Winchester City Borough Council Cabinet Meeting

No apologies were received.

There were no changes of membership to be made.

Councillors Porter and Tod each declared personal (but not prejudicial) interests in respect of agenda item 9 (report CAB2426 refers) due to their role as County Councillors, as there were schemes referred to in the report that were County Council projects. 

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One member of the public spoke regarding report CAB3427 and his comments are summarised under the relevant minute below.

RESOLVED:

          That the minutes of the previous meeting held 13 September 2023 be agreed as a correct record.

Councillor Learney announced the launch of the council’s Rethinking Recycling survey which would help the council make improvements to the services offered.   The consultation was available on the council’s website until 26 November 2023.

Councillor Westwood announced the completion of 54 new council homes in North Whiteley, 27 of which were shared ownership and the remainder as affordable rent.  Each unit was of a high standard of design, build quality and energy efficiency.

Councillor Becker announced free ‘Little Lunch Club’ half term lunches and subsidised activities for families across the district which were part of the council’s Cost of Living support. 

Councillor Thompson introduced the report and emphasised the importance of an attractive and well managed street market in the city centre.  The street market management contract was now to be competitively retendered so that that the market’s operation could be aligned with the priorities outlined in the Council Plan.

Councillor Thompson reported that the Winchester Town Forum and the Business & Housing Policy Committee had each raised similar points regarding the draft policy, including safety considerations and accessibility.  Councillor Thompson then proposed an additional recommendation (5) to those set out in the report to ensure that the new operating policy included specific details for the measurements for the placing and spacing of the market stalls.  The wording of the resolution was agreed as set out in new resolution 5 below.

Ian Tait spoke during public participation as summarised briefly below.

He was a supporter of the street market at its current location which was a bigger and more successful operation, with quality goods on sale when compared to its previous position in Middle Brook Street.  He was concerned at pedlars in the High Street and also that the Farmers’ Market had diminished in size in recent years.  He also requested that the council help ensure that the baby changing facilities at the Market Lane toilets were reopened without further delay.   

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

Councillor Wallace

He believed that street markets were at the forefront of the visitor experience and the new contract was an opportunity to create a more distinctive market to attract more visitors and also to have regard to sustainability matters.  The contract should be bolder in its aspirations in this regard, and he made some suggestions such as promoting local retailers.  

Councillor Horrill

          She raised some points for clarification which included – (i) opportunities for other street markets in the market towns of the Winchester district, (ii) why had a signed agreement with the current operator been left for so long?  (iii) a robust performance schedule was referred to in the report, but how would this be conducted? (iii) how would safety concerns be overseen and dealt with in the new contract, such as dangerous loading and unloading of stalls that had been witnessed? (iv) how would local providers be given priority and proper labelling of produce enforced? and (v) how would street market approved traders be ratified by the council?

Councillor Thompson and the officers present responded to each of the points raised above and provided assurance and clarification where appropriate.

In response to questions from Cabinet, it was confirmed that officers had met with the current operator of Alresford Market regarding brand awareness and sharing best practice.  The mechanisms of weighting and scoring for new traders were also explained, including how this would favour locally sourced goods and where traders were based.  A compliance policy regarding public health was also to sit alongside the operating policy and labelling of goods would also be subject to the usual trading standards criteria.

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

RESOLVED:

1.                That the Winchester City Street Market Operating Policy be adopted as set on in Appendix 1 to CAB3427.

2.                That the Corporate Head of Service: Economy and Community be given delegated authority to commence the competitive tender exercise to seek bids for a market operator and to award the contract to the most economically advantageous tender for a term of 3 years with an option to renew annually for up to a further 2 years based on performance of service provision.

3.                That the Corporate Head of Service: Economy and Community be authorised to enter into all necessary agreements with the preferred contractor to manage the street market.

4.                That delegated authority be granted to the Service Lead: Legal to execute and enter into all necessary contractual agreements.

5.                That the Corporate Head of Service: Economy and Community, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Business and Culture, amends the Winchester Street Market Operating Policy to include specific measurements for the placing and spacing of the Market stalls.

Councillor Porter introduced the report and referred to the variety of successful proposals put forward, each reflecting the principles of the council plan.

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Williams, Wallace, Read and Horrill addressed the meeting as summarised briefly below.

Councillor Williams

He thanked Councillor Porter and officers for their correspondence with Bishops Waltham and Durley Parish Councils regarding their proposals. He was pleased to see investment in various schemes to benefit the community of Bishops Waltham, including the improvements to the capacity of Bishops Waltham Doctor’s Surgery.

Councillor Wallace

He welcomed that CIL allocation was more representative of the population across the district.  He requested that he be provided with up-to-date information regarding CIL receipts and CIL funding by ward.  Regarding rent for the temporary consulting rooms at Bishops Waltham Doctor’s Surgery, he queried what rent was to be paid by the NHS for use of the new facilities?

Councillor Read

He welcomed the wide variety of projects, notably improvements to Waterlooville Leisure Centre.  As there was a large pot of CIL money still available, he requested that that an all member briefing be arranged to help local ward members better support projects in their area.

Councillor Horrill

She referred to the unsuccessful bid for CIL funding for a new access road and drainage for a rural affordable housing site at Waterloo Lane, Micheldever and requested that local representatives be engaged so they could assist in taking forward the proposals.

Councillor Porter responded to each of the points raised above.  She advised that Councillor Wallace would be supplied the information requested.  Regarding the affordable housing site at Micheldever, there was technical information that was required to be gained from the council’s housing team which was currently being sought.

Further to a point raised by the Leader, Cabinet agreed that recommendation 3 of the report have additional text added regarding the clause relating to the CIL allocation to Waterlooville Leisure Centre, as detailed in the report at paragraph 11.13.  This was that the project must receive full planning permission and be accompanied by an active travel package to link the site to the Winchester area.  Furthermore, there was typographical correction to recommendation 3 regarding the paragraph number referenced and a further correction to be made at paragraph 6.2 of the report – ‘Going forward bids will be invited between 1^st September and 31^st 30^th November.’

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

RESOLVED:

1.              That the 2023/24 allocation of £296,341 from Winchester City Council CIL income receipts set aside in the existing allocation for community projects be approved as detailed in report CAB3426, and the expenditure be approved under Financial Procedure rule 7.4 for the funding of thirteen community led projects recommended by the Informal Panel:

a.       St John Ambulance Hall, Bishops Waltham. Building purchase -£40,000

b.       Jubilee Hall, Bishops Waltham. Energy efficiency measures - £40,000

c.       Memorial Park, Compton. Inclusive play equipment - £15,000

d.       Eversley Park Playground, Kings Worthy. Play equipment - £12,000

e.       Oliver’s Battery Recreation Ground. Leisure equipment - £10,000

f.        Otterbourne Village Hall. Improvements - £12,850

g.       Shedfield Reading rooms. Improvements - £15,000

h.       Swanmore Allotments. Infrastructure improvements - £12,100

i.         Twyford village centre. Real time bus information - £10,000

j.         Wickham Community Centre. Improvements - £39,717

k.       Wickham Primary School. Pre-school outdoor provision £21,000

l.         St Barnabas Church, Winchester. Improvements - £50,000

m.     Winchester Rugby Football Club. LED Floodlights - £18,674

2.                  That a budget and expenditure of a capital grant of £217,000 from the Winchester City Council CIL receipts be approved for the provision of temporary consulting rooms at Bishops Waltham Surgery recommended by the Informal Panel and detailed in Section 11.12 of report CAB3426. Funding for this project will be allocated and spent from the 10% community pot ring-fenced for community and health projects. The allocation of CIL money would be dependent on the surgery obtaining planning permission for the temporary consulting rooms.

3.                  That a budget and expenditure of a capital grant of £200,000 from the Winchester City Council CIL receipts be approved for the project to extend and redevelop Waterlooville Leisure Centre, recommended by the Informal Panel and detailed in Section 11.13 of report CAB3426. Funding for this project will be allocated and spent from the 10% community pot ring-fenced for community and health projects. This allocation is subject to the project receiving full planning permission and being accompanied by an active travel package to link the site to the Winchester area.

4.                 That the allocation of up to £410,000 from the Winchester City Council CIL receipts be approved for the projects to improve and refurbish the public toilets in various locations in the town and district area as detailed in section 11.14 of report CAB3426. Funding for this project will be allocated and spent from the 60% CIL pot ring-fenced for Winchester City Council led projects.

5.                 That the allocation of £21,000 be approved to provide new and improved bus shelters on Cromwell Road and Andover Road as detailed in section 11.15 of report CAB3426. Funding for this project will be allocated and spent from the 60% CIL pot ring-fenced for Winchester City Council led projects.

6.                 That the allocation of £60,000 be approved to replace gas boilers with air source heat pumps and install solar panels to Meadowside Leisure Centre in Whiteley, as detailed in section 11.15 of report CAB3426. Funding for this project will be allocated and spent from the 60% CIL pot ring-fenced for Winchester City Council led projects.

7.                 That a budget and expenditure of a capital grant of £300,000 be approved for the provision of a contra-flow cycle scheme on the Upper High Street, Winchester as detailed in section 11.16 of report CAB3426.  This funding will be allocated from the 30% of the Winchester City Council CIL receipts ring-fenced for Hampshire County Council led schemes agreed for CIL support by Winchester City Council.

8.                 That it be noted that in accordance with the recommendation of CAB3385, there is now £344,580 remaining in the Community and Health ‘pot’ (10% of the remaining unallocated CIL) for further rounds of yearly bids for community and health projects.

RESOLVED:

          That the list of future items as set out in the November 2023 forward plan be noted.