Cabinet - Tuesday, 23rd July, 2019 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

i)             To confirm the Minutes of the meeting held on 25th June, 2019 (copy attached); and

ii)            To approve a correction to Resolution (ii) of Minute No. 13 (Cabinet meeting held on 28th May, 2019). In accordance with the Report, the Minutes should read as follows:

‘the Executive Head of Regeneration and Property, in consultation with the Leader and the Major Projects and Property Portfolio Holder, be authorised to deal with the granting, renewing, surrendering and terminating of leases up to the value of £250,000 at this site until 28th November, 2019, as set out in the Report’.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the Minutes of the meeting held on 25th June, 2019 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman; and

(ii)          the correction to Resolution (ii) of Minute No. 13 (Cabinet meeting held on 28th May, 2019) be approved, to read as follows:

‘the Executive Head of Regeneration and Property, in consultation with the Leader and the Major Projects and Property Portfolio Holder, be authorised to deal with the granting, renewing, surrendering and terminating of leases up to the value of £250,000 at this site until 28th November, 2019, as set out in the Report’.

To consider Report No. ELT1903 (copy attached), which seeks approval of a  long term vision for the Borough, for submission to the Council on 25th July, 2019.

The Cabinet considered Report No. ELT1903, which introduced the Council’s ‘Your Future, Your Place – Vision for Aldershot and Farnborough 2030’ document.

Members were informed that the proposed vision had been prepared following a series of engagement events that had been carried out by the Council’s Leadership Programme cohort. The Cabinet thanked the members of the Leadership Programme for their contributions towards the production of the document.

The Cabinet RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL that the Council’s ‘Your Future, Your Place – Vision for Aldershot and Farnborough 2030’ document, as set out in Report No. ELT1903, be approved.

To consider Report No. ELT1904 (copy attached), which seeks approval of a  three year Council Business Plan, for submission to the Council on 25th July, 2019.

The Cabinet considered Report No. ELT1904, which introduced the Rushmoor Council Business Plan – April 2019 to March 2022.

Members were informed that the three year business plan would build on the sixteen priorities that had been identified by the Cabinet. It would also support the Council’s ‘Your Future, Your Place – Vision for Aldershot and Farnborough 2030’ document. Members were informed that the Business Plan that would be presented at the Council Meeting on 25th July, 2019 would contain some minor amendments compared to the version that had been circulated with the Cabinet report.

The Cabinet RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL that the Rushmoor Council Business Plan – April 2019 to March 2022, as set out in Report No. ELT1904, be approved.

To consider Report No. DSP1906 (copy attached), which seeks agreement to set up an all group Cabinet working group to take forward the scoping and development of a plan to enable a green and sustainable Rushmoor.

The Cabinet considered Report No. DSP1906, which set out a process for taking forward the contents of the Notice of Motion in relation to addressing climate change that had been agreed at the Council meeting on 20th June, 2019. The Chairman welcomed the Chairman of the Policy and Project Advisory Board, Cllr J.B. Canty, to the meeting.

Members were reminded that the Notice of Motion had received cross party support and that the Council had committed to develop a plan to enable Rushmoor to be green and sustainable and the Council to be carbon neutral by 2030. It was proposed that the scoping and development of a plan should be carried out by a cross party Cabinet working group.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the setting up of an all group Cabinet working group, to progress the scoping and development of a plan to enable a green and sustainable Rushmoor and, by 2030, a carbon neutral Council, as set out in Report No. DSP1906, be approved; and

(ii)          the Head of Democracy, Strategy and Partnerships, in consultation with the Group Leaders, be authorised to make appointments to the group, as set out in the Report.

To consider Report No. EPSH1934 (copy attached), which sets out various matters in relation to the creation of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) capacity at Southwood Country Park.

The Cabinet considered Report No. EPSH1934, which set out the steps required for Phase 1 of the Southwood Country Park Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) to open formally in late August / early September 2019.

Members were informed that the Country Park was being delivered in two phases. Phase 1 was to initially open the SANG. This was commencing with the side to the west of the Ively Road. It was then intended to open the eastern side prior to Phase 2 of the development of the SANG which would involve remodelling and enhancement of the Park and delivery of complementary facilities. It was explained that, to fund the development of Southwood Country Park and for it to be formalised as SANG, a charge for the developer contribution to secure SANG capacity would need to be set and a management plan agreed. An Interim Management Plan, setting out how Phase 1 would be delivered and managed over the following twelve to eighteen months was set out in the Report.

In response to a question, it was confirmed that it was anticipated that the SANG capacity created by the Southwood Country Park would be fully utilised in between three to five years and that the Council would continue to seek further SANG capacity.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           a developer contribution of £3,167 per person to secure SANG capacity and fund the delivery and management of the Southwood Country Park, as set out in Report No. EPSH1934, be approved;

(ii)          the Interim (Phase 1) Management Plan for the Southwood Country Park, as set out in the Report, be approved; and

(iii)         the opening of the eastern side of the Country Park before the completion of Phase 2, to create SANG capacity, be approved.

To consider Report No. EPSH1933 (copy attached), which sets out proposed amendments to the Thames Basin Heaths Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy for the Rushmoor area.

The Cabinet considered Report No. EPSH1933, which set out a revised Rushmoor Thames Basin Heaths Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy.

Members were informed that the updated Strategy would incorporate arrangements for securing capacity within the Southwood Country Park Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), provide additional information on the delivery of bespoke SANG and include factual updates to reflect legislative and policy changes.

In response to a question, Members were assured that all schemes requiring SANG capacity would be checked to ensure policy compliance.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the revised Rushmoor Thames Basin Heaths Avoidance and Mitigation Strategy, as set out in Appendix 1 to Report No. EPSH1933, be approved; and

(ii)          the Head of Economy, Planning and Strategic Housing, in consultation with the Planning and Economy Portfolio Holder, be authorised to make factual amendments to the Strategy prior to publication.

To consider Report No. EPSH1938 (copy attached), which seeks agreement for a proposed Heritage Action Zone in Aldershot town centre.

The Cabinet considered Report No. EPSH1938, which set out information relating to a review of the Aldershot West Conservation Area.

Members were informed that, in order to qualify for funding through Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zones programme, the area in question must form part of an existing or prospective Conservation Area. It was therefore proposed that streets within Aldershot town centre should be considered to be an area of study in relation to the review of the Aldershot West Conservation Area.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that the confirmation of the proposed Heritage Action Zone, which would include High Street, Union Street, Nelson Street, Short Street and the Princes Hall, Aldershot, as an area of study for the purposes of the Aldershot West Conservation Area Review, as set out in Report No. EPSH1938, be approved.

To consider Report No. DSP1905 (copy attached), which sets out details of applications for grants from the Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund.

The Cabinet considered Report No. DSP1905, which sought approval to award grants from the Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund to assist local projects. 

The Operational Services Portfolio Holder had considered two applications and had recommended that both awards should be made. It was noted that, due to the timescales of the project, the award to the Land Trust had already been made and a Record of Executive Decision had been published.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the grant of £2,500 awarded from the Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund to the Land Trust be endorsed; and

(ii)          a grant of £15,000 be awarded from the Farnborough Airport Community Environmental Fund to the Hampshire Cultural Trust, subject to a successful planning application.

To consider Report No. RP1917 (copy attached), which sets out information relating to the Council’s asset management function.

The Cabinet considered Report No. RP1917, which provided an update in relation to the production of a new Asset Management Plan for the Council.

Members were reminded that one of the actions set out in the Rushmoor 2020 programme, agreed in May 2018, was to improve arrangements for the management and use of Council owned property, including the production of a new Asset Management Plan. In this respect, the Council’s Regeneration and Property Service had now been established and a high level plan for Asset Management had been developed. The proposed Plan had been considered by both the Policy and Project Advisory Board and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and several areas of priority work had been established and these were set out in the Report.

The Cabinet RECOMMENDED TO THE COUNCIL that the proposed Asset Management Plan, as set out in Report No. RP1917, be approved.

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

Minute           Schedule      Category

No.                  12A Para.

                        No.

27                   3                      Information relating to financial or business affairs

To receive an update from the Chief Executive on the condition of one of the properties at the redevelopment site at High Street / Union Street, Aldershot and on the action being taken.

The Cabinet received a verbal update from the Chief Executive on the condition of one of the properties in Aldershot town centre that had been acquired by the Council for the purposes of regeneration. This item had been added to the agenda as a matter of urgency.

Members were informed that concerns over the stability of a wall within the site had led to action being taken by the Council on health and safety grounds. This had resulted in some neighbouring premises being evacuated and the Council had been involved in rehousing some residents. Further action would be taken over the coming weeks and Members would be kept informed of developments and a retrospective report would be submitted to the Cabinet in due course.

The Cabinet NOTED the update from the Chief Executive on the redevelopment property in Aldershot town centre.