Agenda, decisions and minutes

To record the names of apologies given.

Apologies were received from Councillors Cutler and Learney.

To give consideration to the approval of alternative arrangements for appointments to bodies set up by Cabinet or external bodies, or the making or terminating of such appointments.

a)    Cabinet Committee: Housing – Councillor Clear to replace Councillor Scott as a non-voting invited councillor

RESOLVED:

That Councillor Clear replace Councillor Scott as a non-voting invited member on the Cabinet Committee: Housing.

To receive any disclosure of interests from Members and Officers in matters to be discussed.

Note: Councillors are reminded of their obligations to declare disclosable pecuniary interests, personal and/or prejudicial interests in accordance with legislation and the Council’s Code of Conduct.

Councillors Porter and Tod declared personal (but not prejudicial) interests in respect of various items on the agenda due to their role as County Councillors.

– to note the names of members of the public wishing to speak on general matters affecting the District or on agenda items (in the case of the latter, representations will normally be received at the time of the agenda item, after the Cabinet Member’s introduction and any questions from Cabinet Members).

NB members of the public are required to register with Democratic Services three clear working days before the meeting (contact: democracy@winchester.gov.uk or 01962 848 264). 

Mike Caldwell spoke regarding report CAB3474 as summarised briefly under the relevant minute below.

Ian Tait spoke during general public participation as summarised briefly below.

He queried the progress on the conversion of the Cornerhouse, North Walls, Winchester into six affordable flats following the grant of planning permission in February 2024.  He expressed concern that refurbishing old buildings could be very expensive and referenced the current conversion in Colebrook Street, Winchester.  He also highlighted the costs involved in the previous housing scheme at Dyson Drive which had not received planning approval.

Councillor Westwood responded to the comments made and provided a brief update on the three schemes mentioned by Mr Tait.

RESOLVED:

          That the minutes of the previous meeting held 11 September 2024 be agreed as a correct record.

Councillor Becker announced that the council was participating in a scheme offering half term football sessions for children at locations across the district.

Councillor Thompson announced that a digital skills programme had been launched across the district funded by the government’s shared prosperity fund.

Councillor Porter advised that the Local Plan Regulation 19 consultation had closed and responses received would now be analysed with the intention that these be available by the end of November 2024.

Councillor Tod advised that the council had successfully secured another fly-tipping prosecution for an offence at Boarhunt.

1.         That an increase to the capital budget of £200,000 be approved, bringing the total approved budget to £2,300,000.

2.         That £1,467,000 District Wide Community Infrastructure Levy funding be approved, including approval of the reallocation of previous approved CIL for Station Approach, Hookpit and Durngate projects.

3.         That an additional £200,000 of Town CIL funding be approved.

4.         That, in addition to the £40,000 already approved for fees, additional capital expenditure of up to £2.26m for the construction of the new River Park Cricket Pavilion be approved.

5.         That a net increase to the Cricket Pavilion revenue budget of £17,500 from 2026/27 be approved, for the ongoing cost for the operation, management and maintenance of the pavilion to be met from existing Town Forum budgets.

6.         That, subject to approval of the recommendations above, and subject to the securing of all required funding, the Corporate Head of Asset Management be authorised to invite and evaluate tenders and to award a design and build contract to the preferred bidder in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Council’s Contract Procedure Rules for the construction of the River Park Cricket Pavilion.

Councillor Becker introduced the report and summarised the background to the proposal and emphasised that it would result in an accessible facility which would be available for a wide range of uses.  She confirmed that the views of the Winchester Town Forum had been sought and they supported the use of Town Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) for this project.

Mike Caldwell (trustee of The Pavilion Project) spoke during public participation as summarised briefly below.

Mr Caldwell stated that he had been involved with the project since its outset in 2015 and had formed The Pavilion Project (a not-for-profit organisation).  He expressed come disappointment that the initial design proposed was not achieved and project delays had resulted in some funding being lost.  However, he welcomed the commitment to fund the pavilion which would provide excellent facilities for the two adjacent cricket pitches in addition to other sports and general users.  He thanked Councillor Becker and the Corporate Head of Economy and Community for the report which was fully supported by The Pavilion Project.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Lee and Tippett-Cooper addressed Cabinet as summarised briefly below.

Councillor Lee

He welcomed the proposals to improve the provision of sports facilities.  With reference to the future ground maintenance, he requested that when the contract was renewed the use of pesticides and herbicides be reviewed.  He welcomed the use of Solar PV panels in the project and queried whether a green roof could also be added.

Councillor Tippett-Cooper

He emphasised the district-wide benefits of the project and also the large number of possible alternative uses for the pavilion in addition to facilitating the adjacent cricket pitches.  These included by football clubs, as a base for the park run and space for Streetreach outreach groups.  He thanked Mr Caldwell and The Pavilion Project and all others involved in bringing forward the project.

Councillors Becker and Tod responded to the comments made including confirming that the grounds maintenance contract was due for renewal in 2027 and it was intended the renewal would reflect the wider council priorities.  On behalf of Cabinet, both councillors also thanked Mr Caldwell and the other members of The Pavilion Project for their work in bringing the project forward.

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out in the report and outlined above.

RESOLVED:

1.                  That an increase to the capital budget of £200,000 be approved, bringing the total approved budget to £2,300,000.

2.                  That £1,467,000 District Wide Community Infrastructure Levy funding be approved, including approval of the reallocation of previous approved CIL for Station Approach, Hookpit and Durngate projects.

3.                  That an additional £200,000 of Town CIL funding be approved.

4.                  That, in addition to the £40,000 already approved for fees, additional capital expenditure of up to £2.26m for the construction of the new River Park Cricket Pavilion be approved.

5.                  That a net increase to the Cricket Pavilion revenue budget of £17,500 from 2026/27 be approved, for the ongoing cost for the operation, management and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Councillor Tod introduced the report and drew attention to Appendix 2 which contained the council’s proposed response to the feedback.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Lee and Horrill addressed Cabinet as summarised briefly below.

Councillor Lee

He highlighted the recommended “One District” approach and looked forward to working with officers to make improvements as proposed.

Councillor Horrill

She welcomed the proposals in Appendix 2 as a good starting point for improvements.  She asked what measures were in place to ensure the proposed improvements to scrutiny were achieved by the target date of December 2024.  She requested further clarity on the proposals relating to TC25 and member development.  In relation to the “One District” approach, she asked whether Cabinet would be considering future investment priorities across the whole district. 

Councillor Tod responded to the comments made including explaining that consideration would be given to how the “One District” approach could best be reflected in the new Council Plan and an aim to introduce the changes regarding member development and training as soon as was possible.

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out in the report and outlined above.

RESOLVED:

That the LGA Peer Challenge Feedback report and recommendations be noted and the council’s action plan in response to the LGA recommendations be endorsed.

1.       That a conditional freehold sale contract (subject to planning) be approved with McCarthy & Stone Retirement Lifestyles Limited on the terms set out in the exempt heads of terms at Appendix 5.  

2.       That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director to agree final details of the contract of sale within the parameters set out in exempt Appendix 5. 

Councillor Tod drew members’ attention to four display boards summarising the Bar End community engagement feedback from September 2023 which were available at the meeting to view.   Cabinet took a short adjournment to enable all those present to consider the contents of the boards.  The information was subsequently published on the Cabinet meeting page here.

Councillor Tod introduced the report and highlighted that it had been considered at Scrutiny Committee the previous evening and a copy of the draft resolution from that meeting had been circulated to all present (and detailed in the minute below).  In addition, the use of the Bar End depot had been the subject of a petition submitted by the Highcliffe Forum to Council on 18 September.  Further details were provided in paragraph 6.3 of the report.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Lee and Horrill addressed Cabinet as summarised briefly below.

Councillor Lee

He believed that the consideration of the nature and environment matters required improvement and requested that the proposal be delayed to allow changes to the design framework.  He also queried the reference to various outdated plans throughout and lack of reference to the council’s declaration of a climate emergency and nature emergency.  In general, he believed the proposed development was too people centric and improvements should be made in terms of nature permeability.

Councillor Horrill

She welcomed the opportunity to build new homes on a brownfield site but queried why there was not an assurance that the affordable housing allocation be retained by the council.  She asked why freehold sale of the site was proposed. She queried how the proposal was complimentary to the Sports and Leisure Park and believed that the health benefits were unclear.  She also asked how the residents’ concerns relating to the traffic and parking would be addressed, why the proposal had taken so long up to this point and queried the usefulness of consideration by Scrutiny Committee given its timing the evening before.

The Strategic Directors and the Corporate Head of Asset Management responded to the comments made including advising the lengthy process that would be required to update the design framework, providing further detail on the bidder assessment process and the reasons why a freehold sale was recommended.  It was also confirmed that the council had requested first refusal if any of the affordable housing was subsequently sold.

The Chief Executive provided an update on the discussions held at Scrutiny Committee the previous evening and in particular the draft resolutions for Cabinet which had been agreed with the Scrutiny Committee chairperson.  The four recommendations were:

a)    That the results of the 2022 consultation be made available.

b)    That further consideration be given to the parking access and provision related to the convenience store and potential of impact on nearby residents.

c)    To review the climate section to ensure statements made related to what the council is able to influence.

d)    To review the wording of item 6 within the purpose statement, particularly the statement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

RESOLVED:

That the list of future items as set out in the Forward Plan for November 2024 be noted.

To consider whether in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

(i)            To pass a resolution that the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business because it is likely that, if members of the public were present, there would be disclosure to them of ‘exempt information’ as defined by Section 100 (I) and Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

RESOLVED:

1.       That in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

2.       That the public be excluded from the meeting during the consideration of the following items of business because it is likely that, if members of the public were present, there would be disclosure to them of ‘exempt information’ as defined by Section 100I and Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

Cabinet considered the contents of the exempt appendices (as detailed in the exempt minute).

1. Approve the allocation and expenditure of the sum set out in paragraph 2.1 of exempt report CAB3477 of the New Build Unallocated Capital Budget to purchase land and 10 new affordable properties at Land North of Hazeley Road, Twyford.

2. Authorise the Corporate Head of Asset Management to negotiate and agree the terms and conditions for the purchase by WCC of land and subsequent completion and handover of 10 completed homes on that land subject to planning consent being granted.

3. Authorise the Corporate Head of Asset Management in consultation with the Section 151 Officer, to enter into a land agreement and a build agreement to acquire land and the 10 homes to then be built on that land from Alfred Homes Ltd. for the purchase price set out in paragraph 2.1 of the exempt report.

4. Authorise the Corporate Head of Asset Management to enter into any planning and/or legal agreements required to purchase the 10 completed homes.

5. Approve an exception to the council’s Contract Procedure Rules in accordance with paragraph 50.1(g) to enable the purchase of the 10 completed homes.

Councillor Westwood introduced the exempt report which set out proposals to purchase land and 10 new affordable homes at Hazeley Road, Twyford.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Horrill and Cook addressed Cabinet as summarised briefly below.

Councillor Horrill

She supported the provision of new affordable housing outside of the city centre area.  She raised a number of queries regarding the planning application proposed for 10 October, whether the property profile was in line with local housing need data, certainty regarding borrowing rates and the proposed rent level.

Councillor Westwood and the Strategic Director responded to these queries.

Councillor Cook

As a local ward councillor she supported the proposals as there was unmet demand for such homes locally.  She welcomed the collaborative approach adopted by council planning officers and the South Downs National Park Authority during the planning application process and confirmed planning permission had been approved

Following consideration of the report in exempt session, it was agreed that the resolution be re-drafted to enable the majority of the decision to be open as set out below.

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out in the report and outlined above.

RESOLVED:

1.             That the allocation and expenditure of the sum set out in paragraph 2.1 of the report of the New Build Unallocated Capital Budget be approved to purchase land and 10 new affordable properties at Land North of Hazeley Road, Twyford.

2.             That the Corporate Head of Asset Management be authorised to negotiate and agree the terms and conditions for the purchase by WCC of land and subsequent completion and handover of 10 completed homes on that land subject to planning consent being granted.

3.             That the Corporate Head of Asset Management in consultation with the Section 151 Officer be authorised, to enter into a land agreement and a build agreement to acquire land and the 10 homes to then be built on that land from Alfred Homes Ltd. for the purchase price set out in paragraph 2.1 of the exempt report.

4.             That the Corporate Head of Asset Management be authorised to enter into any planning and/or legal agreements required to purchase the 10 completed homes.

5.             That an exception to the council’s Contract Procedure Rules in accordance with paragraph 50.1(g) be approved to enable the purchase of the 10 completed homes.