Agenda and minutes

The meeting will commence with a short service of prayers.

The meeting commenced with a short service of prayers.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors D Foot and  Mrs P Hayre.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Council Meeting held on 27 July 2023.

RESOLVED that the Mayor be authorised to sign, as a correct record, the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 27 July 2023.

The Mayor announced that he was very pleased to hold a special horse racing event on the 13^th October at Portchester Parish Hall.  The event was in aid of the Mayor’s charities – Sophie’s Legacy and Veterans Outreach Support.   The event included an opportunity to sponsor a horse for each race and to have a flutter on the potential winners.

The Mayor announced that he also held 2 charity tea parties recently. The first was held on the 14^th September where there was a guest speaker on the Craft of Glass Fusion. The second took place on 12^th October with a guest speak on the Emergency ‘Blood Bikers’. Both were very enjoyable events.

The Mayor further announced that he will be holding two further tea parties before the end of this year. One will be held on the 9^th November at 2.30pm in the Council Chamber which will include a talk on English Sparkling Wine by the Fareham Wine Cellar and one on the 7^th December which will include a talk on Christmas floral decorations.  Tickets are £5 each.

The Executive Leader made the following announcement:

“Three years ago, in discussion with my family, I decided that the Hampshire County Council election in 2021 and the Fareham Borough Council election in 2022 would be my last.

So, after 38 years as a local Councillor, and 25 years as Leader of Fareham Borough Council – that is half of the time that the Borough of Fareham has been in existence - I will be retiring.

With an all-out election due next year as a result of the boundary changes, this feels like a natural end point and the right time for me to bow out and take back control of my life.  This while I am still of an age where I can do some things for myself and my family without being tied to the diary that I have for the last four decades.

I am immensely proud of everything we have achieved under my watch, especially those projects that will benefit people for many, many years into the future.  Just a few examples:

·         Daedalus has been transformed since we took ownership in 2015 and of course Solent Airport is literally flying with many hundreds of new jobs on the business parks.

·         The fantastic refurbishment of Fareham Leisure Centre and the addition of a new leisure centre at Holly Hill.

·         Many new parks including Abbey Meadows and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Park with its new Daedalus landmark!

·         New community centres at Whiteley, Portchester and Burridge.

·         Making Welborne happen – it would never have got off the ground if it wasn’t for the huge amount of work we put in to get the land ownership and infrastructure funding sorted. 

·         And of course, more recently, Fareham Live has literally transformed the skyline of Osborn Road which will be further changed forever once the Osborn Road Car Park is demolished.

·         And finally, the Council has purchased Fareham Shopping Centre and that gives everyone such a huge opportunity for a really meaningful regeneration of our town centre.

Away from the really big projects, I actually got into politics because I felt I could make a difference.  I love Fareham and believe it is a great place to live. I love Sarisbury, Burridge, Swanwick, Lower Swanwick, Park Gate and Whiteley having represented their residents for many years.  I love the River Hamble, Holly Hill and Coldeast Parks, Swanwick Lakes and Sarisbury Green. 

I love all the groups and organisations which I have been able to help.  All of the people who give so generously of their time to support clubs and societies helping the young and the not so young, the poor and the dispossessed.   Those that have hit hard times through no fault of their own.  They all make our area so special, and I thank them for the inspiration they have given me to go on. 

And throughout everything, I have never lost sight of the most important thing – serving the people who have chosen to elect me in 15 separate elections, sometimes with 80% of the vote.  I know that doesn’t mean 80% are Conservatives.  Far from it.  Many people have said to me over many years that they vote for me despite the blue rosette, not because of it.  It is, they say, for what I do in the local area to help people with the issues that are important to them.  And that really is the most important thing for any Councillor.  Never forget the grassroots!

Also – really importantly - support your officers.  Fareham is blessed to have some of the hardest working, talented and dedicated staff without whose support no Council, Council Leader or Councillors could ever deliver great services at the lowest cost, plus ambitious projects to lift the area.

Finally, I’d like to add that of course all of the foregoing does not mean that anything will change right now.  I will continue to have my foot flat to the floor as always, pedal to the metal, right to May when I end my time as Councillor for Sarisbury and Leader of this Council.  There remains much to do, and I am now in even more of a hurry than usual to get it done!’”

At the invitation of the Mayor, Councillors Martin, Englefield, Mrs Hockley, Mrs Trott, Ford, Mrs Bryant, Mrs Bayford, Mrs Walker, N Walker, Ms Burton, Mrs Ellis, Bastable and the Mayor addressed the Council in response to the Executive Leader’s announcement. All Members expressed their thanks to the Executive Leader for his significant years of service.

Executive Member for Planning and Development

Coastal Landfill

The Executive Member announced that he was recently appointed to the role of Member Champion for the Local Government Association Special Interest Group Member Champion on the Coastal Landfill working Group.

The Executive Member advised that this is an important role in terms of helping to lobby for change into central government and to highlight the challenges being collectively faced by Local Authorities across the country. The Executive Member stated that his 40 years’ experience in environmental and waste management together with the significant challenges the Council has at two coastal landfill sites within the Borough contributed to this appointment. The Executive Member was hopeful that he may be able to influence future funding opportunities for the Borough where the Council is currently leading studies to develop coastal defence options to protect coastal landfill from flooding and erosion.

Nutrients

The Executive Member announced that, as members may be aware, the proposal to relax nutrient neutrality requirements for homebuilders and address pollution at source is no longer being brought forward within the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. This can be seen as a positive for the many mitigation schemes in South Hampshire which are delivering multiple benefits for nature and local communities.

The Executive Member stated that the nutrients entering our waterways from development is a small proportion compared to other industries such as agriculture and it is right that wastewater companies should be tasked with doing better to clean up our rivers and seas by reducing sewage overflows and processing our wastewater properly.

With regard to Southern Water, the Executive Member advised that an assessment of recorded stormwater releases has been made where they have been judged to have impacted the water quality at Hill Head designated bathing site (the only recorded designated bathing site in Fareham where Southern Water report the impact of stormwater releases on).

The Executive Member further advised that from 01 January 2023 till 22 October 2023, there have been a total of 16 stormwater release events recorded which have been judged to have impacted the water quality at Hill Head bathing site. The total duration of all these release events was 508 hours and 9 minutes of stormwater being released.

The Executive Member stated that water companies have a responsibility to manage pollution and assist in the control of nitrate neutrality and the Council hopes to play its part for a more considered and comprehensive solution to tackle the issue fairly and effectively. 

Biodiversity Net Gain

The Executive Member announced that earlier this month, the Government issued an updated timeline for the introduction of mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain measures for the English planning system. Major developments will be required to deliver a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain from January 2024 with small sites from April 2024. The relevant guidance and regulations are all to be published by the end of November to support this timeframe.

The Executive Member stated that, as members may be aware, the Council has a biodiversity net gain policy within its recently adopted Local Plan and that this has a wider reach than the mandatory BNG to be introduced in January. Officers in the planning service have been working to implement this policy since the plan was adopted and the Council is in an excellent position to support developers in the planning process to deliver mandatory BNG. This brings wide ranging benefits to Fareham residents as significant new habitats will be created improving the environment across the borough.

Letter from the Secretary of State – Long Term Plan for Housing

The Executive Member announced that, in early September, DLUHC issued a letter setting out the role of local government in delivering the Government’s long-term plan for housing.

The Executive Member stated that, whilst the Council has a recently adopted and up-to date Local Plan, the government is looking to introduce reforms to how local plans are made. The key being a 30-month timeline to produce a plan. Consultation closed on the 18^th of October on the more technical details of how this would work and the Executive Member advised that he would keep members up to date as details emerge and how it will affect the Council’s Local Plan. 

The Executive Member advised that an updated National Planning and Policy Framework is intended to be published in the autumn, after consultation starting in December last year.  This is expected to remove the requirement for planning authorities with an up-to-date plan (less than 5 years old) to continually demonstrate a deliverable 5-year housing land supply.

Finally, the Executive Member stated that, to address capacity and capability, the Government has announced:

• An increase to national planning fees.

35% for major applications and 25% for all other application types.

• New funding of £24m available in two rounds over two years from a Planning Skills Delivery Fund.

Authorities can bid for up to £100,000 in each round and the Council has put in a bid for first round funding to support the planning service in delivering town centre regeneration. Results are expected in late October.

Self and Custom Build SPD

The Executive Member announced that, as part of the implementation of the Local Pan, the Council recently adopted the Self and Custom Build SPD at the Executive meeting held on 9 October. This follows on from public consultation earlier in the year.   The SPD provides further detail and support on how to deliver self and custom build plots as part of larger development sites.

Executive Member for Streetscene

Waste and Recycling

The Executive Member announced that it would not have escaped members notice that the national government has been developing its position on environmental matters, and household waste recycling, in particular following recent political events and the consultation on the 2021 Environment Act. The Executive member stated that of particular note in this Act, is the requirement for Councils to be able to process six recyclable waste streams.

The Executive Member advised that he has been engaged in an exchange of letters with the Minister responsible, Rebecca Pow, in order to find a solution that is acceptable to the residents of Fareham. Recently Defra published its “Simpler Recycling Reforms” which Ms Pow had assured the Executive Member in face to face discussions, would provide Fareham with the flexibility it needs to implement a recycling regime that is appropriate to the Council’s circumstances.

The Executive Member stated that, having read this publication, he remained disappointed that Fareham will be forced to provide separate food waste bins to households, purchase a new fleet of collection vehicles to collect this food waste, and then find a distant anaerobic digestion processor to turn it into methane, slurry and waste bricks. The Executive Member further stated that he accepted that this is better for the environment than sending food waste to land fill. However, he intended to continue to engage with the minister in an attempt to understand why Fareham’s current practice of collecting food waste with the rubbish and sending it the short distance to Portsmouth to be turned into energy is not better for the environment.  The Executive Member advised that he would keep the Council appraised of the discussions but doubted that he would succeed in being permitted by government to have this better outcome for Fareham and wider the environment.

South and South East in Bloom

The Executive Member advised that that he was delighted to be able to represent the Council at the South and South East in Bloom awards held recently at RHS Wisley. The Executive Member stated that it always amazes him how well Fareham does at these highly contested awards. Fareham’s Abbey Meadows was a first time entry and although only just starting to establish itself won a Silver Gilt award in the Large Conservation Area category. Holly Hill won a Silver Gilt award. Changes will be made there in the near future to bring it back up to the Gold Standard that it has achieved many times before. The Executive Member further advised that the quality of Fareham’s formal gardens at the Sensory Garden and Westbury Manor Garden were also recognised with Gold Awards. As was Coldeast Conservation Area.

The Executive Member put forward his congratulations to the volunteer groups and council officers on their achievements, not for just winning these awards but for making the borough the great place that it is - especially those involved in Warsash Common and Portchester Common, both Gold Category winners.

The Executive Member announced that Fareham even has winners from local residents “The Burnham Wood Residents” who had entered directly and received a level 4 out of 5. The Executive Member stated that he was sure that he expressed all Members thoughts when he put forward his thanks to those involved for their efforts at keeping Fareham bright and green.

Executive Member for Health and Public Protection

The Executive Member for Health and Public Protection announced that the Council has been successful in securing the following two funding streams from the Police and Crime Commissioner:

Right Choice

The Council was successful in obtaining an award of £20,000. Right Choice is a programme being delivered in partnership with Motiv8 and the Police and is tasked via the monthly Partnership Action Group (PAG).

The funding comes from the Violence Reduction Unit grant funding pot which will work with young people on a 121 basis to keep them out of the criminal justice system through mentoring and diversion.

There will be close links with the Youth Offending Team (YOT) and Youth Crime Prevention (YCP). This programme will also bring in social services, mental health support, substance misuse support, schools and parents.

The Gillies CCTV - £20,768.12

The Council was successful in obtaining £20,768.12 from the Commissioner’s ASB Task Force funding pot. This will enable three CCTV cameras to be located at The Gillies.

A CCTV camera is already in place at the entrance to the open space from the subway near Aldi. This will be moved to a stand-alone mast. The other two will be located at the entrance pathways from Briarwood Close and Redlands Lane.

Two deployable cameras have also been procured. The works are anticipated to commence mid-November.

The Executive Member stated that she would be chairing a review meeting tomorrow to hear views from residents and that she would like to thank and congratulate the officers involved for their work and successful achievements.

Executive Member for Leisure and Community

Christmas lights switch-on

The Executive Member announced that Fareham’s ‘Golden’ Christmas lights switch on event is taking place on Saturday 18 November from 10am-7pm along the pedestrianised area of West Street and that that we are hoping for good weather and a fantastic turn out.

The Executive Member stated that the new lights tie in beautifully with this year’s golden theme, which will usher in a year-long celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Fareham being officially granted Borough status in 1974. This theme will continue across Council events and activities throughout 2024.

The Executive Member advised that the switch on event will include market stalls, festive food and drink, funfair rides, free children’s activities, street and stage performers, activity at Westbury Manor, Fareham College performers stage and the grand finale when the lights are switched on at 5:30pm by The Mayor and his young helper.

The Executive Member was pleased to report that a number of businesses have sponsored the event this year including:

·           Toob (broadband provider), who are sponsoring Father Christmas (£170)

·           M Coghlan Funeral Directors, who are sponsoring the Christmas tree outside Westbury Manor Museum (£750)

·           Snows Toyota, who are sponsoring the podium Christmas Tree (£750)

·           Fareham Shopping Centre, who are sponsoring the Golden Christmas trail (£500)

The Executive Member put forward her thanks to officers for their hard work in obtaining this sponsorship which goes towards reducing the cost to the Council for this event.

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

There were no declarations of interest made at this meeting.

To receive any petitions presented by a member of the Council.

Note: any petition so presented will be dealt with in accordance with the Council’s petition scheme.

The Mayor announced that a petition has been received containing 355 signatures requesting that the car park in Middle Road, Park Gate be reviewed to extend the free parking period from 2 hours to 3 hours.

The Mayor advised that this petition was presented to the Executive at its meeting held on Monday 9 November at which the Executive Leader confirmed that the petition will be referred to the Health and Public Protection Scrutiny Panel for consideration.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been given.

There were no deputations given at this meeting.

To receive, consider and answer questions on reports and recommendations of the Executive.  Minutes of the meetings of the Executive and a schedule of individual Executive member decisions are appended.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on Monday, 18 September 2023 be received.  

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on Monday, 09 October 2023 be received.

RESOLVED that the Schedule of Individual Executive Member & Officer Delegated Decisions be received.

To receive the minutes of the following Committees and to consider and answer questions on any reports and recommendations made.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday, 12 July 2023 be received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday, 16 August 2023 be received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday, 13 September 2023 be received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday, 11 October 2023 be received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Committee held on Monday, 04 September 2023 be received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Committee held on Thursday, 05 October 2023 be received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee held on Monday, 25 September 2023 be received.

To receive, consider and answer questions on reports and recommendations of the meetings of the Scrutiny Panels.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel held on Wednesday, 19 July 2023 be received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Policy and Resources Scrutiny Panel held on Monday, 18 September 2023 be received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Housing Scrutiny Panel held on Thursday, 28 September 2023 be received.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Health and Public Protection Scrutiny Panel held on Tuesday, 03 October 2023 be received.

To answer questions pursuant to Standing Order 2.12 for this meeting.

There were no questions submitted for this meeting.

Members will be informed, prior to the meeting, of any motion duly notified in accordance with Standing Order 2.6 but received after print and dispatch of the agenda.

There were no motions submitted for this meeting.

A report by the Assistant Director (Democracy).

The Council received a report by the Assistant Director (Democracy) which set out the updated Corporate Strategy 2017-2023 for adoption.

RESOLVED that the Council:

(a)  notes the results of the annual review of the Corporate Strategy; and

(b)  approves the updates to the Corporate Strategy 2017-2023, as set out in the report.

A report by the Assistant Director (Democracy)

The Council received a report by the Assistant Director (Democracy) which presented the Corporate Strategy 2023-2029 for adoption.

RESOLVED that the Council:

(a)  notes the outcomes of the public consultation; and

(b)  agrees the adoption of the Corporate Strategy 2023-2029, as attached at Appendix A to the report.

A report by the Assistant Chief Executive Officer.

The Council received a report by the Assistant Chief Executive Officer inviting members to consider the creation of an employment sub-committee to act as an Appointment Panel to select and appoint a new Director of Neighbourhoods.

Having been duly proposed by Councillor S D T Woodward and seconded by Councillor S D Martin, the recommendations contained in the report were agreed.

The Executive Leader confirmed that the Sub-Committee membership would be Councillors I J Bastable, Ms J Burton, Mrs K K Trott and S D T Woodward.

RESOLVED that the Council agrees:

(a)  to create an Employment Sub-Committee to act as an appointment Panel to consist of Councillors S D T Woodward, I J Bastable, Ms J Burton and Mrs K K Trott;

(b)  that the Sub-Committee meets at times and dates to suit the recruitment process, as advised by the Assistant Chief Executive Officer;

(c)  that the Chief Executive Officer, in consultation with the Assistant Chief Executive Officer, presents the short-listed applicants to the Sub-Committee to conduct interviews;

(d)  subject to the agreement of (a) to (c) above, that following the short-listing and interview process, the Sub-Committee selects the most suitable applicant for appointment and nominates a second-place applicant in the event that the first-choice applicant does not accept the post.

A report by the Assistant Director (Democracy)

RESOLVED that the Council:

(a)  approves the proposed Schedule of Council, Committee and Panel meetings for the municipal year 2024/25, as set out at Appendix A to the report; and

(b)  notes the dates for the Partnership for South Hampshire Joint Committee and Overview and Scrutiny Committee are provisional until approved by the Joint Committee at its meeting in December 2023.

To consider a Council appointed Trustee to the Fareham Welfare Trust.

RESOLVED that, having been duly proposed and seconded, Councillor S Ingrambe appointed to the Fareham Welfare Board of Trustees as a Council appointed Trustee.

To make any changes in appointments to the seats on committees in accordance with the wishes of political groups.  Such appointments will take effect from 27/10/2023

There were no changes to the appointments to Committees.