Archived decisions

At a Meeting of Hampshire County Council held at The Castle, Winchester on Thursday, 16 May, 2002 at 10.00 a.m.

Chairman :

p Councillor A. W. Rice, TD

Vice-Chairman:

p Councillor P. R. C. Hutcheson

Councillors:

p Mrs S.E. Allbright

p D.G. Allen

p Mrs A.E. Bailey

p Mrs. E.S.M. Barron

p Mrs P.G. Banks

p R. J. Baulk

p I.F.E. Beagley

Carol Boulton

F.J. Bright

p P.R. Brown

p J.V. Bryant

p Mrs. E.M. Byrom

p M.F. Cartwright

K.G. Chapman

P P.J. Chegwyn

p J.E. Coles

p A.P. Collett

p Rita Collins

p B.D. Dash

p C.R.H. Davidovitz

G.W. Davies-Dear

p Mrs. P.M. Devereux

p Mrs. P. Dickens

p A.G. Dowden

p Dr. R.J. Ellis

p Capt. K.B. Estlin

p W.J. Filer

p Mrs. J.K. Frankum

p E.F. Gale, M.B.E.

p M.S. Geddes

p D. Gillett

p Mrs S.M. Glasspool, D.L.

J.K. Glen

p B.T. Gurden

p Mrs. D.R. Harrison

S.A. Hayes

p P.A. Heath

p Mrs. K. Heron

p Felicity Hindson, M.B.E.

p Mrs. P.G.E. Holden-Brown

p K. House

p Jo Kelly

p M.J. Kendal

p R.J. Kimber

p D.A. Kirk

p T.G. Knight

p Mrs C.A. Leversha

p A.R. Ludlow

p P. Luffman

p P.K. Mason

p R.C. McIntosh

p Mrs. A.M. McNair Scott

p Mrs. P.G. Peskett

p P.A. Pierce

p R.H. Price, J.P.

p Mrs. E.M.F. Randall

p M.J. Roberts

p Sir James Scott

p K.P.J. Searle

p M.L. Sheehan

p Mrs. M.D. Snaith

p Mrs. V. Steel

p J.W. Stocks

p T.K. Thornber, C.B.E.

p J. Waddington

p Dr. J.G.L. Wall

P J.K. West

p Mrs P.A. West

W.H. Wheeler

P M.J. Woodhall

p Jenny Wride

p D.F. Wright

77 ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN.

The Chairman called for nominations. Councillor T.K. Thornber, C.B.E., seconded by Councillor M. J. Woodhall proposed that Councillor P. R. C. Hutcheson
be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.

Councillor A. P. Collett, seconded by Councillor B. D. Dash, proposed that Councillor Mrs. E. S. M. Barron be elected Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.


Upon the propositions being put to the vote, Councillor P. R. C. Hutcheson was elected.

ORDERED:

That Councillor P. R. C. Hutcheson be and is hereby elected Chairman of the Council to hold office until the annual meeting of the Council in 2003.

Councillor P. R. C. Hutcheson thereupon made the declaration of acceptance of office and took the Chair.

_________________________________________________

COUNCILLOR P. R. C. HUTCHESON IN THE CHAIR
_________________________________________________

78 MINUTES.

The Minutes of the meeting of the County Council held on 28 March 2002 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

79 APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIRMAN

Councillor T.K. Thornber, C.B.E., seconded by Councillor A. W. Rice, TD
proposed that Councillor Mrs. M. D. Snaith be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.

Councillor A.P. Collett, seconded by Councillor B.D. Dash, proposed that Councillor Mrs. E. S. M. Barron be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council for the ensuing year.

Upon the propositions being put to the vote, Councillor Mrs. M. D. Snaith
was appointed.

ORDERED:

That Councillor Mrs. M. D. Snaith be, and is hereby appointed Vice-Chairman of the Council to hold office until the annual meeting of the Council in 2003.

Councillor Mrs. M. D. Snaith thereupon made the declaration of acceptance of office.

80 CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS.

The Chairman reported the sending of a Book of Condolence signed by visitors

to Winchester Cathedral to the American Ambassador, William Farish, following the

tragic events in America on 11 September 2001 and his appreciative reply. He also

reported the response from The Queen's Private Secretary to the then Chairman

following his letter of condolence to her on behalf of the Council on the death of

The Queen Mother.

The previous Chairman had also been pleased to represent the County Council at the consecration of the new Bishop of Basingstoke and, jointly with the Leader of the

Council, to have hosted a reception for members of the Armed Services in recognition of their contribution to the wellbeing of the Hampshire community.

The Chairman also welcomed Councillor Rita Collins on her return to the Council following her recent indisposition.

81 LEADER'S REPORT.

The Leader welcomed two members of the Corporate Assessment Team to the meeting. He was also pleased to report that the County Youth Band had won BBC Radio 2's Youth Band Competition and, on behalf of the Council, he congratulated everyone involved. The Leader was also pleased to announce that the Environment Grouping had obtained Investors in People accreditation thus joining several other departments which had already achieved the standard. He congratulated everyone in the Environment Grouping on their achievement.

The Leader also reported his recent visit to the County Council's outdoor centre at Argoed Lwyd and Heol Senni in Wales. The centre made a significant contribution to the personal and social development of all young people. It was particularly valuable to those young people on the edge of society, providing them with an opportunity to develop in challenging situations. The Leader emphasised how outdoor learning was an important vehicle for raising educational attainment amongst all young people. The centre helped to build confidence, develop self-esteem and it led to higher academic outcomes. The centre also emphasised the value of the outdoors as a means of raising awareness related to care of the landscape and environment. The centre, like all the County Council's outdoor centres, was a credit to the County Council and the Hampshire Community. Governors, heads, teachers and parents were encouraged to take every opportunity to ensure that young people benefited from it.

The Leader also drew the Council's attention to the publication of the Government's White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice - Revitalising the English Regions". It had been expected for some time and ultimately contained few surprises. Nevertheless, the County Council would need to consider its contents very carefully. There were some key issues for the County Council including:

· timing - so far as the South East was concerned implementation could be some years away. However, the County Council needed to guard against complacency should the timetable accelerate;


· referendums - in two tier areas these would be preceded by an independent review of local government but it appeared that the review outcome was already indicated. In the words of the White Paper: "The Review will recommend the most effective wholly unitary structure";


· scale - the North East was clearly to be regarded as the lead region in the process

and the White Paper estimated a budget responsibility of £350m. This was

hardly comparable with the South East or, indeed, Hampshire County Council

whose budget exceeded £1 bn.

Nevertheless, the Leader was heartened by the Prime Minister's introduction and his promise that "no Region will be forced to have an elected assembly". Although the South East might be at the end of the list for consideration, it was now up to the County Council to prove that both individually and in partnership, it could and did fulfil the tasks suggested for future Regional Assemblies.

82 QUESTIONS UNDER STANDING ORDER 20(b)(i).

Councillor D.G. Allen, Executive Member for Education answered a question from Councillor Mrs. A.E. Bailey concerning the admission of pupils to Whiteley Community Primary School, the distance by road and on foot to the nearest neighbourhood school for those children refused a place at the school, and the size of the school.

83 APPOINTMENTS.

The Council considered the report of the Chief Executive (Item 7 in the Minute Book) concerning various matters with regard to appointments which required the approval of the County Council. Alterations were also made to the County Council's representation on various other organisations.

Councillor A. P. Collett, seconded by Councillor B. D. Dash, proposed that

Councillor A. P. Collett be appointed Chairman of the Policy and Resources Policy Review Committee; Councillor B. D. Dash Chairman of the Education Policy Review Committee; Councillor K. House Chairman of the Environment Policy Review Committee; Councillor P. J. Chegwyn Chairman of the Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee and Councillor Mrs. P. G. E. Holden-Brown Chairman of the Social Care Policy Review Committee. On the propositions being put to the vote the amendment was lost.

ORDERED:


(i) That the following proportionality table be approved

	CON	LD	LAB
Policy Review Committees
Policy and Resources	15	6	3
Education	17	6	3
Environment	15	6	3
Recreation and Heritage	15	6	3
Social Care	15	6	3
Advisory Committees/Panels
Structure Plan Joint Advisory Panel	3	1	1
South West Hampshire Transportation Panel	3	1	1
South East Hampshire Transport Strategy Panel	3	1	1
New Forest Transportation Strategy Panel	3	2	0
Andover and Western Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panel	3	2	0
Winchester Movement and Access Plan Panel	3	2	0
North East Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panel	3	1	1
Basingstoke Environmental Strategy for Transport Panel	3	1	1
Central Hampshire Rural Transportation Strategy Panel	3	2	0
South Hampshire Rapid Transit Procurement Panel	3	1	1
Light Rapid Transit Development Panel	3	1	1
River Hamble Management Sub-Committee	7	3	1
Youth Panel	5	2	1
Schools Monitoring Panel	7	3	1
Special Educational Needs Panel	5	2	1
Other Committees and Panels
Regulatory Committee	17	7	3
Employment in Hampshire County Council Committee	4	2	1
SACRE	2	1	1
Pension Fund Panel	6	2	1
Totals (262)	163	67	32

(ii) That the following Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen be appointed:

Committee	Chairman	Vice-Chairman
Policy and Resources Policy Review Committee	Councillor S.A. Hayes	Councillor P.A. Pierce
Education Policy Review Committee	Councillor M.J. Kendal	Councillor M.F. Cartwright
Environment Policy Review Committee	Councillor J.K. Glen	Councillor Mrs. P.M. Devereux
Recreation and Heritage Policy Review Committee	Councillor J.V. Bryant	Councillor M.S. Geddes
Social Care Policy Review Committee	Councillor M.L. Sheehan	Councillor Mrs M.D. Snaith
Regulatory Committee	Councillor J. K. West*	Councillor Mrs. P.M. Devereux
* to take effect following notification pursuant to Part 1, Chapter 7 of the Constitution
Standards Committee	Councillor P.A. Pierce	Councillor Mrs. S.M. Glasspool
Employment in Hampshire County Council Committee	Councillor T.K. Thornber	Councillor Mrs. S.M. Glasspool
Pension Fund Panel	Councillor T.K. Thornber	Councillor J. Waddington
River Hamble Harbour Management Committee	Councillor K.B. Estlin	Councillor J.V. Bryant
Strategic Planning Joint Advisory Panel	Note: Chairmanship agreed between constituent councils
Andover and Western Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panel	Councillor K.B. Estlin
Basingstoke Environmental Strategy for Transport Panel	Councillor K.B. Estlin
Central Hampshire Rural Transportation Strategy Panel	Councillor K.B. Estlin
New Forest Transportation Strategy Panel	Councillor K.B. Estlin
North East Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panel	Councillor K.B. Estlin
South East Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panel	Councillor K.B. Estlin
South West Hampshire Transportation Panel	Councillor K.B. Estlin
Winchester Movement and Access Plan Panel	Councillor K.B. Estlin
Light Rapid Transit Development Panel	Councillor K.B. Estlin
South Hampshire Rapid Transit Procurement Panel	Councillor K.B. Estlin
Schools Monitoring Panel	Councillor J.K. Glen	Councillor R.J. Kimber
Special Educational Needs Panel	Councillor Mrs. A.M. McNair Scott
Youth Panel	Councillor Mrs. C.A. Leversha
SACRE	Mr. S.W. Juniper	Councillor D.A. Kirk
Lymington Coastal Area Management Committee and Advisory Panel	Councillor A.W. Rice
Martin Down Management Committee	Councillor J. Waddington
Yateley Common Management Committee	Councillor A.P. Collett until first meeting of committee in 2002/03
Joint Services for Youth Best Value Panel	Councillor M.F. Cartwright	Councillor Mrs. P.A. West

(iii) That the following changes be made to the Council's representation on other bodies, until the Annual Meeting of the Council in May 2005 and subject to such changes as may, from time to time be necessary:


South East Employers

Councillor R. J. Ellis for Councillor M. J. Kendal

Project Integra Board

Councillor K. B. Estlin for Councillor J. K. West.

Environment Agency (Southern Region) Flood Defence Committee (until May

2003)


Councillor J. K. West for Councillor K. B. Estlin


Winchester Road Safety Council

Vacancy filled by Councillor Mrs. P. Dickens.

84 EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR EDUCATION - PART I - FUTURE ROLE OF THE EASTLEIGH/WINCHESTER SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS MEMBERS' PANEL

Part I of the report of the Executive Member for Education was presented proposing that the Eastleigh/Winchester Special Educational Needs Members' Panel be renamed and reconstituted to become formally part of the County Council's advisory framework and added to the Constitution accordingly.

ORDERED:

(i) That Part I : Chapter 10 (Other Advisory Panels) of the Constitution be revised by the following addition

Committee	Reporting to
Special Educational Needs Panel	Executive Member for Education

(ii) That the terms of reference of the Special Educational Needs Panel be approved as follows:

"To advise the Executive Member for Education on all issues arising from proposals for and the implementation of reorganisation of special education".


(iii) That the membership of the Panel (5:2:1) be noted as follows:

Councillors Mrs. A.M. McNair Scott (Chairman); M.F. Cartwright; B.D. Dash; J.K. Glen; Jo Kelly; Mrs P.G. Peskett; Mrs E.M.F. Randall; J.W. Stocks.

85 EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR ENVIRONMENT - PART I - MERGING OF THE ANDOVER TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY PANEL AND THE WESTERN HAMPSHIRE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY PANEL

Part I of the report of the Executive Member for Environment proposing the merging of the Andover and Western Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panels was presented.

ORDERED:

(i) That the Andover and Western Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panels be merged and renamed the Andover and Western Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panel and that Part I : Chapter 10 of the Constitution be revised accordingly under the heading "Local Transportation Panels";


(ii) That the revised terms of reference for the Andover and Western Hampshire Transportation Strategy Panel as shown in the appendix to the report be approved.

86 BEST VALUE PERFORMANCE PLAN 2002/03.

The Council considered the report of the Chief Executive (Item 9 in the Minute Book) and the draft Best Value Performance Plan 2002/03. The Council noted the timing considerations and accepted the draft plan which was fundamentally complete, the outstanding information being matters of statistical detail. In discussion reference was made to Age Concern's operations in Romsey. Councillor Mrs. E. S. M. Barron declared an interest as chairman of the Romsey Branch of Age Concern.

ORDERED:

That approval be given to the draft Best Value Performance Plan 2002/03 for publication, subject to the Leader and the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Minority Group Leaders, agreeing the final text.

87 REVIEW OF THE CONSTITUTION.

The Council considered the report of the Head of Corporate and Legal Services and Monitoring Officer (Item 10 in the Minute Book) responding to issues raised at a recent seminar for Members concerning the operation of the Constitution since its implementation on 1 September 2001. Councillor T. K. Thornber, CBE, seconded by

Councillor M. J. Woodhall proposed a series of recommendations as to the way forward.

Councillor A. P. Collett proposed amendments concerning the length of the lunch break,

compulsory Executive Member attendance at Policy Review Committees and the need

for less than seven days notice to be given of questions. There was a full debate of all

the issues and upon being put to the vote each amendment was lost. In relation to the

presentation of Honorary Alderman certificates, the consensus was that this was

appropriate to be dealt with before the formal business at the Council meeting following

the decision to confer the honour.

ORDERED:


(i) That lunch at County Council meetings be taken no later than 1.00 p.m. and, in the light of business still to be transacted, the duration of the lunch break be at the Chairman's discretion;


(ii) That there be a tea adjournment at County Council meetings at the discretion of the Chairman taking into account business still to be transacted;


(iii) That, by noon 7 days beforehand, notice be given to the Chief Executive by any member of a Policy Review Committee of a question they wish to put to the relevant Executive Member at the next meeting of that Policy Review Committee;


(iv) That, to facilitate consideration of items in the Forward Plan (key decisions), Policy Review Committee dates be adjusted where necessary within the existing cycles of meetings, the Chief Executive to publish revised dates as soon as possible;


(v) That Executive Members attend the meetings of their respective Policy Review Committees;


(vi) That Policy Review Committee chairmen determine the time at which their Policy Review Committee meetings shall commence;


(vii) That under Part 3: D, paragraph 1.9 of the Constitution, the right of any member of a Policy Review Committee to give notice of an item to be included on the agenda of the next meeting be reaffirmed and that the process outlined in paragraph 10.1 of the report be adopted in this respect;


(viii) That the provisions in Part 3: D. paragraph 1.14 of the Constitution allowing for the involvement of other members in policy review be noted including the need for County Council approval should it be considered necessary to establish new formal policy review mechanisms, such as for health scrutiny;


(ix) That the principle of Cabinet collective responsibility continue to apply;


(x) That the position on presentation of Honorary Alderman certificates be noted.

88. HAMPSHIRE POLICE AUTHORITY.

There was no report of the Hampshire Police Authority on this occasion. No questions had been submitted pursuant to Standing Order 20(d) concerning the discharge of its functions.

89 HAMPSHIRE FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY.

There was no report of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority on this occasion.

No questions had been submitted under Standing Order 20 (e) concerning the discharge

of its functions.

90 MATTERS FOR INFORMATION OR WITHIN DELEGATED POWERS.

The Part II reports of the following comprising matters for information or dealt
with within delegated powers were presented, received and adopted:

The Cabinet/Leader
Executive Member for Recreation and Heritage
Executive Member for Social Care
Executive Member for Education
Executive Member for Environment

The meeting closed at 4.04 p.m.
5aM360502