheme as detailed in Appendix A of the submitted report.