Archived decisions

      AT A SPECIAL MEETING of the POLICY AND RESOURCES POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE of the COUNTY COUNCIL held at The Castle, Winchester on 7 November, 2002

PRESENT:

      Councillors: S.A. Hayes (Chairman); I.F.E. Beagley; J.V. Bryant; M.F. Cartwright; P.J. Chegwyn; A.P. Collett; B.D. Dash; C. Davidovitz; A.G. Dowden; R.J. Ellis; W.J. Filer; J.K. Glen; K House; M.J. Kendal; Mrs. C.A. Leversha; P.A. Pierce; M.J. Roberts; Mrs. M.D. Snaith; J.G.L. Wall; J.K. West, W.H. Wheeler.

Also in attendance: Councillor T.K. Thornber, CBE - the Executive Member, Policy and Resources and Councillor P.A Heath for the item on Gypsy and Traveller Services (Minute 79 refers).

79 COUNTY COUNCIL GYPSY AND TRAVELLERS SERVICES

Pursuant to Part 3D of the Constitution (paragraph 1.15), the Committee reviewed the decision of the Executive Member for Policy and Resources made on 16 October 2002 in relation to the permanent closure of the Peak Copse Gypsy Site near Basingstoke. The Committee had before it the report of the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services to the Executive Member on which his decision had been based and the published record of the decision. (Item 1 in the Minute Book).

The matter had been called in by Councillors P.J. Chegwyn, A.P Collett, B.D. Dash, A.G. Dowden, K. House and M.J. Roberts. They explained their main reasons:

      (i) The decision would result in a waste of public money, time and effort in providing Peak Copse as a permanent gypsy site in 1992.

      (ii) Was permanent closure justified at a time when the County Council's other permanent sites were or were near full occupancy and when there was a shortage of transit sites?

      (iii) That, if Peak Copse was re-opened as a permanent gypsy site, it was likely to provide twenty more gypsy/traveller families with a more stable home environment, improved social care and a more permanent education for their children in neighbouring schools.

    The Chairman reported a letter received from Dummer Parish Council in support of the Executive Member for Policy and Resources' decision for permanent closure of the Peak Copse Gypsy Site. Among the Parish Council's concerns were access to the site, its location off the busy A30 road close to junction 7 of the M3, the increase in both the volume and speed of traffic along this section of road and recent nearby housing developments. Also, the Committee noted that Councillor Mrs. A.M. McNair Scott, (the local Member) was opposed to the re-opening of the Peak Copse Gypsy Site, particularly in relation to traffic and highway issues.


    Councillor P.A. Heath reported in more detail on local concerns over this matter and against the re-opening of Peak Copse as a permanent gypsy site.

    The Committee gave careful consideration to all the issues related to this item and to other suggestions made at the meeting which included postponing any decision over permanent closure until the current work with district councils on gypsy/traveller forums had been completed or that part of the Peak Copse site be used as a transit gypsy/traveller site.

    In conclusion the Executive Member for Policy and Resources summarised the main reasons for his decision. He reminded the Committee that, following violent disturbances involving resident families, the Peak Copse Gypsy site had been temporarily closed in 1996. Also, that since then, the need for re-opening had been reviewed on several occasions and in the absence of any conclusive demand for re-opening as a permanent gypsy site, its closure had been confirmed by him on 16 October 2002. The Committee noted that alternative uses for Peak Copse had been investigated and that proposals were currently being drawn up for an innovative recycling and re-manufacturing park for the site and for this to operate alongside recreational use of the woodland area of Peak Copse.

    RESOLVED:

    That the decision of the Executive Member for Policy and Resources on 16 October 2002 in relation to the permanent closure of the Peak Copse Gypsy Site near Basingstoke be endorsed.

80 EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC

The Committee considered that as long as contract details and individual costs in respect of improvements to the Council Chamber's sound system were not referred to, this matter need not be taken as a confidential item.

Accordingly, it was

RESOLVED:

That the item on improvements to the sound system in the Council Chamber be considered as a non-confidential item.

81 IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SOUND SYSTEM IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER

With the concurrence of the Chairman under Section 100(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, this item was considered in order to avoid a separate meeting of the Policy Review Committee being arranged solely for that purpose.

Pursuant to Part 3D of the Constitution, the Committee reviewed the decision of the Executive Member for Policy and Resources on 16 October 2002 in relation to improvements to the sound system in the Council Chamber. The Committee had before it the confidential report of the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services on which the Executive Member for Policy and Resources had based his decision and the published record of the decision. (Item 2 in the Minute Book).

The matter had been called in by Councillors P.J. Chegwyn, A.P. Collett, B.D. Dash, A. Dowden, K. House and J. Wall who, whilst recognising the necessity for a new sound system in the Council Chamber, questioned the cost of up to £100,000 for the new system and whether there was a need for a system that was able to be extended to deal with electronic voting and other democratic processes.

The Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services explained the specialised nature of the work which would be required to the Council Chamber which was listed, and of the intention to pilot some of the County Council's requirements at the next meeting of the Council.

The Executive Member for Policy and Resources explained that the funding for a new audio system was not from Revenue Budgets but was from sales of surplus assets. He commented that he did not feel strongly on the matter of electronic voting, but did feel strongly that the present audio system did not sufficiently amplify the proceedings of the Council meeting to enable Members to hear or be heard.

He suggested the trialing of one system after which he would take soundings and consider whether an improved system should be audio, or audio and visual.

Accordingly, it was

RESOLVED:

That the Committee endorses the view of the Executive Member for Policy and Resources to review his decision on 16 October 2002 in relation to improvements to the sound system in the Council Chamber, in the light of the pilot scheme set up for the County Council meeting on 28 November, 2002.

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