Meeting

The Chair will move that the minutes of the meeting be signed as a correct record. The only part of the minutes that can be discussed is their accuracy.

To note those councillors appointed by the Leader as Members of the Cabinet including the Deputy Leader.

Report of the Head of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer

To appoint Members of the Council to the following committees for the council year 2025/26 in accordance with the wishes of political groups, together with standing panels of substitute members:

1) Environment and Infrastructure Committee

2) Resident Services Committee

3) Resources Committee

4) Audit and Accounts Committee

5) Development Control Committee

6) Human Resources Committee

7) Licensing Committee

8) Standards Committee

9) Investigating and Disciplinary and Standards Appeals Committee

To elect Chairs of the following committees for the council year 2025/26 in accordance with the Committee Procedure Rules:

1) Environment and Infrastructure Committee

2) Resident Services Committee

3) Resources Committee

4) Audit and Accounts Committee

5) Development Control Committee

6) Human Resources Committee

7) Licensing Committee

8) Standards Committee

9) Investigating and Disciplinary and Standards Appeals Committee

Note: Vice-Chairs will be appointed by Committees at their first available meeting after the annual meeting of the Council

To make appointments to the following:

1) Joint Manydown Committee

To appoint 4 Members.

The membership to comprise of Cabinet Members and Members from the following wards: Kempshott and Buckskin, Oakley and the Candovers, Sherborne St John and Rooksdown, Winklebury and Manydown.

For information the current Members are Councillors Cubitt, Freeman, J Jones and West.

2) Crime and Disorder Joint Scrutiny Committee

To appoint 3 Members to a joint Scrutiny Committee (comprising Hart, Rushmoor and Basingstoke and Deane).

The membership to consist of 1 Conservative councillor, 1 councillor from the Independent Forum and 1 councillor from the Liberal Democrat Group

For information the current Members are Councillors Howard-Sorrell, Connor and Miller

3) PATROL (Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London) Adjudication joint Committee.

To appoint 1 Member.

For information the current Member is Councillor T Jones.

4) Hampshire Police and Crime Panel

To re-confirm Councillor McKay as the main representative on the panel and Councillor Basham as Deputy to the panel.

To make appointments to outside bodies. (As in previous years it is hoped that a largely agreed list of appointments will be available to Council on 15 May 2025, with votes only required where agreement has not been reached).

To receive and answer any questions from the public.

(Questions must be received in writing by Democratic Services no later than noon on Tuesday 13 May 2025)

To receive petitions.

(Notice of petitions must be received in writing by Democratic Services, no later than noon on Tuesday 13 May 2025)

Report of the Head of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer

Proposer: Councillor West

Seconder: Councillor Ibrahim

Across Basingstoke and Deane, long-term vacant commercial units are blighting our high streets and local centres. From our town centre to the retail hubs that form the centre of many of our neighbourhoods like at the Winklebury Centre, residents and businesses alike are frustrated by the lack of progress in bringing empty spaces back into use. Empty units damage footfall, drain confidence, and hold back our local economy. At the same time businesses and organisations are crying out for units that they can afford to lease, whilst high rent demands leave units across the town empty. People are tired of hearing that nothing can be done — it’s time to prove otherwise.

The Government’s High Street Rental Auctions (HSRA) scheme gives councils the power to act where landlords won’t. By becoming an adopter of this scheme, our council could take the lead in tackling vacancy, supporting small businesses, and injecting life back into our town and local centres. These powers can deter speculative rents and ensure retail spaces serve our communities — not sit empty for years.

This Council notes:

· The Government’s HSRA scheme enables local authorities to auction leases for commercial properties left vacant for over 12 months.

· Retail vacancies across Basingstoke and Deane harm local economic growth and community confidence.

· Key retail areas — including the Top of Town and district centres — continue to suffer from long-term empty units with little existing power for the council to intervene.

This Council believes:

· HSRA offers a vital tool to revitalise our high streets, support local enterprise, and create thriving public spaces.

· Persistent vacancies in core commercial areas undermine the future prosperity of our borough.

· Proactively bringing vacant properties back into use will foster a safer, more vibrant, and economically resilient community.

This Council resolves to request Cabinet to:

· Apply promptly to adopt the HSRA scheme, empowering intervention on long-term vacant properties.

· Prioritise action on retail units in the Top of Town and other key local centres, ensuring all the core retail areas in neighbourhoods across the borough are designated as part of the scheme.

· Develop a clear, strategic approach to HSRA implementation — engaging landlords, businesses, and community stakeholders to maximise impact.

Proposer: Councillor Bowes

Seconder: Councillor McCormick

Newman Court is a specialist unit providing care for older adults with a diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer’s, or cognitive impairment. Providing mental stimulation, through activities and socialisation it is also invaluable in providing much needed respite for carers. Over the years an aging population has meant there are almost insurmountable pressures on adult social care. Combined with years of austerity and cuts, havens like Newman Court are more valuable and necessary than ever, yet the County Council would have us believe the need is falling and it’s somehow ok to end funding as they attempt to fill the gap in their finances. They claim ending the funding for Newman Court, together with a similar facility, Chesil Lodge in Winchester, will “eventually contribute around £250,000”. A drop in their almost £98 million deficit ocean. Closing this facility will not save them from possible bankruptcy, it is a pointless short term non solution that will cost a vast amount more than any perceived saving.

Make no mistake, the need is not falling. Prior to the pandemic there was a waiting list. For 2 years after the pandemic, no new referrals were taken, and as a result the number of attendees is considerably less, for now. The need is, however, rising and unless Basingstoke is somehow bucking the trend of the rest of the country, if not most of the developed world, that is a trend that will only continue.

Council notes that:

· The day care service at Newman Court provides a vital haven for participants and respite for carers.

· That continuation and consistency of care are important for those with cognitive impairment.

· Suggested alternatives of similar care in Reading or Farnborough are impractical due to the interruption in consistency of care and the time and cost spent travelling.

Council believes:

· The closure of the facility at Newman House could result in the cognitive decline of participants and be detrimental to the mental health of carers.

· The closure of the facility could result in carers being unable to join the workforce due to lack of respite in their care of loved ones.

· Any savings made by removing funding for Newman Court day services will be far outweighed by the cost of providing possible full-time care for some participants and the mental health costs of carers.

Council Resolves to:

· Request cabinet to oppose the closure, taking reasonable steps in support of users of Newman Court to campaign against the closure (such as through the use of local media) and to write to the leader of Hampshire County Council to express our deep concern at the removal of funding for Newman House and request the reversal of this flawed plan.

Proposer: Councillor Tuck

Seconder: Councillor Conquest

Council Notes:

Our globally rare and ecologically fragile chalk streams are exceptionally vulnerable to over-abstraction and habitat degradation, given numerous pressures from unabated pollution and accelerating urbanisation.

Within Basingstoke & Deane Borough, we are lucky to enjoy internationally recognised rare natural chalk streams including the River Loddon and River Test amongst others, which deserve protection and support. There is broad consensus among nature NGOs including The Wildlife Trusts and the World Wildlife Fund that the rarity and ecological significance of these streams should earn them a special protected status.

With only 14% of UK rivers in good ecological health and 0% in good chemical health, it is clear that our environmental laws and regulations need urgent revision. Water quality in chalk streams across the UK continues to worsen, with unabated pollution from our highways significantly disrupting the unique and fragile ecology of these rivers, with detrimental impacts for wildlife. Salmon, genetically distinct to southern chalk streams, are at a tipping point of extinction, compounded by deteriorating water quality.

Consultation with residents of the Borough has revealed significant concern about the increasing pressures of over-abstraction, wastewater pollution and road-runoff which degrade local rivers. They are concerned that new developments in the Borough will exacerbate these problems and place further pressure on the water supply.

While degradation of these precious waterways continues, there is hope in an emerging global movement of governments recognising the Rights of Nature, in particular the Rights of Rivers.

Rights of Nature is an innovative way to alter our relationship with nature – from one of dominance to one of interdependency requiring a respectful, holistic and empathic approach. The idea of extending legal personhood rights to non-human entities is not a new concept, with these rights already extended to corporations globally to provide distinct legal status from individuals within an organisation.

Residents are supportive of the Rights of the River framework and are eager to be involved with further efforts to clean up local rivers, valuing community engagement, education opportunities and citizen science projects to understand their local rivers.

The Universal Declaration of River Rights establishes that all rivers shall possess, at minimum, the following fundamental rights:

1) The right to flow,

2) The right to perform essential functions within the river’s ecosystem,

3) The right to be free from pollution,

4) The right to feed and be fed by sustainable aquifers,

5) The right to native biodiversity, and;

6) The right to regeneration and restoration.

Council recommendations and requests of Cabinet:

1) This Council recognises the growing global movement of ‘Rights of Nature’ as an important framework for modifying and improving its relationship with the natural environment.

2) This Council is committed to supporting our interactions with local rivers and chalk streams in the context of the ‘Rights of Rivers’ movement, through which the health of our waterways and native species can be maintained and improved.

3) This Council requests Cabinet to work alongside local communities and relevant stakeholders to ensure the implementation of the Rights of Rivers along our rivers and chalk streams. This will involve producing a ‘Declaration on the Rights of the River’ by relevant stakeholders to seek endorsement by the Council by Spring 2026.

4) This Council requests Cabinet to reaffirm existing Statements of Common Ground to ensure that partners legally responsible and accountable for monitoring, protecting and improving the standards and water quality fulfil their obligations at all times.

5) This Council request Cabinet to write to the Environment Agency (EA) to express the Council’s concerns about the poor ecological and chemical health of these rare and ecologically fragile chalk streams. This communication must require the EA to explain to the Council in detail how they have been, and how they plan to further protect and enhance our chalk streams.

6) This Council, in accordance with the Adopted 2016 Basingstoke & Deane Local Plan (2011 to 2029), Policy EM6 and its successors, requests Cabinet to:

a) Work in collaboration with all relevant agencies and stakeholders to safeguard and enhance water and habitat quality in our chalk streams.

b) Ensure that Strategic Planning will take account of the Rights of Rivers and chalk streams and that the Council will take all necessary measures to protect these ecosystems, including within the Local Plan review and its successors.

c) Within the scope of agreed policy, to request officers and the development control process to safeguard, where they are able, that individual planning decisions will take account of the Rights of Rivers and chalk streams, with any development proposals within a river catchment required, including consideration of the imposition of a condition of the planning process, to have no adverse impact on the health, water quality or ecological integrity, including no deterioration within band status, and to, where possible, deliver improvements.

To receive questions from members in relation to the minutes of the meetings detailed below:

Committee

Meeting Date

Human Resources

3 March 2025

Development Control

12 March 2025

Standards

17 March 2025

Cabinet

18 March 2025

Resident Services

19 March 2025

Council

20 March 2025

Resources

25 March 2025

Audit and Accounts

31 March 2025

Environment and Infrastructure

3 April 2025

Development Control

9 April 2025

Development Control

23 April 2025

To consider whether, in view of the nature of the remaining items on the agenda, any of them are likely to involve the disclosure of exempt or confidential information within the terms of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972