Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Davis, Holding, Ring, Russell and M Wade.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 11 April 2022 as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 April 2022, be confirmed.

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

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

There were no declarations of any disclosable pecuniary interests by Members.

The Leader of the Council proposed that a vote of thanks be extended to the outgoing Chairman, Cllr Tipp, for the admirable way in which he had carried out the duties of Chairman during the past municipal year.  Cllr Cleary seconded the motion.

Other Members of the Council spoke in support of the motion.

RESOLVED:

That the thanks of this Council be extended to Cllr Tipp for the admirable way in which he has carried out the duties of Chairman during the past municipal year.

The Chairman thanked Members for their kind words, and reported on the charity work undertaken in the past year, in support of Oakhaven Hospice.

The Chairman expressed his thanks to Members, Officers and his consort for their support and assistance throughout the year and wished the Chairman-elect a successful year in office.

To elect a Chairman of the Council to hold office until the Annual Meeting in 2023.

Cllr O’Sullivan has been nominated as Chairman for the ensuing year.

Cllr Tipp moved that Cllr O’Sullivan be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.  Cllr Clarke seconded the motion.

RESOLVED:

That Cllr O’Sullivan be elected Chairman of the Council for the 2022/23 municipal year, until his successor is elected at the Annual Council meeting in May 2023.

Cllr O’Sullivan signed the declaration of acceptance of office, which was formally witnessed by the Monitoring Officer.  He was then invested with the Chain and Badge of Office before taking the chair.

The newly-elected Chairman will address the Council.

The Chairman thanked Members of the Council for electing him and in doing so paid tribute to the outgoing Chairman, Cllr Tipp and his wife for their year in office.

He announced that his charities for the year would be The Fortune Centre of Riding Therapy, which offered young people with special needs the chance to learn new skills through horses and horse riding, and Supporting Children with Additional Need (SCARF).  SCARF organises regular term time clubs as well as holiday activities for children with additional needs and their families.

To appoint a Vice-Chairman of the Council to hold office until the Annual Meeting in 2023.

Cllr Penman has been nominated as Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year.

Cllr O’Sullivan moved that Cllr Penman be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.  The motion was seconded by Cllr S Davies.

RESOLVED:

That Cllr Penman be elected Vice-Chairman of the Council for the 2022/23 municipal year, until his successor is appointed at the Annual Council meeting in May 2023.

Cllr Penman signed the declaration of acceptance of office, which was formally witnessed by the Monitoring Officer.  He was then invested with the Chain and Badge of Office.

Cllr Penman returned thanks for his appointment.

Devolution and a County Deal

The Leader reported on a recent meeting of the Leaders of Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council, Isle of Wight Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council.  This meeting, with the Minister for Levelling Up, progressed constructive discussions on a pan Hampshire County Deal.  These discussions continued.

A Pan Hampshire County Deal, as outlined in the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper, would seek to develop Combined County Authorities, to deliver a transfer of powers and funding to the County of Hampshire.  The Leader reiterated that this was not about local government reorganisation or amending existing local authority functions and structures.

Council Tax Energy Rebate

The Leader was pleased to report that the Council had currently paid in the region of £7.4m to nearly 50,000 properties as part of the Government Council Tax Energy Rebate initiative.  This amounted to approximately 90% of those households eligible for payments.

In accordance with Standing Order 21, Cllr J Davies will move the following motion:-

“This Council notes:

·         The alarming news that 4 out of 114 neighbourhoods across the New Forest are in the top 20% most deprived neighbourhoods for income deprivation in England according to the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation.

This Council further notes:

·         The Cost of Living Crisis, which is expected to get worse, will push more local households into poverty.

·         That the cost of living crisis has a disproportionate effect on people in the most deprived neighbourhoods.

·         There are many different areas of deprivation included within the Index of Multiple Deprivation.  These include: income deprivation; employment deprivation; education, skills, and training deprivation; health and disability deprivation; crime deprivation; income deprivation affecting children; income deprivation affecting older people; living environment deprivation; and housing deprivation.

·         There are two neighbourhoods within the New Forest which are in the top 20% most deprived neighbourhoods for income deprivation affecting children.  These two neighbourhoods are contained within Butts Ash and Dibden Purlieu ward and Pennington ward respectively.

This Council recommends:

1.    A Task and Finish Group be set up to form a plan to tackle deprivation across the New Forest with a particular emphasis on the 4 most deprived neighbourhoods for income deprivation.  This Task and Finish Group will report to the Community, Partnerships and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

2.    Overall Deprivation is included as a key priority within the Corporate Plan and include the responsibility for reducing overall deprivation within the priorities of the Portfolio Holder for Partnering and Wellbeing.”

Under the provisions of Standing Order 41, the above motion, after being proposed and seconded (without speeches), should stand referred to the Cabinet, or to the Cabinet or such Committees or Panels as the Council may determine.  However, the Chairman may allow the motion to be dealt with at this meeting if he considers it urgent, convenient or conducive to the despatch of business; and, as this is a Cabinet function, if the Cabinet is in agreement.

In accordance with Standing Order 21, Cllr J Davies moved the following motion:-

“This Council notes:

·        The alarming news that 4 out of 114 neighbourhoods across the New Forest are in the top 20% most deprived neighbourhoods for income deprivation in England according to the 2019 Index of Multiple Deprivation.

This Council further notes:

·        The Cost of Living Crisis, which is expected to get worse, will push more local households into poverty.

·        That the cost of living crisis has a disproportionate effect on people in the most deprived neighbourhoods.

·        There are many different areas of deprivation included within the Index of Multiple Deprivation.  These include: income deprivation; employment deprivation; education, skills, and training deprivation; health and disability deprivation; crime deprivation; income deprivation affecting children; income deprivation affecting older people; living environment deprivation; and housing deprivation.

·        There are two neighbourhoods within the New Forest which are in the top 20% most deprived neighbourhoods for income deprivation affecting children.  These two neighbourhoods are contained within Butts Ash and Dibden Purlieu ward and Pennington ward respectively.

This Council recommends:

1.     A Task and Finish Group be set up to form a plan to tackle deprivation across the New Forest with a particular emphasis on the 4 most deprived neighbourhoods for income deprivation.  This Task and Finish Group will report to the Community, Partnerships and Wellbeing Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

2.     Overall Deprivation is included as a key priority within the Corporate Plan and include the responsibility for reducing overall deprivation within the priorities of the Portfolio Holder for Partnering and Wellbeing.”

Cllr Osborne seconded the motion.

The Chairman confirmed that, under the provisions of Standing Order 41, the above motion, having been proposed and seconded, should stand referred to the Cabinet, or to the Cabinet or such Committees or Panels as the Council may determine.  The Leader of the Council proposed that as the Council’s ongoing work to support communities and the ‘Levelling-Up’ agenda fell within a number of portfolios, that the motion should be referred to the Cabinet.  Cllr Cleary seconded the proposal.

RESOLVED:

That the motion be referred to the Cabinet meeting on 6 July 2022.

To agree the allocation of seats to the political groups on those Committees and Panels to which political balance rules apply, and to approve the appointment of Members to Committees and Panels.

The Leader of the Council moved the adoption of the recommendations contained within the report, which asked the Council to make appointments to committees and panels in accordance with the principles as set out in Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.  Cllr Cleary seconded the motion.

The Council, having received both the wishes of the political groups and the preferences of the non-aligned Members, considered the option to allocate seats to the non-aligned Members as nearly as possible in proportion to the number of those members on the Council.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the allocation of seats to committees and panels in accordance with the principles set out in the report, be agreed as at paragraph 4.6 of the report; and

2.    That the Council gives effect to the wishes of the political groups in making appointments to these Committees and Panels, for the remainder of the four year period ending May 2023.

To agree the following schedule of Council meetings for the 2022/23 Municipal Year, all commencing at 6.30 pm:-

·         11 July 2022

·         12 September 2022

·         10 October 2022

·         12 December 2022

·         27 February 2023

·         17 April 2023

·         22 May 2023 (Annual Meeting)

RESOLVED:

That the following schedule of Council meetings for the 2022/23 Municipal Year, all commencing at 6.30 pm, be agreed:-

·        11 July 2022

·        12 September 2022

·        10 October 2022

·        12 December 2022

·        27 February 2023 (Previously 20 February 2023)

·        17 April 2023

·        22 May 2023 (Annual Meeting)