Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Howard and Milne.

To receive any declarations of pecuniary interest.

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

To consider the report on the Hayling Seafront Strategy and make any recommendations to Cabinet ahead of the meeting on the 8^th September.

The Committee examined, via a question and answer session with the relevant Cabinet Leads and officers, the following aspects of the draft Hayling Seafront Strategy:

•           The aims, ambitions, and objectives of the draft strategy

•           The timing of the implementation of the draft strategy

•           The impact of the rising sea levels on any proposed development on the seafront

•           The potential loss of leisure facilities on the seafront

•           Viability of the ambition of the strategy give the potential impact of climate change and the vulnerability of the seafront

•           The order of priority of elements in the draft strategy because of the potential impact of climate change and the fact that the Council is not in ownership of all the land included in the strategy

•           How the strategy related to the climate change and environment strategies

•           The cost of consultants who had previously contributed to the development of the Seafront and how this strategy related to previous work undertaken to develop the seafront

•           The ability of the infrastructure to deliver the draft strategy

•           The role of the Hayling Billy Trail and the ferry in the delivery of the draft strategy

•           A funding strategy, including commercial investment, for the delivery of the draft

•           Early deliverables under the draft strategy

•           The purpose of a creating a new brand for Hayling Island

•           The ability of the draft strategy to deliver the best optimisations of West Beach and the Seafront as a whole

RESOLVED that the recommendations set out in report be endorsed.

To consider the report on the Havant Regeneration Strategy and make any recommendations to Cabinet ahead of the meeting on the 8^th September.

The Committee examined, via a question and answer session with Councillor Pike, the Cabinet Lead, and the relevant officer, the following aspects of the Havant Regeneration Programme:

•           Difference between the proposals for the Civic Plaza Site and the scheme originally proposed

•           Budgetary implications

•           The funding plans for the programme

•           Fallback position if the level fund does not give funds to the Council

•           Impact on car parking provision in the town centre

•           How the Viability of the ambition of the strategy given the potential impact of climate change and the vulnerability of the seafront

•           The order of priority of elements in the draft strategy because of the potential impact of climate change and the fact that the Council is not in ownership of all the land included in the strategy

•           How the programme would encourage the development of private land in the town centre

•           Whether the programme included the Council’s compensation commitment under the existing lease with Horizon Leisure Trust

•           The status of the procurement process for development of Civic Plaza and Bulbeck Road Car Park

•           The provision of social housing for rent in the Civic Plaza and Bulbeck Road Car Park development sites

•           Whether the Council would sale or retain a share of the ownership of the Civic Plaza and Bulbeck Road Car Park development sites

The Committee considered that details of the housing mix and affordable housing should be provided for the development of the Civic Plaza and Bulbeck Road Car Park development sites.

RESOLVED that that Cabinet be recommended to agree that the provision of Social Housing for Rent opportunities be laid out in future updates with regards to projects within the Havant Regeneration Programme

To receive the Havant Borough Council Climate Change and Environment Strategy 2021 to 2026 and make and recommendations to Cabinet.

The Committee examined, via a question and answer session with Councillor Thain-Smith, the Cabinet Lead, Councillor Satchwell and the relevant officers, the following aspects of the programme for the Climate Change and Environment Strategy 2021 - 2026:

•         The timing for publication of the action plan referred to in the report (“the action plan”)

•         Early deliverables under the draft strategy

•         The level of consultation with Hampshire County Council in developing the strategy

•         How the strategy aligned with Hampshire Council’s strategy and with climate strategies adopted by other councils

•         The potential impact of the strategy

•         How the strategy would be delivered and publicised

•         The role of the Communications Team in the delivery of the strategy

•         Training that would be provided to Councillors under the strategy

•         How the strategy would seek to encourage residents, the construction industry, and businesses to embrace the aims and objectives of the strategy

•         The financial implications of the strategy

•         How the coastal problems were addressed in the strategy

•         How the loss of trees which were protected by preservation orders could be addressed by the strategy

•         How other trees and tree canopies could be addressed by the strategy

•         How the strategy would seek to ensure that weeds would be continued to be tackled without the use of herbicides

•         The baseline data that would be used in the action plan for performance indicators and benchmarks

•         The governance arrangements for the operation of the strategy

During the question and answer session, it was clarified that reference to the adoption of open spaces by local communities, did not mean the local communities would purchase the open spaces but managed them on behalf of the Council.

The Committee noted that reference to “pesticides” when removing weeds in the strategy should read “herbicides”

The Committee considered that the action plan mentioned in the submitted strategy should be referred to this Committee before being submitted to Cabinet and Full Council.

RESOLVED that Cabinet be requested to agree that the action plan, as part of Havant Borough Council’s Climate Change & Environment Strategy 2021 to 2026, be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee before it is considered by Cabinet and has been passed by Full Council

To approve the Committee’s Work Programme.

The Committee considered the Committee’s Work Programme.

RESOLVED that the Work Programme as submitted be agreed.

To receive update reports from the Chairs of the Task & Finish Groups.

The Committee considered draft recommendations from the following Task and Finish Groups investigating:

a)         Work Plan Item 5 - Change to process of calling a planning application to Planning; and

b)         Work Plan Item 10 - Lack of Temporary Housing in the Borough for the Homeless

With regard to the report submitted relating to Work Item 5, the Committee noted a correction to the membership of the Joint Constitution Working Party.

The relevant Cabinet Leads and officers were given an opportunity to comment on the draft recommendations.

The Committee also received updates on the work of the following Task and Finish Groups investigating:

i)          Work Plan 2 - Members’ IT / paperless agenda / as part of the Digital Strategy;

ii)         Work Plan 13 - Response to C19 - Disbursement of Business Grants; and

iii)         Work Plan 11 - Enforcement – Building Control

RESOLVED that:

(1)        the Constitution Working Party be requested to recommend Council to amend paragraph 2.2.5 of Part Two, Section E1 – Non-Executive Committees – Planning Committee of the Constitution to read as follows

            “Where, within four weeks of its receipt by the Council, or within seven days of being notified of an intended officer decision to determine a Planning Application:

            (a)        The local ward Councillor (or in the absence of the local ward Councillor, the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Planning Committee) requests in writing to the Head of Planning, giving good material planning reasons, that the application be determined by the Planning Committee, and / or

            (b)        Where five or more individual letters, each raising material planning objections, have been received by the Council, and the referral is supported by a ward Councillor and is agreed by the Chairman of the Planning Committee, the Head of Planning and the Cabinet member with portfolio responsibility for Planning, that the application be determined by the Planning Committee.”

(2)        Cabinet be recommended to agree that

            a)         temporary accommodation should (as far as possible) be provided within the Borough, as outlined in the Borough Housing Plan (p40/41).

            b)         the Housing Team bring quarterly reports to the Committee on the provision of temporary accommodation for the homeless

(3)        the actions being taken by the Housing team to begin to remedy the present situation relating to the temporary housing of the homeless be commended

To receive updates from Sub Committees:

a)    Meridian Centre (Work programme item 8) - Cllr Briggs. 

b)    Provision of Social Housing for Rent by Havant Borough Council (Work programme item 7) - Cllr Lloyd.

The Committee received updates on the work of the sub committees investigating the following projects in the work programme:

Work Plan Item 7 - Provision of Social Housing for Rent by Havant Borough Council albeit via a third party.

Work Plan Item 8 - Meridian Centre – an acquired asset by HBC

To note that the date of the next meeting is Wednesday 29^th September at 5pm in the Hurstwood Room, the Plaza, Havant.

It was noted that the date of the next meeting would be on 29 September 2021 at 5pm in the Hurstwood Room, the Plaza, Havant.