Venue: Council Chamber, Council Offices, Farnborough
Contact: Jill Shuttleworth, Democratic Services Manager 01252 398822
No. | Item | ||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
To confirm the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 23rd May, 2017 (copy Minutes attached). Minutes: It was MOVED by Cr. Barbara Hurst; SECONDED
by Cr. G.B. Lyon and RESOLVED:
That, the Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 23rd May,
2017 (copy having been circulated previously) be taken as read, approved and signed as a correct record of the
proceedings. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS Minutes: (1)
The Mayor invited Honorary Alderman Mr. Colin Balchin, J.P. to step forward to present to the Council
four framed photographs of streets in Aldershot which had been taken over 100
years ago. (2)
The Mayor advised Members that the first event she had attended
as Mayor had been at the invitation of the Buddhist Community Centre UK. This had been a “Life Long
Empowerment: and “Dharma Talk Programme” on 27th May in the presence of His
Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Tinley Dorje – the spiritual leader of the Karma
Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. (3)
On 28th
May the Mayor and Mayoress had attended the annual Gurkha Cup football
tournament at the sports ground on Queen’s Avenue. The Mayor advised
Members that the Tamu Dhee
Association UK had presented her with a cheque for £500 for the Mayor’s
charities. (4)
The Mayor reported that she had attended the annual Farnborough
Donkey Derby on 29th May, which had been organised by local Rotarians at King
George V playing fields. The event had
been well supported and had raised a considerable amount of money for local
charities. (5)
The Mayor had had the honour of attending a Royal Garden Party
at Buckingham Palace on 1st June and had been accompanied by her sister, Zoona, and the Leader of the Council and his partner, Liz Stovell. (6)
On 3rd
June, the Mayor advised Members that she had attended
the Rushmoor ‘Get Involved’ Fair in Union Street, Aldershot. This was an event which had been supported by
31 voluntary organisations and had been organised to give local people the
opportunity to find out what these local charities, community groups and clubs
did. The other purpose of the event was
to show people how they could get involved in volunteering and support local
organisations who played an important part in the local community. The event had been a great success. (7)
The Mayor stated that she had been proud to attend the Victoria
Day event in Aldershot town centre on 10th June. More than 500 people from community groups,
schools and businesses had taken part in the grand parade. The Mayor thanked
those at the Council who had organised the event with the help of the Aldershot
Community Together group which comprised volunteers and residents who all
helped to make the event a very successful one.
(8)
The Mayor had attended a Kids Out event on 14th June which had
been held at the Army Rugby Club in Aldershot.
Rotary volunteers from Rushmoor and surrounding areas had made the day a
great success for over 500 local disabled and disadvantaged children. The Mayor said that
it had been a privilege to be at the event and to be able to witness so many
caring people bringing fun and happiness into the lives of disabled and
disadvantaged children from the area. (9) On 18th June, the Mayor had had the honour of attending a memorable drumhead service at the ... view the full minutes text for item 10. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
RUSHMOOR COMMUNITY AWARD 2017 The Mayor to present the Rushmoor Community Award 2017 to Mr. Michael Mills and Mrs. Caroline Mills in recognition of their contribution to the community and involvement in Scouting, the Aldershot Branch of the Royal British Legion and the Aldershot Branch of the Royal Navy Association. Minutes: The Rushmoor Community Award recognised
local people who had in some way made a significant contribution to the
community. The Mayor
reported that, in 2017, the Council had agreed to present the Award to two
people: Mr. Mick Mills and Mrs. Caroline Mills in recognition of their
significant and admirable fundraising and volunteering activities over many
years. The Mayor advised
Members that both Mr. and Mrs. Mills had given an incredible amount of time to
the community over recent years. Their
roles in Scouting had seen them: running weekly meetings for Cubs; organising
summer camps and weekend camps for the Cubs; and being involved with District
Scouting events such as Cubs 100 Camp.
Mr. and Mrs. Mills also organised and ran fundraising events for the
Scout Group which raised over £2,000 per year, which was vital to the running
of the Scout Group. It was considered that, without the efforts of Mick and Caroline the 2nd
Aldershot Scout Group would not be as successful as it was. Mr. and Mrs. Mills were also very much
involved with the Aldershot Branch of the Royal British Legion; Mick was the
Secretary of the Branch and Caroline was the Poppy Appeal Organiser for
Aldershot. Since becoming Poppy Appeal
Organiser for Aldershot, Caroline had increased the amount raised each year
with the assistance of a team of volunteers and the full support of Mick. Over £221,000 had been raised since she had
taken over the role of Poppy Appeal Organiser. Caroline and Mick also organised bi-monthly
coffee mornings for the members of the Aldershot Branch, giving them the
opportunity to meet up as well as a weekend away for the members during the
year. Mick and Caroline were also key
members of the committee that arranged the Service of Remembrance in the Municipal
Gardens in Aldershot. This was a very
well attended service attended by all sectors of the community, including war
veterans and local youth organisations as well as representatives of all areas
of the local community. Attendance at
this event had grown considerably over recent years. Mick had also built links with Aldershot Town
Football Club with whom he had arranged a number of
events around the Poppy Appeal, including standard bearers being on the pitch
to mark two minutes’ silence. Mick and Caroline were also involved in
organising social fundraising events for the Royal Naval Association. Mick had also been a school governor and
Caroline had been involved with the Parents’ and Teachers’ Association at
Newport School (now Alderwood School). It was evident that Mick and Caroline supported all areas of the local community – young, old and in-between. They were both very generous with their time and help, not only with raising vitally important funds for local charities, but also in passing on their skills and knowledge to the youngsters and adults alike, which would help to provide a brighter future for Rushmoor. They were able to engage with all areas of the local community and it was felt that ... view the full minutes text for item 11. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
STANDING ORDER 8 - QUESTIONS To receive any questions by Members submitted in pursuance of Standing Order 8 (3). Minutes: The
Mayor reported that two questions had been submitted in pursuance of Standing
Order 8(3). The first question had been
submitted by Cr. J. Canty and related to what reassurance could be given to
residents of the actions being taken by the Council to ensure the safety and
integrity of multi-storey buildings across the Borough and what steps would be
taken to maintain the highest standards of fire protection in those buildings
following the recent tragedy at Grenfell House in London. In response, the Health and
Housing Portfolio Holder (Cr. Barbara Hurst) stated that, since the tragic
events the previous week, she had been working with officers to ensure that the
Council’s response was effective, timely and sensitive to the situation. The Council had responded proactively and in
response to instructions from the Department of Communities and Local
Government to ensure that multi-storey buildings met the necessary standards of
health and safety. The Council’s focus
so far had been on residential blocks to ensure regulatory safety standards
were adhered to and the Council was working with Hampshire Fire and Rescue
Service, the Homes and Communities Agency, registered providers of social
housing and Hampshire County Council. On 14th June, officers had taken
immediate action to contact each registered provider operating in the Borough,
requesting details of their flatted developments and copies of fire risk
assessments. The Council had received a
positive response to that request and registered providers had confirmed that
they had taken action to ensure their properties and residents were safe. The Council had compiled a database to record
responses. On 19th June, officers had
submitted the formal response required by the Department of Communities and
Local Government, providing details of all blocks of flats in excess of six
storeys or 18 metres high. The Council
had identified five blocks that matched the definition and had arranged joint
inspections with the landlord and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. Fire safety inspection, advice and guidance
fell within the remit of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and it was
guiding the Council in respect of its role and any action it might need to
take. The Council would be carrying out
joint risk assessments on all four and five storey flatted developments. In addition, the Homes and
Communities Agency had advised the Council that it had written to all
registered providers to remind them of the obligation to comply with part 1.2b
of the Regulators Home Standard (Health and Safety). This was a follow-up to the Department of
Communities and Local Government instruction and had insisted on an immediate
email response on any potential non-compliance.
Cr. Hurst also advised that Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service was working with all high-rise building owners and landlords to ensure all of these structures were inspected and that residents felt safe in their homes. Cr. Hurst had been working with officers to ensure that the Council could provide all the support and advice it could. The Council recognised that it needed to maintain ... view the full minutes text for item 12. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
RECOMMENDATION OF THE CABINET - CHANGES TO THE BUDGET PDF 112 KB To receive a Report (copy attached – Annex 1), with proposals to vary the 2017/18 Capital Programme to reflect two projects that have been agreed by the Cabinet. The Leader of the Council (Cllr. D.E. Clifford) will introduce this item. Minutes: The Leader of the Council (Cr. D.E. Clifford) introduced the Report of
the Cabinet, which recommended the approval of a variation of £1.8 million to
the 2017/18 Budget. It was MOVED by Cr. D.E. Clifford; SECONDED by Cr. P.G. Taylor – that
approval be given to the variation of £1.8 million to the 2017/18 Budget.. There voted FOR: 21; AGAINST: 0 the Recommendation was DECLARED CARRIED. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
QUESTIONS FOR THE CABINET To receive any questions by Members to Cabinet Members submitted in accordance with the Procedure Note. Minutes: The Mayor reported
that five questions had been submitted for response by the Cabinet. (1)
Cr.
M.J. Roberts asked a question of the Health and Housing Portfolio Holder
regarding the Council’s initial assessment of the need for additional fire
prevention measures for blocks of four storeys and over in the Borough. In response, Cr. Hurst stated that joint
inspections had been carried out on two out of the four blocks of flats which
had been identified as high risk under the definition provided by the
Department of Communities and Local Government (i.e.
blocks of flats in excess of five storeys or 18 metres). The remaining had been scheduled for the
following week. The Council had decided
that all four and five storey residential blocks would be prioritised, using
the risk assessment information provided by the Borough’s registered
providers. Programmed inspections would
be made, the timing of which was dependent on the workload of the fire
authority. Fire safety inspection, advice and education
fell within the remit of the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Council
would be guided by them in respect of the Council’s role. It exemplified the strength of the Council’s
partnership with the Service and the good track record of the joint response to
issues. (2)
Cr.
A.H. Crawford asked a question of the Health and Housing Portfolio Holder
regarding the results of fire risk assessments and any recommendations of
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service with respect to the blocks of offices which
had been converted to residential flats in the Borough and how this information
was being communicated to residents concerned, such as at Alexander House and
Stafford House in Station Road, Aldershot. In response, Cr. Hurst confirmed that fire
risk assessments had been carried out at both Alexander House and Stafford
House in April 2017. The landlord,
Accent Housing, had provided copies of these to the Council. Whilst the risks identified in those
inspections had been minimal, officers (including housing and building control
officers), the fire officer and a representative of the Accent Group had
carried out a joint inspection earlier that day. Cr. Hurst reported that both the buildings
were safe and did not pose any immediate fire risk to residents and this had
been confirmed by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service. There were some minor issues around fire safety
signage and this was being addressed. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service had
advised the Leader of the Council that Rushmoor had been the first local
authority in Hampshire to request a joint inspection. The Service had been impressed with the speed
with which Rushmoor had initiated and responded to the request to carry out
these assessments. In response to a supplementary question
about advising residents, Cr. Hurst confirmed that when the report was
published, it would be communicated to the residents of the buildings concerned. (3) Cr. Jennifer Evans asked a question of the Health and Housing Portfolio Holder regarding when the next emergency planning exercise would be carried out in ... view the full minutes text for item 14. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
REPORTS OF CABINET AND COMMITTEES PDF 1 MB To receive and ask questions on the Reports of the following Meetings (copy reports attached):
Minutes: (1)
Cabinet –
It
was MOVED by Cr. D.E. Clifford; SECONDED by Cr. M.J. Tennant and RESOLVED: That the Reports of the Meetings of the Cabinet
held on 2nd and 30th May, 2017 be received. (2)
Development
Management Committee – It
was MOVED by Cr. B.A. Thomas; SECONDED by Cr. J.H. Marsh and RESOLVED: That the Reports of the Meetings of the Development Management Committee held on 26th April and 24th May, 2017 be received. (3)
Licensing and General
Purposes Committee
– It was MOVED by Cr. A. Jackman; SECONDED by
Cr. J.E. Woolley and RESOLVED: That the Report of the Meeting of the Licensing and General Purposes Committee held on 25th May, be received. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
REPORTS OF POLICY AND REVIEW PANELS PDF 550 KB To note the Reports of the following meetings of the Policy and Review Panels (copy reports attached):
Minutes: RESOLVED: That
the Reports of the undermentioned meetings of the Policy and Review Panels be
received:
|