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Agenda and minutes

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Conference Room B - Civic Offices. View directions

Contact: Joanne Wildsmith CCDS Tel: 9283 4057  Email: joanne.wildsmith@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

37.

Apologies for absence

Minutes:

These had been received from Cllr Bosher for late arrival and from officers Claire-Upton Brown and Rimple Poonia.

 

Tobi Stidolph (Castle Road trader) had sent his apologies, but Albert Road Traders representatives Jenni Catlow, Peter Harriss and Sue McCombie were present.

38.

Declarations of Members' Interests

Minutes:

There were no declarations of members' interests.

39.

Minutes of Previous Meeting - 12 November 2014 pdf icon PDF 68 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the EDCL meeting held on 12 November 2014 were agreed as a correct record with the following matters arising:

 

i)                Cllr Hunt queried if Stephen Baily's report to the last meeting had been made widely available; this was being updated to be published on the website.

 

ii)               Event application form - David Evans, the Seafront & Events Manager circulated a draft copy of the revised application form which was 4 pages long so should be easier to complete.  His department processed over 200 applications a year (checking the necessary risk assessments and public liability were in place) and it was hoped that the revised version would be helpful to applicants. It could be used for small events and larger ones - for major events an accompanying event safety management plan was needed (relating to consultations with the police, traffic and licensing).  The smaller events would need more basic information for the applicants to get the agreement to run their own events e.g. celebration of Christmas Lights in Albert Road and the Daisy Chain events there.  If there was a need for a road closure this did however need a 12 week notice period. The traders representatives present welcomed this and that there was the ability to block book events for the year. It was noted that charitable events had a separate licensing requirement and the Seafront Manager explained that there is an exclusion zone on the seafront for charity collection tins.

 

This was currently out for consultation but it was hoped that this could

be in place by the end of January 2015. It was still preferable for the Events Team to be given 6 weeks' notice where possible. This would be made available online.  The panel members welcomed the simplified approach.

40.

Review - Revitalising local high streets and secondary shopping centre areas in the city

Witnesses for this meeting will be from Portsmouth City Council will include:

 

 

i)             Ed Woodhouse, Head of Revenues and Benefits - regarding business rates

 

ii)            Nikki Humphries, Licensing Manager - regarding licensing of events and the night time economy

 

iii)           Alan Knobel, Alcohol Strategy Co-ordinator (public health) - encouragement of health initiatives

 

iv)           Bruce Lomax,  Housing Standards Manager regarding use of empty units (also Chair of PCC's Eyesores Working Party)

 

v)            Paper from Jo Bennett, Leasehold & Commercial Services Manager (Housing Service)/Tom Southall, Corporate Asset Manager, regarding leasing of empty units

Minutes:

i)             Ed Woodhouse, Head of Revenues & Benefits - Business Rates and voids

 

Ed Woodhouse explained that reduced rated on empty properties could not be made locally as these were subject to legislation and not subject to variation or discretion.  He presented information to the panel regarding empty units in the city:

 

Empty retail premises (shops, restaurants and pubs) in 'shopping areas' as at 11th December 2014:

 

Albert Road

5

City Centre

13

Copnor Road

4

Eastney/Milton

4

Southsea Town (inc Elm Grove)

9

Fratton

7

Havant Road

3

Highland Road

6

Cosham High Street

5

Northend (inc Kingston Road)

20

 

The breakdown into the type of property empty in each postcode.

 

 

 

VOID

INDUST-RIAL

LAND

ONLY

LISTED

BLDG

RV <2600

TOTAL

EMPTY

PAYING

EMPTY RATES

PO1

80

6

5

10

40

141

57

PO2

51

6

17

0

8

82

48

PO3

11

23

7

2

17

60

27

PO4

25

6

2

5

5

43

18

PO5

33

2

1

1

3

40

30

PO6

55

32

3

0

26

116

67

 

Void is essentially shops, pubs, restaurants, other retail premises and offices.

Empty rates are not payable at all for land, listed buildings or for property with an RV of less than £2600.   These are classified in broad areas and there is a relatively low number of voids.  Members asked for further information on the breakdown of this information to the local shopping areas for which the Head of Revenues & Benefits would be sent the information on the areas covered by the review.  It was hard to compare this information with other local authorities who do not make this readily available.

 

It was further explained that empty property rates had an exemption for the first 3 months before they are payable in full by the owner/landlord (6 months for industrial properties).  There is also a 6 week rule whereby if units are occupied for less they are not eligible for exemption to be re-claimed for these shorter periods.  Charity and community owned units can be zero rated when empty and also had a 80% reduction on their business rates when they met the necessarily criteria for charitable status.

 

The traders representatives raised their concern regarding out of town landlords who do not have the same community spirit when considering the impact of these empty units on the local high streets.  Ed Woodhouse responded that there is a rateable charge on a property and the owner and landlord have a lease arrangement; the landlord cannot be forced to charge reduced rates to attract occupiers.  He had a team of inspectors who visited to check that units were empty and eligible to be considered as voids.

 

The Chair stressed that her earlier paper on the High Streets Conference and the report by the Head of Culture & Development had both raised ideas for bringing in cultural and community uses for empty units and making a lottery bid to facilitate this.  The panel's chair and vice-chair would be seeking  ...  view the full minutes text for item 40.

41.

Date of next meeting

Minutes:

The panel members felt that it would be beneficial to have an informal meeting in January to assess where they were with this review before considering inviting future witnesses to a public meeting.