247 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE


Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Allgood, Clarke, Davies-Dear, Gurden, Maxwell, J.K. West and Mrs Wheale

248 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members were mindful that, where they believed they had a personal or prejudicial interest in any matter to be considered at the meeting they must declare that interest and, having regard to the circumstances described in paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the County Council's Code of Conduct, consider whether to leave the meeting whilst the matter is discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with paragraph 12 of the Code. The declaration should be made at the time of the relevant debate.

249 MINUTES

Subject to the addition of Councillor Mrs West to the list of members present and the omission of Councillor Gillett who had not been present, the minutes of the meeting held on 22 November 2007 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

250 ORDER OF BUSINESS

Pursuant to Standing Order 13 the Council agreed to vary the order of business so as to enable the Cabinet's recommendations concerning the revenue budget and capital programme to be considered immediately after the deputation by Isitfair and to make the most effective use of time given the need to delay the start of the meeting until 1.00pm to allow for the royal opening of the Winchester Discovery Centre that morning.

251 Isitfair - DEPUTATION

The Council received a deputation from Christine Melsom, Janet Kelly and Beryl Pearce seeking the County Council's support for opposition to the Council Tax as a means of raising revenue for Local Government and asking the County Council to reduce its expenditure. Christine Melsom addressed the Council meeting.

252 REVENUE BUDGET AND PRECEPT 2008/09 AND PROVISIONAL BUDGETS 2009/10 AND 2010/11 AND CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2008/09 - 2010/11

The Council considered the report of the Cabinet (Item 9 in the Minute Book) recommending a council tax increase of 4.5% (£43 for Band D) and a proposed budget, before formula grant, of £642.7m (excluding schools). The proposed budget was based on the guidelines approved by the Cabinet in December 2007 and took account of the relevant Executive Members' consideration of those guidelines together with scrutiny of all the budget proposals by the Select Committees.

Councillor Collett, seconded by Councillor Dash, proposed the following amendment:

That it be an amendment to recommendation b) of item 9A on the revenue budget and precept for 2008/09:

(a) Additions to budgets - improvements in service:

Adult Services
£'000

· Greater investment in preventative adult care services 1,000


_ to improve the quality of life of vulnerable
residents and to reduce future cost pressures

· Drug and Alcohol Services 250


_ to provide for a boost to Drug and Alcohol
rehabilitation


Children's Services

· Children's preventative care 200

_ to increase social worker numbers to
meet identified needs

· Youth Service 300

_ to increase the positive engagement of young
people in Hampshire by recruiting more youth
workers

Environment

· Bus services 1,000

_ to remove the need for bus service cuts and
to provide an improving alternative to the
motor car

· Climate Change Fund 500

_ to provide leadership on fighting climate
change including energy reduction

Recreation and Heritage

· Library Book Fund 500

_ to ensure that there are no more cuts to the book fund as a result of pressures on the 2007/08 Recreation and Heritage budget and to provide for a boost to the fund to put more up to date books on the shelves of Hampshire libraries following the cuts in recent years

_ to allow for improvements in Recreation
and Heritage 500
_____


Improvements in service 4,250

· Revenue contributions to capital programme

_ additions to the 2008/09 capital programme 5,506
_____

· Total addition to amended budgets 9,756
_____



(b) To be financed by reductions to budgets and use of reserves:

· Reduction in Corporate Communications and
publication costs throughout the County Council 2,000


_ including using additional advertising revenue from Hampshire Now to reduce costs rather than produce yet more editions

· Use of part of the Landfill Allowance Reserve 2,250


_ to use surplus funds in the Landfill Allowances
Reserve _____


To finance improvements in service 4,250

Use of the proposed one-off contribution to the capital
reserve to finance additions to the capital programme 5,506
_____

9,756

Use of part of the grant equalisation reserve to reduce
the council tax rise 4,730
_____

Total savings and use of reserves 14,486
_____

That the budget requirement in recommendation c) be amended to £637,945,000.

That the Band D council tax in recommendation d) be amended to £989.46.

That the County Council's council tax for properties in each band in recommendation e) be amended to:

£

Band A 659.64

Band B 769.58

Band C 879.52

Band D 989.46

Band E 1,209.34

Band F 1,429.22

Band G 1,649.10

Band H 1,978.92

That the precept in recommendation f) be amended to £492,315,687.92.

That it be an amendment to recommendation of item a) on item 9B on the capital programme 2008/09-2010/11.


(a) Additions to capital programme:


Environment £,000


· Road and footway maintenance 4,000

_ to give a one-off boost to tackling the backlog
of road and footway maintenance

· Casualty Reduction programme 1,000

_ to eliminate the £1m cut in this vital, life-saving
programme

· Community Safety Initiative 60

_ to keep this important street lighting partnership
programme alive for another year

· Access and Air Quality 200

_ to keep this programme of dropped kerbs and
air quality measures alive for another year


Children's Services

· Behaviour Support 246

_ to increase capacity of premises for behaviour
support for primary age children
____

Total 5,506

____

Councillor Kelly, seconded by Councillor Wright, proposed the following amendment:

That it be an amendment to recommendation b) of item 9A on the revenue budget and precept for 2008/09

(a) To add £150,000 to the Children's Services budget:

· to facilitate local support and co-ordination for the developing programme of children at the centre of the community.

(b) To add £350,000 to the Recreation and Heritage budget:

· to provide a boost to the purchase of new library books throughout the whole County.

(c) To add £75,000 to the Environment budget:

· to allow 1,000 young drivers to take part in the pass plus scheme.

(d) These additions will be financed by:

· reducing the contribution to the capital reserve from £5.5m to £4.9m.

All proposals were then considered. During debate Councillor Kendal, Executive Member for Environment, indicated his intention to allocate resources from within his proposed budget to extend the `pass plus' driving scheme. At the close of the debate the Leader of the Council indicated his support for reducing reserves by £0.5m to facilitate local support and coordination for the developing programme of children at the centre of the community (£150,000) and the addition of £350,000 to the Recreation and Heritage budget to increase the provision for the purchase of new library books across the county.

The amendment proposed by Councillor Collett was put to the meeting and, pursuant to Standing Order 24, a recorded vote was called for. Voting was as follows:

Supporting the amendment:

Councillors Bailey, Blampied, Boulton, Broadhurst, Buckley, Carew, Chegwyn, Collett, Cooper, Dash, Dickens, Dowden, Dunsdon, Gill, Harrison, House, Hughes, Ludlow, Mason, Payne, Peskett, Porter, Price, Roling, Simpson, Weeks.

Total: 26

Opposing the amendment:

Councillors Banks, Baulk, Beagley, Bryant, Byrom, Cartwright, Chapman, Davidovitz, Devereux, Edgar, Ellis, Evans A., Evans K., Gale, Gillett, Glen, Heath, Heron, Hindson, Hockley, Hutcheson, James, Kemp-Gee, Kendal, Kimber, Kirk, Knight, Leversha, McIntosh, McNair-Scott, Neal, Perry, Reid, Rice, Snaith, Still, Thornber, Tucker, West Mrs. P.A., Woodhall, Woodward

Total: 41

Abstentions:

Councillors Edwards, Frankum, Kelly, Wright

Total: 4

The amendment was, therefore, lost.

The proposal, as amended by the Leader of the Council so as to reduce reserves by £0.5m as described above, was put to the meeting and, pursuant to Standing Order 24, a recorded vote was called for. The voting was as follows:

Supporting the amendment:

Councillors Banks, Baulk, Beagley, Bryant, Byrom, Cartwright, Chapman, Davidovitz, Devereux, Edgar, Edwards, Ellis, Evans, A., Evans, K., Frankum, Gale, Gillett, Glen, Heath, Heron, Hindson, Hockley, Hutcheson, James, Kelly, Kemp-Gee, Kendal, Kimber, Kirk, Knight, Leversha, McIntosh, McNair-Scott, Neal, Perry, Reid, Rice, Snaith, Still, Thornber, Tucker, West, Mrs. P.A., Woodhall, Woodward, Wright.

Total: 45

Opposing the amendment:

Councillors Bailey, Blampied, Boulton, Broadhurst, Buckley, Carew, Chegwyn, Collett, Cooper, Dash, Dickens, Dowden, Dunsdon, Gill, Harrison, House, Hughes, Ludlow, Mason, Payne, Peskett, Porter, Price, Roling Simpson, Weeks.

Total 26

The amended proposal was accordingly carried and it was

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the capital reserve contribution being reduced from £5.5m to £5.0m to enhance Children's Services' and Recreation and Heritage budgets in the sums of £150,000 and £350,000 for the developing programme of children at the centre of the community programme and library book purchasing respectively :

(a) the Treasurer's report under Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 be taken into account when the Council determines its budget and precept for 2008/09 (Appendix 1)

(b) the revenue budget for 2008/09 (as set out in the attached draft budget book) and the provisional budgets for 2009/10 and 2010/11 be approved.

(c) the total budget requirement for the general expenses of the County Council for the year beginning 1 April 2008 be £642,680,000.

(d) the County Council's Band D council tax for the year beginning 1 April 2008 be £999.00.

(e) the County Council's council tax for the year beginning 1 April 2008 for properties in each tax band be:

£

Band A 666.00

Band B 777.00

Band C 888.00

Band D 999.00

Band E 1221.00

Band F 1443.00

Band G 1665.00

Band H 1998.00


(f) precepts be issued totalling £497,062,410.03 on the billing authorities in Hampshire, requiring the payment, in such instalments and on such dates set by them and previously notified to the County Council, in proportion to the tax base of each billing authority's area as determined by them and as set out below:

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council 61,753.90

East Hampshire District Council 47,352.44

Eastleigh Borough Council 43,445.08

Fareham Borough Council 42,200.00

Gosport Borough Council 27,432.40

Hart District Council 37,667.80

Havant Borough Council 42,483.00

New Forest District Council 72,101.30

Rushmoor Borough Council 30,928.94

Test Valley Borough Council 45,148.00

Winchester City Council 47,047.11

(g) That the Annual Investment Strategy (Appendix 2) and the Prudential and Financial Health Indicators (Appendix 3) be approved.

(h) That the capital programme for 2008/09 and the provisional programmes for 2009/10 and 2010/11 be approved as set out in the draft capital programme and subject to the conditions set out in section B.3 of the County Council's Financial Procedures and, where appropriate, to the approval of the Executive Member for Policy and Resources to proposals by Executive Members to retain more than a 25% share of capital receipts

(i) That expenditure on preliminary design and planning work for major transport schemes be permitted when they have achieved a place in the County Council's Local Transport Plan, subject to the cost being met within existing Government allocations

(j) That a scheme costing £3m for a potential Basingstoke Discovery Centre be added to the Policy and Resources capital programme for 2008/09, to be released to Recreation and Heritage once a detailed project appraisal, business case and funding package has been agreed by the Executive Members for Policy and Resources and Recreation and Heritage

(k) That authority be given to incur expenditure on land purchases as follows:

i. up to the sum specified in respect of sites still required for the schemes included in the capital programme for the period 2008/09 to 2010/11 provided that the relevant scheme has been the subject of a feasibility or design project appraisal approved by the relevant Executive Member

ii. up to the amount included in the programmes for 2008/09 to 2010/11 in respect of advance and advantageous land purchases.

252 CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS

The Chairman reported the good progress being made by Councillors Allgood and John West towards a return to good health and the Council wished both a speedy recovery. She reported her attendance at six royal visits since the previous meeting of the Council culminating in the opening of the Winchester Discovery Centre by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall that morning and also engagements supporting Hampshire Community Volunteers and Age Concern, each of which had given excellent feedback arising from the opportunity to network with each other and with the Members of the Council and its officers. She also made special mention of the recent homecoming parade through Winchester by troops who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, presentation to Naomi House of a cheque representing donations received at the staff carol concert in December 2007, a service at Winchester Cathedral to celebrate HM The Queen's Diamond Jubilee and visits to a number of County Council sites and buildings. Lastly, and with sadness, she reported the passing of former County Councillor Malcolm `Mick' Jones. Several members spoke in tribute to his memory and the Council stood in silence.

253 LEADER'S REPORT

The Leader invited Members to join him in extending his congratulations to those County Council staff who had been recognised in the Queen's New Year's Honours list - Yinnon Ezra MBE, Director of Recreation and Heritage; Shirley Turner MBE, now retired but a former Strategic Planning Officer; and, John Edwards MBE, a retired caretaker from Alverstoke Church of England Junior School. Members showed their appreciation in the usual way. Members also congratulated Yinnon on his appointment, by the Prime Minister, as a Trustee of the Heritage Lottery Fund/National Memorial Fund.

The Leader was also pleased to report the good overall effectiveness of children's services following the annual performance assessment of services for children and young people in Hampshire and that the Commission for Social Care Improvement had awarded adult social care in Hampshire the top rating of 3 stars for their performance during 2007, a significant improvement on the 2 star `good' rating received in 2006. The County Council had also received a national award in the Finance and Procurement Category of The Guardian Public Service Awards 2007 for the County Council's pioneering new approach to tendering and managing building work and awards had been presented by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service at its "Celebrating Success" event, to the County Council's Road Safety Team for its part in working successfully towards reducing road traffic collisions in Hampshire, and for Community Development in recognition of valuable contributions to the Asian Welfare and Cultural Association.

The County Council had received a rating of `excellent' for its library stock by Opening the Book, who had carried out research on behalf of the Department of Culture Media and Sport, the Arts Council and the Audit Commission, during 2007 and the Council had received commendations from the Landscape Institute for its innovative work on assessing the impact that change could have on Hampshire's landscape, and the educational garden at Old Basing Infants School.

The Leader invited all Members to join with him in congratulating all concerned on all of these achievements.

Finally, and on a sad note for the County Council, this meeting was Rea Mattocks' last meeting of the County Council. Rea had to retire on ill health grounds after all too short a stay with the County Council as its Director of Adult Services. In her 3 years with the County Council she had made a unique and remarkable contribution not only to the County Council but also to the vulnerable throughout the County of Hampshire. She had achieved deep cultural change and morale amongst her staff had been raised. The department was now ready for the next very fundamental change to social care - the personalisation agenda of Government. Other senior members also expressed their gratitude to Rea for the contribution she had made to the Council's adult services and the whole Council wished her well for the future. Rea thanked Members for their kind words and spoke of the pleasure which working for the County Council had given her.

254 QUESTIONS UNDER STANDING ORDER 20(b)(i)

Councillor Kendal, Executive Member for Environment, answered a question from Councillor Carew about vehicles which would be permitted to use Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Councillor Kendal, Executive Member for Environment, answered a question from Councillor Dowden about the start date for the scheme to erect a new pedestrian/cycle bridge at Flexford, Chandler's Ford.

Councillor Kirk, Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) answered a question from Councillor Payne about school swimming pools.

Councillor Kendal, Executive Member for Environment, answered a question from Councillor Kemp-Gee about access to Household Waste Recycling Centres for trailers.

Councillor Kirk, Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) answered a question from Councillor Peskett about school qualifications and school attendance.

Councillor Kendal, Executive Member for Environment, answered a question from Councillor Porter about the numbers of those killed or seriously injured on Hampshire's roads and road safety funding.

The time allowed for questions expired after thirty minutes and accordingly written replies would be given for questions asked by Councillor Porter to the Leader about the cost of opening ceremonies for the Winchester Discovery Centre and to Councillor Kendal about pavement repairs.

255 INTERREG IVA

RESOLVED:

That the holder of the Executive Portfolio for Community Development be appointed to serve as the County Council's representative on the North/2 Seas Steering Committee for the period 2008-11 and on the South Programme Management Committee from 2012 - 14

256 SURREY AND BORDERS PARTNERSHIP NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Mrs Wheale be appointed to represent the County Council on the Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

257 HAMPSHIRE PARTNERSHIP NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

RESOLVED:


That Councillor Mrs Banks be appointed to represent the County Council on the Hampshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

258 EDUCATION ADVISORY PANEL - TERMS OF REFERENCE

RESOLVED:

That the terms of reference for the Education Advisory Panel set out in the report of the Chief Executive (Item 8(e) in the Minute Book) be approved

259 STANDARDS COMMITTEE - APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN

The Leader of the Council reported that subject to the introduction of Regulations to bring the statutory provision into effect, the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 provided that the chairman of the Standards Committee must be an independent person. Government was working towards implementation from 1 April 2008 but this was not certain. To be prepared, therefore, the Leader proposed and the Council

RESOLVED:

That contingency arrangements be put in place by appointing a small group of members to interview candidates and with power delegated to them by the Council to make the appointment.

260 MEMBERS ALLOWANCES SCHEME 2008/09

The Council considered and approved the report of the Governance Committee.

RESOLVED:

That Members' basic, special responsibility and child care and independent

carers' allowances for 2008/09 be increased in accordance with the national pay award for local government staff with effect from 1 April 2008

261 HAMPSHIRE POLICE AUTHORITY

No questions had been received pursuant to Standing Order 20(d). The Council received the report of the Authority.

262 HAMPSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY

No questions had been received pursuant to Standing Order 20(e). The Council received the report of the Authority.

263 REPORTS FOR INFORMATION

The Council received the reports of the following:

(a) Cabinet/Leader;

(b) Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee

(c) Executive Lead Member for Children's Services (Education) and Executive Member for Children and Families

(d) Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage

(e) Executive Member for Adult Social Care