Archived decisions

AT A MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE of the COUNTY COUNCIL held at The Castle, Winchester on 9 July, 2002.

PRESENT:

Councillors: S.A. Hayes (Chairman); I.F.E Beagley; P.J. Chegwyn; A.P. Collett;

C. Davidovitz; A.G. Dowden; R.J. Ellis; W.J. Filer; K. House; M.J. Kendal;

Mrs. C.A. Leversha; P. Luffman; P.A. Pierce; M.J. Roberts; Mrs. M. Snaith; J.G.L. Wall.

Councillors J.K. Frankum, D.A. Kirk, T.K. Thornber, CBE and M.J. Woodhall were also in attendance.

47 COUNCILLORS DOWDEN AND MRS LEVERSHA

Councillor Alan Dowden and Carol Leversha were welcomed to the Committee as new Members.

48 MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting held on 6 June, 2002 were confirmed, as a correct record, and signed by the Chairman subject to substituting "advised" for "recommended" in the second line of the resolution of Minute 43.

Matter arising:-

Reorganisation of Postal Services and Impact On Sub-Post Offices (Minute 43)

Members felt it would be helpful to receive by way of letter from the Head of Economic Development an update on this matter in due course.

49 DISTRICT PARTNERSHIP COMMUNITY SAFETY STRATEGIES 2002 - 2005

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Executive (Item 3 in the Minute Book) summarising the District Partnership Community Safety Strategies for Basingstoke and Deane, Eastleigh, Gosport, New Forest, Test Valley and Winchester.

In analysing the key issues and priorities in each of the strategies, the Committee recognised both common and other themes. They felt the current themes needed to be developed alongside the County Council's policy aims agreed in1999 with the first partnership strategies. Among the issues highlighted by Members at the meeting were the impact of the fear of crime on individuals; drug and alcohol abuse; need for local partnerships to encourage increased reporting of crime by victims; the effect of increases in anti-social behaviour and importance of parental responsibility. Also, the Committee supported those concerns raised by a Member about the frustrations of victims of crime particularly in relation to pressures and resources available to the Police. The Chief Executive noted the points made in order that they might be drawn to the attention of the Chief Constable.

Accordingly, it was

RESOLVED:

(i) That the analysis of local partnership strategies be noted.

(ii) That departments be advised of appropriate actions to take into departmental plans.

(iii) That the Executive Member for Community Development be asked to endorse the Committee's view that the County Council develop its own policy aims alongside the common and other themes raised in the local partnership strategies.

(iv) That the Leader of the County Council be invited to convey by way of letter to the Chief Constable the concerns of the Policy and Resources Policy Review Committee in relation to crime and related issues and that this be copied to the Committee together with the Chief Constable's reply.

(v) That monitoring reports shall include the development of those issues raised by Members at the meeting including the identification of outcomes against targets and be brought to this Committee on a bi-annual basis.

50 BEST VALUE REVIEW PROGRAMME

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Executive (Item 2(i) in the Minute Book) highlighting the impact of Government initiatives on the County Council's Best Value review programme and in particular on those cross-cutting reviews which form part of this Committee's forward timetable. As part of the report, Members were interested to learn that Statutory Instrument 2002/305 had removed the constraint to establish a Best Value programme to review all functions within a five year period. It was noted that fuller information on the review programme approach was available in the report to Cabinet on 17 December 2001 which was on Hantsnet.

RESOLVED:

That the Committee accept the delay in progressing the Best Value reviews of "Human Resources in a Changing Environment" and "Managing Change" pending receipt of a further report.

51 BEST VALUE SUPPORT TO VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY SECTOR

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Executive (Item 2(ii) in the Minute Book) seeking approval to the outcome report for the cross-cutting Best Value review of Support to the Voluntary and Community Sector. It was clarified that line 2 of recommendation 1 should read "accepted" and not "agreed".

Members congratulated those involved in this review and in supporting its outcome suggested that if unsuccessful in their initial approach to a County Council officer, a voluntary or community body should be advised to contact their local County Councillor. Also, it was felt that in this matter might most appropriately be managed by the Chief Executive's Department's Policy Unit.

RESOLVED:

(i) That the outcome report for the cross-cutting Best Value review of Support to the Voluntary and Community Sector be accepted and the Leader be so advised, noting the specific improvement areas as identified:

_ increased knowledge and access to information within the voluntary sector on grants and other support available from the County Council;

_ improved understanding of the County Council's aims in relation to funding and the ways in which decisions are made;

_ improved corporate management of the support processes and overall efficiency of systems for allocating grants;

_ greater understanding by the County Council and outside bodies of what is achieved by the support given to help service development and financial effectiveness and the impact on communities.

(ii) That a summary of the review be prepared in the standard format for inclusion in the Best Value Performance Plan.

(iii) That a copy of the above summary and Improvement Plan be reported to the Cabinet to consider the cross-cutting impact that will arise from implementing the review outcomes.

(iv) That arrangements be made for this Committee to receive an annual progress report on the Improvement Plan, to be considered in each January, starting from 2003, to facilitate reporting in the Best Value Performance Plan.

52 BEST VALUE - INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS REVIEW

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Mrs. C.A. Leversha replace Councillor J.K. Glen on the Best Value Review - International Relations.

53 HEALTH OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Executive (Item 4 in the Minute Book) about the Health Overview and Scrutiny Seminar held on 19 June 2002 and proposed a way forward in dealing with this important initiative.

Members supported the proposed future arrangements set out in the report, preferring the latter rather than earlier dates mentioned.

Accordingly, it was

RESOLVED:

(i) That the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Health Authority be thanked for organising the seminar on health overview and scrutiny on 19 June 2002.

(ii) That an informal meeting be arranged in early September for those Members who attended the seminar to discuss options for agreement for health overview and scrutiny to be put forward in a draft consultation document for consideration by this Committee at its meeting on 11 October 2002.

(iii) That Councillor A.G. Dowden replace Mrs E.S.M. Barron as one of the Committee's Members to be involved in this matter.

(iv) That an invitation to attend the informal meeting be extended to other Members of the County Council who did not have the opportunity or were unable to attend the Seminar.

54 REVIEW OF THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC STRATEGY

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Economic Development (Item 5 in the Minute Book) on the County Council's response to the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) review of the "Regional Economic Strategy" for the South East.

Councillor T.K. Thornber, CBE declared a "non-pecuniary interest" as a Member of the SEEDA Board on this item and took no part in the discussion.

Members highlighted a number of issues which were noted by the Head of Economic Development to be incorporated in the County Council's response on this matter, namely the importance of sustainability; focusing growth in areas of need; relationship with other framework strategies e.g. London Strategy, Transport Strategy, Environmental Strategies, sceptism at the number of assumptions underpinning the Strategy.

Accordingly, it was

RESOLVED:

(i) That the proposed County Council response to the Regional Economic Strategy be supported, subject to the Head of Economic Development adding to this those comments and points raised by Members at this Committee.

(ii) That the Executive Member for Economic Development be requested to reflect the views of this Committee in the Council's formal response to SEEDA.

55 COMMITTEE'S TIMETABLE OF FUTURE DECISIONS

The Committee received and noted the report of the Chief Executive (Item 6 in the Minute Book) on forthcoming key-decisions which may be made by the Leader and the Committee's timetable of future activity which had been updated since the last meeting.

56 EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

RESOLVED:

That by virtue of Paragraph 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the matter contained in Minute 57 below.

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THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS DEALT WITH CONFIDENTIALLY AND THE PRESS AND PUBLIC WERE NOT ENTITLED TO BE PRESENT (CONFIDENTIAL)

57 DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS FOR COUNTY COUNCIL LAND AT NORTH POPLEY

The Committee considered the confidential report of the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services (Item 8 in the Minute Book) identifying the opportunities available to the County Council to secure development of its land at North Popley and in so doing achieve an early stream of capital receipts, the educational benefits on property assets of a new secondary school and to contribute towards the regeneration of the North Basingstoke area, which is a proposed objective of the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. It was noted that this matter was due to be the subject of a key-decision by the Leader on 11 July 2002.

Councillor J.K. Frankum, a local County Councillor spoke in support of the scheme.

In discussion, the Committee, in supporting the recommendations in the report, made points about Affordable Housing and Key Worker Housing and wished the Leader to be advised of their views on this in advance of his consideration of this item.

Accordingly, it was

RESOLVED:

That, in supporting the recommendations as detailed in the report, the Leader be advised:-

(i) That reference in Appendix A to the proposed reduction in the level of Affordable Housing on the Popley Way site should be deleted in the light of the fact that compensatory higher levels of Affordable Housing are proposed on the North Popley site.

(ii) That extra land be made available at North Popley for the provision of Affordable/Key Worker Housing and if no additional land is made available then the County Council make available some of the resulting capital receipts to fund the provision of additional Affordable/Key Worker Housing.

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