Agenda and minutes

Cllrs Ms Crisell and White

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2017 as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2017 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To note any declarations of interest made by members in connection with an agenda item.  The nature of the interest must also be specified.

Members are asked to discuss any possible interests with Democratic Services prior to the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made by members in connection with an agenda item.

To note any issues raised during the public participation period.

No issues were raised during the public participation period.

To note the progress of the key actions and service reviews under the remit of this Panel.

The Panel considered the latest position with regard to service reviews and the delivery of key actions under the remit of the Panel.

Members were pleased with the progress made against each of the actions.

An annual performance report would be brought to the Panel in May.

RESOLVED:

(a)             That the progress to date be noted; and

(b)             That a further progress report be brought to the Panel in May.

To note the contents of the report.

The Panel considered the Government’s Housing White Paper.

The Government’s Housing White Paper “Fixing Our Broken Housing Market” was published on 7 February 2017 and contained proposals for a number of planning reforms. The Government’s consultation period seeking views on these proposals ends on 2 May 2017.

In order to implement a range of policies aimed at expanding the housing market and improve affordability of homes, the Paper proposed significant changes to planning law. 

The Paper contained two key chapters, namely; “planning for the right homes in the right places” and “building homes faster”. Key proposals under these headings which would have significant impact on local authorities (and which fell within the remit of this Panel) included: -

·        An expectation that local authorities become ambitious and innovative to get more homes built in their areas.

·        Changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) requiring local authorities to prepare a ‘statement of common ground’, setting out how local Councils would work with their neighbouring authorities to meet housing requirements that cut across boundaries.

·        Introducing a standardised approach for local authorities in assessing the housing requirement in their area.

·        Making brownfield land available for housing development.

·        Amending the NPPF to give local authorities the opportunity to have their housing land supply agreed on an annual basis and fixed for a one year period.

·        Simplifying completion notices so that homes could be built faster.

·        Changing NPPF to make it easier for developers “building to rent” to offer affordable private rental homes instead of other types of affordable housing.

·        Assist tenants further with right to buy, including extending this to affordable housing tenants.

·        Legal duties to be placed on local authorities to prevent homelessness.

Members discussed a number of aspects regarding the Government’s expectations in relation to increasing housing supply and the additional pressure this would place on local authorities. Members expressed a number of concerns, in particular, that the Government had not adequately addressed the issue of social housing. This Council, notwithstanding its building and acquisition programme, continued to struggle to reduce its housing waiting list. Widening the scope of right to buy purchases for tenants would reduce housing stock further.

In addition, the Council currently, despite its best efforts, struggled to meet existing homelessness duties, and would continue to struggle without more affordable homes being made available. With the high cost of building and the increasing financial pressure being placed on Council’s, largely through the cuts in Government grant, the Council would have difficulty in meeting the Government’s expectations, whilst addressing social housing needs within the District.

The Panel requested that these concerns be put to the Portfolio Holders for inclusion in the consultation response.

RESOLVED:

That the Panel’s views as set out above be submitted to the relevant Portfolio Holders for consideration in their response to the consultation process.

To receive a presentation on the initial scoping of a Health and Leisure service review.

The Panel received a presentation on initial proposals for a review of the Council’s health and leisure service.

The Panel acknowledged the recent efforts made by the service in the last year, to reduce costs and optimise income, which had meant that the service was in a good position (and officers were congratulated for this), but stressed that the momentum of service improvements needed to continue. Any review should seek to ensure that the Council’s leisure provisions; met the ever changing needs and demands of residents’, offered value for money and remained fit for the future. Various approaches on how a review of the service should take shape were considered. Panel members were unable to offer a firm view on the future service delivery. However agreed that the parameters of any review of the service should be focused on maintaining the current level of provision, albeit in a more innovative and modern way.

Officers would consider the comments made by the Panel in formulating a firm review outline and would discuss this further with members at a future Panel meeting.

Members conveyed their thanks to officers within the service for their hard work and efforts to date.

To receive a verbal update on the progress of the Group.  

The Panel were given an update on the progress of the work of the Dibden Golf Centre Task & Finish Group.

The Task & Finish Group has held three meetings to date, one of which took place at Dibden Golf Centre where members took a tour of the site and viewed the facilities currently available. Following the site visit, the Group had an informal discussion with representatives of the local golf clubs and some service users and also received a presentation from representatives from Mytime Active.

From evidence presented at this meeting, it became clear to the Group that in the first 3 years of their contract, Mytime Active had been unable to achieve their own targets in terms of income and rounds of golf played, due to the very inclement weather.  The Group would work closer with Mytime Active in monitoring the investment programme for the next five years, given that Mytime Active had rescheduled the investment originally agreed.  The Group had come to a preliminary view regarding the future level of rent for the Centre, and was in the process of discussing this with Mytime Active board members. The Group hoped to submit a full report with recommendations to the next Panel meeting following these negotiations. 

RESOLVED:

That the progress update be noted.

To consider the Panel’s future work programme, and make changes where necessary.

The Cabinet and subsequently the full Council had agreed at their meetings in February, with the recommendations of this Panel that funding to Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB) should not form part of the community grant process, but rather future funding form part of a formal Service Level Agreement. The Council had agreed that a Task & Finish Group be formed to examine this. As CAB fell under the remit of the Corporate Overview & Scrutiny Panel (COP), it was for this Panel to establish and appoint members to a Task & Finish Group. In doing so, members requested that the Chairman of COP consider appointing a member of the Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel to that Task & Finish Group.

RESOLVED:

That the Panel’s work programme set out in Appendix 1 to these minutes be agreed.

An opportunity for the Portfolio Holders to provide an update to the Panel on any issues.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing & Communities reported that on the progress of the North Milton Estate. Positive feedback had been received from tenants. The estate had been developed on time and on budget.

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Leisure informed the Panel on the following: -

·        The Health and Leisure Centres had increased number of members by 800 since January.

·        The Active Lifestyle Coordinator would be shortly visiting doctors’ surgeries, for one day per week, across the District to offer advice to residents on healthy lifestyles.

·        A meeting had taken place with Hampshire County Council Cabinet member for public health to discuss closer collaborative working.

·        The Health and Wellbeing Board were currently in the process of reviewing its aspirations/outcomes to ensure that these were achievable.