Contact : Malcolm Cole, Ext. 7385

1. Summary

1.1. The following decisions are sought:

1. That a joint officers member working group with Gosport Borough Council be set up under the leadership of the Executive Member for Community Development and Regeneration with input from the Executive Members for Environment and Economic Development supported by appropriate senior officers.


2. That the working group set out in recommendation 1 above report on progress of activities to the Executive Member for Policy and Resources on a regular basis.

2. Reason - to progress the County Council's desire for closer working with Gosport Borough Council.

3. Other options considered and rejected - Not applicable

4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or a member of officer consulted - Not applicable

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - Not applicable

6. Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent - Not applicable

Approved by the Cabinet Date:

Councillor T K Thornber CBE

Chairman

Contact : Malcolm Cole, Ext. 7385

1. Summary

1.1. This report seeks approval for the setting up of arrangements for future joint working between the County Council and Gosport Borough Council within the context of the Community Strategy and the Public Service Agreement (PSA).

2. Introduction

2.1. Arising from discussion at the Cabinet/CMT Away Day in July 2001, the decision was taken to apply special attention to identified deprived areas of the county. This formed the basis for Hampshire's PSA and identified Gosport as one of the areas in need of this sort of consideration. To pursue this decision, the opportunity was taken, as part of the programme of Cabinet-Cabinet meetings with each of the 11 districts, to follow the meeting with Gosport Borough on 11 December with a more specific discussion about how the County Council might work more closely with the borough and in the context of community planning, to deal with issues of deprivation in the Borough.

3. Preliminary meeting with Gosport

3.1. Following a preliminary conversation between the Head of the Policy Unit and the Chief Executive of Gosport Borough Council the idea of a meeting to consider closer working with the two authorities was well received and a short meeting was held on the 11 December chaired by Councillor Kirk and involving Councillor Woodhall and various senior County Council officers. Gosport was represented by the Leader, other members and members of the Gosport management team.

3.2. The County Council's interest in working with Gosport was welcomed and Borough Members and officers indicated a range of issues upon which they would like to seek the County Council's co-operation. These included :-

_ relationships with MoD including the impact in economic and housing terms

_ developing the County Council's input to the borough's Community Safety Strategy

_ various improvement opportunities at key sites including the old railway station site, the bus station site, the town centre area

_ recreation areas including the Alver Valley, the Harbour waterfront and the Solent coastline

_ possible regeneration areas in Rowner estate and Seafield estate.

3.3. Clearly this is a very broad range of issues and the extent of any County Council input to individual schemes will need to be carefully assessed in terms of what our role might be, how existing programmes might be used to assist and what added value can be achieved from our involvement. Equally clearly, however, this represents a very positive response from the Borough Council. There is already significant existing County Council capital investment in this area which can contribute to the objectives of future partnership working. Additionally as well as seeking to assist the Borough Council in meeting some of their particular objectives, this joint working should also seek to develop some of the County's own initiatives and ambitions for this part of the County.

4. Proposals for Joint Working

4.1. To take this work forward, the suggestion was made that a small member/officer joint working group be set up to start to examine some of these areas. From the County Council's side it is suggested that this working group be led by Councillor Kirk as the Executive Member for Community Development and Regeneration with input, as appropriate, from the Executive members for Economic Development and Environment. Membership by officers would be based upon issues under discussion at any particular time.

4.2. This suggestion was well received by Gosport Borough Council on the basis that this would become a joint group between the two Councils but with the ability to work within the wider developing community strategy framework.

Recommendations

1. That a joint officers member working group with Gosport Borough Council be set up under the leadership of the Executive Member for Community Development and Regeneration with input from the Executive Members for Environment and Economic Development supported by appropriate senior officers.

2. That the working group set out in recommendation 1 above report on progress of activities to the Cabinet on a regular basis.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

File Location

None