Issue - meetings

To receive such reports as the Leader of the Council may wish to bring before the Council.

The Leader joined the Chairman in welcoming Members back to the Council Chamber following an extensive programme of works including appropriate and modern technology in an updated environment for Council Meetings, for formal meetings of the Coroner’s Court and increased use by others generating additional income for the Council.  The Leader extended his thanks to all involved for their hard work and successful delivery of the programme.

The Leader also placed on record his sincere thanks to all of Hampshire’s emergency services in keeping the public safe during the summer heatwaves, which underlined the importance of tackling climate change.  To this end, the Cabinet received a report in July evidencing positive progress in reducing the County Council’s carbon emissions during the first year of its Climate Change Programme.

Turning to the cost of living crisis, the Leader welcomed additional national funding to support families, older people and businesses, however much more help was required for the autumn and winter months.  The County Council was working alongside its partners to explore how it could continue to support residents, whilst pressing the Government to make additional hardship funding available to local authorities to enable the provision of help to those struggling with their household budgets in the colder months.

The Leader was pleased to report that the County Council, alongside district and borough councils and community partners had welcomed over 1,000 families into Hampshire through the Home for Ukraine scheme.  He extended thanks to all Hampshire residents who had opened their homes to those fleeing the conflict and hoped Hampshire hosts would continue to make their homes available to new Ukrainian residents in the coming months.  Anyone considering hosting a Ukrainian family can register their interest on the Government’s website.  Whilst the Local Government Association has called on the Government for increased payments to hosts, the County Council will be making additional payments of £200 per month for five months to help with energy costs over the winter period.

The details of Wave 1 devolution deals were published in August which included deals for York and North Yorkshire and for Derbyshire, Derby, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.  Both of these deals had a good amount of common ground with the Pan-Hampshire prospectus and their progress would be watched closely.  With the new Prime Minister and Cabinet appointments in place, re-engagement with Government on devolution would commence and a report would be considered by Cabinet in October.

In concluding his report, the Leader referred to the County Council’s Economic Strategy published in June and Hampshire businesses will be among the core partners delivering the Strategy.  The Leader was therefore pleased to have met many businesses and business leaders at the Farnborough Air Show and other events during the summer and was looking forward to meeting more people from Hampshire’s business community in the coming months.