There were no recommendations from Committees.

Issue

The Council has been reviewing and developing a new Sports and Active Lifestyles Strategy as the current strategy ran from 2016 – 2020 and is therefore out of date (Paper 6).

Consideration

The Sports and Active Lifestyles Strategy 2022-2026 sets out the plan for sport and active lifestyles provision in Eastleigh Borough and aligns with other regional and national strategies, such as Sport England’s strategy ‘Uniting the Movement’. Increasing participation levels in sport and physical activity, and in turn tackling health inequalities, is an absolute priority for Eastleigh Borough, and ensuring that the Council takes a targeted approach and focus efforts in these areas is essential to success. This strategy reflects the local and national agenda for sport and physical activity provision, ensuring that planning is evidence driven so that local issues and opportunities can be addressed and sustained.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet approves the Sports and Active Lifestyles Strategy 2022 – 2026 at Appendix 1.

[NOTE: Councillor Craig thanked the staff for their hard work throughout the pandemic in supporting the public with exercise and their wellbeing.]

Issue

The legislative and budgetary environment has changed significantly for all partnership authorities within Hampshire since the 2012 JMWMS was last refreshed.  To consolidate an agreed path for service consistency and best value in waste service delivery for the County as a whole, Project Integra (PI) has updated the JMWMS.  This updated JMWMS will be reviewed by the partnership every three years (Paper 7).

Consideration

The updated JMWMS is based upon the principles of the waste management hierarchy, which dictates that waste prevention is the most desirable outcome followed by reducing, reusing, and then recycling resources before the worst-case option of disposal. The JMWMS also aims to deliver engagement, education and raise awareness of waste management within the community to drive material up the waste hierarchy.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet approves the revised Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (JMWMS) and that concerns on delivery and finance would be fed back to Hampshire County Council.

Issue

Each year the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) makes grants available to local authorities for Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) purposes and a report is taken to Cabinet with an updated DHP policy to reflect the new funding allocation (Paper 8).

Consideration

The main objective of the DHP policy is the prevention of homelessness and to sustain tenancies.  Local authorities have the discretion to completely disregardwar-pension related incomes when calculating entitlement to Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet:

(1)  Approves the attached Discretionary Housing Payment policy at Appendix 1; and

(2)  Continues to disregard all income related to War Pensions when calculating entitlement to Housing Benefit/Council Tax Support.

Issue

The draft Walking and Cycling Strategy for Eastleigh Borough Council is presented for public consultation following comments received from the Policy and Resources Scrutiny Panel on 15 July 2021 (Paper 8a).

Consideration

The strategy highlights the key issues for walking and cycling and identifies a range of actions that the Council is taking to address these and to encourage higher levels of active travel in the Borough.  The outcomes of the public consultation and an updated Walking and Cycling Strategy document will be reported to Cabinet at a future meeting for adoption.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet approves the draft Walking and Cycling Strategy to go out to public consultation for six weeks, with the amended final document to be brought back to Cabinet for adoption after the consultation period.

Issue

This report seeks approval to deliver an ambitious programme of green energy projects on Council-owned land in support of the Council’s Climate and Environmental Emergency Action Plan and the One Horton Heath Development Brief (Paper 9).

Consideration

The purpose of this programme of activity is to address Green Borough objectives whilst futureproofing the energy infrastructure required in support of planned housing growth and employment space. Specifically, the Council’s Climate and Environmental Emergency Action Plan states that the Council will investigate business cases for additional solar PV (photovoltaic) installation on its estate including large-scale solar farms.

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet:

(1)  Approves an additional budget of development at a cost of £20,336,110, to a full capital cost of £22,490,110, financed by borrowing funded by ongoing revenue income, to enable the construction, installation, and ongoing management of ground mounted solar panels on land owned by the Council;  

(2)  Approves the allocation of 5% income (approximately £80,000 pa) from the Solar Farm business case to be earmarked for green community initiatives funded from the income generated by the sale of power;

(3)  Approves additional budget of £4,585,734 financed by borrowing funded by the ongoing revenue, to enable the installation, operation, and ongoing management (required over the life of the asset) at a full capital cost of £11,695,734 of a private wire power network to distribute green power from Council-owned solar parks to the One Horton Heath development;

(4)  Approves additional budget of £11,544,641 financed by grant (recommendation 6), to enable the installation, operation, and ongoing management at a full capital cost of £29,434,641 of a Green Heat Network to distribute Heat to the One Horton Heath Development;

(5)  Approves submission of a grant funding bid for Green Heat Network Funding to support delivery of the Green Heat Network (recommendation 5) including approving funding of £30,000 funded from the Housing Reserve, for specialist input to support the bid and delegate approval of the final bid to the Leader and Chief Financial Officer;

(6)  Approves £50,000 funded from the Housing Reserve for the continued investigation of other sources of renewable ‘green’ heat to charge the ambient temperature water loops for future phases of the private heat network at One Horton Heath; and

(7)  Delegates authority to complete the terms of the actions recommended above within the approved business case and subject to due diligence to the Chief Financial Officer in conjunction with the Leader.

[NOTE: Councillor Parker-Jones submitted written questions on this item which had received a written response and would be circulated to Cabinet Members following the meeting.]

Issue

In addition to attending Council meetings and other constituency work, Councillors and some staff are required to sit as representatives of the Council on other organisations and agencies known as Outside Bodies. An Outside Body is an organisation that has a separate governance structure to that of the Council. (Paper 10)

Consideration

The Council appoints elected members, and in some instances staff, to represent it on a range of Outside Bodies at a national and local level. Such appointments ensure that the Council’s and residents’ interests are represented within key agencies. The Council recognises the value outside organisations bring to the wider community and in the achievement of Council’s corporate priorities.

RESOLVED –

(1)  The Cabinet Member with the relevant portfolio (in brackets) be  appointed to the following organisations:

a.  Age Concern Hampshire (Social Policy)

b.  Citizens Advice Bureau (Social Policy)

c.  Eastleigh Community Safety Partnership Steering Group (with the Chair of the Licensing Committee) (Health)

d.  Police and Crime Panel (Health) (Deputy: Cllr Garton)

e.  Project Integra Strategic Board (Environment)

f.  Relate Solent (Social Policy)

g.  Relate Winchester and District (Social Policy)

h.  Eastleigh Business Improvement District (Economy)

(2)  The Leader be appointed to the following organisations:

a) Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Government Association (with the Deputy Leader; Deputies: any of the other Cabinet Members)

b) Local Government Association

c) South East Employers (Deputy: Deputy Leader)

d) Partnership for South Hampshire Joint Committee (Deputy: Deputy Leader)

(3)  The Chairs of both Policy and Performance Scrutiny Panel and Audit and Resources Committee be appointed to the following organisation:

a. South East Employers Local Democracy and Accountability Network;

(4)  Appointments be made to the following organisations, details of which are contained in Appendix 1 to the report:

a. Fairtrade in Eastleigh Borough Campaign

b. Partnership for South Hampshire Overview and Scrutiny Committee

c. Queen Elizabeth ll Silver Jubilee Activities Centre

d. Road Safety Council

e. Eastleigh College

(5)  That appointments to organisations owned either wholly or in part by the Council be made as set-out in Appendix 1 to the report; and

(6)  That the Leader of the Council be authorised to make any changes to the above appointments should any representative request a change to their appointment.

Cabinet is asked to make an appointment to the Procurement Executive Group for 2022/23. The membership of the Group includes the Cabinet Member with the relevant portfolio and one other representative appointed by Cabinet.

Issue

To make an appointment to the Procurement Executive Group for the 2022/23 year.

Considerations

Cabinet is asked to make an appointment to the Procurement Executive Group for 2022/23.

RESOLVED –

That Councillors Pretty and Corben be appointed to the Procurement Executive Group for 2022/23.

Cabinet is asked to make an appointment to the Strategic Risk Management Group for 2022/23.

Issue

To make an appointment to the Strategic Risk Management Group for the 2022/23 year.

Considerations

Cabinet is asked to make an appointment to the Strategic Risk Management Group for 2022/23.

RESOLVED –

That Cllr Pretty be appointed to the Strategic Risk Management Group for 2022/23.

Issue

To consider a CIP Scheme (paper 13).

Consideration

The report set out matters relating to a CIP scheme (paper 13).

RESOLVED –

That Cabinet approves:

(1)  Expenditure of £35,000 on improvements at Hiltingbury Lakes, to be financed through New Homes Bonus; and

(2)  Expenditure of £75,000 on improvements at Flexford Nature Reserve, to be financed through New Homes Bonus.

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 in respect of the following item of business on the grounds that it is/they are likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

The Schedule 12A categories have been amended and are now subject to the public interest test, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  This came into effect on 1 March 2006.

It is considered that the following items are exempt from disclosure and that the public interest in not disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

RESOLVED -

(1)  That, in pursuance of Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they are likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act; and

(2)  That, in pursuance of the public interest test, the public interest in disclosing the information contained in the following item of business was outweighed by the public interest in maintaining the exemption.

Issue

To consider a property transaction (Paper 15)

Consideration

The report sets out a number of matters relating to a property transaction.

RESOLVED –

That the recommendations in the report be approved.

You can submit questions in advance of the meeting to the following email: democratic.services@eastleigh.gov.uk. The deadline for submissions is 12pm on Monday 23 May 2022.

Please let us know if you wish to attend the meeting in person so that we can manage numbers. We are still encouraging all those in attendance to wear a face covering and take a lateral flow test before attendance. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND IF YOU HAVE ANY COVID-19 SYMPTOMS.

There was no public participation on this occasion.

To consider the Minutes of the meeting held on 25 April 2022.

RESOLVED -

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 25 April 2022 be agreed as a correct record.

Councillor Craig wished to thank David Airey, who stepped down at the last election, for his contribution as a Cabinet Member.

There were no declarations of interest in relation to items of business on the agenda.