Minutes:
Councillor Celia Dowden submitted a question asking the Leader ‘Would the leader inform the council of the progress made “to create a detached youth worker project to properly support young people and discourage anti social behaviour” as stated in Conservative literature delivered throughout areas of Test Valley during the May 2019 election’.
Councillor North responded by advising that the statement was made by candidates local to the Romsey area during the election campaigning and that it was not part of a wider Conservative manifesto. Councillor North suggested that should local Members wish to bring forward such a proposal, the Council would consider this in the usual manner.
Councillor Thom submitted a question asking the Leader ‘The Government have stated we will leave the European Union on the 31st October with or without a deal.
Following direction from the new Local Government Minister, I would like to know if we have appointed a designated Brexit lead officer, with clear responsibilities and lines of accountability, and will the Leader inform us of the Council’s plan?’
Councillor North responded by confirming that the Council had appointed a designated Brexit lead officer in accordance with the request from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and that the officer’s lines of accountability were clear, as the officer was the Chief Executive. The Council’s action planning was based on advice from central government and upon the Council’s own Brexit Risk Assessment.
Councillor Ecclestone submitted a question asking the Finance Portfolio Holder ‘The redrawing of the boundaries of Andover Town saw a significant transfer of rateable households from Smannell, Abbotts Ann and Enham to Andover.
Please advise:
· The number of households transferred as of May 2019
· The expected number of households in the transferred areas by 2024
· The amount of Andover Levy expected to be raised from the transferred households in the period 2019-20
· The expected increase in costs to the Borough from this transfer of residences (considering that the residences transferred were not paying any Levy before).
· The net financial effect for TVBC
· Is the Levy expected to be lowered in light of any net positive effect (i.e. more income over more expenses)?
Councillor Flood responded with the requested figures, setting out that the number of households transferred was 2,229 with the Council having no reliable estimate available of the expected number of households by 2024. The net additional expenditure from the transfer was £19,996 and it had been agreed at Council on 25 February 2019 that the Levy would not be increased to cover the full additional costs.
Councillor Ecclestone submitted a question asking the Community and Leisure Portfolio Holder ‘To please advise:
· Numbers provided to the Town Clerk of Andover indicate that that the cemeteries “service” provided to Andover residents registered a positive balance of GBP39,840 in the period 2018-19, being the excess of income received over the costs of provision of the service. This was contraed against the Andover Levy.
· Does the cemetery in question (e.g. Charlton) have a balance sheet and earnings statement available for councillors?
· Under the Parish Councils and Burial Authorities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1970 s.1. the responsibility for providing cemeteries to the residents of the town lies with the Andover Town Council.
· Why was this new cemetery/crematorium developed without being offered to the Andover Town Council?
· What will be the likely financial effect of Andover Town Council developing its own cemetery trust, either on its own account or in partnership with one or more neighbouring parishes?’
Councillor Ward responded by advising that the cemetery in question did not have a separate balance sheet as all Council services and functions were aggregated into one General Fund. Councillor Ward confirmed that Section 1 of the Parish Councils and Burial Authorities (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1970, did not give responsibility for providing cemeteries to the residents of Andover to Andover Town Council and that the crematorium at Charlton park was developed and owned by a private company. It would be for Andover Town Council to assess the financial effect as it would depend on a number of variables that only the Town Council would know.