At tonight’s full council meeting there were lots of items on the agenda. Most of them were the usual financial items you get at this time of the year (review of interval controls, audit etc).

However, it was the items not on the agenda that garnered the most attention.

Early on into the meeting, I (Councillor Jack Davies) moved to suspend a standing order so that I could move a motion declaring the council’s support for Pride Month and the LGBT+ community in Lymington and Pennington. Following the Town Clerk checking the standing orders, a vote was held and the particular standing order was suspended.

I reiterated the wording of my motion, arguing that my motion was merely an expression of support for Pride and that more could be done for those residents of Lymington and Pennington who are members of the LGBT+ community in the future. Councillor Colm McCarthy seconded the motion and a vote was held.

After a slight hesitation from members of the ruling Conservative group, all members of the Town Council supported the motion.

During the public participation period, which occurred before the Pride Motion, a member of the public asked the council to erect 3 seats in Buckland in memory of former Mayor Mike Thorp, former town councillor Brenda Vincent and Dr Ivor Johnson. I support this proposal and hope that the town council take the request on board.

After the financial items on the agenda, the town councillors, district councillors, and county councillor were invited to give their reports.

I reported:

• On New Forest District Council, I have been appointed to the Housing and General Purposes and Licensing Committees.

• There is an upcoming boundary review that aims to reduce New Forest Councillors from 60 to 48.

• I attended a memorial on the Quay to mark 75 years since D-Day with Cllr Colm McCarthy.

• The 119 bus is back on a Saturday and that I enjoyed riding it into town.

• That I was contacted by residents concerned about extreme anti-social behaviour at the sports ground.

• Pennington Pavilion is being renovated.

I also asked what would happen to the funds earmarked from the Buckland Farm Access Fund for the Lymington Community Association if they can’t find the match-funding for the renovations. If the LCA can’t match-Fund, then the money will sit in the council’s earmarked reserves for the next 3 years and then a decision will be made about what to do with it.

It was also revealed that, once Hampshire County Council has drawn up a plan for changes to Pennington Square, the Town Council will go out to public consultation. This is expected in the Autumn.

The Hampshire County Councillor revealed that there is another round of cuts being forced on Hampshire County Council by the government. This time the council must cut £80 million from its budget. I asked if a change of Prime Minister might mean a change in policy on local government funding but the County Councillor wasn’t confident.

Overall, it was a fairly eventual full council meeting and I would like to finish by thanking everybody who attended!

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