Archived decisions

Councillors

p I. F. E. Beagley

p A. S. Carew

p Anne Edwards

p Mrs K. Heron

p Keith House

p Sam Payne

p David Simpson

p Mrs M. Tucker

p John K. West

p S. A. Wheale

Also in attendance : Councillors M. J. Kendal - Executive Member for Environment and Mrs E. M. Byrom.

Officers in attendance Alison Quant - Director of Environment.

Linda Tartaglia-Kershaw - Head of Landscape

and Planning, Environment Department.

John Buckett - Head of Transport

Implementation, Environment Department.

Kevin Ings - Community Transport Manager,

Environment Department

Tom Niedrum - Head of Finance, County

Treasurer's Department

Philippa Smart - Scrutiny Officer,

Chief Executive's Department.

Barbara Beardwell - Solicitor, Chief Executive's

Department.

Lindsey Hawke-Davies - Chief Executive's

Department.

16. APOLOGIES

No apologies for absence were received.

17. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members were mindful that, where they believed they had a

personal or personal prejudicial interest in any matter to be

considered at the meeting, they should normally at the time of

the debate declare their 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 was discussed.

18. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Environment Policy

Review Committee held on 7 December 2006 were

confirmed, as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

19. CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS

The Chairman requested details about plans in hand to

prepare for the extension of the national free travel scheme

for older and disabled adults. The Director of Environment

advised that the national arrangements had some way to go.

The picture on concessionary fares appeals by operators

would be clearer later in the year. Hampshire County

Council was working with District Councils to address the

implications. An update on Passenger Transport, including

the situation with concessionary fares will be arranged for

one of the Members Briefings so that all Members could be

updated.

20. FORTHCOMING EXECUTIVE DECISIONS

(a) Revenue Budget 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10.

The Committee considered the report of the County Treasurer

and Director of Environment (Item 5 (a) in the Minute Book)

setting out the proposed Environment Revenue Budget for

2007/08, a provisional budget for 2008/09 and 2009/10 and

recommending a revised budget for 2006/07, to be submitted

to the Executive Member for Environment at his meeting on

6 January 2007.

The County Treasurer advised that there were a number of

significant budget pressures with the 2007/08 budget

relating to highways management, street lighting and

passenger transport.

With regard to Passenger Transport, The Director of

Environment confirmed that local cost pressures together

with a loss of grant and a reduction in the base, added to the

overall pressures and there were no easy options to be made.

There was debate on whether funding for Passenger

Transport should be reduced when cost pressures were high.

Members agreed that consideration needed to be given to

providing alternatives to bus subsidies in areas where it was

not cost effective and assessing how people can be linked to

the locations they need to travel to for services.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

(b) Revised Transport Capital Programme 2006/07 and

proposed Environment Capital; Programme 2007/08 to

2010/11

The Committee considered the report of the County Treasurer

(Item 5 (b) in the Minute Book) on proposed amendments to

the 2006/07 Transport Capital Programme, revised 2006/07

Transport Capital Programme and an Environment Capital

Programme for 2007/08 to 2010/11.

The County Treasurer advised that overall the capital

programme for 2007/08 had been maintained. The

programme for future years was over committed, pending the

outcome of representations to Government on revenue

support for borrowing.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

(c) Environment Department- Grants for Environmental

Service Providers and Community Transport Operators.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of

Environment (Item 5 (c) in the Minute Book) on the proposed

arrangements for securing services from the

voluntary and community sector to support the Environment

Department, to replace the existing Service Level

Agreements, in accordance with the `One Compact for

Hampshire's agreement with the voluntary sector.

This review of both Environmental and Community Transport

Providers involves proposals for moving from Service Level

Agreements (SLA) to three year grants, renewable annually,

when the existing SLA expired. For major Community

Transport projects, a contracting arrangement is proposed,

although Officers had reservations about the cost-

effectiveness of normal tender arrangements in this sector.

Members questioned the difference between a grant and a

Service Level Agreement, the conditions attached to the

payment of a grant and the proposed annual review of three

yearly Community Transport Grants .

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

21. ITEMS FOR PRE SCRUTINY INFORMATION

(a) Environment Best Value Performance Indicators half

year report.

The Committee considered the report of the Scrutiny Officer

(Item 6 in the Minute Book) on pre scrutiny information on

three topics relating to Hampshire County Council's

Environment Department, external agency and partnership

group.

The Director of Environment advised that the Environment

Best Value Performance Indicators half yearly report provided

only a limited overview in terms of waste, traffic management

and road safety because some statistics were only available

annually. She advised the Committee that the Environment

Department's signalised indicator would be disqualified and

that although the Audit Commission had been asked to

exercise discretion, it was likely this would prevent the

Department getting the highest rating of 4 pedestrian

crossings.

Members noted that three surveys would take place regarding

customer satisfaction with bus services, bus information and

Household Waste Recycling Centres. Issues with damaged

and unrecorded pedestrian crossings were being investigated.

(b) Environment Agency `State of the Environment

2006' report

The Scrutiny Officer suggested that Members might wish to

consider inviting a speaker to address a future meeting of the

Committee on the `State of the Environment 2006' report to

provide them with the opportunity to better understand what

is happening in Hampshire. Members agreed that the speaker

should be invited, if available, to the meeting on

5 April 2007.

(c) Revised Water Strategy Action Plan

The Scrutiny Officer advised that this item was for Members

information.

22. TOPICS IDENTIFIED AT THE SCRUTINY BRIEFING

DAY

The Committee considered the report of the Scrutiny Officer

(Item 7 in the Minute Book) on Members' preferences

regarding a potential number of topics identified for scrutiny

at the Members Scrutiny Briefing Day in September 2006.

Of the top six topics Members selected two that they would

like further information on with a view to pursuing as

scrutiny topics: Speed and Traffic Management, and Climate

Change.

23. SCRUTINY WORKSHOPS FEEDBACK

(a) Motorway Diversion Routes Workshop held on

12 December 2007 and (b) Bus Subsidy Ranking Mechanism

Workshop 13 December 2007.

The Committee considered the report of the Scrutiny Officer

(Item 8 in the Minute Book) on the scrutiny workshops for

Motorway Diversion Routes and Bus Subsidy Ranking

Mechanisms held on 12 and 13 December 2006 respectively

and recommendations arising from the workshops.

Members noted the report and ratified the recommendations.

24. TRANSPORT IN THE COMMUNITY

The Scrutiny Officer reported that the Policy and Resources

Policy Review Committee held on 4 December 2006

supported an in depth scrutiny review of Transport in the

Community to assess the effectiveness of passenger transport

services in Hampshire in meeting community needs and to

make recommendations for improvements to the Executive

Member for Environment.

The Scrutiny Officer further reported that a Scrutiny Working

Group, not necessarily of the Environment and Transportation

Policy Review Committee, but comprising of Members with

experience or an interest in transport in the community would

be established and nominations would be requested from the

Leaders of the Political Groups.

Members considered the optimum size of the Scrutiny Review

Group and decided it should be six. The Chairman encouraged

Members to approach their party leader if they wished to be

part of the Group.

25. STREET LIGHTING

The Scrutiny Officer reported that the workshop to consider

the Street Lighting Private Finance Initiative would be held on

8 February 2007 at 10am.The workshop would provide

Members with an opportunity to input into the service in

terms of energy efficiency and energy consumption and to

consider the partnership approach with parish, district and

town councils to improve street lighting.

Action

The Scrutiny Officer to arrange for a speaker to attend the April meeting.

The Scrutiny Officer to arrange for reports to be prepared on the possible topics for the April meeting.

The Chairman to communicate the scrutiny recommendations to the Executive Member for Environment.

Interested Members to propose themselves for the Scrutiny Review Group.

The Scrutiny Officer to provide an update report to the Committee in April 2007.

The Scrutiny Officer to provide a report back to Committee in April 2007.