Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies from Members for their inability to attend the Meeting

Apologies for non attendance were received from Councillor Westerby and Honorary Alderman Foster.

Councillor Ballard advised that she had previously worked within the homelessness sector at Two Saints but no longer did.

Councillor Hylands advised that with regard to the Assets of Community Value it be noted that he was a Landlord.

Councillor Philpott advised that he had been Chairman of the Select Committee with regard to the Local Transport Plan.

To sign as a true and correct record the minutes of the meetings held on 18May 2022, 19 May 2022, and the extraordinary meetings held on the 9 June 2022 and 22 June 2022.

That the minutes of the meetings held on 18 May, 19 May, 9 June, 22 June 2022.

The Mayor advised that they had attended both the Scout District Camp where 1% of the population of the Borough had been on site and the Cats Protection team who were one of the largest in the country.

He had seen the brilliant work of the Police Cadets and was seeing wonderful aspects of the community.

He advised ward Councillors to recognise those people doing wonderful things for the Borough and encouraged them to invite them into the parlour to meet with him.

(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 MONDAY  18 JULY 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 MONDAY, 18 JULY 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 18 JULY 2022)

A question in the name of Councillor Hammond to the Chairman of the Policy and Organistion Board

With reference to events planned on Council land at Lee-on-the-Solent next month, are the organisers of the events, Jonathan Moore and Montserrat Events Limited, being charged the full commercial rate for the hire of Council land?

The Chairman of the Policy and Organisation advised that Mr Moore and Monserrat Events would be being charged in full for the hire of land for the events and that the final amount was still being calculated.

The Council was advised that the current hire charges had been put in place approximately 12 years ago, with an amendment in 2018 to remove the ‘Not for Profit’ hire rate.

The Council was advised that the fee for the fun fair had been set at £625 per day, based on the predicted attendees and that clarification would be sought as to whether the event was predicted to have above or below 2500 attendees and that further information would be presented to Members once the full fees were known.

It was recognised that Mr Moore ran successful events and that the appropriate commercial rate should be paid as per the fees and charges of the Council.

Councillor Hammond was invited to ask a supplementary question as follows:

If Mr Moore applied for the appropriate land hire under the auspices of a charity or organisation such is Lee Business Association or Lee Residents Association would the event then be entitled to pay less in the way of hire charges?

The Chairman of the Policy and Organisation Board advised that it was difficult to predict the amount of attendees at such an event, but that the appropriate licences should be applied for and would detail anticipated attendance numbers.

The Chairman of the Policy and Organisation Board advised that clarity would be sought from the Borough Solicitor as to which licences existed for the event and for how many people and advised that if the event was subsequently applied for under another organisation such as Lee Residents Association or Lee Business Association then commercial rates would still be applicable.

Any bookings advertised as charitable and seeking to book as such would need to provide accounts and documentation to prove their status.

The booking of land for commercial and charity events was welcomed and would be supported and it was recognised that previous events had been successful, however, there were appropriate fees and charges for such hire that would need to be paid.

BOARD                                                              DATE

Community and Environment Board                  29 June 2022

Housing Board                                                      6 July 2022

Extraordinary Policy and Organisation Board     30 May 2022

Policy and Organisation Board (To follo             13 July  2022

The PART II Minutes of the following Boards were presented and accepted by the Council.

Community and Environment Board – 29 June 2022

Housing Board – 6 July 2022

Policy and Organisation Board – 30 May 2022

Policy and Organisation Board – 13 July 2022

The Council requested that it be placed on record thanks for the Housing team in the work they had undertaken.

Consideration was given to a report of the Borough Solicitor and Monitoring Officer detailing the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel, following their reconvention after the reduction in the size of the Council from 34 to 28 Members.

An amendment to the proposals of the Independent Remuneration Panel was proposed and seconded as follows:

Amendment to Recommendation on Item 8:

Add at end of a:

Subject to the amendments detailed below in respect of clauses 4.b, 4.c & 4.d

Amend clause 4.b to read:

Chair of Service boards, and Regulatory board: £5000

Amend clause 4.c to read:

Chair of Standards and Audit sub board: £2500

Amend clause 4.d to read:

Deputy leader of the council and vice-chair of the Policy & Organisation

Board: £5,000

Vice-chairs of Service boards and Regulatory board: £2,500

Vice-chair of the Standards and Audit sub-board: £1,250

Delete clause 5

Add a new c at end:

Council notes that thanks to the reduction in the number of councillors from

34 to 28, the decision not to back-date new allowances, and the decision of the

New council administration to reduce the number of service boards thereby

Saving £14520.09 in special responsibility allowances paid to board chairs,

The new liberal democrat administration will be saving council taxpayers over

£32,000 in Councillor allowances in the 2022/23 financial year compared to the

Sum spent by the former Conservative administration in 2021/22.

It was requested and granted that the meeting be adjourned to allow time to consider the proposed amendment.

The meeting adjourned at 18:29 and reconvened at 18:39.

The Leader of the Council advised that he was grateful for the work of the panel and acknowledged that there had been a lot of voluntary time and commitment to undertaking the review.

It was acknowledged that the report was independent and that the Council was permitted to amend recommendations should it wish to.

The Leader of the Council advised that there was additional work for Councillors since the reduction in the number of elected Members and that the uplift proposed reflected this. The £250 per annum, equated to less than £5 a week, which was taxable.

The proposed allowance for the Chairs of the Service Boards and the Group Leaders was not proposed to be changed and the reduction in the number of Boards would equate to a saving compared to what had previously been spent.

The Leader felt that the Vice Chairmen should receive an allowance for their role as they were required to deputise and attend meetings and that the proposed amendment ensured that those undertaking the work were compensated for doing so.

A Member advised that the proposed savings were in large the result of the reduction in the number of elected Members as dictated by the Boundary Commission, not as a result of the proposed amendments to the Independent Remuneration Panel’s report and that theproposed amendments would reduce the saving published in the Budget from £40,000 to £30,000 as a result of the additional payments to Vice Chairman.

Some Members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.