01 03 2004

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Board meeting held on 12 January 2004 and the extraordinary Board meeting held on 19 January 2004 be approved and signed by the Chairman as true and correct records.

Consideration was given to a report by the Borough Solicitor (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "A"), which sought the Board's agreement to continue the Joint Committee arrangements for Portchester Crematorium and for the Borough Solicitor to be authorised to enter into the Revised Memorandum of Agreement for the crematorium and any other associated documents.

 

RECOMMENDED: That -

 

i) the Joint Committee arrangements for Portchester Crematorium continue: and

 

ii) the Borough Solicitor be authorised to enter into the Revised Memorandum of Agreement for the crematorium and any other documents associated with the crematorium.

 

Consideration was given to a report by the Director of Development and Environment (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "B"), which identified and evaluated a number of highway improvements for pedestrians, cycles and public transport. The report sought approval to submit the proposals to Hampshire County Council for consideration for implementation under the Gosport Urban Centres category of the 2004/05 Local Transport Plan Capital Programme or within the County Council's Minor Works Programme.

 

Concern was expressed at the County Council recommendation that improvements to the Station Road/ Military Road junction be deferred due to Light Rapid Transport (LRT) proposals. Members were advised that the latest predicted start date LRT was 2008 although originally the date was 2004/05. Officers were requested to raise these concerns with the County Council and to bring the proposal back to the Board in twelve months when better information regarding the LRT start date may be available.

 

RESOLVED: That approval be given to the submission to the County Council of the schemes listed in Appendix B of the report of the Director of Development and Environment for consideration for implementation in the Local Transport Plan Programme.

 

Consideration was given to a report by the Director of Development and Environment (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "C"), which sought the support of the Board for the provision of a night bus service in Gosport for an initial six-month period, subject to adequate support funding being made available by the Government Office for the South East to the Gosport Community Safety Partnership.

 

The report sought authority for the Director of Development and Environment to accept a tender and enter into a contract for a night bus service on behalf of the Gosport Community Safety Partnership.

 

The report sought approval for the service to be reviewed within the initial six months.

 

Concerns were expressed that some areas of the Borough were omitted from the trial. Members were advised that advice had been taken from the police, Hampshire County Council and the local bus operator when deciding the routes for the trial and that they would be in a better position to decide on routes following the review of the trial.

 

 

i)  the provision of a night bus service for an initial period of six months in Gosport be supported, subject to adequate support funding being made available by the Government Office for the South-East to the Gosport Community Safety Partnership;

 

ii) authority be given to the Director of Development and Environment to accept a tender and enter into a contract for a night bus service on behalf of the Gosport Community safety Partnership; and

 

iii) the service be reviewed within the initial six months.

 

By reason of special circumstances, the Chairman determined that this item be considered at this meeting notwithstanding the fact that the item had not been available for public inspection in accordance with the provisions of Section 100B(4)(a) of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985. 

 

The special circumstances were created by the urgent need to adopt the new policy.

 

Consideration was given to a report of the Food Safety Enforcement Policy Working Group (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "D"), which had been referred to the Board by the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

The Working Group (comprising Councillors Hayward and P Russell) was thanked by the Board for producing its report.

 

Members approved the recommendations of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee but, in line with Audit Commission advice, considered that the words "except in exceptional circumstances" should be added to the end of the second recommendation.

 

 

i)  the Food Safety Enforcement Policy be approved and reviewed every two years; and

 

ii) the Board agreed with the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee that the Council should review the Scheme of Delegation to Officers so that, where a prosecution is the appropriate enforcement action, elected members are not involved in that decision making process except in exceptional circumstances.

 

RESOLVED:  That under Section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the meeting for the under-mentioned item of business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 A of the Act.

 

Consideration was given to an exempt report of the Director of Development and Environment (a copy of which is affixed in the Minute Book as Appendix "E")

 

RESOLVED: That the recommendations contained in the report of the Director of Development and Environment be approved.