Meeting

Deputations by members of the public may be made on any item where a decision is going to be taken. The request should be made in writing to the contact officer (james.harris@portsmouthcc.gov.uk) by 12 noon of the working day before the meeting (so Monday 8 December 2025 for this meeting), and must include the purpose of the deputation (for example, for or against the recommendations). Email requests are accepted.

To receive and consider the attached report and noting recommendation from Cabinet held on 25 November 2025. The report has also been considered by the Governance & Audit & Standards Committee.

To receive and consider the enclosed report and recommendation arising from the from the Governance & Audit & Standards held on 24 November 2025.

Council to receive a verbal briefing.

Proposed by: Councillor Kimberly Barrett

Seconded by: Councillor Steve Pitt

The threat of the Aquind interconnector has been with Portsmouth since 2014 when the idea was first floated.

2018 saw the then Secretary of State confirm the interconnector as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP).

Between 2014 and today, there has been and continues to be huge uncertainty with this project. So far, all political parties on all of the Councils that would be affected have been as one speaking out about this disastrous project alongside our residents. We have also seen and have supported fantastic campaigning work from the Let's Stop Aquind group here in Portsmouth and Non a Aquind in France. We stand united that this interconnector will cause devastating damage not just to Portsmouth's environment but would also see gridlock in the city, loss of recreational space and general disruption to the east side of our city and further afield.

Although a former Secretary of State (Kwasi Kwarteng) initially refused permission for the £1.35 billion Aquind interconnector project , AQUIND Ltd challenged the decision, and in January 2023, the High Court quashed Kwarteng's refusal and asked for it to be reconsidered. Since that decision, we have had 5 different Secretaries of State and, to this day, no decision has yet been made by any them. This has left the people of Portsmouth, Winchester and Havant in limbo.

This Council acknowledges that severe concerns have been raised in 2024 by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) about the potential for the project to impede naval operations in Portsmouth. It also notes that concerns have been raised around issues with national security to do with this project. This shows that there are and continues to be major problems with the proposal and that this interconnector should not be allowed to proceed.

This Council notes that a letter, jointly agreed by Let’s Stop Aquind, Non a Aquind and the Leaders of Portsmouth, Havant and Winchester Councils has been sent to the relevant ministers in both Portsmouth and France and requests that the Leader publicly shares any responses he receives.

The Council reaffirms its opposition to the Aquind interconnector project.

Proposed by: Councillor Charlotte Gerada

Seconded by: Councillor Graham Heaney

This council notes:

i. According to Portsmouth's Community Safety Survey (CSS) 2024, the overall level of anti-social behaviour (ASB) experienced by residents has been fairly stable since 2013/14, despite a reduction in the number of incidents reported to the police.[1]

ii. ASB takes many forms, including rowdy and inconsiderate behaviour in public, loud parties and persistent noise, drunken or aggressive behaviour in public places, street drinking, misuse of loud vehicles, drug dealing/taking in public places, nudity, vandalism.

iii. ASB is one of the main issues residents, businesses and city institutions contact councillors and MPs about, with ASB hotspot areas often persisting for months and years. The issue is city-wide, with loud bike and vehicle racing in Portsdown Hill and Cosham, to issues of vandalism and ASB in many Southsea parks and high streets.

iv. Persisting ASB and vandalism is having a detrimental impact on local businesses, with many having to face the financial burden of replacing smashed windows, managing shop lifting and challenging behaviour. As a result, businesses are being forced to change their working hours, move areas or shut up shop completely.

v. Targeted intervention and collaboration does take place between the city council, police, MPs, Police and Crime Commissioner and organisations to tackle hotspots of ASB, but issues for many are still ongoing.

vi. The government’s recent investment boost to increase neighbourhood policing, to recruit 13,000 extra neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs by 2029, to restore local visible policing with a named, contactable officer for every neighbourhood. This additional resource has a focus on tackling ASB, shop-lifting and local town-centre crime. [2]

This council believes:

i. Persisting ASB hotspots are causing areas of the city to feel run down, unsafe and undesirable.

ii. That all residents have the right to feel safe and respected in their communities.

iii. Our local independent businesses are the bedrock of our communities and high streets and as a council and city, we should be doing all we can to make where they operate as safe and as welcoming as possible. ASB is bad for our local businesses and bad for the local economy.

iv. That tackling ASB requires a partnership approach that is visible, consistent, and rooted in the specific needs of each neighbourhood.

v. That prevention and early intervention are just as important as enforcement, and that education, youth engagement, and support for those at risk of offending are vital.

This council resolves to:

i. Ask the Transport, Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel to review the city’s current ASB strategy, report mechanisms, and partnership working, to bring forward recommendations within six months.

ii. Request that the Cabinet Member explores the potential forthe Corporate Communications Team to improve public communication around how residents and businesses can report ASB.

iii. Work closely with Hampshire Constabulary, social landlords, local businesses and voluntary sector partners to coordinate interventions and share data more effectively.

iv. Requests that the Cabinet Member explores the potential to pilot a “Respect Portsmouth” campaign, promoting civic pride, mutual respect, and support for victims of ASB, in partnership with local schools, community groups, and businesses.

v. Request that the Cabinet Member with the responsibility for Community Safety brings a progress report to Full Council within 12 months outlining measurable outcomes and next steps.

References:

[1] Portsmouth Community Safety Survey, Portsmouth City Council, 2024: https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/portsmouth-community-safety-survey-2024-exec-summary-aa-accessible.pdf

[2] £200 million boost to transform neighbourhood policing, Gov.uk, January 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/200-million-boost-to-transform-neighbourhood-policing

Proposer: Councillor Emily Strudwick

Seconder: Councillor George Madgwick

The current cross border taxi and private hire licensing framework allows drivers and vehicles licensed by one local authority to operate freely in other areas of England. This has created a national situation in which councils with the weakest licensing conditions attract the highest number of licence applications, resulting in what many in the sector now describe as a “race to the bottom” in safety standards.

Some licensing authorities have relaxed or removed key safety requirements, including in-vehicle CCTV, in order to attract applications and increase revenue. In contrast, councils such as Portsmouth, Southampton and Oxford have adopted stronger safety measures including mandatory CCTV, which has been proven to reduce crime and protect both passengers and drivers.

The 2015 Casey Report into Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council identified catastrophic failures in taxi licensing and safeguarding that directly contributed to widespread child sexual exploitation. The 2023 Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police Service highlighted continuing systemic failings in the protection of women and girls, underscoring the need for stronger oversight and accountability in all public-facing services.

Local licensing teams currently have no power to take direct enforcement action against drivers licensed by other authorities, even when those drivers operate routinely within this city. This leaves local residents exposed to risk, undermines public confidence, and prevents councils from enforcing their own standards. Some local authorities have now become large-scale national licensing hubs. For example, Wolverhampton City Council licenses nearly 50,000 drivers, of whom around 96 percent live outside the city.

Council notes that:

i. The Secretary of Transport has started an inquiry into licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles and has started consultation and gathering evidence.

Council believes that:

i. Public safety must always take priority over administrative convenience or revenue generation.

ii. The current cross border system has potentiallyfailed to protect passengers, particularly women and girls, and has undermined local democratic control of licensing.

iii. The absence of consistent national standards allows unsafe practices to continue and denies the ability of councils to uphold their own safeguarding responsibilities.

iv. It is unacceptable that authorities with low safety standards can profit from issuing licences to drivers who operate in areas with higher public protection requirements.

Council therefore resolves to:

i. Write to the Secretary of State for Transport and to the Local Government Association calling for urgent national legislative reform of taxi and private hire licensing, including the measures set out below:

· Introduction of a single national licensing database and identification system for all drivers and vehicles.

· Mandatory CCTV in every licensed taxi and private hire vehicle in England.

· A statutory requirement that all journeys must either start or end within the area of the licensing authority that issued the licence.

· Empowering local authorities to take direct enforcement action against any licensed vehicle operating within their boundaries, regardless of where it is licensed.

Request that the Leader of the Council writes to all Hampshire MPs and the Police and Crime Commissioner urging them to support the above reforms.

Publicly affirm this Council’s commitment to the safety of women and girls, and to ensuring that every passenger who enters a licensed vehicle in this city can do so with confidence and protection.

Proposed by: Councillor Matthew Cordy

Seconded by: Councillor Chris Dike

Portsmouth has seen a worrying rise in violent incidents involving knives in recent months. Last month, a man was seriously injured in a broad daylight stabbing on Tangier Road, following several other knife-related assaults across the city this year. Police data show Portsmouth continues to record higher rates of violent crime than both regional and national averages, and the Safer Portsmouth Partnership has identified an increase in knife-enabled offences among young people. Families and residents are rightly concerned about safety in our streets and neighbourhoods.

This Council believes:

i. Knife crime poses an urgent and unacceptable threat to our communities, and stronger action is needed to prevent further harm.

ii. Stricter sentencing for those found guilty of carrying or using knives unlawfully would act as a significant deterrent.

iii. Proactive policing, including the lawful and proportionate use of stop and search, can play an important role in keeping our streets safe, when implemented with transparency and community trust.

This Council therefore resolves to:

Write to the Home Secretary urging them to review and strengthen current legislation on knife crime, including the introduction of tougher sentencing for those convicted of carrying or using knives unlawfully.

Request that the Home Office provides additional funding and resources to Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary to support targeted operations tackling knife crime in Portsmouth.

Call on the Chief Constable of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, in consultation with the Police & Crime Commissioner, to consider increasing the targeted and intelligence-led use of stop and search powers in areas of Portsmouth where knife-related activity is most prevalent, ensuring such measures are carried out lawfully, proportionately, and with respect for community relations.

Support and expand community-led initiatives across Portsmouth that educate young people about the dangers of carrying knives and offer positive pathways, mentoring, and opportunities.

Proposed by: Councillor Steve Pitt

Seconded by: Councillor Darren Sanders

The Government has forced councils, including Portsmouth, to put in plans for Local Government Reorganisation.

These plans were not in the Labour party's 2024 election manifesto.

The proposals are being pushed forward by government without a local referendum.

When consulted by the Council, 82% of residents in Portsmouth said they wanted Portsmouth to stay on its own.

All the options being consulted on by the Government ignore the views of the people of Portsmouth.

All the options in the Government's consultation force Portsmouth to merge with other councils. This council condemns the contempt shown for the people of Portsmouth's views by this Government.

Evidence gathered by consultants KPMG, acting on behalf of 11 councils in Hampshire, including Portsmouth, shows that all the options would force Portsmouth council tax payers to shoulder a significant proportion of the large deficit in the revenue budget of Hampshire County Council, which will almost inevitably lead to tax rises and / or cuts to services in Portsmouth.

Council notes that at time of writing, the Leader has still not received a response from ministers to his most recent letter of 26th September, urging the government to exclude Portsmouth from its plans to reorganise local government.

This council therefore resolves to:

i. Support the Leader of the Council to write to our two Portsmouth Labour MPs to urge them to persuade the Government to listen to the views of local residents and to get these proposals dropped and not force Local Government Reorganisation on Portsmouth.

ii. Support the Cabinet in reiterating its stance that the Government's proposals are against the wishes of local residents.

iii. Ask Cabinet to do everything it can to safeguard existing services for Portsmouth residents in the future should Local Government Reorganisation be forced upon Portsmouth and to keep Full Council updated.

Proposed by: Councillor Simon Bosher

Seconded by: Councillor Spencer Gardner

Council notes:

The significant community concern raised by local parents, residents and local councillors regarding pedestrian safety on Portsdown Hill Road, including the well-publicised call from local mum Stacey Edmonds (who has now collected over 1,120 petition signatures) for the installation of a safe pedestrian crossing to assist pupils at Purbrook Park and Oaklands schools, parents with pushchairs, and bus users.

That there have been several recent pedestrian-related incidents on or near Portsdown Hill Road, reinforcing the need for proactive safety measures for both residents and schoolchildren.

That the Highways and Transportation Department is currently undertaking its established assessment process, including surveys and data collection, to determine the priority and feasibility of a new pedestrian crossing in this location. Council expresses its appreciation for this ongoing work.

That ward councillors are actively working with the Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, to explore additional road-safety measures, including advocating for the installation of a speed-enforcement camera on Portsdown Hill Road as part of a wider package of improvements.

Council resolves:

To formally support residents’ calls for improved pedestrian safety measures on Portsdown Hill Road, including the installation of a safer pedestrian crossing at the most appropriate location as determined by Highways and Transportation’s assessment.

To request that the Cabinet Member for Transport continues to work closely with the Highways and Transportation Department and ward councillors to ensure this location remains under active consideration and that the results of the current survey are reported to councillors and residents as soon as practicable.

To continue joint working with the Police and Crime Commissioner and other relevant partners to secure complementary road-safety interventions, such as speed-reduction or enforcement measures, to deliver a comprehensive improvement to safety on Portsdown Hill Road.

To thank residents, including Stacey Edmonds and Kate Farley for their constructive engagement and continued commitment to improving safety for children and families in the area.

Proposed by: Councillor George Fielding

Seconded by: Councillor Charlotte Gerada

Council notes:

i. Efforts to put more money in parents’ pockets will help ease the pressure on family budgets, and this Council will support all measures which help make this happen.

ii. Childcare affordability and availability remain major barriers to employment — especially for parents in shift-based roles across the NHS, Royal Navy, retail, hospitality, care and public services.

iii. The national expansion to 30 hours of government-funded childcare a week for eligible working parents, recognising it as an important step forward in reducing the cost of childcare, improving access to work, and supporting women’s participation in the workforce.

iv. That Portsmouth’s child poverty rate stands at 21.4%, rising to 46% in Charles Dickens ward. Child poverty directly impacts school readiness, attendance, attainment, and long-term life chances. That more than 9,200 pupils (33.4%) in Portsmouth are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), yet only 69% take them up—highlighting both poverty and structural barriers. Only 15.1% of FSM-eligible pupils in Portsmouth progress to higher education by age 19, compared to far higher rates for their non-FSM peers.

v. That over 16,000 children in Portsmouth could benefit from Government funded breakfast provision, according to local estimates, and therefore the Council will work with all primary schools to encourage participation of more schools in the next phase of Breakfast Club delivery ahead of roll-out to every primary school in England.

vi. The Government’s historic step in extending free school meal eligibility to all children in households on Universal Credit. This unprecedented step will put £500 back into families’ pockets and lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty, to break down barriers to opportunity and tackle the scar of child poverty across our country.

vii. The significant impact that scrapping the two-child limit in Universal Credit announced in the Autumn Budget will have on alleviating child poverty and putting more money in the pockets of some of Portsmouth’s most disadvantaged families.

viii. That Labour councillors, MPs and campaigners in Portsmouth have long argued for childcare reform, and therefore warmly welcomes increased investment in early years as a positive and necessary move.

Council believes:

i. That every child in Portsmouth deserves a fair start, including a nutritious breakfast and access to free, high-quality childcare, as requested in the government’s Best Start in Life strategy published in July.

ii. That universal access to free breakfast clubs avoids stigma, improves attendance and concentration, and provides a powerful tool to tackle child poverty and educational inequality.

iii. That childcare is essential public infrastructure—enabling parents to work, supporting gender equality, and boosting the local economy.

iv. That Portsmouth City Council should take proactive leadership to expand breakfast clubs, strengthen childcare provision, ensure families can access the 30 free hours, and advocate for long-term national investment.

Council resolves:

i. To welcome the recent expansion of early years provision for eligible parents and ensure Portsmouth families are fully informed about their entitlement and how to access it. This includes requesting that Corporate Communications actively promote this opportunity to council staff and the wider public through the council’s social media channels.

ii. To embed breakfast clubs and childcare expansion into Portsmouth’s Child Poverty Strategy, recognising these services as central mechanisms for reducing inequality and supporting economic opportunity.

iii. To publish an annual Childcare & Breakfast Provision Report to the Education, Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel, covering:

- The uptake of breakfast clubs;

- Free childcare capacity vs demand;

- Progress on delivering 30 free hours;

- Early-years workforce recruitment;

- Funding secured and allocated; and

- Measurable impacts on families and children