Agenda and minutes

Prayers were led by the Reverend Wharton.

Apologies were received from Councillors Bailey, G Cooper, Donnelly, Gwynne, Hamilton, L Lashbrook, P Lashbrook, Meyer, Thom and Ward.

No members of the public had registered to speak.

Councillor Burnage wished to declare a personal interest as she was a member of the Romsey Future Walking and Cycling Work Group for item 7.2.1.1 – Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Allocation of CIL Funds

Councillors A Dowden and C Dowden wished to declare a personal interest as they were members of Valley Park Parish Council for item 7.2.1.1 – Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Allocation of CIL Funds

Councillors Baverstock and Daas wished to declare a personal interest as they were members of Romsey Town Council for item 11 – Test Valley Borough Council Community Governance Review – Romsey Town – Draft Recommendations.

Councillors Burnage, M Cooper and Parker wished to declare a personal

interest as they were members of Romsey Extra Parish Council and Romsey Town Council for item 11 – Test Valley Borough Council Community Governance Review – Romsey Town – Draft Recommendations.

Councillor Adams-King wished to declare a personal interest as he was a member of Awbridge Parish Council for item 11 – Test Valley Borough Council Community Governance Review – Romsey Town – Draft Recommendations.

Councillor M Cooper wished to declare a personal interest as an acquaintance of the person identified for item 13 – Appointment of Independent Person.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 25 February 2022 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

The Worshipful The Mayor of Test Valley thanked those who attended the Commonwealth Day flag raising on 14 March.

The Worshipful The Mayor of Test Valley thanked Councillors for their attendance at the Member/Officer Market place and Mayor’s Spring Reception event which had proved to be a very successful evening with positive feedback received from both officers and Councillors on the value of the event.

The Mayor reminded Members that the Annual Meeting and Mayor-Making Ceremony would be held in the Guildhall, Andover on Wednesday 18 May 2022, at 11am. The meeting would be followed by a reception at The Lights Theatre.

The new Mayor would be hosting a vintage tea dance on Thursday 2 June from 2pm at St Mary’s Church, Andover to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. All Councillors were invited to attend and to promote the event to their communities.

Test Valley Civic Service would be held in Romsey Abbey on Saturday 4 June at 4pm. Further details would be sent to Councillors in due course.

To receive and, where necessary, adopt reports of Committees.

Minutes of Meetings

Resolved:

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

Licensing Committee – 10 February 2022

Northern Area Planning Committee – 17 February 2022

Southern Area Planning Committee – 22 February 2022

Cabinet – 23 February 2022

Overview & Scrutiny Committee – 2 March 2022

Northern Area Planning Committee – 10 March 2022

Southern Area Planning Committee – 15 March 2022

Cabinet – 30 March 2022

General Purposes Committee – 29 March 2022

Northern Area Planning Committee – 31 March 2022

Southern Area Planning Committee – 5 April 2022

To adopt recommendations from the following:

Cabinet – 30 March 2022

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – Allocation of CIL Funds

Resolved:

That the following projects totalling £283,524 are approved for CIL funding:

·  Extension of St Mary’s GP Surgery – £240,478

·  Viney Avenue to Cupernham School Pedestrian Works – £13,535

·  Valley Park Orchard Trail – £29,511

Councillor Parker asked a question in relation to page 329 of the minute book, minute number 490 – New ways of working programme update. Councillor Parker asked whether work would be undertaken to look at the impact of covid-19 and new ways of working on residents and the role of Councillors?

Councillor Lodge, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, replied that the project presented at the Committee was an update on an internally focussed project however he would pass Councillor Parker’s comments on to officers who would be happy to consider them.

Councillor P North advised that he would be happy to provide more detail on the work being undertaken in respect of Councillor Parker’s question outside of the meeting.

Councillor Celia Dowden asked the Planning Portfolio Holder the following question:

“Planning applications are now sent online to Parish Councils and to ward members when the recommendation is for determination under delegated authority.

Along with the officer's report, can a link be provided to the proposed site and floor plans to enable Parish Clerks and Councillors and Borough Councillors to more easily consider the applications? 

I understand that this is usual practice in other planning authorities”.

Councillor Bundy thanked Councillor Celia Dowden for her question and was pleased to say that a link to the planning application can be provided in the delegated report itself which will allow easy access for Councillors when notified to drawings and associated planning application documents. The Head of Planning and Building would implement this change immediately. Councillor Bundy also advised that the link would be made available in committee reports enabling ease of access to all application documents.

The second part of the question related to links being provided for Parish Council notifications, this would require further investigation by the Head of Planning and Building who would report back once the matter had been reviewed.

Councillor Celia Dowden did not ask a supplementary question but thanked officers for their work developing a solution.

Councillor Ecclestone asked the Waste, Recycling and Parking Portfolio Holder the following question:

“Can the portfolio holder for please inform us as to the sequence of events relating to an interaction between council employees and a homeless person outside the former Edinburgh Woollen Mills store in Andover on the 21^st March?”

Councillor Adams-King confirmed that there was no interaction between TVBC officers and a homeless person on 21^st March. However the Council was aware of the issue being referred to. Councillor Adams-King also confirmed that the Council do not own the former Edinburgh Woollen Mill unit and were not involved in boarding it up. However, it was noted that the council is providing ongoing support to the gentleman in question and has been doing so for some time. It would not be appropriate however to discuss the matter in any more detail in the public domain.

Councillor Ecclestone asked a supplemental question regarding the role of the Andover Rangers in the incident and the collection of the individual’s belongings’.

Councillor Adams-King advised that the individual’s belongings’ were collected by Environmental Services officers for safe keeping and that the individual was aware of this and would be reunited with them when he wished. Councillor Adams-King confirmed that the Andover Rangers were not employees of the Council but of the Andover Bid and therefore he was not able to comment on their role.

There were no motions to consider.

To consider the draft recommendations for the Romsey Town Community Governance Review.

Consideration was given to a report of the Democracy and Governance Portfolio

Holder which set out proposed Draft Recommendations for the Romsey Town Community Governance Review (CGR).

The draft recommendations set out in the report reflected the deliberations of the CGR Member Panel, which took into account the representations that were received in the first public consultation period. It was considered that they were appropriate proposals to deal with the issues which are raised.

If approved, the proposed draft recommendations would be published and a Second Consultation stage would be undertaken. Any responses received would be assessed and considered by the Member Panel. A further report would be  considered by Council on 7 September which would propose final recommendations.

Resolved:

1.  That the Draft Recommendations for the Romsey Town Community Governance Review, as set out in Annex 2 to the report, be adopted.

2.  That the Draft Recommendations as set out in Annex 2 to the report be published for consultation purposes from Friday 8 April to Friday 3 June 2022 inclusive.

3.  That the consultation process include sending letters to residential addresses in the part of Romsey Extra Parish outside the existing Romsey Borough Wards.

4.  That a further report be made to full Council on 7 September 2022, to include further consultation responses and a set of proposed Final Recommendations.

5.  That delegated authority be given to the Chief Executive (in consultation with the Democracy and Governance Portfolio Holder) to review the existing polling districts and make such changes as he considers appropriate in the light of the Final Recommendations.

To consider the establishment of an Audit Committee.

Consideration was given to a report of the Democracy and Governance Portfolio

Holder which considered whether changes should be made to the Council’s governance arrangements in light of a recent report from its external auditor.

The Council’s current governance arrangements have been in place since 2011. Ernst & Young had recently concluded the audit of the Council’s 2020/21 financial statements and recommended the establishment of an Audit Committee reporting to Council.

It was recommended that an Audit Committee be established which brought together the main responsibilities of the Committee in a format more aligned to the CIPFA guidance on Audit Committees. The Committee would comprise six Members which would be appointed to at Annual Council and meet four times a year.

Resolved:

1.  That an Audit Committee comprising six members be established with effect from 18 May 2022.

2.  That the terms of reference for the Audit Committee, as set out in Annex 1 to the report, be approved.

3.  That appointments to the Audit Committee be confirmed at the Annual Council meeting on 18 May 2022.

4.  That the Scheme of Members’ Allowances be amended to include payment of Special Responsibility Allowances to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee as set out at Paragraph 8 of this report.

5.  That the dates and times of the meetings for the Audit Committee, as set out in Annex 3 to the report, be approved.

To consider the appointment of an Independent Person.

Consideration was given to a report of the Democracy and Governance Portfolio

Holder which recommended that Mr Peter Reader be appointed as an Independent Member for Test Valley Borough Council following interview with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

Provisions in The Localism Act 2011 included the requirement for the Council to appoint Independent Persons who can be consulted in the case of allegations of failure to comply with the code of conduct and who will be present at any meetings where breaches are considered.

Resolved:

That Mr Peter Reader be appointed as an Independent Person until 1 May 2026 pursuant to Section 28 of the Localism Act 2011 and the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2015.

The following items are confidential.

Resolved:

That, pursuant to Section 100(A) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following reports on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following Paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended, indicated below. The public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the Public interest in disclosing the information for the reason given below:

Contractual Matters  Paragraph 3

It is considered that this report contains exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, being that the information relates to the financial or business affairs of any person (including the authority holding that information).  It is further considered that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Commitment of Planning Obligation funds  Paragraph 3

It is considered that this report contains exempt information within the meaning of paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended in that it “contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)”.  It is further considered that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

To consider contractual matters.

Consideration was given to a report of the Community, Leisure and Tourism Portfolio Holder which dealt with contractual matters. 

Resolved:

That Officers be authorised to take the actions detailed within paragraph 8.7 of this report.

To consider the commitment of Planning Obligation funds.

Consideration was given to a report of the Finance and Resources Portfolio Holder which considered the commitment of planning obligation funds.

Councillor Flood proposed an alteration to the motion to change the references in the recommendations from 2.7 to 2.10 to reflect the actions to be undertaken. The meeting’s consent was signalled without discussion.

Resolved:

1.  That the Head of Communities and Leisure in consultation with the Head of Finance & Revenues and the Finance & Resources Portfolio Holder be authorised to take the actions set out at 2.10 of the report.

2.  That any capital expenditure as a result of the actions set out at 2.10 of the report be added to the Council’s Capital Programme.