Archived decisions

AT A MEETING of the CABINET of HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL held at The Castle, Winchester on 22 September 2008

Chairman:

p Councillor T.K. Thornber, CBE

Councillors:

Also present with the agreement of the Chairman: Councillors M.F. Cartwright; K.G. Chapman; N.R.G. Clarke; A.P. Collett, B.D. Dash; P.R. Edgar; K. Evans; P.R.C. Hutcheson; Mrs C.A. Leversha; Mrs A.M. McNair-Scott; Mrs P.A. West and Mrs S.A. Wheale

441. APOLOGIES

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor M.J. Kendal.

442. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members were mindful that where they believed they had a personal or prejudicial interest in any matter considered at the meeting declared that interest at the time of the relevant debate and, having regard to the circumstances described in paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the County Council's Code of Conduct, considered whether to leave the meeting whilst the matter was discussed, save for exercising any right to speak in accordance with paragraph 12 of the code.

443. MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 July 2008 were confirmed as a
correct record.

Arising thereon:-

(a) Minute 429 (b) - the County Treasurer confirmed that the Inland
Revenue have now confirmed that a light lunch can be provided for formal committee meetings on site at the Castle Complex that extend over the lunch period, as a non-taxable benefit. Site visits or other meetings off-site that may require alternative lunch arrangements to be made will be a taxable benefit.


(b) Minute 434 - clarified that the further funding of the non-emergency 101 number for a further year is for the financial year 2008/09. Noted that this topic is likely to be discussed again at the next Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Government Association meeting. The Chief Executive also confirmed that he was in receipt of a report about the first six months of operation of the 101 number and will be considering the merits of bringing a report to Cabinet on the findings to help shape the next steps for this service.

444. CHAIRMAN'S COMMUNICATIONS

(i) Welcome to Nick Eaton who has joined Democratic Services
from Portsmouth City Council. Nick will be working closely with
Debbie Vaughan supporting the Cabinet and also providing
support for the Adult Social Care portfolio.

(ii) Welcome to Toby Ayling who is a Principal Planner in the
Environment Department. Toby observed the meeting as part of
his personal development to gain a better understanding of how
the County Council operates at a political level.

445. FINAL RESPONSE ARISING FROM THE SCRUTINY REVIEW OF
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PASSENGER TRANSPORT IN THE COMMUNITY

The Cabinet considered the report of the Environment and Transportation Select Committee (Item 5 in the Minute book) setting out the final response arising from the scrutiny review of the effectiveness of passenger transport in the Community. A monitoring plan detailing planned activity between October 2008 and October 2009 was attached as Appendix 2 to the report. Councillor Hutcheson, Chairman of the Environment and Transportation Select Committee, Councillor Mrs Wheale, the Deputy Chairman and Councillor Clarke gave an informative presentation in support of the report, particularly highlighting value for money/efficiency and rural isolation and exclusion issues.

The Cabinet welcomed this very thorough piece of work and considered the recommendations in detail. The cabinet's discussions centred on bus schemes such as the Yellow Bus pilot which is currently operating successfully in Basingstoke and the advantages and disadvantages of the County Council becoming a transport operator in its own right, particularly the difficulties of having a pool of trained drivers. Members also took the opportunity to highlight the YELA bus scheme (Yateley's bus for the Elderly and Less Able) operating in the north of the county and the difficulties it faces in terms of future funding. Although this service is not individually demand responsive, it is nevertheless a very popular scheme and concern was expressed about the future funding position. The Cabinet therefore requested that the Chairman of the Environment and Transportation Select Committee engage in urgent talks with the Executive Member for Environment and relevant officers to investigate possible solutions.

The Cabinet adopted the recommendations set out in the report. A copy of the decision sheet is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 1.

446. PROPOSED RESPONSE TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARISING FROM THE POLICY AND RESOURCES SELECT COMMITTEE'S REVIEW OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S CURRENT SCRUTINY ARRANGEMENTS

The Cabinet considered the report of the Cabinet Working Group (Item 6 in the Minute book) setting out a proposed response to the recommendations arising from the recent review of the County Council's existing scrutiny arrangements carried out by the Policy and Resources Select Committee.

Councillor Perry presented the report in his capacity as Chairman of the Cabinet Working Group and confirmed that the Working Group had met several times over the last two months. Councillor Perry explained that areas of the proposed response highlighted in red (attached as an appendix to the report) sought to reinforce and develop the recommendations of the Scrutiny Review. The proposed response concentrated on two key areas, firstly to broaden the remit of the Select Committees in its widest sense and secondly, to emphasise the important role that back benchers have in helping the County Council to achieve its corporate priorities and to fulfil its role as a community leader. The Cabinet welcomed the work that the Cabinet Working Party had done and were supportive of the proposed response. In respect of the response to Recommendation R, the Cabinet felt that this should be strengthened to reflect the breadth of external partnerships, including areas identified as "Diamonds for Growth", that may be called to account for the decisions they make that affect both the Council County and the people in the partnership area.

The Cabinet adopted the recommendations set out in the report subject to some strengthening of recommendation R as detailed above. A copy of the decision sheet is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 2. It was also noted that the Cabinet's response will be considered by the Policy and Resources Select Committee at its meeting on 14 October 2008. A report will also be submitted to the next meeting of the full Council.

447. LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage (Item 7 in the Minute book) setting out proposed options for the County Council's approach to the legacy of the London 2012 olympic and paralympic games. The Director of Recreation and Heritage and the Director of Sport Hampshire and Isle of Wight expanded on the key points in the report and sought the Cabinet's support to broaden the scope of the work that is underway.

The Cabinet highlighted that this would be the chance of a lifetime for many people in Hampshire, therefore it was important to be proactive and inspirational to ensure that the many sporting, cultural, business, environmental and tourist opportunities are taken full advantage of to develop a legacy from the games for the future. Encouraging people and communities to be part of the olympic scene whether it be in a sporting capacity, a volunteering or other role, should be a key area of activity for the County Council. This could also provide an excellent opportunity to connect with the games given Team GB's presence in Aldershot, in particular developing links between Olympians and the County Council's children in care, and post 19 year olds that have left further education. The Cabinet also requested that the Older Peoples' Well Being Team explore the inter-generational opportunities that may exist.

Cabinet adopted the recommendations set out in the report subject to an amendment to reflect the discussion at the meeting as detailed above. A copy of the decision sheet is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 3.

448. COUNTY COUNCIL RESPONSE TO THE SECOND JOINT INSPECTORATE CONSULTATION ON THE CAA (COMPREHENSIVE AREA ASSESSMENT)

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive (Item 8 in the Minute book) setting out a proposed response to the second joint inspectorate consultation on the new CAA. The Chief Executive expanded on the key areas of the report and highlighted that the CAA regime is a significant change from assessing processes within an organisation to assessing performance outcomes outside of the organisation.

The Cabinet strongly expressed their fundamental reservations on the CAA regime in terms of the lack of recognition of the role of local members, including strategic decision making and the absence of local priorities reflecting the needs of the majority. As referenced in Minute 446 above, the role of back benchers on Scrutiny Committees is an important one and should be taken proper account of in the emerging CAA framework. Concern was also expressed about the number of inspectorates that proliferate the CAA system despite the intention of a single assessment trigger. The Cabinet were hopeful however that the County Council will be able to help shape the final CAA framework, as far as that is possible, by way of the CAA pilot for which the County Council is a volunteer authority.

Cabinet approved the draft response subject to some strengthening to reflect the views expressed at the meeting as detailed above, to be finalised by the Leader for submission by the consultation deadline of 20 October 2008. A copy of the decision sheet is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 4.

449. POLICING GREEN PAPER

Councillor Collett declared a personal interest as Vice-Chairman of the Hampshire Police Authority.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive (Item 9 in the Minute book) setting out a proposed response to the Policing Green Paper - "From the Neighbourhood to the National: policing our communities together". The Head of Policy expanded on the key areas of the report and in doing so highlighted that although some areas of the Green Paper were to be welcomed, there were also areas of concern in terms of governance and finance arrangements, and partnership working which if the proposals were implemented, could undermine future work between the police and local government.

In considering the draft response, the Cabinet expressed concern that in terms of governance, the democratic responsibilities of elected Members serving on the Police Authority were not being given sufficient weight and if the proposals were implemented this could lead to a reduced number of local authority Members being able to serve on the Police Authority. In terms of the changes to the police inspection regime, the Cabinet were disappointed at the lack of clarity of how this regime will interface with the new CAA framework and were also concerned about the proposal for a `top down' approach to develop convergence plans for IT. Lastly, the Cabinet were of the view that the proposal to fund the continuation of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) for a further three-year period rather than making the funding permanent is not acceptable. Fixed term funding creates difficulties when that term ends and if permanent funding has not been agreed by the end of the three years, there is a potential impact on local taxpayers who will be expected to pay or the service will be discontinued.

Therefore the Cabinet did not support the proposals in the Green Paper and the consultation response that would be submitted by the deadline of 10 October 2008 would reflect this. A copy of the decision sheet is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 5.

450. ELECTION DAY - WEEKEND VOTING: RESPONSE TO GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION PAPER

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive (Item 10 in the Minute book) setting out the proposed response to the Ministry of Justice consultation paper on weekend voting.

In considering the proposed response, the Cabinet were of the view that little evidence exists to suggest that a move to weekend voting will improve the apathy that currently exists amongst the electorate. The real issue that needs to be tackled is the lack of confidence people have that their vote counts at both local and central government level.

Cabinet agreed the proposed response subject to some strengthening to reflect the discussion at the meeting as detailed above, for finalisation by the Leader for submission by the consultation deadline of 26 September 2008. A copy of the decision sheet is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 6.

451. GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE SOUTH EAST PLAN - HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL RESPONSE

The Cabinet considered the report of the Director of Environment (Item 11 in the Minute book) setting out the suggested response to the Government's proposed changes to the draft South East Plan. The Director of Environment expanded on the key areas of the report, particularly the increased housebuilding in Basingstoke, East Hampshire, Hart, Test Valley and Winchester bringing the total housebuilding number in Hampshire per year to 6,685. This is more than the Examination in Public (EiP) Panel's recommendations, which in themselves were an increase from the figures in the original draft Plan. Attention was also drawn to other changes such as conversion of the housebuilding targets into minimum figures, the proposed removal of the conditionality of development on the provision of infrastructure and the deletion of the strategic gap policies.

During the course of the ensuing discussion, the Cabinet expressed strong concerns about the effect the increased housing numbers would have, with the exception of a proposed increase in Whitehill/Bordon. However, it was emphasised that Cabinet support for the increase in Whitehill/Bordon is on the condition that the additional housing takes the form of a Strategic Development Area (SDA) or Eco-Town as supported by the District Council. If this is not the case, the Cabinet made it clear that the housing should not have to be accommodated elsewhere in the East Hampshire. Adequate levels of infrastructure funding is critical to the successful delivery of the South East Plan. Hampshire and the wider South East is reaching the limits of what is environmentally acceptable and issues such as waste/fresh water must be addressed therefore firm guarantees about infrastructure are needed from the Government and recognition that there are limits to the rate of growth that can be accommodated. Strategic and local gaps have helped shape the pattern of new development in the region outside Green Belts over the last two decades, therefore the deletion of a region-wide policy from the Plan is opposed. Cabinet also drew attention to the difficulties of reliable population forecasting and hence planning for school places if the conversion of housebuilding targets into minimum figures is adopted.

Cabinet adopted the recommendations set out in the report subject to some strengthening of the consultation response to reflect the views

detailed above. A copy of the decision sheet is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 7.

452. 2008/09 BUDGET MONITORING

The Cabinet considered the report of the County Treasurer (Item 12 in the Minute book) outlining the progress made to date with plans for achieving savings in the 2008/09 budget year and seeking approval for the initial 2008/09 allocations for Pay and Benefits costs to be funded from the central contingency. The County Treasurer expanded on the key issues arising from the first quarter monitoring of the service-cash limited budgets and clarified the pressures that these services are experiencing, particularly in Adult Services from more clients for domiciliary services and in Children's Services on the Home to School Transport budget. He highlighted the higher inflationary costs (4-5% in most prices) being experienced but contained by management action during the year. The impact of higher energy costs was relatively small because of fixed price contracts, which do not expire until later and because energy costs are only 0.4% of the overall budget outside schools. However, energy was a higher proportion of spend for libraries. He referred to the uncertainty arising from the credit crisis and the big impact that will have on the ability to achieve the target for capital receipts in 2008/09. This will have consequential concerns for the scale of the capital programme and borrowing costs to replace receipts in next year's budget. The position is being carefully monitored.

In considering the latest position, the Cabinet welcomed the action being taken by all services to contain spending within cash limits given the challenges that the County Council is faced with. The Cabinet also noted the position on Pay and Benefits costs and agreed that the initial 2008/09 allocations can be funded from the central contingency, as detailed in the report. They asked about the increase in employee numbers, which reflected the budgeted increase in front line services and the County Treasurer agreed to clarify the impact of the transfer of staff from Connexions.

Cabinet adopted the recommendations set out in the report. A copy of the decision sheet is attached to these Minutes as Appendix 8.

453. MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL PLAN UPDATE AND PUBLIC CONSULTATION UPDATE

The Chairman confirmed that this report had been deferred to the next meeting of the Cabinet to allow for the most up-to-date information to be made available to Members.

APPENDIX 1

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Record of Executive Decision:

APPENDIX 2

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Record of an Executive Decision:

APPENDIX 3

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Record of an Executive Decision:

APPENDIX 4

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Record of an Executive Decision:

APPENDIX 5

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Record of an Executive Decision:

APPENDIX 6

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Record of an Executive Decision:

APPENDIX 7

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Record of an Executive Decision:

1579Decn/255/SR

APPENDIX 8

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

Record of an Executive Decision: