Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors M J Ford, JP, N R Gregory and T J Howard.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 14 May 2015.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 14 May 2015 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

The Chairman made announcements concerning the following:

(a)          Test Purchases

Hampshire County Council’s Trading Standards Department had carried out test purchases in the region on 28 May 2015 and, of eight premises visited, one had failed. All the premises visited in the Fareham Borough Council area had passed.

(b)          Hampshire County Council Electoral Review

Fareham Borough Council has received formal notification of the Local Government Boundary Commission’s Electoral Review of Hampshire County Council.

The Commission is carrying out a review to deliver electoral equality for voters by seeking to correct imbalances which occur where some county councillors represent many more, or many fewer electors than their colleagues across the county.

The review will recommend new electoral arrangements for Hampshire County Council and will propose the total number of councillors elected to the council (likely to be 78), the number of electoral divisions, the number of councillors representing each division, division boundaries and the names of those divisions.

A 10 week public consultation has commenced, during which the Commission has invited proposals for new warding arrangements. This first consultation will close on Monday 3 August, after which the Commission will publish its draft recommendations. A further period of consultation will then commence to seek views on the draft recommendations with final proposals being published in April 2016. It is intended that the new electoral arrangements will come into effect in time for the County elections in 2017.

Fareham Borough Council is invited to submit a consultation response to give a view on where the new County division patterns should be drawn.

Democratic Services Officers will seek views and prepare a report which will come to the next meeting of this committee on Tuesday 7^th July. The outcome of that work will be to recommend to Council a consultation response on behalf of Fareham Borough Council. This will be considered at the Council meeting on Thursday 30 July (2 days before the close of the consultation period).

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 deputations of which notice has been lodged.

There were no deputations made at this meeting.

To receive a presentation from the Director of Community on the responsibilities of the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Committee.

Members were advised that the officers had prepared a presentation on the responsibilities of the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Committee.

RESOLVED that, as there had been no changes to the membership of the Committee for 2015/16, the officers be requested to not proceed with the presentation but, instead, to circulate the presentation slides to Committee members.

To consider a report by the Director of Community on licensing applications received.

The Committee considered a report by the Director of Community on the day to day work of the Licensing Team and the ongoing work associated with the Licensing function.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.  

To consider a report by the Director of Community on the Committee’s Work Programme for 2015/16.

The Committee considered a report by the Director of Community on its work programme for 2015/16.

RESOLVED that:-

(a)          the progress on actions arising from the meeting of the Committee held on 17 March 2015, as shown in Appendix A to the report, be noted;

(b)          ‘Hampshire County Council Electoral Review’ be added to the work programme on 7 July 2015 (minute 3 above refers);

(c)          ‘Advertising on Hackney Carriage Vehicles’ be moved from 7 July 2015 to 22 September 2015;

(d)          the officers be requested to arrange an in-house training session for members prior to the meeting of the Committee on 22 September 2015; and

(e)          subject to (b), (c) and (d) above, the work programme for 2015/16, as shown in Appendix B to the report, be confirmed.