This week, Hampshire County Council held six meetings: the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority on Monday, the Hampshire 2050, Corporate Services and Resources Select Committee on Monday, the Universal Services Select Committee on Tuesday, the Children and Young People Select Committee on Wednesday, the Universal Services Select Committee on Wednesday, the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services Decision Day & Executive Member for Education Decision Day on Wednesday, the Hampshire 2050, Corporate Services and Resources Select Committee on Thursday, the Executive Member for Hampshire 2050 and Corporate Services Decision Day on Thursday, the Universal Services Select Committee on Friday.

The Hampshire 2050, Corporate Services and Resources Select Committee on Monday, the Universal Services Select Committee on Tuesday, the Universal Services Select Committee on Wednesday, and the Universal Services Select Committee on Friday were all cancelled.

This week, the most significant meeting was the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority on Monday. This is a joint committee composed of members from both the Isle of Wight Council and Hampshire County Council. The committee oversees the operation of the fire service in both regions. This week, the committee met to elect its leadership for the coming year, review the past year's financial performance, approve a number of new policies, and receive a number of updates from the leadership of the fire service.

Firstly, Councillor Reiley-Boorn was elected as the chairman of the authority. Reiley-Boorn has been a councillor for 30 years and has served on the fire authority for a number of years. He was nominated by an unnamed councillor and seconded by Councillor Roger Price. He will serve as the chairman for the 2024/25 municipal year. After his election, Councillor Reiley-Boorn said:

Thank you members. Thank you for your repeated confidence in me. I will do my best not to let you down and also more importantly the people of Hampshire and the other way because that's the reason we're here. So thank you.

Councillor Fran Carpenter was elected as vice chair, after a vote against Councillor Roger Price.

Then, the committee discussed the service's financial performance for the previous financial year. Catherine Edge, the Service's Director of Finance, noted that the service had underspent its budget for the year. Councillor Roger Price questioned Ms. Edge about a £811,000 overspend in the 'Supplies and Services' budget line. Ms. Edge explained that this was due to the cost of the Airwave radio system, and noted that the service may be entitled to a refund as a result of a Competition and Markets Authority case against the system's provider.

The committee then moved on to approve a number of new policies. These included the Health and Safety Policy and the Statement of Intent for 2024-25. The new Health and Safety Policy includes provisions to protect the safety and wellbeing of staff. The Statement of Intent is a statement of commitment from the fire authority to the Health and Safety Executive setting out how the authority will implement the Health and Safety Policy.

Councillor David Harrison, a Liberal Democrat member of the committee, queried whether the Statement of Intent had been dictated by central government. He said:

Chairman, is this central government telling us what you should pledge and what the chief officer should pledge, or have you had an agreement beforehand, an opportunity to decide that you will sign this? You know, instinctively, I always react against centralized control as if it was a communist state where we're told what we're going to do. It may not be quite like that, but I'd like some reassurance that there have been discussions and agreement that go on before we get to this stage.

Neill Dobson, the Chief Fire Officer of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, reassured Harrison, explaining that the service had significant freedom to determine its own policies.

The committee also discussed the minutes of the previous meeting of the Standards and Governance Committee. These minutes detailed the committee's work on internal audit, risk management and compliance with guidelines from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. The committee resolved to receive the minutes.

The meeting ended with the exclusion of the public and the press to discuss confidential items including the budget for the 2024/25 financial year.

The Children and Young People Select Committee met on Wednesday to discuss the Children's Services budget. The committee resolved to continue with the Task and Finish Working Group and agreed to amend the Terms of Reference to increase membership from eight to nine members. The revenue and capital budgets for Children's Services were also discussed. The Director of Children's Services highlighted the growing complexity of services and the increasing number of Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The Committee also discussed issues with the School Transport Service.

This issue was also discussed at the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services Decision Day & Executive Member for Education Decision Day on Wednesday. Here, the council discussed the introduction of Personal Transport Budgets. Personal Transport Budgets are cash payments made to families to allow them to arrange their own transport for children to school. Independent Travel Training was also discussed. Independent Travel Training is a scheme designed to help children with special educational needs learn to travel to school independently.

Finally, on Thursday, the Executive Member for Hampshire 2050 and Corporate Services Decision Day discussed the Hart Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). LCWIPs are plans produced by councils to improve cycling and walking provision in their areas. The Hart LCWIP was approved.

The Hampshire 2050, Corporate Services and Resources Select Committee on Thursday received its annual scrutiny report. The Hampshire 2050 plan is the county council's strategic plan for development up to the year 2050. The plan aims to promote sustainable growth, ensure environmental protection and strengthen community well-being. This is a similar document to the Local Plan produced by many councils, but it looks further into the future. The committee also discussed the council's productivity plan for 2024. Productivity plans set out how the council intends to improve its efficiency and delivery of services.

In the last 7 days (since Saturday 18 May 2024), the council has held the following meetings:

Executive Lead Member for Universal Services Decision Day & Executive Member for Countryside and Regulatory Services Decision Day - Monday 20 May 2024 Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee - Tuesday 21 May 2024 Leader and Executive Member for Hampshire 2050 and Corporate Services & Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Hampshire 2050 and Corporate Services Decision Days - Tuesday 21 May 2024 Appointment Panel - Wednesday 22 May 2024 County Council - Thursday 23 May 2024 Audit Committee - Friday 24 May 2024

The most impactful meeting this week was the Executive Lead Member for Universal Services Decision Day & Executive Member for Countryside and Regulatory Services Decision Day on Monday. This meeting focused on school improvements, cleaning contracts, and property maintenance.

Key decisions included the approval of a recladding project for Crookhorn College, Henry Beaufort School, and Hart Plain Infant School. This project aims to improve the thermal and environmental performance of these schools and is scheduled to start over the summer holidays to minimize disruption. Jackie Branson, Vice Chair of the Universal Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee, expressed her delight, especially as Chair of Governors at Crookhorn College, stating it would be a great improvement for the school.

The council also approved a spend for the cleaning of corporate properties. This contract aims to create efficiencies and streamline the administration and processes involved. Nick Adams King emphasized the importance of cleaning, quoting his first boss who said, the most important person in an office was the cleaner.

Additionally, the council approved additional headroom for the property term maintenance contract. This uplift is necessary due to inflation and changes in the estate since the contract was initially put in place. Nick Adams King highlighted the importance of this flexibility to react to changes in the estate.

Finally, the council discussed the scheme of delegation for land and asset transactions. The proposal aims to consolidate existing arrangements and make them more efficient and fit for purpose. Rachel Overton, Head of Estates, was present to answer any detailed questions, but none were raised by the members.

The Leader and Executive Member for Hampshire 2050 and Corporate Services & Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Hampshire 2050 and Corporate Services Decision Days on Tuesday also had significant discussions. The council approved the updated scheme of delegation for land and asset transactions and discussed the formation of the Hampshire Prosperity Partnership Board.

The updated scheme of delegation aims to streamline decision-making for lower-valued transactions by delegating them to qualified officers. This update aligns with the County Council's Strategic Asset Management Plan and financial regulations. The recommendation to approve the updated schedule of delegations was accepted without opposition.

The establishment of the Hampshire Prosperity Partnership Board was another key topic. This board was created following the integration of the Local Enterprise Partnership functions into the County Council. It aims to navigate skills, business, and economic benefits for Hampshire residents. A recruitment process shortlisted 14 candidates from 70 applications, and the final composition of the board was detailed in the report. An additional member, Paul West, Director at Calder Showers, was also approved.

Councillor Parker Jones raised a concern about the equality impact assessment, questioning whether the board would be reflective of Hampshire's diverse communities. Gary reassured that the appointment panel considered these factors to ensure a representative board. He acknowledged the challenge of representing all characteristics within a small board but emphasized ongoing efforts to address any blind spots.

Councillor Glen inquired about the scrutiny of the board's work, to which Gary clarified that the board would make recommendations to the executive member for Hampshire 2050 or the cabinet. These recommendations would then be subject to normal scrutiny processes.

The meeting concluded with the approval of the recommendations, including the addition of Paul West to the board. The chair of the board will be the leader of the County Council, subject to any changes in leadership.

The Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee on Tuesday, the County Council on Thursday, and the Audit Committee on Friday have not yet had their notes summarized. The Appointment Panel on Wednesday did not have a video broadcast available.