Agenda

To receive any apologies.

To authorise the signing of the minutes of the Council Meetings held on 15^th November 2023,  3^rd January 2024, 21^st February 2024 and 6^th March 2024 attached.

Matters especially brought forward by the Lord Mayor and the Leader.

To receive any requests for Deputations, Presentation of Petitions or Public Questions.

Verbal Report of the Leader of the Council.

(a)  Moved by Councillor Fielker

This council notes that in the lead up to a General Election the Household Support Fund has been extended for an additional six months, the lateness of the notification announcement and that guidance was not provided at the same time.

This council also notes that the Household Support Fund provides hardship support for the poorest households in Southampton who are most impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and that a failure to continue the fund after October or replace it with a more permanent crisis support system would lead to a surge in families unable to meet basic living costs in the winter.

This council resolves to write to the Leaders of the three largest political parties to ask that if they are in government following the election they commit to:

·  continuing to provide support to those most in need through hardship funds delivered by local authorities

·  that funds are distributed to local authorities based on need

·  that local authorities, who understand the needs of their communities best, are able to make local decisions on how those funds are distributed. 

that a multi-year commitment is made to enable local authorities to enable them to plan distribution in an efficient manner

(b)  Moved by Councillor Barbour, seconded by Councillor Wood

This motion recognises the River Itchen as one of the natural assets of our City and calls on the Council to ensure that commerce can thrive and that the balance between private and public access to the waterfront is maintained and improved. 

The banks of the River Itchen have been used for centuries for commerce. In recent years sites have been built on for residential flats. With the decarbonisation of electric production transportation now produces a greater percentage of CO2 than any other sector. Transportation by sea only produces 1% of the CO2 compared to by lorry for a given distance per tonne. There are businesses in Northam that currently use bulk transportation by water of scrap for recycling importing aggregate and cement for concrete production. This is carbon efficient transport and should be supported. There are limited locations around the UK where shipping and use of wharfs is possible. Southampton is one of these few precious locations. Shipping of materials also requires multiple locations around Britain to thrive. If we want this to remain a possibility for future generations we need to prevent the building of flats on these sites as once built the land and wharves effectively becomes unavailable for commerce. To reduce climate change we will need to make difficult choices. But we should not be jeopardising long term strategy, not only for Southampton, but the country as a whole.

For the wellbeing of the citizens access to the waterfront needs to be maintained and improved as its benefits for mental and physical health are well described. The Council needs to aspire to 40% of the waterfront being accessible by the public as an initial goal in the next 10 years with  ...  view the full agenda text for item 6.

To consider any question of which notice has been given under Council Procedure Rule 11.2.

To deal with any appointments to Committees, Sub-Committees or other bodies as required.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development detailing the transfer of Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) core function to Local Authorities.  

Report of the Leader of the Council seeking approval of the new Corporate Plan.

Report of the Interim Chief Executive seeking approval of the Pay Policy for 2024-2025.

To move that in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, specifically the Access to Information Procedure Rules contained within the Constitution, the press and public be excluded from the meeting in respect of any consideration of the exempt appendices to the following Item.

Appendix 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this report contains information deemed to be exempt from general publication based on Category 3 (information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding the information)) of paragraph 10.4 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules. In applying the public interest test this information has been deemed exempt from the publication due to commercial sensitivity. It is not considered to be in the public interest to disclose this information as it would reveal information which would put the Council at a commercial disadvantage.

Report of the Cabinet Member for Economic Development for the disposal and development of assets.

NOTE: There will be prayers by Fr. Anthony Chiatu Njingo in the Mayor’s Reception Room at 1.45 pm for Members of the Council and Officers who wish to attend.