Decisions

To seek approval of the process toward appointment of contractors for the construction of new affordable homes at the Bridge Road and Hampshire Rose sites.  To also advise the Executive of the envisaged funding arrangements for these sites and other Fareham Housing led potential development opportunities.

The report provides Members with an update on eight potential development sites either to be used for, or currently being considered for, affordable housing provision.

It seeks Executive approval for delegated authority that will allow a time efficient appointment of an appropriate contractor to build out the Hampshire Rose (i.e. 96 Highlands Road) and Bridge Road sites.

The report also seeks to update Members on the current position with other potential development sites and to provide an overview of the funding available.  This includes matters relating to the removal of the borrowing cap on the Housing Revenue Account.

RESOLVED that the Executive:

(a)  agrees that the contract award and appointment of contractor(s) for the Hampshire Rose and Bridge Road development sites be delegated to the Director of Finance and Resources, following consultation with the Executive Member for Housing.

(b)  notes the on-going progress with Fareham Housing led potential development opportunities; and

(c)  notes the funding mechanisms available for the delivery of further sites.

To help reduce levels of physical inactivity in the Borough of Fareham.

‘Energise Me’ is the name of the County Sports Partnership covering the geographical area of Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton.  It is part of a national network of 43 county sports partnerships across England committed to tackling inactivity.

Their focus is to encourage the adoption of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Physical Activity Strategy 2017-21 and the framework it provides, to bring about a transformational change in levels of inactivity.

In Fareham, the level of inactivity in the male population is 22.3% but in the female population it rises to 29.1%.  This inequality gap is mirrored both nationally and across the partnership area.  The most inactive areas in Fareham are Portchester, Fareham North West and Fareham South.

Energise Me are promoting a collaborative approach to transforming levels of physical activity in our communities.  A draft Memorandum of Understanding between Energise Me and Fareham Borough Council is contained in Appendix A.

The Memorandum of Understanding sets out the support that Energise Me will provide, and the Council’s role in the delivery of the Physical Activity Strategy.  There is an annual subscription of £5,125 that the Council will need to pay to receive the support from Energise Me.

RESOLVED that the Executive approves the memorandum of understanding with Energise Me to help deliver the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Physical Activity Strategy 2017 to 2021, subject to a review of the funding agreement after 1 year.

To update the Executive on Hampshire County Council’s proposed reduction in funding for the delivery of highway development planning advice.

To seek approval to terminate the agreement with Hampshire County Council for the delivery of highway development planning advice.

Fareham Borough Council currently exercises some of the powers of the Highway Authority (Hampshire County Council) in respect of ‘highway development planning’.  These powers to act on behalf of the County Council are granted through a formal agency agreement entered into by Fareham Borough Council in March 2009.

The highway development planning powers exercised on behalf of Hampshire County Council include providing advice on ‘non-strategic’ planning applications and pre-application planning enquiries.

Under the agency agreement, Hampshire County Council provides a budget allocation for delivering these functions on its behalf.  This budget allocation has been reduced in recent years.  For the next financial year (2019/20) Hampshire County Council is proposing a further reduction in the current budget allocation to Fareham Borough Council of approximately 45% to £18,000 per annum.

RESOLVED that the Executive approves the termination of the agreement with Hampshire County Council for the delivery of highway development planning advice.

To seek approval of Fareham Borough Council’s response to the Government’s recent technical consultation on updates to national planning policy and guidance, as outlined in this report, to be submitted prior to the end of the consultation period (07 December 2018).

On 26 October 2018, the Government issued a technical consultation on changes proposed to both national policy but also planning guidance.  This Government consultation closed on 07 December 2018.  The Government consultation covers the following areas; firstly, it proposes changes to local housing need assessment and housing land supply.  It also proposes a revised definition of ‘deliverable’ sites and lastly, seeks to clarify national planning policy regarding development requiring Habitat Regulations Assessment following a recent European Court of Justice ruling on a case.  The report details the Council’s response to this technical consultation.

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees:

(a)  Fareham Borough Council’s response, as outlined in the report from paragraph 12, which answers the questions posed in the Government’s Technical consultation on updates to national planning policy and guidance’; and

(b)  that the Director of Planning and Regulation be authorised to make any necessary minor amendments, following consultation with the Executive Member for Planning and Development prior to the submission to the Government’s consultation deadline (07 December 2018), provided that these do not change their overall direction, shape or emphasis.

This report has a dual purpose.  The first is to provide an update on the public consultation which commenced following the report to the Executive of 03 September 2018. The second is to obtain authority from the Executive for submission of the Council’s Final Plan which will be drafted to meet the Ministerial Direction dated 27 July 2017 Joint Air Quality Unit (‘JAQU’) requirements and to be consistent with the content of this report.

Following the Executive decision of 03 September 2018, the Public Consultation was undertaken and since that time further work has progressed on both the proposed measures to reduce roadside nitrogen dioxide and also the air quality modelling to refine the scale of any proposed exceedance.  The public consultation was undertaken during September/October and received over 1100 responses.  The public was in support of 9 of the 11 measures.  The Business Engagement proposal a Charging Clean Air Zone were the measures that did not receive support.  Further details area included with this report.  The latest evidence is suggesting that there is one location within the study area that will exceed EU limits in 2020.  The modelled exceedance is 40.55ug/m³ in 2020.  2021 is modelled to show compliance at 38.58 ug/m³. The focus of the project at this late stage, as the evidence has been refined, is now achieving a small reduction during 2019 to ensure compliance in 2020 as the shortest possible time.   The Final Plan is being finalised and will be submitted before the end of December in order to meet the legal requirements of the Ministerial Direction assuming Executive permission to do so. This report sets out a broad summary of the final plan and seeks the delegated Authority for the Director of Planning and Regulation to submit it when finalised.  Due to the shortened timescale, 7 of the 11 measures that were consulted upon could not be delivered in time for 2020.  The final proposals however do include 4 of the 11 measures that were consulted upon for putting forward to the Joint Air Quality Unit for funding and implementation.

RESOLVED that the Executive delegates authority to the Director of Planning and Regulation, following consultation with the Executive Member for Health and Public Protection, to submit the Final Plan to JAQU as required under the Ministerial Direction.

To provide feedback from the recent consultation on the Council’s vision to remodel Ferneham Hall and seek approval for amendments to the vision.

The Council’s vision for a remodelled Ferneham Hall was approved by the Executive on 09 July 2018.  The vision is a living document and is designed to evolve as more is understood about the needs of the public, hirers and potential operators.

A consultation on the Council’s vision took place between 17 August and 01 October 2018.  Whilst most of the vision was widely supported, the proposal to reduce the size of the main auditorium and the provision of a dedicated ‘Dance Studio’ both received a mixed response.

A large proportion of the public and a number of industry experts and potential operators felt that having 800 seats in the main auditorium would attract both more shows and higher quality productions.   Many also felt that having a Flexible Studio Space would encourage a greater variety of uses and therefore more bookings than a dedicated Dance Studio.

It is therefore proposed that the vision is updated to include a larger main auditorium and the provision of a Flexible Studio Space.

RESOLVED that, having considered the feedback from the vision consultation, the Executive approves the following minor changes to the ‘A Vision: Fareham’s New Entertainment Venue’ document attached at Appendix A to the report:

·         Amend the text relating to the number of seats needed to attract shows (Ferneham Hall Today paragraph’s 4 and 5) to

‘Ferneham Hall’s capacity of 708 seats is not high enough to attract the quality of performers that many people want to see, with shows only reaching an average of 53% capacity, or 372 seats.   

Theatres with around 800 seats can generally attract higher profile and better-quality shows, generating more income through tickets sales and ‘on the night’ spending such as on food and drink.’  

·         Replace ‘dance studio’ with ‘flexible studio space’ (A Vision for the Future, page 9 and Design Priorities, page 11) to highlight the space’s potential for different types of activity.

·         Amend the text relating to the main auditorium size to reflect feedback stating that more seating would help improve the venues offer:

‘Improve the comfort of the main auditorium and increase the size to around 800 seats to attract better quality shows’ (Design Priorities, page 11).

·         Add ‘flexible’ to the priority of having a secondary performance space to reflect its multi-use nature (Design Priorities, page 11).

To set the level of Hackney Carriage Tariff for licensed vehicles in the Borough.

Each year the views of the taxi trade are sought in respect of whether they wish the Council to consider an increase to the taxi tariff.  This year the taxi trade indicated they would like to see the tariff increased.

This matter was considered by the Licensing and Regulatory Affairs committee at its meeting of 18 September 2018.

The setting of the tariff is, however, an Executive function and therefore when a request for a change is received the Executive must determine the appropriate level of tariff.

RESOLVED that the Executive agrees, in the absence of objection following publication, to amend the current Hackney Carriage tariff so that:

(a)  there is a pull off charge of £2.40 for the first 180 metres (or part thereof) with a charge of 20p for each succeeding 180 metres (or part thereafter);

(b)  there is a charge of 20p for each period of 55 seconds waiting time (or part thereof); and

(c)  Easter Sunday from 06:00 hours until 23:30 hours be charged at Rate 2