Agenda and minutes

Venue: Upper Guildhall, High Street, Andover, Hampshire SP10 1NT

Contact: Emma Horbury - 01264 368001  Email: ehorbury@testvalley.gov.uk

Link: The public can listen to a live stream here

Items
No. Item

49.

Prayers

Minutes:

Prayers were led by Reverend Chris Bradish on behalf of Reverend Jill Bentall.

50.

Apologies

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

51.

Public Participation

Minutes:

There was no public participation.

52.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

53.

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 26 February 2020 and 6 May 2020

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That the minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 26 February 2020 and 6 May 2020 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

54.

Mayor's Announcements

Minutes:

The Worshipful the Mayor announced that he had been keeping in touch with a number of community groups and individuals across the Borough to offer them support during the current circumstances and would be sending a letter out to community support group co-ordinators thanking them and all volunteers for their efforts to support the communities of Test Valley.

55.

Appointment of Chief Executive

To receive a recommendation from the General Purposes Appointments Sub-Committee held on 9June, 2020 relating to the appointment of a new Chief Executive.

Minutes:

In his capacity as Chairman of the General Purposes Appointments Sub-Committee, Councilor North presented Council with details of the recruitment process undertaken to appoint a new Chief Executive.

 

Resolved:

 

1.  That Andrew Ferrier be appointed to the post of Chief Executive, Returning Officer and Electoral Registration Officer of Test Valley Borough Council.

 

2.  That the Human Resources Manager and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services in consultation with the Chairman of the Appointments Sub Committee are delegated authority to agree the date of appointment and terms and conditions thereof.

 

3.  That Carol Moore, Acting Chief Executive be appointed as Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer until the Chief Executive commences their employment.

56.

To receive and adopt Committee reports pdf icon PDF 122 KB

To receive and, where necessary, adopt reports of Committees

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Minutes of Meetings:

 

Resolved:

 

That the minutes of the following Committees and Cabinet meetings be received:

 

Cabinet – 12 February 2020

 

Southern Area Planning Committee – 18 February 2020

 

Overview & Scrutiny Committee – 19 February 2020

 

Northern Area Planning Committee – 5 March 2020

 

Southern Area Planning Committee – 10 March 2020

 

Cabinet – 11 March 2020

 

Licensing Committee – 12 March 2020

 

General Purposes Committee – 18 March 2020

 

Overview & Scrutiny Committee – 18 March 2020

 

General Purposes – 6 May 2020

 

Southern Area Planning Committee – 12 May 2020

 

Cabinet – 13 May 2020

 

Overview & Scrutiny Committee – 20 May 2020

 

Cabinet – 29 May 2020

 

Southern Area Planning Committee – 2 June 2020

 

General Purposes – 9 June 2020

 

To adopt recommendations from the following:

 

Cabinet – 11 March 2020

 

Capital Strategy 2019/20 – 2024/25

 

Resolved:

That the updated Capital Strategy 2019/20 to 2024/25 be approved.

57.

Questions under Rule 11.1

Minutes:

There were no questions under rule 11.1.

58.

Questions under Rule 11.2

Minutes:

Councillor Coole submitted a question asking “Andover Special Expenses Levy Urban Parks and Open Spaces Service. Could you please provide the list (with locations) of the land included in the Urban Parks and Open Spaces Service?”

 

The Deputy Leader responded that the Head of Finance had provided Councillor Coole with details of the calculation of the Andover Levy and had met with him to discuss its calculation. The Council’s Environmental Services undertook maintenance in all parks and open spaces. There was no specific list of land associated with the Levy. The Deputy Leader advised that the Council’s focus was currently on supporting and helping communities to recover from the significant impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. When time was available, a list of the full parcels of land that maybe maintained beyond the parks and playgrounds would provide to the Andover Town Council Clerk.

 

Councillor Coole submitted a question asking“Andover Special Expenses Levy Grounds Maintenance Service. Could you please provide the list (with locations) of the land maintained under the Grounds Maintenance Service?”

 

The Deputy Leader advised that his response to the question was the same as for the previous question.

 

Councillor Coole asked a supplemental question enquiring as to how the Council was able to charge for grounds maintenance if it was not aware of which areas were being maintained as part of the Andover Special Expenses Levy?

 

The Deputy Leader responded that the information requested required a detailed piece of work to be carried out which was not able to happen at present due to Covid-19 as previously mentioned. A list would be provided at a future point.

 

Councillor Coole submitted a question asking “Andover Special Expenses Levy Asset Valuation. Could you please provide a valuation list of the buildings (public halls, sports pavilions, etc) and land (playgrounds, sport fields, urban parks, cemeteries, open spaces, and any other land maintained under the Grounds Maintenance Service), which is included in the Andover Special Expenses Levy?”

 

The Deputy Leader confirmed that no assets were charged to the Andover Special Expenses Levy. The Levy contained only revenue costs not capital. The Borough Council had no intention of transferring or selling its Andover assets and would continue to hold them in trust for the enjoyment of Andover residents.

 

Councillor Coole asked a supplemental question asking that as residents were required to pay the additional levy, was it not morally wrong of the Council not to include the assets as part of the Levy?

 

The Deputy Leader responded that it was not morally wrong because the assets associated with the Andover Levy were transferred from the Andover District Council during local government reorganisation. The Levy covered the costs of maintenance that would in normal circumstances be met by a parish level authority and there were many examples across the Borough of parishes paying for the maintenance of land, the asset of which was held by the Borough.

 

Councillor Celia Dowden submitted a question asking “The council will have suffered loss of income  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

59.

Notice of Motion - Rule 12

Minutes:

There were no motions to consider.

60.

Climate Emergency Action Plan pdf icon PDF 208 KB

Following the resolution of the Council in September 2019, OSCOM was tasked with establishing a cross party working group that would develop a climate emergency action plan. This paper presents the outputs of this work, seeking approval of the Climate Emergency Action Plan

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Environment Portfolio Holder which presented the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan.

 

The Climate Emergency Action Plan had been prepared and endorsed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in line with the resolution of Council on 4 September 2019.

 

The proposed actions had been formed following work undertaken by groups of cross party members, representatives of communities and businesses and Council officers. The action plan was a living document in order for changes in technology, government policy and people’s behaviour to be taken into account and would move the Council towards being a carbon neutral organisation.

 

Resolved:

 

1.  That the Climate Emergency Action Plan (Annex 1 to the report) be approved.

 

2.  That the Head of Planning Policy and Economic Development, in consultation with the Environment Portfolio Holder, be authorised to make changes of a minor nature to improve the presentation of the Climate Emergency Action Plan and correct typographical errors prior to publication.

61.

Appointments to Project Enterprise Member Panel pdf icon PDF 130 KB

To consider appointments to the Member Panel for Project Enterprise.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Corporate Portfolio Holder which proposed appointments to the Project Enterprise Member Panel to reflect the political proportionality of the Council.

The Constitution included a delegation to the Head of Property and Asset Management, in consultation with a panel of Members to consider property investments and authorise expenditure from a pre-approved capital budget allocation.

 

The Corporate Portfolio Holder proposed an alteration to the recommendation to

reflect the updated job title of the Head of Property and Asset Management. The meeting consented to this alteration without discussion.

 

Resolved:

That Councillors Cross, A Dowden, Flood, P North and Ward be appointed to the Member Panel to be consulted by the Head of Property and Asset Management in respect of proposed property investments.

 

 

62.

Reporting of Urgent Decisions pdf icon PDF 133 KB

To consider the urgent decisions which was taken by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader during the period of national emergency presented by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Corporate Portfolio Holder which contained details of the urgent decisions made by the Chief Executive and the Leader in light of the emergency presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

 

The Constitution provided for the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader to take urgent decisions to discharge the Council’s functions subject to the matter being regarded as an emergency or urgent situation and that the decision is reported back to Council.  

 

Resolved:

 

That Council notes the urgent decisions set out in the annexes to this report which were taken by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader during the period of national emergency presented by the Coronavirus pandemic.

63.

Amendments to the Constitution pdf icon PDF 223 KB

To consider the amendments to the Constitution.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Corporate Portfolio Holder which provided details of proposals for a number of amendments to the Council’s Constitution to reflect updates to legislation as well as amendments made by the Monitoring Officer under delegated authority.

 

Resolved:

 

1.  That the Council’s Constitution be amended as shown in Annex 1 to the report.

 

2.  That amendments to the Council’s Constitution as set out in Annexes 2 and 3 be noted.