Agenda and minutes

To receive and record any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Denton and Councillor Bowerman.

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 13 April 2022.

Proposed by Councillor Pike and seconded by Councillor Robinson, the minutes of the previous meeting of 13 April 2022 were agreed as a true record.

To receive and record any declarations of interest.

There were no declarations of interest from the members present.

Councillor Rennie welcomed Councillor Lloyd to her first meeting as a new member of the Cabinet.

1     Councils’ response to Covid 19, disbursement of government funds to businesses as grants

Councillor Lloyd introduced the report as the Chairman of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 12 April 2022 when this matter was considered.

Councillor Rennie thanked the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for their work on this matter and further thanked staff for their work in providing local businesses with over £16m of grants to local businesses in the borough.

Proposed by Councillor Pike and seconded by Councillor Satchwell it was RESOLVED that Cabinet noted that:

(a)  Overview and Scrutiny notes the uniqueness and complexity of the situation with which the Council was faced;

(b)  Overview and Scrutiny notes that without the massive, personal effort made by the key officers in charge of working with Capita to disburse the funds to businesses, the Council would not have helped the Borough’s businesses as it did; and

(c)  Overview and Scrutiny wishes to commend those officers who worked tirelessly to physically process those many cases which demanded further scrutiny at the time, under immense pressure, in order that Havant Borough Council incurred no penalty for any fraudulent activity being possible, within this unique process.

2     Paperless Agendas for Meetings

Recommendations from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee from their meeting on 12 April 2022 in relation to this matter was considered as part of the substantial item.

Proposed by Councillor Rennie, and seconded by Councillor Robinson, it was RESOLVED that the following councillors be appointed to the Shareholder Sub-Committee:

·     Cllr Alex Rennie (Leader)

·     Cllr Tony Denton (Cabinet Lead with responsibility for Finance)

·     Cllr Narinder Bains

·     Cllr Lulu Bowerman

·     Cllr Clare Satchwell

Reserves

·     Cllr Gwen Robinson

·     Cllr Tim Pike

·     Cllr Elizabeth Lloyd

Proposed by Councillor Rennie and seconded by Councillor Robinson, it was RESOLVED that the appointments to Cabinet Liaison Panels as set out in the published report be approved.

Proposed by Councillor Rennie and seconded by Councillor Pike, it wasRESOLVED that Cabinet appointed members to represent the Council on those outside organisations as set out in Appendix A.

All appointments to have effect until the first meeting of the Cabinet in the 2023/24 municipal year.

Councillor Bains introduced the item as relevant Cabinet Lead.

The Leader invited Councillor Lloyd as Chairman of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 12 April 2022 when this matter was considered, to introduce the Committee’s report and its recommendations, which are that Cabinet be recommended to agree that:

1 the option of offering all councillors the opportunity of giving up all or part of their modernisation allowance to finance a new laptop provided and supported by the Council be explored

2  the current cost of supporting Councillors using their own IT equipment be explored and

3  the default position be that Councillors will not receive paper copies of agendas unless they specifically request them.

Cabinet were generally supportive of the recommendations, therefore Councillor Rennie proposed that recommendation 1 from the Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s report be added as recommendation ‘d’ to the substantive motion. This was seconded by Councillor Pike.

Following a vote in which Councillor Lloyd did not take part, it was RESOLVED that recommendation 1 from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s report now form recommendation ‘d’.

Proposed by Councillor Rennie and seconded by Councillor Pike, following debate, it was RESOLVED that Cabinet approved:

a.     That a Capita Supported Laptop will be the standard supported device for Councillors who require it.

b.     That Democratic Services define and deliver a plan to remove the distribution of printed agendas for all council meetings on the basis that all Councillors will be able to access this material electronically.

c.     That approval is given to invest in Modern.Gov to provide enhanced functionality to further improve paper-less working.

d.     the option of offering all councillors the opportunity of giving up all or part of their modernisation allowance to finance a new laptop provided and supported by the Council be explored

Councillor Rennie introduced the item as Leader of the Council and proposed an amendment to the motion as published in the report.

-      The intention to create a specific ‘Waterlooville Regeneration Reserve’ to fund the revenue costs of feasibility and development work for progressing regeneration projects in Waterlooville to Outline Business Case stage. The specific amount and conditions of this reserve will be reported back to the next Cabinet meeting ; and

-      Pending the said actions, the sum of £150,000 be immediately released from existing Regeneration revenue reserves to progress work on a strategic development plan for the regeneration of Waterlooville town centre, in accordance with the power granted to Cabinet in Standing Order 64.3.1 of the Budget and Policy Framework Standing Orders (Constitution Part 3 Section C)

Seconded by Councillor Robinson, following debate, it was RESOLVED that the amendment be added to the recommendations and form parts ‘e’ and ‘f’ of the substantive motion.

Cabinet considered the substantive motion.

Proposed by Councillor Pike, seconded by Councillor Satchwell, following debate it was RESOLVED that Cabinet noted and approved:

A      the outturn for the General Revenue Fund, subject to external audit, is an overspend of £0.311 million

B      transfers to the General Revenue Fund and Earmarked reserves, as set out in Table 3 – Earmarked Reserve Movements

C      A transfer of £5.237m from the s31 earmarked reserve to cover timing differences on the deficit on NNDR caused by Covid reliefs.

D      the position of the 2021/22 capital programme as at 31 March 2022.

E      the intention to create a specific ‘Waterlooville Regeneration Reserve’ to fund the revenue costs of feasibility and development work for progressing regeneration projects in Waterlooville to Outline Business Case stage. The specific amount and conditions of this reserve will be reported back to the next Cabinet meeting ; and

F      pending the said actions, the sum of £150,000 be immediately released from existing Regeneration revenue reserves to progress work on a strategic development plan for the regeneration of Waterlooville town centre, in accordance with the power granted to Cabinet in Standing Order 64.3.1 of the Budget and Policy Framework Standing Orders (Constitution Part 3 Section C).

RECOMMENDED that the following Delegated Decisions and Minutes of Meetings be noted:

(1)             Approve the Discretionary Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund Scheme

Printed decision Approve the Discretionary Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund Scheme.pdf

Proposed by Councillor Robinson, seconded by Councillor Satchwell, it was RESOLVED that the following decisions taken under the Scheme of Delegations be noted:

(1)    Approve the Discretionary Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund Scheme – 25.04.2022