Agenda item

Engagements

The Chairman referred to the following recent engagements:-

8 June

Attended the Sway Place 15th Birthday with Cllr Barry Rickman, celebrating 15 years of Care UK.

17 June

Attended Fawley Armed Forces day, celebrating 10 years of this event with Fawley Parish Council at Gang Warily Recreation and Community Centre.

19 June

Raised the Armed Forces Flag with the Leader of the Council and the Council’s Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Alvin Reid.

26 June

Met with fellow Chairmen and Mayors for a tour of the Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum, Winchester, hosted by His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson.

30 June

Attended the Gala Awards of Brockenhurst College celebrating their most outstanding students, where he presented the Apprentice of the Year Award.

5 July

Launched the West Wight Wanderer at Brockenhurst train station. This is to promote discounted travel from Brockenhurst to the Isle of Wight and from the island to the New Forest.  This promotion is led by the New Forest Community Rail Partnership but also comes from sharing best practice with the neighbouring Community Rail Partnership ‘Three Rivers’ now under Hampshire, noting their ‘Waterside Wanderer’ promotion.

Attended the New Forest Children’s University Graduation and presented the children with their certificates.  The Children’s University, delivered by the Hive, is a small charity working with some schools and individual families in the New Forest. They encourage and celebrate participation in extra-curricular activities in and outside of school.

7 July

His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Mayors, Chairmen and other dignitaries attended the Hampshire Duke of Edinburgh Award Forum at the Great Hall in Winchester.  This was an opportunity for new Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Holders across Hampshire to come together and celebrate their achievements.

10 July

Attended and laid a wreath in remembrance at the Commemoration of the Indian Soldiers Memorial in New Milton.

The Chairman expressed his thanks to the Vice-Chairman who, on 25 June, attended the annual Hampshire Scouts AGM, which involved a tour of the site in Brockenhurst and various activities.

Council Constitution

Members were reminded of the recent adoption of a refreshed Constitution and the new format of the agenda, where the Reports of the Cabinet, Committees and Panels were replaced with individual reports relating to the subjects which require a Council decision.  The comprehensive background reports included, or were supplemented by, the discussion and recommendations from the Cabinet, Committees and Panels.

The Chairman welcomed this change, as adopted by the Council, enabling focused discussion on the subjects requiring a Council decision, including all of the relevant background information and previous consideration undertaken by the Cabinet, Committees and Panels.

He reminded Members that Standing Orders remained the same, with each councillor entitled to speak once on each item of business.  Therefore, he asked Members to be mindful of when to choose to contribute to a debate, to support the smooth running of the meeting.  The mover of each report would be invited to respond once at the end of the debate.

One Member asked if every item considered by Cabinet that was not subject to Council approval, was considered by an Overview and Scrutiny Panel at some stage.  The Service Manager – Democratic and Support Services highlighted to the Council that the changes to the Constitution referred to by the Chairman of the Council had been adopted by the Council in April 2023, for implementation in May 2023 following the recent quadrennial District Elections.

Items not requiring a decision by the Council may have been considered by different Council bodies on their route to a final approval, such as the Cabinet, Committees or Panels, depending on their nature.  It should be noted that this is a matter for those bodies to consider as part of their agenda planning.  It was noted that a further 30 minutes was also reserved on the Council agenda for questions to the Leader, Portfolio Holders or Committee and Panel Chairmen on any matters on their respective Council functions.