Agenda and minutes

Apologies for non attendance were received from Councillor Casey and Councillor Bradley and Honorary Freeman O’Neill.

To sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 2^nd February 2022.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the Council meeting held on the 2^nd February 2022 be signed as a true and correct record.

The Mayor advised that the fundraising ball had raised £1500 for the Mayor’s Charities.

(NOTE:Standing Order No 3.4 requires that notice of a deputation should be received  by the Borough Solicitor NOT LATER THAN 12 O’CLOCK NOON ON FRIDAY 18 March 2022 and likewise Standing Order No 3.5 requires that notice of a Public Question should be received by the Borough Solicitor NOT LATER THAN 12 O’CLOCK NOON ON FRIDAY, 18 MARCH 2022)

There were none.

(NOTE: Members are reminded that Standing Order No 3.3 requires that Notice of Question pursuant to that Standing Order must be received by the Borough Solicitor NOT LATER THAN 12 O’CLOCK NOON ON MONDAY 21 MARCH 2022)

A Question in the name of Councillor Kelly to the Chairman of the Community Board.

Question:

Would there be any solution to the menace of urban badgers and foxes without having to result in a cull of these creatures?

Answer:

There are solutions without having to undertake a cull with slightly different requirements for Badgers and Foxes:

Badgers

Lawful methods of dealing with nuisance badgers without culling are;

·         Excluding badgers from a sett

·         Excluding badgers from an area of land. 

However, to exclude badgers from a sett, a licence to interfere with a sett is required from Nature England which also requires a survey and appropriate mitigation methods. A licence is usually only granted where subsidence of buildings, paths and roads is occurring. There is further difficulty with this methodology in Gosport as there is such a high density population of badgers that it is essentially moving the problem from one place to another and there may be no suitable mitigation available for any given location. Badgers may also regain access to the original site again unless a badger proof fence is erected to exclude them from the area concerned which could be a costly exercise depending on the size of the area. There is no licence required to exclude badgers from an area of land by installing a badger proof fence however, it is now documented that badgers are capable of climbing fences so a reasonably high fence would be required.

Foxes

There is no requirement to obtain a licence from Natural England to deal with foxes and they can also be dealt with by excluding them from their den or an area of land. This should be undertaken at a time when there are no cubs for obvious animal welfare reasons.

It is worth noting that badgers and foxes benefit from residents feeding them and the populations would naturally diminish to a more manageable level if all such feeding stopped and they were forced to survive on more natural foraging activities.

        BOARD                                                                     DATE

Policy and Organisation Board  (to follow)                  17 March 2022                                              

Consideration was given to a report from the Policy and Organisation Board on the 17 March 2022.

RESOLVED: That the amended versions of the Code of Conduct for Members and Arrangements for Dealing with Allegations of Breaches of the Code of Conduct for Members be approved and that the necessary amendments be made to the constitution.

BOARD                                                                                  DATE

Community Board                                                                   8 March 2022

Housing Board                                                                        9 March 2022

Climate Change Board                                                           10 March 2022

Economic Development Board                                                9 February 2022

Economic Development Board (to follow)                              16 March 2022

Policy & Organisation Board (to follow)                                 17 March 2022

COUNCIL RESOLVED That the following Part II Minutes be received:

Community Board                        8 March 2022

Climate Change Board                9 March 2022

Housing Board                            10 March 2022

Economic Development Board    9  February 2022

Economic Development Board   16 March 2022

Policy and Organisation Board   17 March 2022

To consider an amendment to the Council’s standing orders in relation to the time allowed for Questions at Council meetings.

Consideration was given to a report of the Borough Solicitor and Monitoring Officer consider an amendment to the Council’s standing orders in relation to the time allowed for Questions at Council meetings.

RESOLVED: Council agrees to an amendment to Council Standing Orders by the addition of new standing orders as set out in the Appendix to this report.

The approval by Full Council of an Investment Strategy is a requirement of the Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities (Prudential Code), and the Treasury Management in the Public Services Code of Practice and Cross-Sectoral Guidance Notes (Treasury Management Code) which were updated in December 2017.

Consideration was given to a report of the Borough Treasurer seeking approval by Full Council of an Investment Strategy is a requirement of the Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities (Prudential Code), and the Treasury Management in the Public Services Code of Practice and Cross-Sectoral Guidance Notes (Treasury Management Code) which were updated in December 2017.

RESOLVED: That the Investment Strategy be approved.

The approval by full Council of the Capital Strategy is requirement of the Prudential code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities (Prudential Code), and the Treasury Management in the Public Services Code of Practice and Cross-Sectoral Guidance Notes (Treasury Management Code) which were updated in December 2017.

Consideration was given to a report of the Borough Treasurer seeking approval by full Council of the Capital Strategy is requirement of the Prudential code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities (Prudential Code), and the Treasury Management in the Public Services Code of Practice and Cross-Sectoral Guidance Notes (Treasury Management Code) which were updated in December 2017.

RESOLVED: That the Capital Strategy for 2022/23 be approved.

The Council paid tribute to Honorary Alderman Hayward, and those Members that were standing down, Councillors Hook, Bateman, Carter and Foster-Reed.