Agenda item

An opportunity for the Portfolio Holder’s to provide an update to the Panel on developments within their portfolio.

The Portfolio Holder for Community, Safety and Wellbeing reported on the following matters:

·        Red and Black Pepper Indian Army Exhibition:  The Portfolio Holder had attended the launch last Thursday at the New Forest Heritage Centre in Lyndhurst.  He encouraged everyone to attend this fascinating exhibition.

·        St Georges Hall, Calshotrefurbishment: The improvement works were close to completion and the facility would be open shortly to the public.  The project had been part funded by the Rural England Prosperity Fund.  The building had been improved to encourage wider use as well as retaining original features.  The Portfolio Holder hoped that the community would celebrate this new improved facility.

·        Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs): It had been one year since the two PSPOs had come into force across the District.  These were enforced by Forestry England, New Forest National Park Authority and the Verderers.  Since implementation, there had been 953 engagements with members of the community seen to breach the orders, the majority of these were tourists.  159 engagements related to PSPO 1 (fires) and 784 related to PSPO 2 regarding the feeding and petting of animals.  Only one fixed penalty notice had been issued in conjunction with the police.  Awareness and education was a priority.  The PSPOs had been promoted through a multimedia approach, including the provision of leaflets for circulation at New Forest campsites.  The Community Safety Team would approach hotels and B&Bs to ensure literature was available to visitors.

·        Safer New Forest: There had been a record number of summer engagement sessions with free bike tag registering.  The team had attended events in New Milton, Fordingbridge, Hythe, Lymington Ringwood and Totton, which were also attended by the local neighbourhood policing team.

·        Water Quality: The water quality at the NFDC managed beaches at Barton on Sea, Calshot and Milford on Sea had been awarded an excellent status by the Environment Agency.  Lepe Beach, managed by Hampshire County Council had also received an excellent rating.  The River Avon at Fordingbridge had been designated inland bathing water by Defra, following regular monitoring.

·        The Food Safety Team would be attending the New Forest Show and have a stall for children, “Be a food safety detective”.  This would give the opportunity to look at food safety standards in a fridge and to identify hazards.

The Portfolio Holder the Housing and Homelessness reported on the following matters:

·        The new Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC) role: Both the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and Housing Ombudsman Service had been given more statutory authority to ensure that complaints handled by the Council followed a new complaint handling code.  The Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness was responsible for complaints received against the Housing Landlord function.  He reported he would have the lead responsibility to support a positive complaint handling culture.  Every two months a legal officer would attend his Portfolio Holder briefing to ensure that he receives regular updates on the volume, category and outcome of complaints, alongside complaint handling performance; regular reviews of issues and trends arising from complaint handling; and regular updates on the outcomes of Ombudsman investigations and progress made in complying with orders related to severe maladministration findings.

·        Portfolio Holder Question: Further to the question at the recent Council meeting on Right to Buy, and the supplementary questions from Cllr Jack Davies, in relation to the total number of Council properties, the Panel noted that as at 31^st March 2024, the total number of homes advised to the new Regulator of Social Housing was 5,285.  Over the next 3 to 4 years, an additional 100 properties could reasonably be expected to be added to that total.  The Portfolio Holder reported he had emailed Cllr Davies this response.