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Paper 3 - 23 September 2005 Meeting

Minutes of the Association Annual Meeting held at Hampshire County Council on 3 June 2005 at 10.30 am.

24.05 WELCOME

The Chairman of Hampshire County Council, Councillor John West, welcomed all those present to the meeting.

25.05 APPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN

Councillor Elizabeth Cartwright was nominated as Chairman of the Association for the year 2005-2006.

That Councillor Elizabeth Cartwright be appointed Chairman of the Association for the year 2005 /06.

26.05 APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIRMAN

Councillors Peter Moyle (Rushmoor) and Adrian Vinson (Southampton) were nominated as Vice-Chairman for the year 2005/06. After discussion and voting, Councillor Peter Moyle was elected Vice-Chairman of the Association.

That Councillor Peter Moyle be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Association for the year 2005/06.

The Chairman welcomed Paul Kernaghan, the Chief Constable of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Chief Superintendent Dan Clacher, Dick Oldfield of the Government Office for the South East and Marianne Abley of the IDeA to the meeting.

27.05 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor B Gurden (Basingstoke and Deane); Councillors House and Wall (Eastleigh); Councillor M Hook (Gosport); Councillor K Thornber (Hampshire), J Pittfield (HAPTC); Councillor S Gorys (Hart); Councillor K Moss (Havant), Councillor M Holding (New Forest); Councillors J Bridle and A Samuels (Southampton); Councillor T Jackson (Test Valley) and Councillor M Robinson (LGA).

28.05 MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 March 2005 were agreed as a correct record.

The Chairman reported that a reply had been received from the Bee Keeping Unit in response to this Association’s letter.

29.05 COMMUNITY SAFETY ISSUES

The Chief Constable, Paul Kernaghan, gave a presentation on the revision of Police Command Units in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The presentation focussed on:

! the aim of the Force Review
! the current 10 basic command units
! Future structure and the reasoning behind the creation of six regional commands
! Proposed Operational Command Unit structure
! Proposed Central Operational Command Unit partnership managers
! Local Policing Delivery Objectives (levels one and two)
! Police HQ review

Dick Oldfield of the Government Office for the South East outlined Government policy and addressed in detail the matters raised in this Association’s letter to John Scott sent following its meeting on 18 March.

The solution to the problems being experienced by local authorities lay in Local Area Agreements (LAAs). These were intended to reduce excessive Whitehall control, increase the integration of resources and control at local level, and focus on outcomes.

Mr Kernaghan and Mr Oldfield answered questions and addressed concerns from those present including:

! the fact that drugs issues had not been included in Local Area Agreement funding
! increases in precepts
! LAA monies being handed to county councils to distribute to districts via the county strategic partnership.

In the discussion about community support officers, Mr Kernaghan stated that he would be keen to offer service level agreements to those local authorities seeking to fund a community support service.

It was requested that the Police Authority be encouraged to join this Association. Councillor Collett (Hampshire) agreed to undertake this, having outlined the pressures on the Police Authority budget.

The Chairman thanked both speakers.

30.05 THE JOINT AUTHORITIES’ GYPSY AND TRAVELLER PANEL - ACTION UNDERTAKEN TO DATE AND PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE THE MANAGEMENT OF UNAUTHORISED ENCAMPMENTS

Ian Parker (Head of Estates Practice, Hampshire County Council) introduced his report on this subject.

The report set out the actions taken to date by the Joint Authorities’ Gypsy and Traveller Panel, informed Members of proposed steps to be taken to respond to legislative changes, identified future issues for the Panel, gave details of Panel meetings held to date, set out the role of local authorities in relation to gypsies and travellers, gave details of the assessment of accommodation required by current legislation, set out the actions of the Panel, outlined the next steps to be undertaken by the Panel and set out future discussion issues for the Panel.

Mr Parker felt that there were problems with large congregations of travellers, especially on unauthorised sites. The Panel was looking at the provision of short stay stopping points. He also highlighted the problem of moving travellers off unauthorised sites. He advised that the provision of suitable sites needed to be included in local plans.

Mr Parker answered questions and concerns from those present including a request that a further recommendation be made that this Association write to the Government asking it to make trespass a criminal offence as was the case in Southern Ireland. Councillor June Fulcher supported this suggestion.

During the debate Members highlighted the need for balance in consideration of these issues, the number of travellers being relatively small and tolerance being important where rules are obeyed.

The Chairman thanked Ian Parker for his report.

That the Members of this Association:

(1) Endorse the work of the Joint Authorities Gypsy and Traveller Panel to date and support proposed next steps of the Panel in the management of Gypsy and Traveller issues in Hampshire;

(2) Recognise the future issues facing the Panel and its constituent members including the importance of appropriate policy provision in preparing Local Development Frameworks to enable provision to be made in response to housing needs assessments and short-stay stopping places to be provided to protect the ability of local authorities to better manage unauthorised encampments on their land;

(3) Authorise the further contact and liaison with adjoining local authorities beyond the boundary of Hampshire to achieve consistency with sub-regional provision for gypsy and traveller accommodation and a consistent approach to the housing needs assessment;

(4) Write to the Government requesting that enhanced powers be given to authorities and specifically that all trespass be made a criminal offence; and

(5) Thank Councillor Mrs June Fulcher of Havant Borough Council and Councillor Mrs Cecily Sutton of Winchester City Council for their contributions to these challenging issues through the Chairmanship and Vice-Chairmanship of the Joint Authorities Gypsy and Traveller Panel.

31.05 SUPPORTING PEOPLE

Alan Hagger (Supporting People Manager for Hampshire County and Districts) introduced his report on this topic.

The report updated Members on developments in the Supporting People (SP) programme. It outlined the work of Supporting People to date, the five years strategy, the proposed SP distribution formula especially in respect of funding allocations for 2005/6 and 2006/7 and the work of the County Council Network. The report stressed that the SP programme was a positive initiative which was under threat especially from the distribution formula. The SP Team would be working with other affected SP teams to do all that was possible to ensure that the proposed distribution formula was not implemented.

Mr Hagger reported that the distribution formula would be published for consultation that month.

Mr Hagger answered questions from those present.

The Chairman thanked Alan Hagger for his report.

That the Association writes to the Deputy Prime Minister to draw attention to the need to continue supporting people in an area such as ours where the Supporting People programme has been successfully implemented.

32.05 THE ASSOCIATION’S ACTION PLAN 2005-2006 AND ANNUAL REPORT

Consideration was given to a report of the Director which set out the Association’s Action Plan for the year 2005/2006 and the Annual Report.

The Director also gave details of two up-coming events namely the Local Strategic Partnership Chairs Network to be held later that month and a Community Safety Conference to be held in February next year.

Southampton asked that the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire be specifically included in Action point (7) in the report and Project Integra be referred to in Action point (8). This was agreed.

Peter Robertson added that he would be in a position to write to district councils concerning Project Integra the following week.

(1) That the Action Plan be approved for consultation with inter-authority groups and partner organisations; and

(2) That the Annual Report be published on the Association’s website.

33.05 THE ASSOCIATION’S BUDGET AND SUBSCRIPTIONS 2005-2006

Consideration was given to a report prepared by the Director seeking approval of the budget and confirmation of the level of subscriptions for 2005-2006.

(1) That the budget for 2005/2006 be approved; and

(3) That the Association’s membership subscription unit be continued at the present level of £2000 for the year ahead.

34.05 FUTURE AGENDA AND "FIVE MINUTE SLOT"

The Director introduced his report which highlighted the matters which would be discussed at future Association meetings.

Winchester asked that the following items be considered for discussion at future meetings:

! Homestart funding
! Progress report on allocation of second home Council Tax monies towards affordable housing
! Axing of rural bus routes
! Use of asbestos on rural buildings and concerns regarding safe disposal of asbestos.

35.05 PROGRAMME OF MEETINGS 2005-2006

Consideration was given to a report by the Director setting out the programme of meetings for 2005-2006.

(1) That the dates for meetings be approved for 2006 and the dates for the remainder of 2005 be noted; and

(2) That member authorities, in fixing their diaries for 2006, try to avoid clashes of dates wherever possible.

36.05 DATE OF NEXT MEETING

It was agreed that the meeting scheduled for 22 July in Basingstoke be cancelled. The next meeting of the Association would therefore take place on Friday 23 September in Gosport Town Hall at 10.00 am.

37.05 SUZANNE HUDSON

The Chairman reported that this was Suzanne Hudson, Director of Hampshire Association of Parish and Town Councils’ last meeting. She thanked Suzanne for her support of this Association and wished her a happy retirement.

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