Cabinet - Tuesday, 26th April, 2016 5.13 pm - Agenda and minutes

To confirm the Minutes of the Meeting held on 29th March, 2016 (copy attached).

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 10th May, 2016 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

To consider the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1607 (copy attached), which sets out details of applications for grants from the Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund.

The Cabinet considered the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1607, which sought approval to award grants from the Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund to assist local projects. 

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Service Delivery had considered four applications and had recommended that all four awards should be made. 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that grants be awarded from the    Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund to the following       organisations:

Farnborough SANDS                                             £5,000

Fleet Pond Society                                                  £5,000

Mayfield Community Partnership                         £2,000

Farnborough Air Sciences Trust                           £5,000

To consider the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1609 (copy attached), which sets out an application for a grant from a voluntary organisation.

The Cabinet received the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1609, which set out details of applications for grants from voluntary organisations. In accordance with the agreed procedure for the allocation of grants, the Cabinet Member for Concessions and Community Support had approved three grants for £1,000 or less. It was also recommended that the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust should receive an award of £2,000 towards the erection of a monument to commemorate the site of the first powered flight in the United Kingdom.

The Cabinet

(i)                           NOTED that the following grants totalling £1,150 had been approved by the Cabinet Member for Concessions and Community Support:

Lungs Aloud                                                                         £200

Revitalise Respite Holidays                                                           £200

Rushmoor Saints Football Club                                        £750

(ii)                          RESOLVED that a grant of £2,000 to the Farnborough Air Sciences Trust be approved.

To consider the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1608 (copy attached), which provides an update on the work of the Lido Review Task and Finish Group.

The Cabinet considered the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1608, which provided an update on the work of the Lido Review Task and Finish Group and proposed working arrangements for the Aldershot Lido for the 2016 season. 

The Cabinet was reminded of the work that had been carried out by the Task and Finish Group previously. The Group had worked closely with both the Friends of Aldershot Lido and the Aldershot Civic Society and had invited each of these organisations to co-opt a representative to the Group. The Group’s vision for the site was for an integrated facility for all ages, including a lido, splash pad, adventure golf, indoor pool and fitness suite, café and shop, changing rooms, slides and flumes. It was recognised, however, that any facilities should not jeopardise existing provision in the area and must be financially viable. It was reported that the Aldershot Civic Society had carried out an online survey regarding the Aldershot Lido and a summary of the responses received was included as an appendix to the Report. It showed broad support for the retention of a lido, with the addition of some complementary facilities, such as a splash pad. Respondents had felt that the improvement most likely to increase visits to the site would be the heating of the pool.

Given the additional work carried out by the Friends of Aldershot Lido, the Aldershot Civic Society and the Council, the Task and Finish Group proposed that the Council should continue to share any surpluses or deficits equally with Places for People, with a maximum risk or return to the Council capped at £20,000. This would help to ensure that any increased support from local residents would have the potential to reduce the Council’s subsidy rather than improve the profit for the contractor. Despite the introduction of various initiatives in 2015, attendances had fallen significantly compared to 2014. A meeting had been held between the Friends of Aldershot Lido, the Aldershot Civic Society, the Council and Places for People and a number of improvements and initiatives had been agreed for the 2016 season. Furthermore, it was proposed that, given the wide range of potential service providers for the Lido and the Aldershot Indoor Pool, the Council should invite around ten experienced organisations to participate in soft market testing. This would focus on options for how the facility could be improved and this would help to shape the tendering process, which would begin later in 2016.

The Cabinet discussed the Report and welcomed  the proposal to carry out soft market testing with a view to improving the facilities offered and providing long term financial sustainability at the site.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)               the continuation of the financial arrangement, where the Council shares the risk and return linked to profit with Places for People for 2016, to provide an incentive for the additional work being carried out by the Friends of Aldershot Lido , the Aldershot Civic Society and the Council,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 106.

To consider the Head of Community and Environmental Services’ Report No. COMM1610 (copy attached), which proposes a response to the consultation by Hampshire County Council on proposed changes to the Household Waste Recycling Centre service.

The Cabinet considered the Head of Community and Environmental Services' Report No. COMM1610, which sought agreement to submit comments on behalf of the Council relating to Hampshire County Council’s consultation on proposals to change the Household Waste Recycling Centre service.

The Cabinet was advised that Hampshire County Council was having to make savings of around £100 million across its range of services to become financially sustainable by 2017. The level of savings sought from the Household Waste Recycling Centre service had been set at £1.55 million. The consultation included a number of options from changing operating hours and days to possible site closures. Members were reminded that there were, currently, two Household Waste and Recycling Centres operating in the Borough, one at Eelmoor Road, Farnborough and the other at Ivy Road, Aldershot. The Farnborough site was the fifth highest-use site in the County, with 14,000 tonnes of material taken in per year. Aldershot was smaller with around 6,000 tonnes of material collected per year. It was noted that the Aldershot site was due to relocate to Ordnance Road in due course as part of the Wellesley development. The consultation document had been considered by the Environment Policy and Review Panel at its meeting on 5th April, 2016 and the Panel had made a number of comments. These included that both of the sites in the Borough should remain open and that cross border working opportunities should be explored with Surrey and Berkshire authorities. A draft response to the consultation had been appended to the Report and this was considered and endorsed by the Cabinet.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that the response, as set out in the Head of Community and Environmental Services Report No. COMM1610 and incorporating the additional comments made by the Environment Policy and Review Panel, be approved.

To consider resolving:

That, subject to the public interest test, the public be excluded from this meeting during the discussion of the undermentioned items to avoid the disclosure of exempt information within the paragraphs of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 indicated against such items:

Item                Schedule      Category

Nos.               12A Para.

                        Nos.

7 and 8           3                      Information relating to financial or business affairs

RESOLVED: That, taking into account the public interest test, the public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the under mentioned items to avoid the disclosure of exempt information within the paragraph of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 indicated against the items:

Minute           Schedule      Categories

Nos.               12A Para.

                        Nos.

109 and         3                      Information relating to financial or business affairs

110

To consider the Solicitor to the Council’s Exempt Report No. LEG1604 (copy attached), which provides an update on progress towards letting a contract to undertake the necessary repairs and seeks approval to vary the Capital Programme to allow these urgent works to proceed.

The Cabinet considered the Solicitor to the Council’s Exempt Report No. LEG1604, which provided an update on progress towards letting a contract to carry out the necessary repairs to the Beaumont Park Wall. The Report also sought approval for a variation to the Capital Programme to permit these urgent works to be undertaken and for authority to let the contract to the successful tenderer. It was explained that, since the original Report to the Cabinet in July, 2014, the indicative cost of the repair works had increased significantly due to the complexity of construction of the wall and the ornate nature of parts of the wall. The cost of the repair would be shared by the Council, First Wessex Housing Association and other owners of properties adjoining the wall. It was proposed to award the contract to a well-established company that would be able to carry out the work to a high standard. Members discussed the proposal and, in particular, the likely action to be taken if any individual owners refused to pay their share of the cost.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)               approval be given to a variation in the Capital Programme, as set out in the Solicitor to the Council’s Exempt Report No. LEG1604, to allow for the repair works to be carried out;

(ii)             the contract be awarded on the terms set out in the Report; and

(iii)            the Solicitor to the Council be authorised to take the necessary legal action to recover the other owners’ contributions in the event that payments are not made.

To consider the Solicitor to the Council’s Exempt Report No. LEG1605 (copy attached), which seeks approval for the disposal of plots of land for use as garden land at Avenue Farm, Farnborough.

The Cabinet considered the Solicitor to the Council’s Exempt Report No. LEG1605, which sought approval to appropriate land to be held for planning purposes and then to dispose of the plots to one or more adjoining owners to allow the land to be used as garden land.

It was explained that the plots in question, in the Avenue Farm area of Farnborough, had been approved for disposal by the Cabinet in 2008 but this had not gone ahead due to covenants restricting the use of these areas to public open space. It was confirmed that these plots were in poor condition and were costly for the Council to maintain. It was now proposed to appropriate the land from being held as public open space to being held for planning purposes. This would allow the use of the land to be changed in planning terms and would enable the Solicitor of the Council to dispose of the plots for use as garden land, in line with the Council’s current policy. It was not felt that there was a significant financial risk to the Council in taking this course of action.

Members reaffirmed their support for the principle of disposing of small areas of amenity land and were content with the proposed process in this case.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)               the Solicitor to the Council be authorised to publish a notice, under Sections 232 (4) and 233 (4) of the Town and Country Planning Act, giving notice of intention to appropriate public open space, shown edged black on the plan attached to the Solicitor to the Council’s Exempt Report No. LEG1605 and numbered 1-4, to land to be held for planning purposes and then to dispose of the land;

(ii)             the Solicitor of the Council, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, be authorised to consider any objections to the proposed appropriation and disposal; and

(iii)            the Solicitor of the Council, subject to the consideration of any objections, be authorised to dispose of plots numbered 1 – 4, under Section 233 of the Town and Country Planning Act, to secure the best use of the land, subject to obtaining best value and to imposing covenants to fence the land and preventing any built development upon the land without further Council consent.