To receive any questions by Members to Cabinet Members submitted in accordance with the Procedure Note.
Minutes:
Due to the late running of the meeting, Questions for the
Cabinet were all answered in writing by the appropriate Cabinet Member
following the meeting.
The responses are recorded in these minutes for reference:
(1) Cllr
Steve Harden had submitted a question for response by the Pride in Place and
Neighbourhood Services Portfolio Holder, (Cllr Christine Guinness), on a
request for quarterly reporting detailing letter levels, complaints, response
and enforcement action.
Cllr Guinness advised that the Council already published
local environmental survey results (NI195) for litter and detritus three times
per year, which showed how the Council was performing boroughwide, year on
year. Whilst the data could be broken down by ward, only five wards were
targeted at each inspection period and therefore, the data would not be
comparable by ward as the number of samples per land use type and per ward
varied year on year. Regarding enforcement action for littering, as previously
advised, the Council focused more enforcement action on higher level
environmental crimes and chose to focus on education and behaviour change in
the first instance.
(2) Cllr
Leola Card had submitted a question for response by the Economy, Skills and
Regeneration Portfolio Holder, (Cllr Julie Hall), on the impacts of increased
traffic movements since the exhibition centre opened.
Cllr Hall advised that the Exhibition Centre was a fantastic
local asset, and we were lucky to have it in Farnborough. The centre was
restricted to 50 days for ticketed events, (apart from the airshow) and it was
required to comply with all travel rules and regulations established as part of
its planning consent.
The centre brought visitors and businesses into the local
economy throughout the year. In 2024, it
attracted more than 300,000 visitors to the area, with the Airshow attracting
100,358 visitors.
The venue hosted several events that were popular with the
local community including Screwfix Live (26,000 visitors) and The British Motor
Show (10,000 visitors) as well as a series of defence related events that
supported our Armed Forces, including Warfare, JOSCAR Live and Security and
Policing.
The venue contributed to local employment in several ways:
·
Direct Employment - event management,
operations, logistics, sales, digital, publishing marketing, hospitality and
catering
·
Event‑Related Staffing: temporary and
contracted staff in areas such as catering, technical services and visitor
support.
·
Indirect Jobs: Supporting the local supply
chain, including hotel and accommodation providers, local restaurants and
catering suppliers, transport and taxis.
The Centre also gave back to the community through hosting
events, making donations and providing free event space, for example:
·
Hosting free of charge networking space
industries, e.g. creative catalyst
·
Supporting Farnborough Men’s shed by donating
materials
·
Working with local teachers (nearly 40) on pupil
careers support and students from Farnborough College of Technology (FCOT) on
skills enhancement
·
Hosting women in film events, and skills
bootcamps from which some participants had secured employment in the sector
·
Each Christmas, the Centre hosted and funded
‘One Day at Christmas’ - A celebration three course meal, drinks and dance, for
300 local people who might not otherwise have had the opportunity to take part
in festivities, with many community support and volunteer heroes attending with
their service users.
A formal economic impact study specific to the Exhibition
Centre was not currently held by the Council and there were no plans to
commission one, partly due to the disproportionate cost of a study. However,
the Council would be exploring, with the Exhibition Centre, how to quantify its
outcomes and impacts during the course of fulfilling
our Delivery Plan and, in their role as a member of the Aldershot and
Farnborough Growth Partnership.
(3) Cllr
G.B. Lyon submitted a question for response by the Leader of the Council (Cllr
Gareth Williams), on consideration of a business rate rebate for traders
impacted by the sink hole on Victoria Road, Aldershot.
Cllr Gareth Williams advised that the Council sympathised
with traders in Victoria Road and it was keen to see the issue resolved as soon
as possible. Local Labour Councillors,
Council Officers and the Portfolio Holder for Economy, Skills &
Regeneration had all engaged with local traders to support the businesses,
including consideration of compensation from the utility company responsible.
Members will appreciate that the Council was
not in a position to compensate all businesses for the impact of planned
or unplanned roadworks. However,
businesses that were suffering from economic hardship could apply to the
Council for business rates relief through existing schemes.
(4) Cllr
A.H. Crawford submitted a question for response by the Housing and Planning
Portfolio Holder, (Cllr Keith Dibble), on the prevention and relieving of
homelessness in the Borough by the Housing Options Team.
Cllr Dibble advised that the Housing Options Team applied
themselves to support homeless households, across all needs, to a high standard
every day. In 2025, the Team had been able to stop cases of homelessness and
find new homes for households in 69% (322 households) of homeless cases. This
achievement had been based on supporting people, whatever their situation, to
the provision of sustainable homes, including, helping rough sleepers to get
off the streets, helping new families find their first home and assisting
families who had lost a home through no fault of their own. It was their commit
to help, advise and support the wide spectrum of needs and vulnerabilities,
that had been identified as exceptional.
At a recent meeting with the Ministry for Housing,
Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), this level of success was highlighted
as exceptional, and MHCLG were considering how they could learn from the work
of the Council’s Team, to improve the national response to homelessness.
(5) Cllr
A.H. Crawford submitted a question for response by the Leader of the Council on
how the Council’s aim to promote social cohesion, diversity, equality and
inclusion is compatible with the decision by Hampshire County Council to allow
widespread fixing of illegal attachments to local street lighting and state
what action would be taken to defend its values and argue for their removal.
Cllr Gareth Williams advised that this matter was debated at
length by Council in December, when a motion asking Hampshire County Council
(HCC) to remove the illegal attachments was not adopted. Given the stance
adopted by the Leader of HCC, that he would not prioritise the removal of these
attachments over other highways works, the Leader did not believe that
arguments from the Council, would influence a change in this approach in the
short term.
The Leader appreciated that some residents wished to display their feelings of national pride. He also understood the feelings of other residents that the display of these flags, although themselves part of our shared national heritage, had been accompanied by intimidatory behaviour and were associated with groups that had shown hostility to people of colour or those who had recently arrived in the UK.
The Leader had made it clear, previously, that the Council
needed to ensure pride in our nation was not exclusive to any one group or community,
and he was determined that the Council would continue to demonstrate its
commitment to social cohesion, equality and inclusion, through positive action
and communications to residents. This would include the promotion and
celebration of the Borough’s diverse community as part of Armed Forces Day
2026.