Agenda and minutes

No apologies of absence were received at the meeting.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel meeting held on the 14 March 2024.

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel meeting held on the 14 March 2024 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

The Chairman welcomed the new Members to the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel for this municipal year.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members in accordance with the Standing Orders and the Council’s Code of Conduct and disclosures of advice or directions received from Group Leaders or Political Groups, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

No declarations of interest were made at the meeting.

To receive any deputations of which notice has been lodged.

A written deputation was received from Chris Watson for item 7 – Motion – Community Generated Energy Schemes.

To receive a presentation from the Director or Planning and Regeneration providing an overview of the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel.

The Panel received a presentation from the Director of Planning and Regeneration providing an overview of the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel. The presentation provided details of the role and function of the Panel and then went into more specific details with regards to the Planning and Development Portfolio and its various work streams.

Members of the Panel asked for clarification on how the Climate Change and Planning and Development Scrutiny Panels work in collaboration on the various Environment topics that fit within the Portfolio. The Director of Planning and Regeneration addressed the Panel to confirm that with the Council’s new Environment Strategy being developed, Officers will be looking to provide greater clarity over the coming months on what will fall within the remit of both Panels. As Climate Change sits within the Planning and Development Portfolio there is likely to be a requirement for collaborative working on some topics, but information on which Panel will lead on these needs further clarification.

Members also enquired about the Fareham Town Centre Regeneration programme as that had not been mentioned as a work stream for this Panel. The Director of Planning and Regeneration advised that this is a corporate project for the Council which sits within the Policy and Resources Portfolio. That said, again there will likely be a requirement for the Panels to work together as this project moves forward through the decision-making process with the Policy and Resources Scrutiny Panel taking the lead.

Officers confirmed that a Member Briefing will be scheduled in the coming months to provide further information on the Fareham Town Centre Regeneration programme and the timescales that have been set so far.

The newer Members of the Panel suggested that it would be useful for them to receive a copy of the Portfolio responsibilities with a brief explanation to provide some context around the topics. Officers agreed that they would create a crib sheet style document to assist Members.

RESOLVED that the Panel note the contents of the presentation.

To receive a Motion referred to the Panel from Council on the 23 February 2024.

Members received a Motion - Community Generated Energy Schemes that had been referred to the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel by Council on the 23 February 2024. Councillor Mrs C Hockley addressed the Panel to present her Motion. The Policy, Engagement and Research Manager then presented details to the Panel providing an overview of the development of the proposed Local Electricity Bill since 2021 when Community Energy Schemes were first identified by the Government as a way for local communities to contribute to local and national Net Zero targets.

Members were asked to confirm they had read the written deputation that had been received from Chris Watson.

The Chairman thanked Councillor Hockley for presenting her Motion and Members of the Panel took part in a lengthy discussion about the Motion before them.

Members of the Panel expressed support for the need for government to encourage and support Community Generated Energy Schemes from local community groups and residents that have a passion and spirit to take these types of projects forward for the good of their local communities. Discussions continued around the uncertainty surrounding the the proposed Bill which has not been progressed as legislation to date, and also how the General Election may affect this moving forward. The Panel was mindful of the current pre-election period and therefore considered that the Council should defer debating and deciding on this Motion until after the General Election. It was also considered that the presentation slides from tonight’s meeting should be circulated to the Council prior to the Motion being debated.

RESOLVED that the Panel:-

a)    expressed support for the need for government to support Community Generated Energy Schemes; and

b)    considered that Council should defer debating and deciding on the Motion until after the General Election.

To consider any items of business dealt with by the Executive since the last meeting of the Panel, that falls under the remit of Planning and Development Portfolio. This will include any decisions taken by individual Members during the same time period.

The Panel received the items of Executive business that had been taken since the last meeting.

Members were asked to also consider the tabled item that had been circulated prior to the meeting. The Executive decision – Affordable Housing Supplementary Planning Document – Adoption.

No comments or questions were received for this item.

No comments or questions were received for this item.

No comments or questions were received for this item.

No comments or questions were received for this item.

To provide an opportunity for Members to consider the scrutiny priorities for the Planning and Development Panel.

The Panel were asked to consider the Scrutiny Priorities for the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel. The Team Leader (Planning Strategy) addressed the Panel to provide an overview of a potential work programme, which had been set out to propose how various work streams underway by Officers could be delivered to the Panel throughout the municipal year. The Director of Planning and Regeneration addressed the Panel to confirm that the work programme is flexible and subject to change, but requested that Members consider which items they wish to be brought before them for consideration.

With a number of new Members on the Panel, it was agreed that the potential work programme presented to the Panel be circulated. It was requested that Officers provide an brief outline of t each workstream and links to any previous reports or policy documents to allow Members to better understand the items for them to consider.

The Director of Planning and Regeneration also suggested that in order for Members to have time to research the various topics and to allow for items currently scheduled for consideration by the Executive in the autumn to be finalised, that the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel currently scheduled for the 17 July by postponed until a date in September. Members agreed with this proposal and a new date will be confirmed as soon as possible.

Members asked that three items be considered for inclusion within the work programme, 1) details of the Local Plan timetables for review; 2) collaborative work on the Fareham Town Centre Regeneration programme  with the Policy and Resources Scrutiny Panel; and 3) the Environment Strategy workstream, which although may be led by the Climate Change Scrutiny Panel, should be sighted within the work programme for this Panel. The Director of Planning and Regeneration confirmed that these topics will be incorporated into the work programme as appropriate throughout the municipal year.

RESOLVED that the Panel considered the Scrutiny Priorities for the Planning and Development Scrutiny Panel.