Test Valley Borough Council Cabinet Meeting

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor T Tasker.

There was no public participation.

There were no declarations of interest.

There were no urgent items.

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 22 February 2023 be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

There were no recommendations to consider from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Consideration was given to a report of the Planning Portfolio Holder which considered the merits of the Council becoming a member of the EnTrade Solent Catchment Market Place.

EnTrade is a project supported by DEFRA to develop a strategic approach to mitigation based upon a neutrality approach via the introduction of a pilot trading platform. 

In light of the benefits it was recommended that the Council joins the EnTrade trading platform scheme, provided that appropriate terms and conditions with EnTrade and other interested parties can be agreed, with the final decision therefore being delegated to the Head of Planning and Building in consultation with the Head of Finance and Revenues, Head of Legal and Democratic Services and the Portfolio Holders for Planning and Finance.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed to the following:

Resolved:

That authority be delegated to the Head of Planning and Building, in consultation with the Heads of Legal and Democratic Services and Finance and Revenues, and the Portfolio Holders for Planning and Finance and Resources, to join the EnTrade Solent Catchment Market Pilot, and any subsequent extension of the scheme or new Entrade trading platform scheme, subject to legal arrangements which are acceptable to the Council for the delivery and operation of the scheme(s).

Consideration was given to a report of the Recycling, Environmental Services and Car Parks Portfolio Holder which detailed the options available to the Council, in order to reduce the carbon and greenhouse gas emissions from its fleet.

The Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and committed to investigating options to become a carbon neutral organisation as soon as possible.  The Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan identified that investing in alternative fuels would reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint.

The report recommended that option 2 in the report be approved and the budget be increased in order for the Council to procure Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil HVO, a renewable, low carbon, low emission, fossil-free fuel.

This will ensure the Council can meet their commitment to reduce carbon from the fleet by 95%.  There will be a lead in period commencing from the end of April.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed to the following:

Resolved:

That the budget, as detailed in section 8 of the report be approved, in order to procure Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) for the Council’s fleet.

Consideration was given to a report of the Finance and Resources Portfolio Holder which sought approval for the write-off of three business rates debts above the £25,000 threshold that have proved to uncollectable and for which there is little or no prospect of future recovery.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed to the following:

Resolved:

That the debts detailed in the report, totalling £178,384, be written off in the Council’s accounts as uncollectable.

Consideration was given to a report of the Planning Portfolio Holder which proposed that the draft Andover Town Centre Public Realm Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), with changes resulting from the public consultation, is adopted.  If the SPD is adopted, it will provide a coordinated guide for the improvement of public space in Andover Town Centre to encourage social and commercial activity.

The Planning Portfolio Holder thanked officers who had worked on developing this document.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed to the following:

Resolved:

1.  That the Andover Town Centre Public Realm Design Guide, attached as Annex 1 to the report, be adopted as a Supplementary Planning Document.

2.  That the Head of Planning Policy and Economic Development be given delegated authority, in consultation with the Planning Portfolio Holder, to make changes of a minor nature prior to publication.

Consideration was given to a report of the Community, Leisure and Tourism Portfolio Holder and the Housing and Environmental Health Portfolio Holder which set out the terms of the existing Public Spaces Protection Orders and sought approval for consultation on the proposed extension of those orders and the making or either extending or amending orders.

The Council’s existing Public Spaces Protection Orders relating to alcohol consumption, anti-social behaviour and dog related issues will expire on 15 June 2023 unless extended.

It was recommended that the recommendations set out in the report were approved to ensure that the Council can continue to make effective use of the powers under the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.

It was suggested that as part of the consultation questions would be asked around fines.

Having considered the options and for the reasons set out in the report, Cabinet agreed to the following:

Resolved:

1.  That officers be authorised to publicise the proposed extension of the Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) and carry out consultation and notification as required by the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014.

2.  That the Head of Legal and Democratic Services in consultation with the Community, Leisure and Tourism Portfolio Holder and the Housing and Environmental Health Portfolio Holder be authorised to consider the outcome of the consultations and to either approve the extension of the existing PSPOs, or alternatively the making of PSPOs with such amendments as are deemed necessary, for a period of up to three years.