Agenda, decisions and minutes

No members of the public registered to speak.

Councillor Tasker declared a Personal Interest in item 15 ‘Valley Housing Matters’ as her husband is a Director of Valley Housing Limited.  She left the meeting prior to the consideration of that item.

There were no urgent items.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 27 October 2021 be confirmed and signed as a true record.

There were no recommendations to consider from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Strategic Regeneration and Partnerships (North)

To consider establishing a Partnership Board with Hampshire County Council to facilitate the delivery of the Andover Masterplan.

Resolved:

To establish a Partnership Board as outlined in section 6 with Hampshire County Council and other key stakeholders as appropriate to facilitate the delivery of the Andover masterplan.

Consideration was given to a report of the Strategic Regeneration and Partnership (North) Portfolio Holder which sought endorsement for the Council to create a partnership board to help guide the delivery of the Andover masterplan.

The regeneration of Andover was one of the leading priorities for the Council. A close working relationship with partners, including Hampshire County Council was required in order to help secure the delivery of the masterplan. The proposed structure would formalise the current relationship.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed the following:

Resolved:

To establish a Partnership Board as outlined in section 6 with Hampshire County Council and other key stakeholders as appropriate to facilitate the delivery of the Andover masterplan.

Finance and Resources

To compare revenue income and expenditure against profiled budget for the six months, ended 30 September 2021.

Recommended:

That the financial position for each Service and the key revenue areas contained in the Annex to the report be noted.

Consideration was given to a report of the Finance and Resources Portfolio Holder which reviewed the Council’s revenue spending for the first six months of the 2021/22 financial year. It also examined the main differences between the original estimate for 2021/22 and actual spend to 30 September 2021 and provided explanations for significant variances.

Overall, net expenditure to 30 September 2021 was £548,000 less than budgeted at this stage of the year. The favourable variance comprised additional income and savings of £504,000 due to service related expenditure and £44,000 additional income from the Council’s investing and borrowing activities.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed the following:

Resolved:

That the financial position for each Service and the key revenue areas contained in the Annex to the report be noted.

Finance and Resources

To provide an update on the progress of the 2021/22 Asset Management Plan.

Recommended to Council:

1.  That the revised 2021/22 and original 2022/23 Asset Management Plan, as shown in Annexes 1 and 2 to the report, be approved.

2.  That the Head of Finance and Revenues, after consultation with the Finance & Resources Portfolio holder and Head of Service responsible for any project, be authorised to amend the Asset Management Plan during the year, as discussed in paragraph 7.3.

Consideration was given to a report of the Finance and Resources Portfolio Holder which provided an update on the approved 2021/22 Asset Management Plan (AMP) and recommended projects to be included in the 2022/23 budget.

The Plan provided an update on the financing of AMP projects, including a forecast of the balance on the Asset Management Reserve at 31 March 2023.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed the following:

Recommended to Council:

1.  That the revised 2021/22 and original 2022/23 Asset Management Plan, as shown in Annexes 1 and 2 to the report, be approved.

2.  That the Head of Finance and Revenues, after consultation with the Finance & Resources Portfolio holder and Head of Service responsible for any project, be authorised to amend the Asset Management Plan during the year, as discussed in paragraph 7.3.

Finance and Resources

To provide an update on the approved Capital Programme.

Recommended to Council:

1.  That the new capital schemes with a total cost of £1,100,000 as shown in Annex 2 to the report, be added to the 2021/22 to 2023/24 Capital Programme.

2.  That the revised estimates and financing for the 2021/22 to 2023/24 Capital Programme as shown in Annex 1 to the report, be approved.

Consideration was given to a report of the Finance and Resources Portfolio Holder which provided an updated on the Capital Programme 2021/22 to 2023/24.

The Capital Programme update included a summary of the progress of the existing 2021/22 Capital Programme as well as forecast changes to its timescale and total cost.

Proposals for new capital schemes recommended to be added to the Capital Programme over the period 2021/22 to 2023/24 were included. The total cost of new projects recommended for inclusion in the Capital Programme was £1.10M. After taking into account external funding, the net cost of these bids was £100,000 and recommended to be funded from the Capital Receipts Reserve.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed the following:

Recommended to Council:

1.  That the new capital schemes with a total cost of £1,100,000 as shown in Annex 2 to the report, be added to the 2021/22 to 2023/24 Capital Programme.

2.  That the revised estimates and financing for the 2021/22 to 2023/24 Capital Programme as shown in Annex 1 to the report, be approved.

Planning

To consider a minor amendment to the Terms of Grant for the Community Car Scheme.

Resolved:

That, with effect from 1 January 2022, a minor amendment be made to the Terms of Grant for the Community Car Scheme, as set out in paragraph 4.1 of the report.

Consideration was given to a report of the Recycling, Environmental Services and Car Parking Portfolio Holder which provided details of the Community Car Scheme grants  and proposed a minor amendment to the Terms.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an adjustment was made to the scheme to allow claims for journeys where clients were not able to be present. This adjustment was supported by community car groups and their users.

The proposed amendment would make this a permanent part of the scheme, enabling scheme groups to make claims for journeys they have made to assist clients, but where the client has been unable to physically make the journey for themselves.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed the following:

Resolved:

That, with effect from 1 January 2022, a minor amendment be made to the Terms of Grant for the Community Car Scheme, as set out in paragraph 4.1 of the report.

Planning

To consider approving the amendments to the Andover Conservation Area boundary and approving the Andover Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan.

Resolved:

1.  That the Andover Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (CAAMP) document shown in Annex 1 to the report be approved.

2.  That the proposed revised boundaries to the Andover Conservation Area be approved as set out in Annex 3 to the report.

Consideration was given to a report of the Planning Portfolio Holder which sought approval for proposed amendments to the Conservation Area boundaries, and the revised Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan for the Andover Conservation Area(CAAMP).

The CAMMP had been produced following public consultation. The comments received in response had been reviewed, and, where appropriate, amendments were made to both the CAAMP and the boundary.

The revised CAAMP would provide a robust and up to date framework within which to determine future planning applications in the Andover conservation area, and development which might affect its setting including implementing the Masterplan.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed the following:

Resolved:

1.  That the Andover Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan (CAAMP) document shown in Annex 1 to the report be approved.

2.  That the proposed revised boundaries to the Andover Conservation Area be approved as set out in Annex 3 to the report.

Community, Leisure and Tourism, Democracy and Governance

To consider a programme of local events and initiatives to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.

Recommended to Council:

1.  That the proposed programme of events to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee as set out in section five of the report be approved.

2.  That £200,000 be added to the Capital Programme for two public art commissions to commemorate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, to be funded from New Homes Bonus Reserve.

3.  That the application fee for a temporary road closure for public events be waived for those applications that demonstrate that their event is for the purposes of celebrating Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee from 2 June 2022 through to 5 June 2022.

Consideration was given to a joint report of the Community, Leisure and Tourism and the Democracy and Governance Portfolio Holders which proposed a number of local initiatives to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Her Majesty The Queen would celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, seventy years of service, during an extended bank holiday weekend of events and activities from 2–5 June 2022.

Alongside promotion of national schemes to communities across the borough, it was proposed that a series of local initiatives and events be encouraged and supported along with a number of activities promoted by the Borough Council to complement the broader programme of events to allow the communities of Test Valley to honour The Queen and her years of service.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed the following:

Recommended to Council:

1.  That the proposed programme of events to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee as set out in section five of the report be approved.

2.  That £200,000 be added to the Capital Programme for two public art commissions to commemorate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, to be funded from New Homes Bonus Reserve.

3.  That the application fee for a temporary road closure for public events be waived for those applications that demonstrate that their event is for the purposes of celebrating Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee from 2 June 2022 through to 5 June 2022.

The following item is confidential.

Resolved:

That, pursuant to Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, the public be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of the following report on the following matter on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following Paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, indicated below. The public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information for the reason given below:

Valley Housing 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. It is further considered that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because the information relates to the financial or business affairs of both the Council and third parties.

Resolved:

That, pursuant to Regulation 4 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, the public be excluded from the meeting for the consideration of the following report on the following matter on the ground that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following Paragraph of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, indicated below. The public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information for the reason given below:

Valley Housing 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. It is further considered that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because the information relates to the financial or business affairs of both the Council and third parties.

Finance and Resources

To consider the Business Plan for Valley Housing Ltd for 2022/23 to 2024/25.

Resolved:

That the Valley Housing Ltd Business Plan, attached in Annex 1 to the report, be approved.

Consideration was given to a report of the Finance and Resources Portfolio Holder which considered the Business Plan for Valley Housing Ltd for 2022/23 to 2024/25.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed the following:

Resolved:

That the Valley Housing Ltd Business Plan, attached in Annex 1 to the report, be approved.