Agenda, decisions and minutes

There were no apologies given for this meeting.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of Executive held on 06 February 2017

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Executive held on 06 February 2017 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

Draft Local Plan

The Executive Leader announced that the Draft Local Plan was due to be published in spring 2017. Although a significant proportion of the work has already been undertaken, Officers now have to consider the implications arising from the Government’s Housing White Paper ‘Fixing our broken housing market’ which was published on 07 February 2017.

There are many proposed changes and indications of future changes within the Paper that impact on Local Plans and it makes sense to take the opportunity to ensure that the draft Local Plan follows the direction of travel and changes emerging from the White Paper.  For this reason, the Council will be targeting the September Executive (2017) for publication of the Draft Local Plan for consultation purposes.  The current Local Development Strategy will be updated in due course to reflect this.  

A number of potential dates for meetings of the Local Plan Member Working Group will now be identified for the coming months to help progress the Draft Local Plan.  The first meeting will focus on the implications of the Housing White Paper.

Welborne Planning Application

The Executive Leader confirmed that the Council had today received a planning application for Welborne from Buckland Development Limited.  The planning application relates to the whole of the Welborne area and includes the remodelling of Junction 10 of the M27 motorway.  Planning Officers are currently reviewing the submitted material to ensure that the planning application can be registered. 

Once the planning application has been registered, we will be consulting extensively upon it. We look forward to receiving the views of all consultees and other interested parties on what is being proposed by the applicant.

We welcome the submission of a planning application relating to the whole of the Welborne area by a site promoter who is understood to have control over a significant proportion of the Welborne Local Plan site allocation.

Through the preparation and adoption of the Welborne Plan we have set out a detailed planning policy framework against which this application will need to be considered. The Welborne Plan clearly identifies the infrastructure required to be delivered to support a phased approach to the development of the site over the long term.

The Council looks forward to working with Buckland Development Limited and their consultants on the progression of this planning application.  We will wish to understand how the development can be delivered comprehensively with all necessary infrastructure across the site.

The planning application will be decided at a future meeting of this Council’s Planning Committee.

Notwithstanding the above, the continued uncertainty over the availability of the land at Welborne is key.  The land not currently within the control of Buckland Development Limited is considered necessary to enable the development to be delivered on a comprehensive basis, along with all necessary supporting infrastructure.  This means that the recommendations set out in the Executive report relating to the progression of the Council’s Welborne Delivery Strategy are considered to remain valid.

The Executive Leader stated this was the third significant piece of news about Welborne in recent weeks.  In January, the government announced that Welborne would be part of its flagship Garden Villages initiative thereby opening up significant funding opportunities;  in February, the High Court ruled that the Dean Farm Estate, which makes up a significant proportion of the Welborne land must now be sold, thereby enabling development to proceed; and March has seen a planning application submitted for all of the Welborne land. 

The Executive Leader stated that without doubt, the Garden Village designation, the recent court case ordering the sale of land at Welborne and the planning application received are a direct result of the assertive delivery adopted by the Council just a year ago.  Far from slowing things down, the strategy has actually pushed things forward with significant progress now being made.  The Council came through a public enquiry which found the Welborne Plan sound, enabling it to be adopted by the Council and had every expectation of an immediate application from the principal landowners.  Instead there was no meaningful progress until we adopted our delivery strategy to appoint a delivery partner and consider compulsory purchase of all the land required.  It was this strategy that sparked all of the recent activity and progress that has been made.

Despite these new developments, however, the current uncertainty over the availability of the land at Welborne is key.  The significant amount of land not currently within the control of Buckland Development Limited is considered necessary to enable the development to be delivered on a comprehensive basis along with all necessary supporting infrastructure. 

Despite receipt of the planning application and the outcome of the recent court case, the reasons for our current delivery strategy remain unchanged and it is important for us to continue with it until we are certain that the much needed new homes are in a position to proceed.

The Executive Leader stated that he has given a commitment over many years where Welborne is concerned that a single brick of Welborne will not be laid until we have identified exactly what infrastructure is needed, where it is to be sited and, most importantly, how it is going to be funded.  That commitment is unchanged and this planning application will be scrutinised very carefully to ensure delivery of the Welborne Plan.

Premier Inn

The Executive Leader stated that the Council had agreed Heads of Terms for a new hotel in Fareham Town Centre and had been exploring whether the Council should acquire the whole interest. The Leader was pleased to confirm that the discussions have been very successful and the new hotel will be fully funded by Fareham Borough Council.  The proposed operator is Premier Inn and the building will be leased to them by the Roubaix Group which has a long lease on Fareham Shopping Centre.

To receive any declarations of interest from members in accordance with Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct.

Councillor T M Cartwright declared a Non-Pecuniary interest for item 10(2) as he is the Chairman of the Daedalus Anniversary Working Group. He remained present at the meeting for the discussion of the item.

There were no Petitions submitted at this meeting.

To receive any deputations, of which notice has been lodged.

The Executive received a deputation in relation to item 9(1) - Titchfield Neighbourhood Plan, from Mrs Ann Wheal representing the Titchfield Neighbourhood Forum.

To receive any reference from the committees or panels held.

There were no references from other Committees submitted at this meeting.

A report by the Director of Operations.

RESOLVED that the Executive awards a contract to the contractor who submitted the most economically advantageous tender for the provision of play and recreational equipment.

A report by the Director of Planning and Regulation.

At the request of the Executive Leader, this item was brought forward on the agenda and heard first.

A deputation on this item was received from Mrs Ann Wheal, representing the Titchfield Neighbourhood Forum.

RESOLVED that the Executive approves:

(a)  the application to designate a neighbourhood forum; and

(b)  the neighbourhood area for Titchfield, given both meet the requirements of the relevant legislation, subject to an amendment to the neighbourhood area as set out in Appendix D to exclude a small area of land falling within the boundary of Winchester City Council.

A report by the Director of Planning and Regulation.

RESOLVED that the Executive:

(a)  notes the progression of the Welborne Delivery Strategy;

(b)  notes the further work to be undertaken and revised indicative High Level Timeline set out in Appendix A of the report;

(c)  endorses the Fareham Borough Council corporate priorities relating to the delivery of Welborne, as set out in paragraph six of the report; and

(d)  approves the expenditure for 2017/18 as set out in Appendix B of the report.

A report by the Director of Planning and Regulation.

RESOLVED that the Executive adopts the new Statement of Community Involvement (2017) as set out in Appendix A of the report.

A report by the Director of Finance and Resources.

RESOLVED that the Executive approves the existing contract with TSG Building Services Ltd be extended until 30 April 2018.

A report by the Director of Finance and Resources.

Councillor T M Cartwright declared a Non-Pecuniary Interest for this item as he is the Chairman of the Daedalus Anniversary Working Group.  He remained present at the meeting during the discussion of this item.

RESOLVED that the Executive approves the outline Event Management Plan for Daedalus 100.

A report by the Director of Finance and Resources.

RESOLVED that the Executive approves:

(a)  that no more than four candidates are selected from the attached nominations to be formally recognised as Citizens of Honour 2017;

(b)  that no more than two candidates are selected from the attached nominations as Young Citizens of the Year (12-17 year olds);

(c)  that no more than two candidates are selected from the attached nominations as Young Citizens of the Year (4-11 year olds); and

(d)  that the persons listed at numbers 3, 8, 15, 16, 26, 29 and 31 in the confidential Appendices A, B and C of the report be selected for the annual Citizen of Honour and Young Citizen of Honour Awards 2017.

To consider whether it is in the public interest to exclude the public and representatives of the Press from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that the matters to be dealt with involve the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED that the public and representatives of the Press be excluded from the remainder of the meeting on the grounds that the matters to be dealt with involve the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

A report by the Director of Finance and Resources.

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees that the debts listed in Appendix A to the report be written off as irrecoverable.