To ask questions of Portfolio Holders. Questions received will be tabled at the meeting. (Members are reminded that questions must be submitted to the Chief Executive or to the Executive Head of Governance and Regulation by not later than noon on Friday, 22 February 2019.)
Decision:
Question 1
Cllr Harrison asked the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Corporate Services and Improvement a question regarding how the£33,000, allocated by Government to New Forest District Council, in respect of Brexit, would be spent and whether it would mitigate the negative aspects of Brexit in the New Forest area. The Portfolio Holder saw Brexit as an opportunity for change. Other funding was expected to be available in order to assist with any costs as a result of Brexit. To date no money had been spent or allocated for specific expenditure in relation to the grant. The District Council would not be immediately affected by Brexit as it did not have a major port, for example, however, the Council would consult and work with other neighbouring authorities and the Government, in order to address any issues arising from Brexit.
Question 2
Cllr Thierry asked the Portfolio Holder for Housing Services a question regarding the measures the Council was implementing to assist rough-sleepers within the District. The Portfolio Holder reported that over the last 12 months the Housing Options Team had responded to all reports of rough sleepers, visiting each one in person and encouraged all to engage with the service. Rough sleepers had been accommodated beyond periods of severe weather. A key priority for the Council was to end rough sleeping. Preventative work with hospitals and prisons, for example, would be carried out. Over the next 12 months it was anticipated that the Council would increase emergency accommodation within its ownership.
Question 3
Cllr David Harrison asked the Portfolio Holder for Community Affairs whether she would acknowledge the important work of "Nightstop" in the New Forest area and to outline how the District Council would support the organisation. The Portfolio Holder reported that Nightstop in 2017/18 had placed eight people in volunteer accommodation over a total of 48 nights. This cost £312.50 per night per person. It was felt that this expenditure was not a good use of the Council’s resources. The Council needed to make decisions on how best to accommodate the homeless people in the District. An increased number of complex homeless cases were being reported and officers were developing a range of solutions. The community grants process was transparent and open. The Council had carefully considered all applications. It was however, considered that the Council could achieve better value for money helping homeless people by leading on the initiatives set out in the Council’s draft Homeless and Rough Sleeping Strategy.
Question 4
Cllr Thierry asked the Leader and Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs a question regarding the quality of the budget and asked whether a mark of 9.5 or 10 out of 10 would be accepted. The Leader reported that work would continue to provide sound and balanced finances.
Question 5
Cllr David Harrison asked the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Wellbeing for a breakdown of the £100,000 that the Council intended to spend on exploring a change in the way the Health and Leisure Centres would be run in the future. The Portfolio Holder reported that it was important to use the right skills and expertise to undertake the procurement process. It was expected that leisure market expertise and external legal services would cost up to £50,000. A full condition survey of the centres would also be undertaken. This however, was necessary regardless of any decision on the future of the leisure centres.
Minutes:
Question 1
From Cllr David Harrison, to Cllr Jeremy Heron, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Corporate Services and Improvement:
"I see that the government have generously allocated the sum of £33,000 to New Forest District Council in respect of Brexit. To what extent do you think that will mitigate the negative aspects of Brexit to the New Forest area and exactly how will this sum be spent?”
Answer
The Portfolio Holder reported he saw Brexit as an opportunity for change. Other funding was expected to be made available in order to assist with any costs arising as a result of Brexit. To date no money had been spent or allocated for specific expenditure in relation to the proposed grant. The District Council would not immediately be affected by Brexit as it did not have a major port, for example, however, the Council would consult and work with other neighbouring authorities and the Government, in order to address any issues arising from Brexit.
Question 2
From Cllr Michael Thierry, to Cllr Jill Cleary, Portfolio Holder for
Housing Services:
“Rough-sleepers is a national problem.
Would the Portfolio Holder please inform Council members what measures New Forest District Council is implementing to address and assist rough-sleepers within the District?”
Answer
The Portfolio Holder reported that over the last 12 months the Housing Options Team had responded to all reports of rough sleepers, visiting each one in person and encouraged all to engage with the service. The Council had continued to accommodate rough sleepers beyond periods of severe weather. Successful long term accommodation had been obtained for many of them. The proposed new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy contained four key priorities for the Council to tackle and prevent homelessness. Ending rough sleeping was identified as one of those key priorities which meant, the Council would carry out specific work and projects to tackle the issue further. The aim was to prevent rough sleeping where possible, working with hospitals and prisons to identify those with no fixed abode as early as possible before discharge, as one example. Over the next 12 months a programme would be put in place to increase Council owned emergency accommodation. This would, for the first time provide a suitable furnished home and platform for rough sleepers to settle before moving on to more permanent accommodation. The Portfolio Holder also expressed the aspiration to provide additional dedicated street outreach and accommodation support to build relationships and assist rough sleepers access services and local volunteer support in order to sustain accommodation long term.
Question 3
From Cllr David Harrison, to Cllr Diane Andrews, Portfolio Holder for Community Affairs:
“Would she acknowledge the critically important work that the charity "Nightstop" undertakes in the New Forest area and outline how the District Council will support the organisation?”
Answer
The Portfolio Holder reported that Nightstop in 2017/18 had placed eight people in volunteer accommodation over a total of 48 nights. This cost £312.50 per night, per person. It was felt that this expenditure was not a good use of the Council’s resources. The Council needed to make decisions on how best to accommodate the homeless people in the District. An increased number of complex homeless cases had been reported and officers were developing a range of solutions. The community grants process had been transparent and open. The Council had carefully considered all applications. It was however, considered that the Council could achieve better value for money helping homeless people by leading on the initiatives set out in the Council’s draft Homeless and Rough Sleeping Strategy, which included the Council creating its own portfolio of temporary accommodation.
Question 4
From Cllr Michael Thierry, to Cllr Barry Rickman, Leader and Portfolio Holder for Corporate Affairs
“The Council budget discussed today is the nineteenth Conservative budget which I have witnessed being presented. In consideration of all nineteen New Forest District Council budgets prepared by the Conservative group this century, would the Leader accept a mark of nine and half out of ten overall or would ten out of ten be a more just, accurate marking for Conservative budgets?”
Answer
The Leader reported that work would continue to provide sound and balanced finances.
Question 5
From Cllr David Harrison to Cllr. James Binns, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Wellbeing:
“Will he provide a detailed breakdown of the £100,000 that the Council intends spending on exploring a possible change in the way our Health & Leisure Centres are run?”
Answer
The Portfolio Holder reported that it was important to use the right skills and expertise to undertake the procurement process. It was expected that leisure market expertise and external legal services would cost up to £50,000. A full condition survey of the centres would also be undertaken. Eastleigh Borough Council had explored a partnership approach for one of its leisure centres in 2012 at a cost of £45,000, and therefore the cost of £50,000 for five leisure centres in the New Forest was considered to be very good value for money.
Cllr Harrison asked a supplementary question regarding the £100,000 proposed in the Cabinet report to be spent on the partnering exercise and sought clarification regarding whether the condition survey would form part of this expenditure. The Portfolio Holder reported that at the time the report had been put together up to £100,000 had been proposed. He confirmed that the condition survey was necessary regardless of any decision on the future of the leisure centres and therefore did not form part of the partnering exercise.