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Agenda and decisions

Agenda and decisions

Venue: Executive Meeting Room - The Guildhall

Contact: Joanne Wildsmith, Democratic Services Tel 9283 4057  Email: joanne.wildsmith@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies for Absence

2.

Declarations of Interests

3.

Record of Previous Decision Meeting - 12 March 2019 pdf icon PDF 72 KB

A copy of the record of the previous decisions taken at Cabinet on 12 March 2019to be confirmed as a correct record.

 

4.

Housing targets, housing supply and the Authority Monitoring Report pdf icon PDF 230 KB

The purpose of this report is to update Members on a number of issues regarding housing targets, delivery and supply.  This includes recent Government announcements and the implications for both the emerging Local Plan and the process for determining planning applications.  Those announcements have also enabled the completion of the Council's Authority Monitoring Report which assessed the operation of the current adopted Local Plan policies (including housing delivery) for the year to 31 March 2018 and seeks permission for publication of the report on the Council's website.

 

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

 

(1)  Note the issues covered in this report, and in particular the implications for the local plan and determination of planning applications;

 

(2)  Endorse the proposals to brief Planning Committee on the implications of these announcements for determining planning applications; and

 

(3)  Approve the publication of the Authority Monitoring Report on the Council's website.

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Cabinet:

(1)Noted the issues covered in this report, and in particular the implications for the local plan and determination of planning applications;

(2) Endorsed the proposals to brief Planning Committee on the implications of these announcements for determining planning applications;

(3) Approved the publication of the Authority Monitoring Report on the

Council's website;

(4) Endorsed the Administration's view that the Government's housing target of 863 homes per year be replaced by a local housing target that reflects the desire to cut the city's air pollution, the City Council's resolution to declare a Climate Emergency and the need for relevant transport infrastructure.

 

5.

Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) - revision to process of allocation pdf icon PDF 219 KB

Report by the Director of Finance & IT

 

The purpose of the report is to look at options for the process of allocation of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) neighbourhood portion where it relates to developments of city wide importance generating at least £1million in CIL.

Decision:

The Cabinet considered which of the two options was in the best interests of residents, considering the balance between retaining a proportion of CIL funding for significant developments within the Ward where it is generated versus the benefits of allocating that funding for City wide use, and favoured

Option 2:

i) Where the CIL generated by a development is at least £1m, the first £150,000 of the neighbourhood portion is allocated to the Ward in which the development sits (as is the case for developments that generate CIL of less than £1m) and the remainder of the neighbourhood portion is allocated for neighbourhood infrastructure that benefits areas including and beyond the Ward in where it was generated (as set out in section 4 and 5 of this report)

ii) That this procedure will take effect for developments commencing on or after 1st April 2020.

6.

Revenue Budget Monitoring Quarter 3 pdf icon PDF 300 KB

Report by the Director of Finance and Section 151 Officer.

 

The purpose of the report is to update members on the current Revenue Budget position of the Council as at the end of the third quarter for 2018/19 in accordance with the proposals set out in the “Portsmouth City Council - Budget & Council Tax 2019/20 & Medium Term Budget Forecast 2020/21 to 2022/23” report approved by the City Council on the 12th February 2019.

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Cabinet agreed:

(i)         The reduction of £2,500,000 in the Revised Budget 2018/19 arising from the approved Budget Amendment is met by the following:

 

a)         Reducing the Revenue Contribution to the Capital Reserve by £1,436,000 which, in turn, requires each of the capital schemes outlined in Section 5 to be reduced by the amounts shown

 

b)         A transfer from Portfolio Reserves (i.e. appropriation) of £1,064,000 as outlined in Sections 5 & 6.

 

(ii)        The resulting £2,500,000 increase is used to re-instate the Other Expenditure budget to meet the estimated loss arising from the disposal of Victory Energy Supply Limited

 

(iii)       Members noted:

 

(a)       A forecast overspend of £2,322,000 before further forecast transfers (from)/to Portfolio Reserves

 

(b)       A forecast overspend of £812,600 after further forecast transfers (from)/to Portfolio Reserves

 

(c)        That any actual overspend at year end will, in the first instance, be deducted from any Portfolio Specific Reserve balance and once depleted then be deducted from the 2019/20 Cash Limit.

 

(d)       That on 12th February 2019 City Council approved that any underspending for 2018/19 arising at year-end outside of those made by Portfolio's be transferred to Capital resources.

 

(iv)       Directors, in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Member, consider options that seek to minimise any forecast overspend presently being reported and prepare strategies outlining how any consequent reduction to the 2019/20 Portfolio cash limit will be managed to avoid further overspending during 2019/20.

7.

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Guidelines on Anti-semitism

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Guidelines on antisemitism

 

Council on 16 October 2018 resolved that the following notice of motion be adopted.

 

"This Council has always had a close and supportive relationship with the Jewish community in our city. Therefore, this council expresses alarm at the rise in antisemitism in recent years across the UK. This includes incidents when criticism of Israel has been expressed using anti-Semitic tropes. Criticism of Israel can be legitimate, but not if it employs the tropes and imagery of antisemitism.

This council fully supports the UK Government’s announcement on December 11th 2016 that it will sign up to the internationally recognised  

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) guidelines on antisemitism which define antisemitism thus:

 

“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.” The guidelines highlight manifestations of antisemitism as including:

To guide IHRA in its work, the following examples may serve as illustrations: Manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectively. However, criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic. Antisemitism frequently charges Jews with conspiring to harm humanity, and it is often used to blame Jews for “why things go wrong.” It is expressed in speech, writing, visual forms and action, and employs sinister stereotypes and negative character traits.

 

Contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:

• Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.

• Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.

• Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.

• Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).

• Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.

• Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.

• Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour.

• Applying double standards by requiring of it behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.

• Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.

16 October 2018 17

• Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.

• Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.

 

Anti-Semitic acts are criminal when they are so defined by law (for example, denial of the Holocaust or distribution of anti-Semitic materials in some countries).

 

Criminal acts are Anti-Semitic when the targets of attacks, whether they are people or property – such as buildings, schools, places of worship and cemeteries – are selected because they are, or are perceived to be, Jewish or linked to Jews.

 

Anti-Semitic discrimination is the denial to Jews of opportunities or services available to others and is illegal in many countries.

 

This Council welcomes the cross-party support within the Council for combating antisemitism in all its manifestations. Moreover, this council condemns anyone who seeks to amend the IHRA definition.

 

This Council hereby asks Cabinet to adopt the above definition of antisemitism as set out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and pledges to combat this pernicious form of racism. Council asks the cabinet to incorporate this within its procedures for equality impact assessment and asks the Employment committee and Governance & Audit and Standards Committee to include within the codes of conduct for councillors and officers."

 

The City Solicitor will give a verbal update on the procedures adopted.

 

RECOMMENDED that this definition of antisemitism, as set out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, is adopted, and that the Cabinet on behalf of the Council pledges to combat this pernicious form of racism.

Decision:

The Cabinet accepted adoption of the guidelines as set out by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and their definition of antisemitism.

8.

Sister City Link with Sylhet pdf icon PDF 102 KB

Report by the Director of Culture, Leisure & Regulatory Services.

 

This will consider a request to establish a formal Sister City link between Portsmouth and Sylhet in Bangladesh as proposed between the Leader of Portsmouth City Council and the Mayor of Sylhet City Corporation.

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Cabinet agreed that Portsmouth enter into a Sister City relationship with the Sylhet City Corporation and that the Economic Development Manager devise a formal work plan linked to operational economic development results which will benefit both cities.

9.

Forward Plan Omission - relating to Open Access to Youth Provision

At the time of publication of the agenda it was known that there was a forward plan omission for the item relating to Open Access to Youth Provision. This was omitted form the Forward Plan covering March 2019 published on 7 February 2019.  The Chair of the City Council's Scrutiny Management Panel has been notified.

 

RECOMMENDED that Cabinet note:

 

(1)       the omission to the Forward Plan for March 2019

(2)       the publication of the omission notice.

Decision:

Cabinet noted:

 

(1)       the omission to the Forward Plan for March 2019;

(2)       the publication of the omission notice.

10.

Open Access to Youth Provision pdf icon PDF 196 KB

A report by the Director of Children, Families and Education seeks to commission additional open access youth services in the city, building on and complementing the existing youth centres and adventure playground provision.

Decision:

The Cabinet agreed:

(1)       The City Council commission additional open access youth services for children and young people aged 10 years and older for a 2 year period in 2019/20 and 2020/21.

 

(2)       That £250,000 be released from the Environment & Community Safety Portfolio Reserve each year for two years to fund this.

 

(3)       That these services are commissioned from the voluntary sector, linking with the arrangements to promote 'Trusted Adult' relationships, funded through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, in line with the national strategy for tackling serious violence.

 

(4)       That the City Council helps to identify facilities which can be used by the voluntary sector providers to allow them to deliver this service.

 

(5)       That this project starts in the early part of the 2019/20 financial year.

 

11.

Trees - notification of work on trees on the Highway (information item) pdf icon PDF 92 KB

An information report by the Director of Finance.

Decision:

The Cabinet noted the protocol for public notification for proposals to fell trees on the highway, pavements and verges.

 

(This is an information item and is not subject to call-in)