Minutes:
95.1 The Leader advised that he had also visited the Knife Angel and agreed with the Mayor that it was a very impressive structure which encouraged everyone to see. Since the last Council meeting Waverley, alongside Protect Dunsfold and the Good Law Project, had been successful in securing a judicial review against the decision to allow UKOG’s exploratory drilling works in Dunsfold. The Leader thanked the Waverley Electoral Services Team for their work preparing for the upcoming elections, and for attending the hustings at Godalming College earlier to talk to students about voter ID and what they needed to do to vote.
95.2 As it was the last Council meeting of the current administration, the Leader also took the opportunity to thank all Members, including those who had been lost over the past four years, and especially the Mayor, Cllr Williams and Cllr Palmer and the other Group Leaders of the administration parties for their commitment to the collective vision, and to the Leaders of the Opposition. Finally, he thanked all the officers and staff for their work to deliver the administration’s corporate agenda.
95.3 The Leader invited Executive Portfolio Holders to provide updates on matters not reported elsewhere on the agenda:
· Cllr Clark reported that the Executive Heads of Service were coming forward with business cases for greater collaboration between Guildford and Waverley. The Farnham Infrastructure Programme was moving towards implementation of some of the changes to Farnham’s town centre to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment and tackle traffic congestion and air quality issues.
· Cllr MacLeod provided an update on the status of Brightwells House and the very positive meeting held the previous week with stakeholders that had identified measures to resolve current issues and ensure that Brightwells House was properly restored. The Environmental Enforcement Team continued to deal with a range of issues including abandoned vehicles, fly-tipping and stray dogs. Finally, car parking income continued to improve and hopefully would soon be back to pre-pandemic levels.
· Cllr Marriott noted the connections between her Community Safety and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion portfolios, and the difficulty that any council had in addressing either other than by looking at and acting on internal policies. Cllr Marriott referred to the damning report on the Metropolitan Police published earlier, and emphasised how important it was that policies were acted on and promoted, and were not just an end in themselves. Waverley officers were active in Safer Waverley Partnership, and in the ongoing development of a new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy for Waverley. Cllr Marriott had also been discussing safety arrangements for officers and councillors visiting members of the public, and this was especially relevant with the pre-election period about to start.
· Cllr Mirylees was delighted to announce that the Council had been awarded a MEND grant of more than £734,000 by the Arts Council to carry out essential repairs to Wilmer House, home of the Farnham Museum. This had been a long-running issue and there had been many setbacks, but the council now would finally have the financial help needed to save this Grade One listed Georgian building that was of national and local importance. Cllr Mirylees extended thanks to all those in Farnham and across the borough who had supported the council’s efforts, especially the Farnham Maltings who had a great partner to work with.
· Work was nearing completion on two schemes in Farnham Park, with the improvement of sewage treatment, and re-surfacing and reconfiguration of the main car park. Work was progressing on the feasibility of delivering a pump track playground and bike area in the north-western corner of Sandy Hill; ten tenders had been received for the major pavilion refurbishment at Broadwater Park; and there had been a hugely positive response to the community survey on what people would like to see on the Broadwater Golf Course site.
· Finally, the council continued to deliver on obligations under the Higher Level Stewardship schemes on key protected countryside sites at Frensham Great Pond, Mare Hill, Blackheath Common, and the Lammas Land. The council also continued to undertake biodiversity improvement works across a number of other sites around the borough, with the Countryside Ranger Team supported by the countryside volunteers whose contributions saved the council around £79,000 a year in costs to outside contractors.
· Cllr Merryweather referred to recent enquiries from the Farnham Herald regarding the potential to offer 30 minutes of free parking in Waverley car parks: he noted that parking spaces were already at a premium at peak times, so encouraging more visitors could lead to disappointment; businesses valued ‘dwell time’ and there was a risk that available spaces would be taken by visitors who stayed briefly and spent little. Parking was already free in the evenings and on Sundays, and the estimated cost of such a scheme could be £4-500,000 per year, equivalent to 4% of council tax receipts.
· Cllr Merryweather noted his disappointment in the Spring Budget and the lack of support for key employment sectors within the borough including education and social care, budget cuts for active travel, and nothing for bus service funding.
· Cllr Townsend reported that work was continuing on schedule on the project to build a new energy efficient leisure centre in Cranleigh, and it would soon be possible to announce the outcome of the tender for the architect project lead and design team and energy specialist.
· In the light of the IPCC report published earlier, Cllr Williams reminded Members that the Council continued to take its climate emergency commitments seriously. He was grateful for the support of the Council in adopting the Climate Change & Sustainability Strategy and Carbon Neutrality Action Plan, and in the sustained opposition from the beginning to the plans to drill for fossil fuels at Dunsfold which had culminated in securing a judicial review of the proposals. He hoped that the outcome would be a legal precedent across the country that would ensure all new onshore fossil fuel resources stayed in the ground.