Agenda and draft minutes

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 Porter, Tod, Wallace, Warwick and Williams each declared disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of agenda items 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 receive and answer and questions from the public.

(Questions must be received in writing by Democratic Services – democracy@winchester.gov.uk – no later than 10am on Wednesday 12 March 2025)

Please note that as per the Council’s Constitution (Part 4.1 - Council Procedure Rule, paragraph 8.2) there will be no public or Councillor questions under Council Meeting Procedure Rule 19 unless related to the matter of the extraordinary meeting.

There were no written questions received for response at the meeting.

The total time for questions and the answer and supplementaries thereto shall not exceed 40 minutes.

Please note that as per the Council’s Constitution (Part 4.1 - Council Procedure Rule, paragraph 8.2) there will be no public or Councillor questions under Council Meeting Procedure Rule 19 unless related to the matter of the extraordinary meeting.

2 written questions had been received which were heard at the meeting along with associated supplementary questions. The questions received and their response were subsequently set out on the council’s website.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Full Council is asked to:

1.    Consider the Cabinet report of 20 March 2025 attached and make any comments for Cabinet to consider

2.    Note that Cabinet is asked to approve the submission to the Government of the Interim Plan for local government reorganisation in Hampshire and Solent at their meeting on 20 March 2025

The Leader introduced the report and summarised the detailed work undertaken since 5 February 2025 when the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution (Jim McMahon MP) formally invited collaboration with other regional council leaders to develop a proposal for local government reorganisation. 

The Leader then referred to the interim plan (appended to report CAB3502 at Appendix 2) which he explained was to be firstly considered by Cabinet on 20 March 2025 prior to its submission, having firstly considered any comments of full Council.

The Leader highlighted agreed principles in the interim plan and confirmed that these reflected key matters raised by councillors during their informal briefings. The overall aim of the interim plan was for a new council which effectively served residents and the area.

Council proceeded to ask questions on the report and proposed interim plan.  In summary, the following matters were raised, which were responded to by the Leader:

a)    Would new applications for Assets of Community Value be supported and would town and parish councils be supported with requests to transfer local assets to them?

b)    A question was raised regarding how reorganisation supported the claim of improved democratic representation and better local government. With fewer councillors representing more residents, councillors would need more support from officers, and how would this support be delivered given the need to create efficiencies?

c)    Clarification was requested as to when resident engagement plans were to be published in advance of the final submission date for local government reorganisation.

d)    Further information was sought as to whether there was dialogue with government regarding progress following submission of an interim plan, and what were the criteria for potentially being dropped from the priority programme, and what the consequences of this might be.

e)    A question was asked regarding the Community Governance Review for Winchester Town Forum area, and if this was progressing given pressures on resources?

f)      Regarding the southern parishes, would there continue to be opportunities for the Leader to attend their parish council meetings to respond to the potential impact of reorganisation on these areas?

g)    Assurances were requested that the needs of communities and assets of the Winchester town area would be protected.

h)    A question was asked regarding the Denmead Parish area, and the potential for it to be part of a future adjacent southeast Hampshire unitary council.

i)      Confirmation was sought as to whether all the local authorities in the regional area were acting in a mature way, and that differences were being dealt with cooperatively.

j)      A question was asked about how the Leader expected to use information supplied by the County Council on demographics and service usage to justify decisions on unitary authority groupings, and what other evidence would be used.  A further question was then asked regarding shared interests with Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and whether that would influence future decisions regarding boundaries.  Clarification was sought regarding factors that the Leader considered to be important in relation to a possible grouping  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.