Agenda item

New Councillor Welcome

The Chairman extended a warm welcome and offered his congratulations to Councillor John Adams, who was attending his first Full Council meeting, following his election to the Barton and Becton Ward in October.

Remembrance

The Chairman reported that, alongside the Vice-Chairman, the Armed Forces Champion and the Leader, the Council was represented at a number of Remembrance Services during November.

A special mention was given for the attendance of the Armed Forces Champion at the Armistice Day Commemoration, held at the Regimental Headquarters of 17 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC, where the Armed Forces Champion was given the honour of assisting with the presentation of Coronation Medals to the Soldiers.

A commemoration took place at Appletree Court on 11 November, where the Leader and the Chairman both laid a wreath, alongside some of the Council’s staff veterans.

St Georges Hall

On 29 October, the Council joined Fawley Parish Council to host a special showcase of the upgraded facilities at St George’s Hall, which included a tour of the renovated spaces, live demonstrations of the new amenities, and a number of speeches.  Those who attended saw how the hall and grounds had been transformed, and the Chairman was particularly thrilled that local young people had somewhere warm, safe, and fun to go on a regular basis. 

The Chairman highlighted that this initiative had been a partnership approach from day one, with several NFDC teams, Members, officers, Fawley Parish Council officers and Members, Hampshire County Council public health, the youth club, 17 Port and Maritime Regiment in Marchwood, and community members all coming together to deliver the ideas, provide funding, and work on a refurbished hall that delivered for local residents.

Engagements

The Chairman reported on the following further engagements undertaken since the last Council meeting:-

18 October

The Chairman attended the AGM of Stop Domestic Abuse Charity at Hedge End, including a presentation from their Chief Executive highlighting support services delivered by the charity to victims and survivors of domestic abuse.  The Chairman had asked officers to look into how the charity might engage with NFDC as the Council’s own Domestic Abuse Strategy was developed.

24 October

The Chairman was honoured to attend as His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire hosted the Award Ceremony for the South East Reserve Forces and Cadets Association at Lord Wandsworth College, Aldershot.

11 November

New Forest Mencap held its AGM, an organisation reaching out to communities to let them know they want to help make the UK the best place for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

28 November

The Brilliance in Business Awards were held at Brockenhurst College. These awards acknowledged and celebrated individuals and businesses that demonstrated outstanding achievements.

4 December

The Chairman was delighted to host a reception for staff from across the Council with over 20 years’ service.  He was joined by the Leader, Chief Executive and the Executive Management Team, and by over 50 officers from across the workforce.  Many of the attendees were nearing 40 years’ service.

The Chairman expressed that Members really value this long service and commitment to the Council, and recognise the value of all the knowledge and input into the Council’s services to local communities over these years.  This was of course complimented by the experiences and ideas brought by the newer staff joining the Council in recent times.

Civic Service

The Chairman reported that he would be holding a Civic Service on Sunday 23 March 2025 at St Mary Magdalene Church, New Milton.  He would be finalising the programme in the New Year and looked forward to sharing more details with Members soon.

Procedures

The Chairman thanked Members for taking part in the successful trial of the electronic voting system.  He would ask officers to run a number of votes using the system and asked for Members’ patience with the technology in the event of any issues.

He also reminded the Council that there would be a recorded vote on the setting of the tax base, as required by law.