Agenda, decisions and minutes

To record the names of apologies given.

There were no apologies received.

To receive any disclosure of interests from Councillors or Officers in matters to be discussed.

Note: Councillors are reminded of their obligations to declare disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs), other registerable interests (ORIs) and non-registerable interests (NRIs) in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct.

Councillors Tod and Porter declared disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of various items on the agenda due to their role as Hampshire County Councillors.  However, as there was no material conflict of interest, they remained in the room, spoke and voted under the dispensation granted on behalf of the Audit and Governance Committee to participate and vote in all matters which might have a County Council involvement.  

– 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). 

Ian Tait addressed Cabinet and his comments are summarised briefly below.

Mr Tait raised concerns regarding the council’s proposals to refurbish the coach house at the rear of 59 Colebrook Street, following the refurbishment of the main building.  He believed that because of the dilapidated state of the coach house, the costs of refurbishment would be prohibitively expensive.  He also considered the proposed plans for a two-bedroomed dwelling did not comply with the minimum standard space requirements.  In addition, he made some general comments regarding the council’s previous management of its assets.

Councillor Reach responded to Mr Tait’s comments, including advising that options for the coach house were being considered because the main 59 Colebrook Street refurbishment had been achieved under budget.

The Leader reported on the following Cabinet Members and responsibilities for 2025/26 (previously announced at Annual Council on 14 May 2025):

RESOLVED:

            That the minutes of the previous meetings held on 13 and 20 March 2025 be agreed as a correct record.

Councillor Becker made the following three announcements:

·       May half-term football coaching sessions would be available across the district, bookable via the council’s website.

·       Building works on the new pavilion at River Park, Winchester had started.

·       Work to refurbish the toilets at Abbey Gardens, Winchester was complete and the facilities had re-opened.

Councillor Learney announced that the Council was working with Scottish and Southern Electricity and Advanced Infrastructure Technology Limited to create a digital local area energy plan for the district which will be the first of its kind in the country.

Councillor Thompson made the following three announcements:

• The city council, working with Hampshire County Council and Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils, have gained Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) accreditation from Visit England.
• A sustainable business engagement film had been launched to showcase projects undertaken to date and seek to encourage other businesses to contact the council regarding opportunities to become more sustainable and reduce carbon emissions.  The film was available under the Support for Sustainable Businesses pages on the council’s website here.
• The council had been awarded under the Shared Prosperity Fund 2025/26 a further £327k for UK shared prosper prosperity and £223.5k for rural projects applications.  Further details about how to apply and relevant deadlines were available under the Business pages on the council’s website here.

Councillor Tod announced that the council had received government feedback on its submitted Local Government Reorganisation proposal which included confirmation that the request to extend the submission deadline would not be approved.  He and other council leaders were therefore holding regular meetings to discuss proposals to meet the 26 September 2025 deadline.  In addition, this morning at 10.00am he was chairing a leaders’ briefing from upper tier authorities (Hampshire County Council,  Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils and the Isle of Wight Council) on the details of their plan to have a combined authority ready for implementation in April 2026.

Councillor Tod therefore left the Cabinet meeting at 9.50am and Councillor Cutler (as deputy leader) chaired the remainder of the meeting.

1.       That it be agreed that a PA2023 2 stage procurement process for a 4+3 year contract is tendered for Repairs & Maintenance (R&M) Voids, Kitchens, Bathrooms and Decarbonisation.

2.       That the contract(s) for Gas and Electric Test/Inspect & to include repairs and replacement be procured via compliant and competitive procurement route(s); 4+3 year contract.

3.       That the procurement via frameworks for compliance activities include the following:

a.       Asbestos services

b.       Heating services 

c.       Electrical services  

d.       Fire safety

e.       Water hygiene

4.       That the evaluation models are based on 60% quality and 40% cost  to ensure best value for residents and the council.

Councillor Reach introduced the report, explaining the reasons for the revised approach being recommended since the contract renewal was considered at the previous Cabinet meeting on 20 November 2024.

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

Councillor Horrill

Councillor Horrill welcomed the recommendation for the contracts to be split and be for a shorter period.  She asked whether in view of tenants current levels of dissatisfaction with the repairs service in general, the evaluation model should be amended to 70% quality / 30% cost.  She asked a number of other detailed questions including how social value would be assessed in contract negotiations, requested further information on the proposed consultation, the cost model proposed and ensuring compliance with the social housing regulator’s recent judgement.

Councillor Lee

Councillor Lee also referred to the social housing regulator referral and queried whether it would be possible for the contract to be renewed earlier than August 2026.  He asked a number of detailed questions including how value for money for residents would be ensured, how tenants’ views would be incorporated and the potential impact of shorter contracts on increased costs.

Councillor Reach, the Strategic Director and the Project Lead – Repairs and Maintenance responded to the points raised.

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

RESOLVED:

1.    That it be agreed that a PA2023 2 stage procurement process for a 4+3 year contract is tendered for Repairs & Maintenance (R&M) Voids, Kitchens, Bathrooms and Decarbonisation.

2.    That the contract(s) for Gas and Electric Test/Inspect & to include repairs and replacement be procured via compliant and competitive procurement route(s); 4+3 year contract.

3.    That the procurement via frameworks for compliance activities include the following:

a.             Asbestos services

b.             Heating services 

c.              Electrical services  

d.             Fire safety

e.             Water hygiene

4.    That the evaluation models are based on 60% quality and 40% cost  to ensure best value for residents and the council.

Councillor Cutler introduced the report and highlighted that a meeting with a small group of councillors from the Scrutiny Committee had been held on 14 April 2025 (summary contained as Appendix 1 to the report).

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

Councillor Lee

Councillor Lee expressed disappointment that all the suggestions made had not been picked up and in particular that there was no metric for biodiversity but he welcomed proposals as a good starting point.  He advised that he had a number of other detailed points he wished to raise which he would send to the Deputy Leader and the Senior Policy and Programme Manager for consideration.

Councillor Horrill

Councillor Horrill expressed concern that the report should have been considered at Scrutiny Committee first and that the suggestions of Councillor Bolton made following the 14 April meeting had not been responded to.  She requested that the report be submitted to the next Scrutiny Committee meeting.  She also asked that further consideration be given to providing tracking information on economic indicators and social housing, possibly by utilising existing sources of data.

Councillor Cutler reminded members that it was a matter for Scrutiny Committee to decide about items for its agenda.  He and other Cabinet members responded to the comments and suggestions made and the following additional actions were agreed as set out under resolution 3 below.

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

RESOLVED:

1.             That the set of key performance indicators outlined in the report be adopted and be reported in future quarterly performance reports.

2.             That minutes of the meeting of Scrutiny members on 14 April included at Appendix 1 of the report be noted.

3.             That the following additional actions be agreed:

a)    That the Cabinet Member for the Climate and Nature Emergency develop options for reporting on biodiversity.

b)    That the Cabinet Member for Place and the Local Plan work with the Planning Enforcement team to develop indicators in this area. 

c)    That the Cabinet Member for Business and Culture work with the Local Economy team to consider how best performance information already produced by the County Council and the BID be made accessible to members.

d)    That the Cabinet Member for Good Homes consider how information regarding the number of new affordable houses could be presented more effectively.

NB these four additional areas were not formally adopted as KPIs but when robust indicators have been developed, Cabinet will consider how best to incorporate them into the quarterly monitoring reports.

Councillor Cutler introduced the report and drew Cabinet’s attention to the group nominations that had been circulated prior to the meeting.

At the invitation of the Deputy Leader, Councillor Lee addressed Cabinet are summarised briefly below.

Councillor Lee

Councillor Lee welcomed the new title for the Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency to include nature emergency and the continuation of the Carbon Neutrality Open Forum.  He suggested that future consideration be given to establishing a forum considering nature restoration and protection.

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

RESOLVED:

1.                  That the following appointments to Cabinet Committees, informal group and fora be made for the 2025/26 Municipal Year:

(a)      Cabinet Committee: Housing*

Cabinet Member for Good Homes (Chairperson), Councillors Becker and Cutler

Non-voting invited councillors: Councillors Power, Clear, Horrill and White

(b)      Cabinet Committee: Local Plan*

Cabinet Member for Place and Local Plan (Chairperson), Councillors Learney and Tod

Non-voting invited councillors: Councillors Brophy, Williams, Rutter, Horrill and Lee

(c)       Cabinet Committee: Regeneration*

Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration (Chairperson), Councillors Cutler, Learney and Thompson

Non-voting invited councillors: Councillors Aron, Laming, Godfrey and Lee

*Note – it was agreed that deputies for the non-voting invited councillors at Cabinet Committees be appointed from any group at the Chairperson’s discretion.

(d)      TACT Board

Councillors Reach and Horrill

(e)      Carbon Neutrality Open Forum

Councillors Learney (Chairperson)

(f)        Equality, Diversion and Inclusion Forum

Councillors Becker (Chairperson), Bennett, Clear, Brook, Langford-Smith and Bailey-Morgan

(g)      Winchester Sports and Leisure Park Advisory Board –

Councillors Becker (Chairperson), Aron, Murphy and Horrill

(h)      Central Winchester Regeneration (CWR) Project Board –

Councillors Tod and Cutler

(i)        Strategic Asset Purchase Scheme Board

Councillors Tod, Cutler, Becker and Thompson

(j)        Treasury Investment Group

Cabinet Member with responsibility for Finance (Councillor Cutler) and Councillor Tod, Councillor Morris (Chair of Audit & Governance Committee), Councillors Chamberlain and Godfrey

(k)       Kings Barton Forum

Councillors: Cramoysan (Chairperson), Batho, Eve, Morris, Porter, Cunningham and Godfrey (Deputies: Learney, Rutter and Horrill)

(l)        West of Waterlooville Forum –

Councillors: Cutler  (Chairperson), Chamberlain, Bennett and Langford-Smith (Deputies: Brook and Clear)

2.                That the following roles be appointed to (paragraph 4 refers):

(a)    Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Member Champion – Councillor Bennett

(b)    Lead Cabinet Member for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - Councillor Becker.

3.                That Councillor Tippett-Cooper be appointed as “Sanctuary Champion”

4.                That Councillor Laming be appointed as “Armed Forces Champion”

Councillor Cutler introduced the report and drew Cabinet’s attention to the group nominations that had been circulated prior to the meeting.

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

Councillor Horrill

Councillor Horrill suggested that consideration be given to changing the appointment process to give more regard to the value individual councillors could bring to an organisation.  She also requested further investigations be carried out to ensure each organisation was still actively meeting and involving the appointed councillor representative.

Councillor Lee

Councillor Lee emphasised that members of the Green group had expressed an interest in being appointed and would welcome the opportunity to be involved.

Councillor Cutler responded to the comments made including agreeing that further consideration be given to requiring councillors to feed back on the work of the outside body to which they were appointed.

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

RESOLVED:

That the following appointments to external bodies be made for the 2025/26 Municipal Year (unless stated otherwise):

(i)            The Carroll Centre Board of Trustees (Observer to the Board) – Councillor Becker and Councillor Wise (deputy) (until May 2028)

(ii)           Central Hampshire Road Safety Council – Councillor Westwood

(iii)         Hampshire & Isle of Wight Local Government Association (HIOWLGA) – Leader and Deputy Leader (Councillors Tod and Cutler)

(iv)         Hampshire County Council Annual Meeting with Parish & District Councils regarding public transport issues – Cabinet Member with responsibility for Transport (Councillor Learney)

(v)          Hampshire Cultural Trust – Cabinet Member with responsibility for Culture (Councillor Thompson) (Trustee) and Councillor Gordon-Smith (Observer)

(vi)         Hampshire Homechoice Board – Cabinet Member with responsibility for Housing (Councillor Reach)

(vii)        Hampshire Rural Forum – Cabinet Member with responsibility for the Economy (Councillor Thompson)

(viii)      Housing Ombudsman Complaints Handling Code – Member responsible for complaints – Cabinet Member with responsibility for Housing (Councillor Reach)

(ix)         Local Government Association – Leader and Deputy Leader (Councillors Tod and Cutler)

(x)          Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH) Joint Committee – Leader and Deputy Leader (Councillors Tod and Cutler)

(xi)         PATROL (Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London) Adjudication Joint Committee – Cabinet Member with responsibility for transport/parking – Councillor Learney

(xii)        Police and Crime Panel (until May 2029, confirmed annually) – Councillor Murphy (Councillor Laming)

(xiii)      Portsmouth Water Customer Forum (until May 2028) – Councillor Wallace

(xiv)      Project Integra Management Board – Cabinet Member with responsibility for waste (Councillor Cramoysan) plus Councillor Learney (deputy)

(xv)       River Hamble Harbour Management Committee (until May 2029, confirmed annually) – Councillor Power and Councillor Latham (deputy)

(xvi)      South East England Councils (SEEC) – Leader and Deputy Leader (Councillors Tod and Cutler)

(xvii)     South East Employers – Chair of Audit & Governance Committee (Councillor Morris)

(xviii)   Southampton International Airport Consultative Committee – Cabinet Member with responsibility for Transport (Councillor Learney) and Councillor Bennett (deputies Councillors Pett & Clear)

(xix)      Streetreach (until May 2028) – Councillor Batho

(xx)       Tourism South East – Cabinet Member with responsibility for Tourism  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

RESOLVED:

That the list of future items as set out in the Forward Plan for June 2025 be noted.