Agenda and minutes

An apology for non attendance was received from Councillor Philpott.

All Members are required to disclose at this point in the meeting or as soon as possible thereafter, any disclosable pecuniary interest or personal interest in any item(s) being considered at this meeting.

There were none.

(NOTE: The Board is required to receive a deputation(s) on a matter which is before the meeting of the Board provided that notice of the intended deputation and its object shall have been received by the Borough Solicitor by 12 noon on Friday 21 April 2023.  The total time for deputations in favour and against a proposal shall not exceed 10 minutes).

A deputation was received on the consideration of the application for the listing of Bridgemary Manor as an Asset of Community Value.

(NOTE: The Board is required to allow a total of 15 minutes for questions from Members of the public on matters within the terms of reference of the Board provided that notice of such Question(s) shall have been submitted to the Borough Solicitor by 12 noon on 21 April 2023).

There were none.

To consider an application for an Asset of Community Value for the Bridgemary Manor.

Report to follow.

Consideration was given to a report of the Borough Solicitor detailing an application received to register Bridgemary Manor as an asset of Community Value.

A deputation was from Annie Manly.

She advised the Board that it was vitally important that the facts were heard to enable the Board to make an informed decision.

It was accepted that it was normal to make an application for listing an asset of Community Value prior to the premises being sold, however this had been undertaken in a secretive way that had prevented the opportunity to do so.

The actions of the vendor and the purchasers have presumptively assumed that the Council will grant planning permission for the Change of use. The company that have undertaken the purchase are part of a long line of investments and companies linked to the owners had a history of exchanging property and non-domestic status.

The loss of the pub and hotel would be huge in the community as it was a thriving business, it was always busy

There was still a lack of hotel rooms in the Borough despite the opening of recent chains, and this could be seen them in higher rate charged for rooms in Gosport compared to neighboring cities.

The Save Our Manor committee were sure that had the business and building been advertised as a going concern it would have sold.

Concern was expressed that the proposed dentist, whilst sounding like a good opportunity was merely the relocation of an existing provider, albeit is was believe they were trying to recruit additional dentists. It was felt these would not be NHS dentists.

It was felt that there were many other suitable sites in the Borough for such provision that were not in a residential area.

It was felt there would not be enough parking on site for dental staff and patients and that this would detrimentally impact on the neighboring roads one of which already had speed bumps as a result of being a rat run and led to a primary school and nursery.

The Committee did not see the already undertaken works as being too late to stop the development but welcomed the opportunity of a blank canvass to provide a community facility.

She concluded with questioning whether as the owners had acted precipitously and potentially unlawfully did the Council have the power to enforce a reinstatement of the pub and hotel or levy substantial fine for breach of planning regulations.

The Board were reminded that consideration would need to be given to any future planning applications in their own merit, and that any ACV status was a material planning consideration but did not prevent a planning application being made or approved.

The Chairman advised that, in answer to the questions posed, the Council could not enforce that the premises be returned back to a pub and hotel, nor could they be fined as they had not done anything wrong.

The Board was advised that there was rumors that recruitment of additional  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.

Report to follow.

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Human Resources seeking the appointment of an Appointments Sub-Board to consider the appointment of a Chief Executive for Gosport Borough Council.

In answer to a Member’s question, the Board was advised that Portsmouth City Council had agreed to advertise for a stand alone Chief Executive for themselves following conversations with head hunters and discussion