To receive an oral update from the Portfolio Holders for the Environment and for Planning and Transportation.
Minutes:
Cllrs Carpenter and E J Heron disclosed non-pecuniary interests as Hampshire County Councillors, whose proposals for budget savings were raised under the Portfolio Holder’s report. They each concluded that there were no grounds under common law to prevent them from remaining in the meeting to take part in the debate.
Cllr E J Heron, the Planning and Transportation Portfolio Holder advised Members that he would shortly be taking a decision to increase the charges for using the Council’s car parks with effect from 1 January 2018. This was first increase since 2012, even though the Council had faced significant increases to its own costs, including a £100,000 increase in the business rates payable. It was proposed that the cost of the Short Stay Clock charge for the quarterly clock would be increased from £25 to £35, to recover the additional administrative costs associated with issuing each clock. It was important that the costs to the Council were recovered more fully, to prevent general council taxpayers subsidising car owners. The cost of parking tickets would also be increased from 80 pence to £1 for up to 1 hour; £2 for up to 2 hours (currently £1.50 in town centre and £1.80 in amenity car parks) with the charge for over 2 hours to increase from £2.30 to £2.50, keeping the 4 hour exception at Lymington Quay. The additional money raised would partly meet the Council’s increased costs, and partly be invested in the appearance of the car parks, recognising how important they were to visitors’ image of the District.
In addition, the Portfolio Holder was intending to continue the support previously given to village and town centres by waiving car park charges on Small Business Saturday and 1 other day in the run up to Christmas nominated by the local Council for their special events. This year it was intended to offer further assistance to businesses by waiving car parking charges on the weekend immediately before Christmas.
The Portfolio Holder advised the Panel that the Government had just published its consultation on proposals for the standardised calculation of housing need for an area. At present around 200 homes were built each year, against the currently assessed housing need to 600 per annum. Under the proposed scheme the calculated need would be 965 per annum, with the effect that the current local plan proposals would only meet around 30% of the assessed need. This did not however affect the constraints that applied in this District and it was important that the Council put forward a robust case to defend its proposals, setting out the special nature of the area. In addition to the direct effect on this Council, neighbouring Councils may be similarly affected, which would reduce their ability to co-operate to assist this Council. The full implications of the proposals would have to be assessed and a considered response sent to the Government.
The Portfolio Holder also drew Members’ attention to the County Council’s recently published proposals for achieving their required additional savings for this year. The proposals included resuming the control of on-street parking, discontinuing the agency agreements with the District Council and, under the Environment Portfolio, proposals to charge for or to close Household Waste Recycling Centres, with the initial proposal of closing half the current sites. The Panel concurred with the Portfolio Holder’s suggestion that there should be early engagement with the County Council on the proposals, once the Executive Head Operations had assessed the possible implications for this District.