Archived decisions

Contact: Rosalind Rutt, ext 6745 email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report looks at the opportunities for a step change towards closer and more outcome focused joint working between local authorities in central Hampshire. It also identifies the need for more coherent and effective partnership working across rural Hampshire as a whole. It recommends strengthening and developing an existing partnership - the Central Hampshire and New Forest Group - and establishing a new partnership - the Hampshire Rural Forum - which would replace and build on the existing Committee for Rural Hampshire.

1.2 This report complements that on the Hampshire Rural Strategy being considered elsewhere on the agenda.

1.3 This decision enables the County Council to lead and work more effectively in partnership with other local authorities and organisations in Hampshire to address rural issues and improve rural service delivery.

2. Recommendations

2.1 That the development of the Central Hampshire Conference be supported, and that Hampshire County Council offers to act as the lead authority, convenor and budget holder for the first two years.

2.2 That the setting up of a Hampshire Rural Forum to address rural issues in all of the county, replacing the Committee for Rural Hampshire, be supported.

3. Background

3.1 The drivers for the proposed changes are:

(i) The perceived need for local authorities and other partners to work together more closely to develop the "place-shaping" agenda at the sub-regional level, focusing on those areas of Hampshire which are not covered by the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (PUSH) or the Western Corridor and Blackwater Valley sub-region.

(ii) Discussions amongst Hampshire local authorities about closer joint working, local service delivery, governance and partnership arrangements currently underway, including the Hampshire Senate.

(iii) The need to further develop the rural dimension of the Hampshire Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) and for specific areas for improvement to be reflected in the Hampshire Local Area Agreement (LAA).

(iv) Enthusiasm to build on the collaborative partnership working developed through the Hampshire Rural Pathfinder programme and to embed the lessons learned in rural service delivery.

(v) A call for the rural agenda in the county to set out an overall vision and priorities for action; clarify the role of different groups; provide a clear central contact point on rural affairs for bodies such as regional agencies, and strengthen the links with key strategic and regional initiatives and partnerships.

(vi) More effective links required to the regional level, where changes are underway to streamline and improve the effectiveness of regional rural structures and strategies (the South East Rural Board, South East Rural Affairs Forum and South East Rural Delivery Framework and Action Plan).

4. Proposals

4.1 The proposals are for two complementary partnerships. The first strand is an informal sub-regional local authority partnership (the "Central Hampshire Conference"), covering the `heart of Hampshire - those areas in central Hampshire and the New Forest which are not in the other sub-regions. This partnership would focus on place-shaping and more effective collaborative working by the local authorities. The `Hampshire Rural Forum' would be an independent advisory and challenge body, feeding particularly into the work of the Central Hampshire Conference but also into other relevant sub-regional and regional partnerships and organisations to champion rural affairs.

4.2 It should be noted that both the Government for the South East and the South East England Development Agency are aware of these proposals and would wish to consider their degree of involvement when invited to do so at a later stage.

The Central Hampshire Conference Proposal

4.3 It is recommended that the existing Central Hampshire and New Forest Group (CHNF) should be strengthened and developed and renamed "The Central Hampshire Conference". (This is a working title only: the definitive name will be decided when the new body is established.)

4.4 The Central Hampshire and New Forest Group was established in its current form in early 2005. It comprises the Leaders/Portfolio-holders of the eight authorities which lie outside the two sub-regions: Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council; East Hampshire District Council; Hampshire County Council; Hart District Council; New Forest District Council; New Forest National Park Authority; Test Valley Borough Council; and Winchester City Council.

4.5 Initially it was a forum for Member discussion of the joint policy advice to the South East England Regional Agency on housing for the non-growth areas and on other aspects of the draft Regional Spatial Strategy. More recently, the Group has developed a useful wider role in facilitating and initiating joint work between the authorities on their respective Local Development Frameworks and has begun to explore other areas of common concern.

4.6 The Group has consistently been well attended with representation at a senior level (both Members and officers) and is regarded by the authorities as a worthwhile body. In July 2007 the Group discussed possible options for the future. It decided to "move up a gear" with a broader remit and strong links with the proposed Hampshire Rural Forum. New Terms of Reference are currently being drafted by officers.

Current Proposals Under Discussion

4.7 Informal officer discussions have suggested a possible model for a new local authority partnership - the Central Hampshire Conference (CHC) - to develop and replace the current CHNF Group. The features of the model are as follows:

(i) The conference will bring together all local authorities within Hampshire whose areas are not wholly covered by the two sub-regional strategies, with elected Members from the relevant District Councils, the County Council, and perhaps the New Forest National Park Authority. It will be a forum for member local authorities to meet on a regular basis to discuss matters of common interest and decide upon a collective course of action if appropriate. It will be concerned with improving joint and multi-tier working and democratic accountability at the sub-regional and local levels; place-shaping, and more effective and efficient services and outcomes for local people, working with other partners. The Hampshire Rural Forum should also be represented on the Conference (see paragraph 4.13).

(ii) As a high level collaborative body its emphasis would be on policy setting, marshalling resources and collective action, and it could also lobby collectively for change. The partnership will come to a consensus view and look for leads or champions for sectors with an officer lead and Member champion, perhaps working through a series of Panels. Priorities will determine the lead agencies and the appropriate partnerships or groups to coordinate action. The initial suggestions by some of the district officers are that they should cover housing, transport, economic development and community safety, and perhaps access to services and planning policy should be added to this.

(iii) The partnership should report to the Senate and support and complement the work of PUSH and any partnership structures developed for north Hampshire. It will have a formal relationship with the proposed Hampshire Rural Forum (see below) and the responsibility of ensuring that resources are available for the Forum.

(iv) An evolutionary approach will be taken, starting off relatively low-key as an advisory body with no delegated powers. The structure and relationships will be reassessed on a regular basis.

Hampshire Rural Forum Proposal

4.8 A new "Hampshire Rural Forum" is proposed to replace and build on the work of the Committee for Rural Hampshire (CRH).

4.9 The Committee for Rural Hampshire was set up in 1991, arising from the Rural Development Strategy for Hampshire. It is an independent partnership which brings together a wide range of groups and organisations having an interest or concern in the countryside of Hampshire. These include Parish and District Councils, Hampshire County Council, the Government Office for the South East, the South East England Development Agency, the South East England Regional Assembly, the voluntary and community sector, farmers and landowners, environmental and wildlife organisations and Sparsholt College. The County Council acts as the secretariat.

4.10 The Committee acts as an independent forum and catalyst to stimulate debate about the future of the county's rural areas; influence policy makers; spread good practice and, above all else, seek to ensure that the rural perspective on current issues does not go by default within Hampshire. However, whilst its work is highly regarded, there is a need to review the Committee to make it more effective and fit for purpose within the emerging new partnership structures for Hampshire and the region.

Current Proposals Under Discussion

4.11 The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Government Association (HIOW) agreed at its meeting on 30 November 2007 "that the establishment of a Hampshire Rural Forum should be considered as an important part of the governance debate within the HIOW area".

4.12 The proposed Hampshire Rural Forum, as being discussed by partners, is seen as a small and influential county-wide group with an overview of rural affairs and an advice and challenge role. It should cover rural delivery, policy development and performance review and champion rural interests. The Forum will also encourage new ways of joint working for Hampshire's rural areas and seek to reconcile views between different interests, to improve efficiency and effectiveness and the removal of barriers and blockages.

4.13 The Forum will replace the CRH and will bring together many of the key rural stakeholders from the local and regional levels. As an independent body, the Chair will be independent of the local authority sector. One representative would come from each of environmental, land-based and the rural voluntary sectors, and from community-base organisations like Community Action Hampshire and the Hampshire Association of Local Councils. The forum would also include the Chairs of key related partnerships to ensure good links with those partnerships, avoid duplication and add value to their work (eg Hampshire Alliance for Rural Affordable Housing, Hampshire Economic Partnership Rural Economy Group, Hampshire Countryside Access Forum). The South East Rural Affairs Forum is currently under review and is likely to seek a representative from the Hampshire Rural Forum to serve on the regional body to strengthen the linkages between the regional and sub-regional levels.

4.14 The Hampshire Rural Forum should be closely linked with the Central Hampshire Conference, and the relationship between the two bodies and their respective roles will need to be carefully defined. The Forum will need to advise, influence and challenge a number of organisations and partnerships whose activities affect rural areas. Of these, the CHC will be a key partnership as the informal sub-regional local authority partnership for the major part of rural Hampshire. The Conference should be represented on the Forum and vice versa to facilitate the development of close inter-relationship. The Conference members will be encouraged to attend the annual rural conference organised by the Forum. The Forum may decide to investigate particular rural issues through short-life working groups and could then present the results directly to the Conference.

4.15 However, although closely linked with the CHC, it is important that the Forum should cover the whole county so as to address issues and to improve links between urban and rural areas. It will not be confined to "rural areas" but will address "issues of rurality". There are strong links between "urban" and "rural" and artificial distinctions between the two are not helpful, and there are also particular issues in the countryside around Hampshire's major urban areas.

4.16 It is recommended that the Forum should:

(i) act as a single focal point for rural matters in Hampshire, covering all of rural Hampshire and social, economic and environmental interests through a consensual approach and securing accountability for optimum delivery of services to rural communities;

(ii) add value to existing work and act as a mechanism for collating information about relevant work within rural areas of the county, ensuring that this is shared with all interested parties;

(iii) be linked to key rural organisations, plans and strategies, including the Central Hampshire Conference, the Sustainable Community Strategy, the LAA and the appropriate regional rural organisations and strategy;

(iv) engage with a broad spectrum of interests through its members, and by using electronic networking and other appropriate mechanisms such as an annual forum;

(v) recognise the specific importance of the land management industry in determining the nature of rural Hampshire;

(vi) be able to access advice to understand and comment on issues relating to climate change, adaptation and mitigation for rural areas and communities; and

(vii) develop in stages and evolve to meet changing circumstances.

5. Financial Implications

5.1 Initially resource requirements for both partnerships should be limited. Hampshire County Council could consider contributing towards these, along with other partners.

5.2 The Central Hampshire Conference will require a moderate staff resource to support Members, contribute to Panels, etc, and a small subscription to the Conference towards meetings and other costs. The County Council could also volunteer to act as lead authority during the initial phase, with the Environment Department taking the lead. Whilst there would be additional resource implications, it would enable the County Council to influence and shape this sub-regional partnership in its formative stages and at a crucial stage in a changing policy and organisational environment.

5.3 It is proposed that the Conference should be responsible for securing the modest resources which will be necessary to run the Hampshire Rural Forum and its activities. Community Action Hampshire could be an appropriate organisation to act as the Secretariat, run the web site and annual conference, etc (with the necessary resources). Both partnerships may propose particular projects or other actions - decisions on specific funding for these will need to be as made on their merits at the time.

6. Impact Assessments

6.1 Assessment of the Race Relations (Assessment) Act has been considered in this proposal but no adverse impact has been identified in terms of race, creed or gender.

7. Conclusion

7.1 Hampshire County Council can help shape place-shaping and closer joint working between local authorities in the central Hampshire and New Forest sub-region by actively supporting the establishment of the Central Hampshire Conference. There is also the opportunity to improve partnership working on rural issues across the whole county by supporting the setting up of a new Hampshire Rural Forum which will replace the Committee for Rural Hampshire.

1699Rpt/RRt