(Public Pack)Minutes Document for Council, 21/02/2019 19:00

EASTLEIGH BOROUGH COUNCIL

Minutes of a meeting of the Council held on Thursday, 21 February 2019 at 7:00 pm

PRESENT:

The Mayor, Councillor Tennent (Chairman); Councillors Airey, Allingham, Asman, Atkinson, Bicknell, Boulton, Bourne, Broadhurst, Broomfield, Campbell, Corben, Craig, Cross, Dean, Garton, Gomer, Grajewski, Groves, Holes, House, Hughes, Irish, Mann, Manning, Parker-Jones, Pragnell, Reynolds, Tidridge and Tyson-Payne

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Clarke, Couldrey, Doguie, Jurd, Kyrle, Pretty, Rich, Rushton and Trace

35. MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

A minutes silence was held for Dave Greenslade, a member of Eastleigh Borough Council staff who had recently passed away.

The Mayor welcomed everyone to the meeting and gave an overview of recent Council highlights:

 He had performed the opening ceremony for the Sundays Hill bypass and bridge, and was shown round the new football hub at Monk’s Brook playing fields in its early stages.  His Civic Prayer Breakfast was an excellent networking event bringing together people from across the business and Third sector communities at King’s Community Church.  He had attended the Eastleigh Sports Awards 2018, organised by the Sports & Physical Activity Alliance, which celebrated the enormous achievements of local sports people and the unsung heroes behind the scenes.  He was present at the launch of a brand new Special Olympics Solent Competitive Boccia Session that will be based at The Hub.  He had attended the Inaugural Britannia Pro-Am Open event at the Ageas Bowl that was "a spectacular night of international quality ballroom dancing".  The Blue Butterfly Dance Studio, who will be opening a studio in the Swan Centre in April, had put on a wonderful Show in aid of the Mayor’s Appeal.  The One Community Showcase event was an excellent opportunity for local people to find out more about volunteering opportunities. 2

 He was a guest at the opening of the Brendoncare Foundation’s new Otterbourne care home, which was attended by HRH the Countess of Wessex.  He was privileged to learn about the excellent work being done in the community at the AWCA’s Inclusion & Diversity Awards.  The Borough had marked the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day and Remembrance services at the new memorial in the town centre and around the Borough.  He joined fellow civic leaders at the Holocaust & Genocide Memorial Event in Southampton and Havant.

Looking ahead:

The Mayor thanked everyone who had supported his charities throughout the mayoral year and mentioned some forthcoming events:  Tea Dance on 25 February;  Eastleigh Fusion Choir on 9 March; and  His Charity Dinner on the 22 March which is being organised by students from Eastleigh College students.

36. MINUTES

RESOLVED -

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 18 October 2018 be agreed as a correct record.

37. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of interest in items of business of the agenda.

38. LEADER'S REPORT

There was no Leaders Report on this occasion.

39. RECOMMENDATIONS (INCLUDING CALL-INS) REQUIRING DECISION

40. M27 SMART MOTORWAY RESURFACING

Consideration was given to an urgent report by the Strategy Lead for the Environment regarding the resurfacing of the M27 Smart Motorway.

RESOLVED:

That Council: 3

(1) approved that staff continue to urgently investigate the evidence that has recently been received; (2) delegated authority to the Legal Services Manager and the Strategy Lead for Environment (in consultation with the Leader) to explore the avenues and remedies available to the Council, including the taking of legal action, if so advised; and (3) approved that staff continuing to lobby the Secretary of State for Transport and Highways England to reaffirm their commitment to this essential resurfacing work and to confirm that it has been reinstated in the M27 Smart Motorway programme.

41. STATEMENT OF GAMBLING POLICY

Consideration was given to a report by the Strategic Planning Manager regarding the adoption of the Gambling Act Statement of Licensing Principles.

RESOLVED:

That the Council adopts the proposed Gambling Act Statement of Licensing Principles.

42. STATEMENT OF LICENSING POLICY

Consideration was given to a report by the Strategic Planning Manager regarding the adoption of the Statement of Licensing Policy.

RESOLVED:

That the Council adopts the proposed Statement of Licensing Policy.

43. GENERAL FUND REVENUE BUDGET 2019/20

Consideration was given to the recommendations contained in the Minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 31 January 2019, taking into account the Minutes of the Policy and Performance Scrutiny Panel held on 29 January 2019, concerning the 2019/20 Budget. The Leader introduced the budget and proposed an additional recommendation:

(11) Approves additional allocation of New Homes Bonus:

(a) £125,000 to support the restoration of Hiltingbury Lakes; and (b) £40,000 to bring forward a study on implementing a cycle route from Hedge End/West of Horton Heath to Eastleigh parallel with the railway line. 4

The Conservative Group submitted an amendment to the Revenue Budget and the following Recorded Vote occurred.

FOR: Atkinson; Broomfield, Dean, Grajewski and Hughes.

AGAINST: Councillors - Airey; Allingham; Asman; Boulton; Broadhurst; Campbell; Corben; Craig; Cross; Garton; Gomer; Groves; Holes; House; Irish; Mann: Manning; Parker-Jones; Pragnell; Reynolds; Tennent; Tidridge and Tyson-Payne.

(FOR: 5; AGAINST: 24)

The Independent Group submitted an amendment to the Revenue Budget and the following Recorded Vote occurred.

FOR: Dean, Parker-Jones, and Tidridge.

AGAINST: Councillors - Airey; Allingham; Asman; Atkinson; Boulton; Broadhurst; Broomfield; Campbell; Corben; Craig; Cross; Garton; Gomer; Grajewski; Groves; Holes; House; Hughes; Irish; Mann: Manning; Pragnell; Reynolds; Tennent; and Tyson-Payne.

(FOR: 3; AGAINST: 26)

A Recorded Vote took place for the substantive motion, and was as follows:

FOR: Councillors - Airey; Allingham; Asman; Boulton; Broadhurst; Campbell; Corben; Craig; Cross; Garton; Gomer; Groves; Holes; House; Irish; Mann; Manning; Pragnell; Reynolds; Tennent; and Tyson-Payne.

AGAINST: Atkinson, Broomfield, Dean, Grajewski, Hughes, Parker-Jones, and Tidridge.

(FOR: 22; AGAINST: 7)

RESOLVED: (1) (2) That the revised Budget for 2018/19 which incorporates pressures and efficiencies identified as part of the financial monitoring to 31 December 2018 be approved;

(3) That Council sets the net revenue Budget requirement for 2019/20 at £10,045,000 and note the impact on the Council’s General Fund Balance

(4) That the Local Government Finance settlement for 2019/20 be noted; 5

(5) That budget growth of £468,000 in 2018/19 and £338,000 in 2019/20 be approved;

(6) That the Council Tax for Eastleigh Borough Council be increased by 1.1% (1% below CPI) for 2019/20;

(7) That the Special Expenses for Parished and Non-Parished areas be approved;

(8) That expenditure of £479,800 for the Point Capital Development Scheme, to be funded from external grant income received from Arts Council England (£367,800), Repairs and Renewals Reserve (£101,000) and fundraising by The Point (£11,000) be approved

(9) That additional expenditure of £131,500 in 2018/19 for the Disabled Facilities Grant Programme to be funded from Government Grant be approved;

(10) That the Fees & Charges for skin piercing registration fees be approved;

(11) Noted the positive impact of the Council’s successful property investment decisions which are budgeted to generate a net surplus for the Council of £9M in 2019/20; and

(11) That the additional allocation of New Homes Bonus be approved:

44. COUNCIL TAX RESOLUTIONS 2019/20

Consideration was given to a report by the Chief Financial Officer detailing the Council Tax Resolutions for 2019/20.

A recorded vote occurred:

ABSTAIN: Atkinson, Broomfield, Dean, Grajewski, Hughes, Parker-Jones, and Tidridge. 6

(FOR: 22; AGAINST: 7)

RESOLVED:

That Council approved the Council Tax Resolution as set out in the report which brings together the Borough’s Council Tax Requirement, including special expenses and that of the other major preceptors (Hampshire County Council, Hampshire Fire and Rescue and The Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire) and sets the Council Tax charges for 2019/20.

45. CAPITAL STRATEGY

Consideration was given to the Capital Strategy recommendations from the Cabinet meeting held on 31 January 2019, taking into account the Minutes of the meeting of the Audit and Resources Committee held on 22 January 2019.

RESOLVED:

(1) That the capital strategy be approved;

(2) That the Treasury Management Strategy be approved;

(3) That the Investment Strategy be approved; and

(4) recommend to Council to approve the changes to the Prudential Indicators in Appendix B1/B2, and

(5) That the changes to the MRP Statement be approved.

46. CITIZEN OF HONOUR NOMINATIONS

Consideration was given to a report of the Chief Executive detailing the Citizen of Honour Nominations.

RESOLVED:

That Council confirms the nominations of the following Citizens of Honour agreed by the Mayor, Liberal Democrat Group, Conservative Group and Independent Group Leaders:

Mr Sri Kandiah

Mrs Audrey Steele 7

47. MOTION - MEMBERS QUESTIONS

Councillor Broomfield moved the following motion:

“In order to allow residents full access to and understanding of the proceedings of this council, publication of Members’ questions to Cabinet Portfolio holders in the agenda of meetings of the Council should be matched by publication in the subsequent Minutes of meetings of the responses given.”

RESOLVED:

That the motion be deferred and considered as part of the Constitution review.

48. MOTION - UNADOPTED ROADS

Councillor Tidridge moved the following motion:

“Eastleigh Borough Council to request that an amendment is made to the National Planning Policy Framework to allow planning authorities to require developments to have roads within the development adopted by the appropriate Highways Authority. This request to be made to the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, copying in MPs representing residents within Eastleigh borough.”

The Leader proposed an amendment to Councillor Tidridge’s motion:

“Council notes that at present local planning authorities are unable to require developers to have roads adopted by the Highway Authority and the consequences of this include:

a) Residents paying twice for road maintenance, once to the highway authority fir off-site road maintenance and again to a management company for on-site maintenance; b) Difficulties in achieving adopted surface water drainage, efficient waste management and on-site provision of street furniture; c) Increasing the cost of on-site affordable housing provision; and d) Long-term liability to public authorities where local management companies fail.

Council further notes the success of this Council, in joint venture with housing developments including at the former car boot sale site at Bursledon and at Pembers Hill Farm in Fair Oak, in achieving and working towards adoption of on-site roads and sets this as a clear policy objective at council acquired land at Horton Heath and as part of the brief for the Strategic Growth Area. 8

Council resolves to request an amendment to the National Planning Policy Framework to allow planning authorities to require developments to have roads within developments adopted by the appropriate Highway Authority and that representations are made to the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and to Members of Parliament representing Eastleigh Borough.”

Councillor Grajewski proposed a further amendment:

“That Eastleigh Borough Council writes to the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government calling on Government to adopt a policy whereby all roads need to be put forward for adoption and that Government commits to exploring how that could most effectively be achieved.”

RESOLVED:

That the motion, as amended by the Leader, be approved.

49. CABINET STATEMENTS

RESOLVED:

That the Cabinet Statements, as set out in the agenda pack, be noted.

50. MEMBERS' QUESTIONS

There were no Members’ questions on this occasion.

51. RESOLVED ITEMS - FOR NOTING AND QUESTIONS ONLY

RESOLVED -

That the Minutes of the following meetings be received:

CABINET

19 November 2018 13 December 2018 31 January 2019

AUDIT AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

24 October 2018 13 November 2018 4 December 2018 22 January 2019 12 February 2019

ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE 9

19 November 2018

LICENSING COMMITTEE

30 January 2019

POLICY AND PERFORMANCE SCRUTINY PANEL

8 November 2018 29 January 2019 7 February 2019

CHANDLER'S FORD AND HILTINGBURY LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE

14 November 2018 16 January 2019

HEDGE END, WEST END AND BOTLEY, LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE

5 November 2018 10 December 2018 28 January 2019

EASTLEIGH LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE

15 November 2018 8 January 2019

BURSLEDON, HAMBLE-LE-RICE AND HOUND LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE

25 October 2018 24 January 2019

BISHOPSTOKE, FAIR OAK AND HORTON HEATH LOCAL AREA COMMITTEE

23 January 2019

The meeting finished at 9:45 pm

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Revenue Budget 2019/20 - Cllr Keith House

Mr Mayor, colleagues,

I am pleased to introduce the Liberal Democrat administration’s Budget once again. In doing so, I’d like to put on record my thanks to all of our staff across the organisation that have, as always, been up for the challenge of improvement, innovation and focus on getting a better set of outcomes for our Borough: for health, for prosperity, for the environment and for housing.

Council Tax

This is the 16th year of real term reductions in Council Tax, with half of those years seeing a freeze in Council Tax.

The average tax this year will be £129.52, still lower than £130.07 two years ago. It is up just 0.46% for an average Band D taypayer this year, after accounting for special expenses.

If Council Tax had risen in line with inflation, it would be 48% higher. That’s some achievement.

There is a big contrast with Hampshire County Council with a rise of over 18% in the 4 years since the Conservatives gained a national majority and more recently the Conservative/DUP Coalition, compared with the freeze when Liberal Democrats shared power.

With another £80m of cuts to run through the next two years, following the £140m cuts this year and last, this is from a County Council that saw its reserves rise to over £650m last year.

Headline Council Tax matters to residents. Many, despite our best efforts, are still suffering the impacts from austerity. Council Tax remains a regressive tax, paid disproportionately as a share of household income, by those of lower wages and fixed incomes. We have a duty to hold it down, and keep it down.

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So I can announce with confidence this evening that our proposal is to hold Council Tax down below inflation by extending our Council Tax Guarantee not just this year, but for the following four years, at 1% below December’s published Consumer Price Index. That will give 20 years of falling Council Tax in real terms from this Council and an unrivalled record of which we can be proud.

Funding changes

Let’s take a look at the numbers behind the budget.

For the first time this year we see no government funding for our budget. In 2007/8 revenue support grant totalled £7.4m and was the main element of the council’s funding. In real terms that would be £9.7m at today’s prices.

That is lost income that in most councils has been met with a mix of efficiency savings, and service cuts.

Here in Eastleigh, we funded that lost income from efficiencies and new income. That new income has given us the freedom to protect services, and continue to innovate, both in policy, and with ambitious capital projects.

We still of course have income from business rates. That will total just over £4m this year, though due to the way the government has set business rates policy, to wipe out gains achieved by growing income through promoting business. That income stream looks set to drop by over 35%, or about £1.5m, next year. That loss of support will have to be met by new income, or new efficiencies.

The budget makes a number of key assumptions. We have allowed for pay inflation, including our staff pay award at 2%, no allowance for general inflation outside of contracts so that inflation has to be met through efficiencies, a yield of 3.5% on discretionary fees and charges, protecting essential services, a council tax increase as stated at 1.1%, and maintaining reserves at our usual 10% of net budget.

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Efficiency strategy

Alongside income we have been successful in managing down costs through genuine efficiencies. I’d like to pay tribute to all staff our staff, past and present, that have played a major part in making savings now of over £5m a year through genuine efficiencies, better ways of working, and a more commercial outlook on what we do and how we do it. Over the next four years we will need to make £1.5m of additional efficiency savings.

Property and Regeneration Strategy

The Council’s property strategy continues to underpin the Budget. The strategy has delivered assets with value substantially ahead of borrowing that, with a net return of over £9m each year after including borrowing costs. Our approach has been widely copied, although unlike many councils the vast majority of our property acquisitions have been here, in our own Borough, supporting our own economy.

We have taken a prudent approach with our strategy. Our Interest Reserve, which will reach £11m by 2022/3, is a key part of that strategy alongside active treasury management.

Given that we price in our budget net income from property and housing at full market borrowing costs rather than the spot rates we can obtain by borrowing from other local authorities, this approach gives us two layers of security against rising interest rates, and more than ample time to lock in long-term rates at or below our current budget figures.

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Planning and Housing

Let me turn to planning and housing.

Our Local Plan was submitted on target in October. Our aim is that it takes note of the updated National Planning Policy Framework, even though it does not have to comply with it due to the timely manner of our submission. Through our work on housing delivery we now have a land supply between 7 and 8 years acknowledged by planning inspectors.

Few councils have had this level of scrutiny from hostile planning applications. That scrutiny gives us confidence that we have protection stronger than the Local Plan to protect our green gaps and wider countryside from speculative development.

We have increased resources for planning enforcement, again at a time when many councils are cutting back. The level of priority we give to protecting our countryside gaps and acting on enforcement is an essential part of our wider programme to deliver new homes and genuinely fix the broken housing market.

Housing delivery in some parts of the country, including London and some areas of the south-east, is showing signs of being impacted by uncertainty due to Brexit and lack of confidence in the economy. Back in 2008 we saw that happen here, undermining our Local Plan and more importantly, denying many hundreds of both home buyers and those waiting for affordable housing, the new homes they needed. It was our reaction to that crisis that started our journey into housing delivery, and that will stand us in good stead at the next recession which any objective analysis says as being likely in the next few years, with or without Brexit.

Here, we must weather that storm, to keep people in jobs and to see the new homes we need. Let me repeat here the damning statistic released this time last year by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think tank: 27 percent of Britons aged between 25 and 34 with incomes in the middle bracket for their age owned a home in 2015/16, down from 65 percent in 1995/96. A generation has been failed.

Here, we are seeing new homes of all tenures built, and government confirmed this week that we have met the new “Housing Delivery Test” for delivery over the last three years, by 15%, with a trajectory of further exceeding this target next year.

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Our site at Woodside Avenue, all of which are rented homes, is more than two-thirds complete and will complete this spring. Homes are in occupation at Hatch Farm, West End. These are both good examples of partnership working with our housing association providers, Vivid and Radian.

At Stoneham, the exciting Stoneham Park development is coming on at pace, as I was pleased to visit and see new affordable rented and market rented homes with Cllr Ian Corben recently.

Our intervention there has supported the early building of a new primary school, and links to the £8m package of football provision at Monk Brook worked up with the Football Association and Sport England. The facility is entirely funded from developer contributions and grant funding to remain at no cost to the tax payer.

North Stoneham also gives us the missing link to extend Lakeside to Stoneham Way. And good to see the new cycleway that will give a direct route to Southampton Airport Parkway station, helping take traffic off the road and encourage fitness.

At Bursledon, our project with Taylor Wimpey sees accelerated delivery of new homes, a new Country Park, Windhover Meadows, and a completed road that when the junction is built by the County Council will see traffic from new housing removed from Hamble Lane.

The commonality between these projects is that we are delivering infrastructure alongside and ahead of housing, rather than as a belated afterthought. Homes matter, but so do communities.

That’s the approach we are bringing to future housing partnership projects.

At Pembers Hill Farm, our intervention will enable a higher proportion of affordable homes to be achieved. And it will mean that the road network will be adopted, rather than left to a management company to levy charges on home owners with double taxation and a long-term liability to potentially be picked up by the public sector in the future.

At west of Horton Heath, our site acquisition with the council taking responsibility for bringing forward development gives us the opportunity to work with the County Council bringing forward the link road that will help take heavy traffic off Burnetts

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Lane, and with Southern Water to deliver challenging targets for water sustainability. Watch this space for details on that one.

And it means that with a locally owned design code, following consultation with the community, we will see higher quality standards for new homes and give us the chance to reinvest some of the proceeds of development back into the community. Cllrs Nick Couldrey and Richard Gomer will be playing an increased role in that community engagement, including with both of the Parish Councils in the area.

This work, and on other sites, will put us in the strong position to guide the strategic growth area planning forward. Our challenge is to turn natural fear of change and development into a position where local people can see the benefits of improving infrastructure for the community, with local school places, improved health facilities, and journey times that don’t keep getting longer.

Finally, on housing, Cabinet has implemented our new family-friendly tenancy policy for own new market rented housing. We are filling a gap in the housing market by providing on average one hundred new market rented properties each year. The first are now occupied. Many more will follow.

These new tenancies are not Assured Shorthold Tenancies that give no security for tenants. Our tenancies offer any term of security that our tenants want – for all their lives if they wish.

We have now gone further and the detail has been agreed, to launch this spring, our “Route to Home Ownership” with this rented homes. The policy gives tenants more responsibility for their homes in return for a discounted rent and for that discount to accumulate to be used as a deposit to purchase their home.

Unlike “Right to Buy” the beauty of this policy is that it is a genuinely affordable product that allows the council to reinvest in new homes in place of purchased homes, without reducing the stock of any housing tenure. And it gives a route to knock out the affordability trap that has stopped so many young people in their 20s and increasingly 30s and beyond from achieving home ownership.

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We have yet to find another council in the country that has managed to introduce a package like this. It is a real innovation, and a liberal innovation, that we expect others will wish to pick up.

Infrastructure

A few more words on infrastructure.

Last month, after a year of technical delays between the contractor and the County Council, the Sunday’s Hill by-pass first phase opened. This is already helping take traffic off some local roads and helping reduce journey times. In partnership with Foreman Homes, we anticipate work commencing on the second phase through to St John’s Road later this year.

In our Budget last year, we announced new funding to help tackle one of our Borough’s other traffic congestion points – the Bishopstoke and Fair Oak Roads into Eastleigh. We have now instructed Hampshire County Council to carry out a study to tackle congestion issues along this route and we are working with them on the scope. Whilst we await this study, we have also agreed with Hampshire to move forward with a scheme to support businesses exit Chickenhall Lane, again to reduce queuing.

Last year I reported on two funding bids to government enabling other infrastructure projects to come forward. The Marginal Viability funding through the Housing Infrastructure fund gives us the £10million needed to fund the middle and final section of the Botley Bypass. In having completed the final stages of the approval for this project, we have enabled the County Council to plan for delivery of both the first phase of this, from the Maypole roundabout in Hedge End to Winchester Road, including a new roundabout and underpass to give a safe route to the new Deer Park Secondary School at Woodhouse Lane from Botley for pupils, and the second phase through to close to Botley Station.

Our second agreed fund, of £10m for west of Horton Heath, will now be part of the government’s accelerated housing delivery project and has expanded to £20m of support.

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Very few district councils have achieved this level of government backing. Eastleigh is trusted to get on with the job, and get results.

Community Infrastructure

I have touched on wider community infrastructure.

A few words about our town centres. These are changing. Local shops still matter, but retail now has to balance instore, out of town, internet, click and collect, and home delivery. We recognise that we have to adapt. Cllrs Paul Bicknell, with the Post Office in Eastleigh, and Cllr Ian Corben, with the former Budgens’ site at Hedge End, are working on projects where our acquisitions give us the opportunity to shape the future of our town and local centres, rather than react to what the market delivers itself. We will consider an Article 4 direction to limit office-to-flat conversions in key locations, and Cllr Derek Pretty is working with staff on bids for government assistance for our high streets.

As the focus of town centres moves more to leisure and food and beverage, we need to ensure our Arts offer remains not just attractive, but cutting edge. Having been successful in winning funding of £368,000 from Arts Council England, we will be able to bring forward a £0.5m capital project at The Point. This project will contribute towards studio theatre refurbishment, to design and implement improved lighting to the outside of the venue, to install digital engagement and output in the Foyer and creative spaces and for the refurbishment of backstage and public spaces at The Point.

We have taken forward, as promised, the study on Hiltingbury Lakes. This Local Area Committee project can now come forward this year, with restoration of improved water flows in the lakes and removal of non-native vegetation, improvements to footpaths and signage, and more. Funding generated from New Homes Bonus, thanks to accelerated delivery of new homes, is increasing ahead of our projections, and this will give us the funding for this and other projects. To ensure we speed this up and to avoid having to wait for a Cabinet Report, I am pleased to move an additional budget recommendation tonight, to allocate £125,000 from New Homes Bonus to match available local developer contributions.

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And we will ensure the Local Area Committee has the additional revenue support it needs for future maintenance, just as we have the Local Area Committee in Hamble for the library project at The Mercury, soon to open. From Hiltingbury to Hamble, and all places in between, we are putting communities first.

Policy

We have a wide range of wider policies to put in place over the coming year, aided by this budget.

On public health and on social policy, Cllrs Tonia Craig and Tina Campbell will be working on a range of campaigns to encourage more physical activity and fitness, tackling unhealthy weights and on social inclusion. It is still the case that many residents in areas of relative deprivation fail to access all of the services and support that is on offer. A “Make Every Contact Count” campaign will seek to ensure that we seek out areas we can help, so that the many not the few have access to the public services they need.

Government has accepted that Britain is now the laggard not the leader in Europe on waste recycling. Some additional funding is coming forward to encourage more residents to recycle food waste. We are the only council in Hampshire offering this service but it is not taken up by all homes. Cllr Rupert Kyrle will be working with staff on taking this initiative forward alongside emerging policies on single-use plastic items and a wider review of waste management. We all need to do more, and Eastleigh will be prepared to lead the way.

Improving air quality is in our “top ten” list of areas needing more attention. This again is an area where Britain has fallen far behind other countries due to lack of government support. It brings together our transport and environment portfolios and this, along with continuing support for public transport and initiatives on walking and cycling, will engage Cllrs David Airey and Rupert Kyrle.

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One long-term transport ambition we can now help bring forward is a cycleway, in parallel with the railway line, to link Hedge End, via Horton Heath, to Eastleigh. Our work on the west of Horton Heath project has already shown this as a local ambition: why not take 10 minutes to cycle the less than three miles from Burnetts Lane, instead of the 30 minutes to drive five miles? To think about bringing this in to the Horton Heath project, we need to start preparatory work: and so I am pleased this evening to allocate the necessary £40,000 to bring forward a range of technical studies to help make this project a reality.

Cllr David Airey also has on his plate the County Council’s determination that all residents’ parking zones should have charges of at least £50 for the first car and more for more spaces, in a very different approach to managing road parking spaces than has been followed for our town centre residents. Our aim will be to achieve the best results for our residents, not just the financial demands of the County Council.

Brexit

I really must conclude with a health warning.

We live in very uncertain times.

Standing aside from my own politics for one moment, I was most struck yesterday by the words of Heidi Allen on leaving the Conservative Party, acknowledging that the government has deepened divisions in our society when it had the power to fix them, and

“a Prime Minister bullied into submission by the ERG now dragging the country and parliament kicking and screaming to the edge of a No Deal abyss”,

and, “the United Kingdom deserves better”.

None of us know what will happen over the coming weeks.

All we have is the evidence that business is shutting up shop and leaving, taking jobs with them.

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That the trade deals we have relied on for decades are falling away. But, hey, we have a deal with the Faroes.

That we have uncertainty on supplies and services.

That the signs are of confidence seeping away from the housing market, from investment.

And that we haven’t really as a country prepared for an inevitability that was clear when the Article 50 process was started with no plan.

It makes it all the more vital that we prepare, as best we can, for all eventualities, with strong finances, protected services and a resilience that puts us in as good a place as possible.

Summary

In summary: we have strong finances, we have protected services, we are resilient.

We have achieved our goal of independence from government.

Our efficiency strategy is on course, our balances and future secure.

Our services are protected from cuts.

We are improving our infrastructure and delivering the affordable homes we need.

We have a commitment to keep Council Tax down, with by 2022 a record of real term cuts for 20 years in a row.

It is a remarkable record.

I commend this budget to Council.

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