Issue - meetings

The deadline for questions to be submitted to the Monitoring Officer is 14 April 2022.

The following questions were submitted.

Councillor Le Poidevin had submitted a question on the Chairman’s Community Awards, having submitted her apologies for the meeting a response to the question would be provided in writing.

Question from Councillor Mike Cox

On the 23^rd March 2021 the Council took the wise decision to stop the sale of the Car Park in Christchurch which borders Waitrose and the By-Pass to a Private Equity Company. The Councillors of Christchurch wished for this Car Park to remain in public hands.

Christchurch Town Council, with the support of Waitrose, have recently offered to purchase this car park for the same price, in order to protect and enable regeneration as part of the Town Councils Regeneration plans.

Will the Leader please ensure that this proposal is put on the forward plan and given proper consideration as soon as possible to protect the interest of Christchurch.

Reply from Councillor Drew Mellor Leader of the Council

Full Council have considered this matter recently and took the view that this is an important local asset and that will remain the position of this Council.

Councillor Cox as a supplementary question asked that if the administration did not want to sell the car park to Christchurch Town Council would they at least consider providing a long-term lease to Waitrose.  He reported that Waitrose has been trying to contact the Council and had been rebuffed. Councillor Cox asked can we please ensure that the interests of Christchurch and the preservation of that car park was undertaken as soon as possible.  In response Councillor Mellor referred to previous comments made by Councillor Cox.  He also reported that Councillor Cox had made reference to the price agreed which was a confidential matter.  Councillor Mellor indicated that he would be interested to know how the Town Council was aware of the price consideration. He reiterated that the matter had been considered by full Council and the administration wanted to stop the firesale of assets which was inherited and keep ownership of assets.      

Question from Councillor Vanessa Ricketts

I, and my Co-Councillor Margaret Phipps, have received a number of comments from members of the public in our ward regarding the behaviour of the Chairman of Planning Committee at the meeting of 8^th March 2022 when considering the planning application from Eco Solutions for a waste incinerator at Hurn (8/21/0207/FUL). Despite over 700 objections received, with further represented objections from Councillors not sitting on the committee, including myself, the application was moved for approval by the Chairman. Despite the Chairman initially stating that it was an “on balance application with lots of pros and cons” he then went on to speak in favour of the applicant, and the application, and stated that the benefits outweighed the negatives. At no point did he seek a proposal from any other Member of the committee, nor give anyone an opportunity to consider making a proposal, but merely led and proposed from the Chair.

The LGA Councillor’s Workbook  ...  view the full minutes text for item 154

The deadline for questions to be submitted to the Monitoring Officer is 14 February 2022.

The Chairman advised that there were now only two questions to deal with.

Councillor Mark Anderson proposed that the answers to the questions be provided in writing.  The Chairman indicated that there was a request to hear the responses, so he asked that they be dealt with.

Question from Councillor Margaret Phipps

Both I and a resident asked questions at Council on 14th September last year about why a deliverability score had been increased facilitating £70,000 being given to a speculative lagoon project in Hurn, as bounce back grant, when the lagoon does not exist.

You replied to me: “The team were quite clear that this proposed grant, which was to fund a planning application, which already had match funding, was clearly deliverable.”

You replied to the resident:

“The Council’s ED team in their screening of the grant applications prior to the judging panel, saw that the grant request was actually only to bring the scheme to submitted planning application stage ……..”

By specific invitation you attended a Hurn Parish Council Meeting on 11^th October. Present were Hurn Parish Councillors, my co-Ward Cllr. Vanessa Ricketts and a room full of Hurn residents.

One resident asked - is the money time limited?  You replied – the money is to be spent by the end of March 2022.  “The developer seemed very serious, I will be surprised if it is not a good application”.

The perception and understanding of every single person I have spoken to, public and Councillors, is that taxpayers bounce back grant money was given to this non-existent operation to fund a planning application, by the due date – the end of March 2022.  I now have in writing from the BCP Economic Development Team that this is not the case, and the money was only for phase one - to fund feasibility, landscaping and architectural studies and meetings relating to these.  Therefore the £70,000 went straight into a planning consultant’s pocket to deliver a few reports, not a submitted application as you said.

Can the Portfolio Holder explain why he said in public on numerous occasions that the score was changed, and grant money was awarded, to fund a planning application by the deliverable date - when it wasn’t.   In fact, it was to pay a planning consultant for a few reports for a speculative development proposal.   Why did he mislead, this Council, Hurn Parish Council and residents?

Reply from Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Development, Growth and Regeneration    

This question has already been answered at the Audit and Governance Committee and previously versions at Full Council. At all stages to be clear, the government guidance and local scheme was followed completely. The recipients of this grant are delivering on what they proposed to deliver, and full monitoring is taking place in line with the conditions of the grant award.

Councillor Phipps indicated that that the above response did not answer the question she asked, and she reiterated the question  ...  view the full minutes text for item 145