Councillor Fred Birkett
Email: fbirkett@fareham.gov.uk
Council: Fareham
Council Profile: View on council website
Committees:
Activity Timeline
Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.
57 meetings · Page 1 of 12
Housing Advisory Panel - Thursday, 6th November, 2025 6.00 pm
Decisions from Meetings
97 decisions · Page 18 of 20
Partnership for South Hampshire - Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund Projects Inter Authority Agreement
From: Executive - Monday, 4th November, 2024 6.00 pm - November 04, 2024
To seek approval from the Executive to enter an Inter Authority Agreement to deliver Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund projects. The Inter Authority Agreement will help facilitate sustainable growth within the Borough, by enabling developers to purchase the mitigation required to achieve nutrient neutrality and, at a later point in time, Biodiversity Net Gain units. The Agreement is designed to mitigate the risk to the Lead Authority and provide a fair mechanism to cover the benefits and liabilities arising from the funds across the PfSH and catchment areas. In 2019, Natural England issued advice to Fareham Borough Council (along with most other authorities in South Hampshire), in respect of all new overnight accommodation (e.g houses, hotels, care homes). The advice highlighted the detrimental impacts of increased levels of nutrients derived from development upon Special Protection Areas, Special Areas of Conservation and RAMSAR sites within The Solent (often referred to as Habitat Sites) and the need to mitigate these impacts. Following this advice during 2019 and 2020, whilst the Council was seeking to identify a solution, the Council was only able to issue very few planning permissions for developments containing overnight accommodation as when deciding planning applications, the Council has a legal duty to consider whether any impacts from new development are likely to have a significant effect upon Habitat Sites. Where the is no evidence that an impact can be mitigated, a permission cannot be issued. The agreed solution found was based on an offsetting approach. It was agreed that where proposals could demonstrate that an equivalent amount of nutrients could be prevented from the entering Habitats Sites elsewhere, then a development could be approved subject to a planning condition requiring the developer to demonstrate how the mitigation measure has been identified and agreed. This approach has resulted in a system of mitigation in the form of ‘credits’. The corresponding number of credits, equivalent to the impact of the development, are purchased from a third-party supplier prior to the occupation of the development. Such third-party mitigation schemes take the form of land being removed from agricultural use, and the land being used for alternative uses that limit nitrates entering the ground, including re-wilding and tree planting. This Council has presently identified three such schemes, (two on the Isle of Wight and one in the Winchester District) which can be used to mitigate the impact of nutrients arising from developments in Fareham. The Natural England advice affects local authorities in the Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH) area. In May 2023 Fareham Borough Council on behalf of PfSH provided an expression of interest to government for funding to provide local authority led nutrient mitigation solutions across The Solent. Funding of £9.6 million, was awarded from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in January 2024 to facilitate the delivery of nutrient mitigation across the Solent sub-region, this funding being referred to as the Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund (LNMF). Fareham Borough Council was identified as the Lead Authority in respect of the fund and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) associated with the requirements of the funding. To manage the relationship between the Lead Authority and the projects being delivered by the LNMF, an inter Authority Agreement (IAA) has been created to facilitate the partnership approach, manage and mitigate risks and ensure that shared benefits and responsibilities are able to be realised by authorities party to the agreement. To be able to benefit from the LNMF projects, PfSH authorities are required to enter the Inter Authority Agreement. This report explains the principles and responsibilities stipulated by the IAA and seeks authority from the Executive to enter it on behalf of the Council.
Recommendations Approved
Irrecoverable Debts
From: Executive - Monday, 4th November, 2024 6.00 pm - November 04, 2024
The report proposes the approval of the write-off of certain debts over £5,000 which are considered to be irrecoverable. Appendix A to the report lists the debts that are considered irrecoverable. Every effort has been made to recover the debts and, in most cases, there is no further legal action that can be taken.
Recommendations Approved
Food Safety Service Plan 2024-2026
From: Executive - Monday, 4th November, 2024 6.00 pm - November 04, 2024
To approve the revised Food Safety Service Plan 2024-2026 as required by the Food Standards Agency. The Food Standards Agency requires a detailed Food Safety Service Plan to demonstrate that the Council has adequate arrangements in place to meet its statutory responsibilities as a Food Authority. This should be updated regularly. The Agency has provided detailed guidance as to how the Plans should be set out and the information they should contain; the revised Plan meets these requirements.
Recommendations Approved
General Fund Revenue Monitoring 2024/25
From: Executive - Monday, 4th November, 2024 6.00 pm - November 04, 2024
The report provides comparative information on the Council’s revenue expenditure for the period for the first half of the financial year. Members are invited to consider the financial performance and any corrective action that may be deemed appropriate. The report provides summary information on the overall spending position against the revenue budgets in the current year, as set out in the following tables:- General Fund Budget 2024/25 Budget to 30 Sept 24 Actual to 30 Sept 24 Variation £000s £000s £000s £000s Service Budgets 16,096 1,532 904 -628 Non-Service Budgets -2,803 -33 -33 0 Net Budgets 13,293 1,499 871 -628 Revenue spending plans are currently showing a net underspend for the first half of the financial year. Any underspending achieved by the end of the year will reduce the need to call on the Council’s reserves for 2024/25 which was originally expected to be in the region of £404,200 when the base budget was agreed. There are a number of areas where spend is in excess of the budget and some areas are likely to continue to be overspent through to the end of the financial year. However, current forecasts against the base budget are predicting that the half-way position overall will continue to the end of the year. It therefore remains appropriate to continue to monitor financial performance closely over the remainder of the financial year to ensure that any slippage does not change this position or adversely affect the services provided to residents and customers. Commentary on the most significant variations is set out in the briefing paper accompanying the report.
Recommendations Approved
Seafield Park, Hill Head Mini-Forest project
From: Executive - Monday, 7th October, 2024 6.00 pm - October 07, 2024
To seek Executive approval for the planting of a Mini Forest on part of the existing public open space at Seafield Park. The proposal is to create a mini forest on part of the Seafield open space in Hill Head. The carrying out of the project will be funded by the Coronation Living Heritage Fund through the Hampshire Forest Partnership (Hampshire County Council). The project will involve undertaking the planting of native trees and shrubs with wildflower planting adjacent, on an existing area of mown grass. The project costs, including trees, materials and preparation will be met by the grant provided by Hampshire Forest Partnership. Fareham Borough Council will be responsible for providing the land, officer support and the long-term management of the Mini Forest. The Mini Forest tree planting proposal accords with the Council’s approach to strategic tree planting agreed by the Executive in September 2021 as part of the Council Trees Service Review.
Recommendations Approved
Summary
Meetings Attended: 57
Average per Month: 2.5
Decisions Recorded: 97