Agenda and minutes

Cllr Coombes.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 16 January 2018 as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 16 January 2018 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 receive an update on the implications of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 & to update on the work of the Homelessness Task & Finish Group.

The Panel received an update on the current strategies taking place across the Council in order to comply with the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 (“the Act”).

The Executive Head of Governance and Regulation reminded the Panel that the the Act which was due to come into force in April 2018, had modified and extended existing homelessness protections in a number of key ways:

·         Improved advice and information about homelessness and the prevention of homelessness

·         Extension of the period ‘threatened with homelessness’

·         Introduced new duties to prevent and relieve homelessness for all eligible people, regardless of priority need and intentionality

·         Introduced assessments and personalised housing plans, setting out the actions housing authorities and individuals would take to secure accommodation

·         Encouraged public bodies to work together to prevent and relieve homelessness through a duty to refer.

In relation to the two penultimate bullet points, it was confirmed that with updates in technology and an increase in staff resource, Housing officers had been further enabled to undertake off-site work in seeking to help the most vulnerable within local communities, and prepare personal homelessness plans.

The Council had also established a multi-agency forum which would hold its first meeting on 28 March 2018.  In addition, the Council had strengthened its severe weather protocol which had been put in practice during the heavy snow fall at the beginning of the month, with officers successfully placing 15 rough sleepers in temporary accommodation.

The Homelessness Task and Finish Group established by the Housing Portfolio Holder would hold its first meeting on 16 March, where it would undertake a comprehensive review of the Council’s approach to these issues.

The Panel would be kept updated on the findings of the Group.

To be advised of the timetable for the submission of strategies for the delivery of the Corporate Framework.

The Panel considered the Corporate Framework including service strategies.

The Corporate Framework set out how the Council intended to deliver its corporate priorities.

The Panel noted the strategies pertaining the Panel (as set out in paragraph 2 of the report) and the timetable for each.

RESOLVED:

That the contents of the report be noted.

To re-appoint a new Task & Finish Group with revised Terms of Reference.

The Panel considered the scope of the Health and Leisure review of the future delivery options for the provision of the Council’s five Health and Leisure Centres.

The Panel also considered the re-establishment of the Task & Finish Group with updated terms of reference. Members were informed that all services provided by the Health & Leisure Centres would be examined, including the benefits (both direct and indirect) to residents’ well-being. It was hoped that the findings of the Group would be presented to the Panel in September.

The Panel agreed that a Task & Finish Group be established comprising of three members of the Panel, and five other members of the Council, to be appointed by the Chairman of the Panel.

RESOLVED:

(a)          That the contents of the report be noted;

(b)          That the Health and Leisure Review Task & Finish Group be re-established with the scope of the Group being as set out in paragraph 3 of the Report to the Panel;

(c)          That the Group comprise of three members of the Community Overview & Scrutiny Panel and five other members of the Council, to be appointed by the Chairman of this Panel; and

(d)          That the Task & Finish Group presents their findings to the Panel in September.

To receive the bi-annual update from the Chairman of the Task & Finish Group.

The Chairman of the Task & Finish Group explained that since his last update in November, he, along with the Deputy Chief Executive had met with representatives of Mytime Active as part of the regular monitoring meetings.  At this meeting they met the new, temporary Golf Centre Manager, Richard Neale.

The full Task & Finish Group subsequently met to discuss the investment and management of the Centre. The Group, in undertaking its scrutiny function, has invited Board members of MyTiime Active to a meeting, to provide an update on their view of the Centre’s performance and the future direction of travel.

A further update would be given to the Panel following this meeting, with details on the Centre/Mytime Active’s performance.

To re-appoint the Task & Finish Group to review the current process and criteria, in advance of the grant applications in summer 2018.

The Panel considered the re-appointment of the Community Grants Task & Finish Group.

In January, the Community Grants Task & Finish Group, as part of their annual review of grant applications, recommended to the Cabinet, the payment of grants totalling £218,020. In addition, the Group also recommended that there be a comprehensive review of the community grants process and eligibility criteria in advance of the 2018 application deadline, in the light of the increasing number of applications being received and the large sums requested by some organisations. Both recommendations were agreed by the Cabinet.

In order to ensure that the needs of the whole of the District were considered, it had been suggested that the remit of the Task & Finish Group be widened, and that new members be appointed to the Group, to ensure that the wider geographical area of the District was represented.

As such, it was

RESOLVED:

(a)          That the Task Finish Group be re-appointed with the extended terms of reference as set out above; and

(b)          That new members be appointed to the Group to ensure that the wider geographical area of the District was represented; and

(c)          That the Task & Finish Group comprise of 6-8 members, with appointments being confirmed by the Chairman of the Panel.

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

It was suggested by Cllr Clarke, and agreed by the Panel, that strategic questions outlining the concerns of members in relation to crime and disorder, be drafted and sent to the Chief Inspector, in advance of his attendance at the Panel meeting in June.  Panel members were asked to email Cllrs Clarke and Davies with any concerns, so that they could formulate these into questions to be submitted to the Chief Inspector.

RESOLVED:

(a)          That the Panel’s work programme set out in Appendix 1 to these minutes be agreed; and

(b)          That members email Cllr Clarke and Davies with any concerns/questions that they wished to raise with the Chief Inspector in advance of his attendance at the Panel meeting in June 2019.

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

The Panel’s three Portfolio Holders gave the following updates: -

Community Affairs Portfolio Holder

·         The Safer New Forest Partnership Group had had to cancel their schedules meeting due to the extreme weather, but would meet shortly so that an update on their activities could be given at the next Panel meeting.

Leisure and Wellbeing Portfolio Holder

·         The costs associated with the Health & Leisure Centres and subsidy funding by the Council was set out.

·         The memberships in all the Centres had increased in the last year.

·         Eling Tide Mill would be re-opening on 9 April 2018.

·         New Milton Health & Leisure Centre would shortly be opening a new weights studio and Applemore would also be opening a new studio.

Housing Portfolio Holder

·         The Council had recently purchased a hostel in Ashley, New Milton, with potential to extend the building and offer more, much needed, emergency accommodation to residents.