Test Valley Borough Council
Councillors:
43
Wards:
21
Committees:
17
Meetings (2026):
29
Meetings (2025):
92
Meeting
General Purposes Committee - Test Valley
Meeting Times
Scheduled Time
Start:
Thursday, 26th June 2025
5:30 PM
Thursday, 26th June 2025
5:30 PM
End:
Thursday, 26th June 2025
9:30 PM
Thursday, 26th June 2025
9:30 PM
Meeting Status
Status:
Confirmed
Confirmed
Date:
26 Jun 2025
26 Jun 2025
Location:
Conference Room 1, Beech Hurst, Weyhill Road, Andover
Conference Room 1, Beech Hurst, Weyhill Road, Andover
Meeting Attendees
Committee Member
Delivery Lead - Community Led Projects Portfolio Holder
Committee Member
Leader and Strategic Regeneration and Partnerships Portfolio Holder
Committee Member
Deputy Leader and Finance and Resources Portfolio Holder
Officer
Head of HR
Alex Rowland
HR
Expected
Agenda
1
Apologies
Minutes
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Adams-King, Z Brooks and Yalden.
2
Public Participation
Minutes
No members of the public had registered to speak.
3
Declarations of Interest
Minutes
There were no declarations of interest.
4
Urgent Items
Minutes
There were no urgent items for consideration.
5
Minutes of the previous meeting
To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2024.
Attachments:
- Document Minutes - 18 November 2024 18 Jun 2025
Minutes
Councillor P North proposed and Councillor Flood seconded the motion that the minutes of the previous meeting were an accurate record. Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried.
Resolved:
That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2024 were signed as a correct record.
Resolved:
That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2024 were signed as a correct record.
6
Staff Pay Award for 2025/26
To consider a full and final pay offer for 2025/26.
Attachments:
- Document Staff Pay Award for 2025-26 - Report 18 Jun 2025
- Document Staff Pay Award for 2025-26 - Annex 18 Jun 2025
Minutes
Consideration was given to a report of the HR Manager which recommended a full and final pay award for 2025/26 of 3.7% on all pay grades following negotiations with the trade unions in response to their pay claim for 2025/26.
For pay purposes, the council measures inflation as at February each year, so there is a consistent point when considering the pay award to compare against year to year. CPIH was 3.7% in February 2025.
Recruitment continues to be an area of focus across the sector as the pool of candidates, particularly in some professional disciplines, remains very competitive. Retaining pay in line with inflation has had a positive impact on the council’s ability to recruit across all pay grades over the years.
The following recommendation was proposed by Councillor P Lashbrook and seconded by Councillor Cattell. Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.
Resolved:
That the council makes a full and final pay award for 2025/26 of 3.7% across all grades with effect from 1 April 2025.
For pay purposes, the council measures inflation as at February each year, so there is a consistent point when considering the pay award to compare against year to year. CPIH was 3.7% in February 2025.
Recruitment continues to be an area of focus across the sector as the pool of candidates, particularly in some professional disciplines, remains very competitive. Retaining pay in line with inflation has had a positive impact on the council’s ability to recruit across all pay grades over the years.
The following recommendation was proposed by Councillor P Lashbrook and seconded by Councillor Cattell. Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.
Resolved:
That the council makes a full and final pay award for 2025/26 of 3.7% across all grades with effect from 1 April 2025.
7
HR Policy and Procedure Revisions
To consider changes to the Council’s HR Policies.
Attachments:
- Document DBS Policy Review - Report 18 Jun 2025
- Document DBS Policy Review - Annex 18 Jun 2025
Minutes
Consideration was given to a report of the HR Manager which introduced a new Criminal Records Disclosure and DBS Policy to replace an old Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) policy bringing it into line with current legislation and providing broader guidance around the disclosure of criminal convictions or potential convictions.
The Criminal Records Disclosure and DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Policy has been updated to provide current information to managers and employees regarding the disclosure of criminal records or potential criminal convictions, as well as DBS checks. This includes details of the types of checks available and when to conduct them. Employees are encouraged to inform the council at the earliest opportunity about any criminal convictions or potential convictions. This allows the council to offer support and proactively manage or mitigate any associated risks.
The following recommendation was proposed by Councillor P Lashbrook and seconded by Councillor Cattell. Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.
Resolved:
That the Criminal Records Disclosure and DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Policy, attached as an Annex to the report, be approved.
The Criminal Records Disclosure and DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Policy has been updated to provide current information to managers and employees regarding the disclosure of criminal records or potential criminal convictions, as well as DBS checks. This includes details of the types of checks available and when to conduct them. Employees are encouraged to inform the council at the earliest opportunity about any criminal convictions or potential convictions. This allows the council to offer support and proactively manage or mitigate any associated risks.
The following recommendation was proposed by Councillor P Lashbrook and seconded by Councillor Cattell. Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.
Resolved:
That the Criminal Records Disclosure and DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Policy, attached as an Annex to the report, be approved.
8
Appointments to General Purposes Sub-Committees
To appoint to the General Purposes Sub-Committees.
Attachments:
- Document Appointment of GP Sub-Committees 18 Jun 2025
Minutes
Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services which sought to establish General Purposes Sub-Committees to deal with appeals and ethics matters as set out in Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution.
The following recommendations were proposed by Councillor P Lashbrook and seconded by Councillor P North. Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.
Resolved:
1. That a Redundancy Appeals Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee be established comprising four members, and that Councillors Z Brooks, Burnage, A Dowden and P Lashbrook be appointed to the Sub-Committee.
2. That an Employment Appeals and Ethics Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee be established comprising five members, and that Councillors Adams-King, C Dowden, Flood, MacDonald and Yalden be appointed to the Sub-Committee.
The following recommendations were proposed by Councillor P Lashbrook and seconded by Councillor P North. Upon being put to the vote the motion was carried.
Resolved:
1. That a Redundancy Appeals Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee be established comprising four members, and that Councillors Z Brooks, Burnage, A Dowden and P Lashbrook be appointed to the Sub-Committee.
2. That an Employment Appeals and Ethics Sub-Committee of the General Purposes Committee be established comprising five members, and that Councillors Adams-King, C Dowden, Flood, MacDonald and Yalden be appointed to the Sub-Committee.
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