Agenda and minutes

Due to   ongoing concerns regarding Covid 19  Group Leaders agreed to reduce the number of Members in attendance to 7, 4 Conservative and 3 Liberal Democrat.

Apologies were received from Councillor Pepper who was substituted by Councillor Mrs Westerby.

To elect a Vice-Chairman from the Members of the Board for the municipal year 2021-2022.

RESOLVED: That Councillor Raffaelli be elected as Vice Chairman for the municipal year 2021/22

All Members are required to declare, 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.

Councillor Mrs Hook declared a personal interest in item 10 as she is a representative on the Building Partnership.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2021 be signed as a true and correct record.

(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 16th July 2021.  The total time for deputations in favour and against a proposal shall not exceed 10 minutes).

There were none

(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 Friday, 16th July 2021).

There were none

To consider a cross reference from the Community Board

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Streetscene setting out the background information for the risk underwriting required by the Council as part of responsible project management of the contract of the Construction works.

RESOLVED: That the Board gave formal support of the risk underwriting by the Council for costs in excess of the current approved funding, allocated to the Council by the Environment Agency and other contributors for the scheme.

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Streetscene seeking approval for an additional collection round and associated increase in budget costs.

RESOLVED: That the Board approved an additional waste collection round for Gosport and Lee-on-the-Solent as a result of operational requirements detailed in option 1 of the report.

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Streetscene seeking approval for a further £155,000 in addition to the £275,000 funding already approved as part of the 2021/2022 Gosport Borough Council Capital programme to refurbish and upgrade the Stokes Bay Splash Park.

In answer to a Members question Officers agreed to provide further figures regarding the costs to date of build and maintenance of the Splash Park and to confirm its age.

Members agreed that the Splash Parks are very popular and well attended when working, but were concerned how often they broke down.

Members hoped that this expenditure would be a final investment and would resolve the issues and failings once and for all.

Members were advised that the expenditure included a complete new build for the plant room and improvements to Health & Safety requirements in regard to COSHH.

RESOLVED: That the Board approved that an additional £155,000 funding be allocated for an enhanced refurbishment and upgrade of the Stokes Bay Splash Park

The Building Control Partnership have undertaken a recent review of operations and identified improvements to working practices including a streamlined and more efficient financial management system. These will need to be reflected in the legal documentation that governs the arrangements between the partner authorities.

This report is to seek Policy and Organisation Board approval of the streamlined arrangements and the provision of delegated authority to making the necessary amendments to the legal documentation governing the Building Control Partnership as a consequence.

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Building Control Partnership seeking Board approval for improvements to the working practices of the Building Control Partnership set out in the report,, and asking for delegated authority to be provided to the Assistant Chief Executive, in consultation with the Borough Solicitor and Head of Building Control Partnership, to make the necessary amendments to, and formally complete an updated Deed of Delegation and Memorandum of Understanding for the joint provision of Building Control services with other partner authorities.

Members agreed that this was the most successful Partnership to date.

Officers advised that introducing a new agreement documenting financial system better reflected what Gosports contribution should be and created a year end saving of approximately £70k.

RESOLVED:That the Board approved improvements to the working practices of the Building Control Partnership set out in the report,,and provided delegated authority to  the Assistant Chief Executive, in consultation with the Borough Solicitor and Head of Building Control Partnership, to make the necessary amendments to, and formally complete an updated Deed of Delegation and Memorandum of Understanding for the joint provision of Building Control services with other partner authorities.

At the Full Council meeting on the 19 May 2021 Members requested that consideration be given as to whether the verbal response to any Members Questions under Standing Order 4.8 of the Council’s Standing Orders and any supplementary questions and the verbal responses to the supplementary questions be minuted.

Consideration was given to a report by the Borough Solicitor and Monitoring Officer, regarding the minuting of members Questions under Standing Order 4.8 of the Council’s Standing Orders and any supplementary questions and the verbal responses to the supplementary question.

Members agreed that the introduction of Teams had created a trend for full recording of meetings and a more open government which constituents welcomed.

Members felt that a move towards routinely recording all meetings in the Chamber would be a correct one and it shouldn’t be difficult given the technology available.

Members agreed that if the recording of meetings was introduced then time limits for questions and answers, akin to those in place at County meetings, would have to be agreed. Questions would also be taken in the way they are tabled and Group Leaders would discuss how to deal with “hogging”.

The Borough Solicitor advised that this would require a change to the Constitution.

A proposal was put forward and seconded.

That it is agree that any responses to Members Questions under Standing Order 4.8 plus any supplementary questions and the responses be minuted.

A vote was taken and lost.

A second proposal was put forward and seconded.

That it is agreed that that any responses to Members Questions under Standing Order 4.8 be minuted, and that supplementary questions and resposes are minuted as having been asked and answered.

A vote was carried.

RESOLVED: That the Board agree that Members Questions and responses should be minuted in full, and any supplementary questions and the responses should be acknowledged as having been asked and answered.

To advise the Board of the steps  that were taken to deliver the ‘triple’ elections held on Thursday, 06 May 2021 and to provide an update on upcoming legislative changes within Electoral Registration and elections.

Consideration was given to a report by the Returning Officer and Electoral Registration Officer advising the Board of the steps that were taken to deliver triple elections held on Thursday 6^th May 2021, and to provide an update on upcoming legislative changes within Electoral Registration and elections.

The Returning Officer and Electoral Registration Officer advised members that in regard to paragraph 3.7 the Election Bill has now been published and is available on the parliamentary website. He also advised that information regarding the problems experienced during the 20021 elections would be circulated in the form of a MIB by the end of the week.

Members wished to congratulate and give thanks to the RO and his team for how well the election was delivered considering the challenges and issues that arose.

In answer to a Members question regarding the timetabling of the May 2022 all out Borough elections, the RO explained that the complexities of two votes per ballot paper,  requires additional stages in the count processes,and that is why the current proposal is to hold the verification immediately following the close of polling stations, and the count on the following day. This would only be the process for 2022 and would revert back to overnight counts for the subsequent elections and polls.

Members were advised that the verification and count for the 2022 Borough elections would take place at the Leisure Centre. This location provided facilities for the media, and allowed the RO to oversee all proceedings unlike the Town Hall where multiple rooms were used due to space constraints.

Members thanked the RO for a good report and asked for additional figures on the two postal vote issues which the RO agreed to add to the MIB.

The RO reported that he had received positive feedback on how the structured timetable for the postal vote openings and the verifications and counts for the May 2021 elections had helped to minimise waiting around, and movement around the hall.

RESOLVED: That the Board noted:

1.    The steps and statistics contained within the report with regard to the delivery of the May 2021 elections within Gosport

2.    The timetabling and scheduling that was required to deliver the elections in a Covid-19 secure environment was likely to be implemented at the 2022 Polls.

3.    The proposed and upcoming changes to legislation impacting on the delivery of elections/Polls and the delivery of Electoral Registration services within the Borough.

There were none

RESOLVED: That in relation to the following items the public should be excluded from the meeting, as it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during this item there would be disclosure to them of exempt information within paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, and further that in all circumstances of the cases, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons set out in the report.

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Corporate Policy and Community Safety seeking a decision with regard to the future operating model for Gosport Borough Councils Public Open Space CCTV, and to approve any associated contract extention requirements.

RESOLVED:
That the Board

i.              Approved option 3 as the future operating model

ii.             Agreed any necessary contract extension

Consideration was given to a report by the Head of Finance asking the Board to write off the bad debt detailed in the report.

RESOLVED: That the Board approved the write off of the bad debt.