Meeting

To consider any items of business, other than those shown on this agenda and which, by reason of special circumstances to be stated at the meeting, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

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 consider the resolution referred by Council from its meeting held on 20 March 2025:

Council resolve to request Cabinet to:

1) Write to MP Luke Murphy and the Secretaries of State for Justice and for Health and Social Care to advocate for the decriminalisation of abortion;

2) Initiate work to investigate, in conjunction with partner agencies and organisations with policy responsibility:

a) What support might be required by Basingstoke and Deane residents who find themselves subject to criminal investigation or prosecution following pregnancy loss or abortion, and;

b) What support this Council and those agencies can reasonably offer to meet that need;

3) If necessary, consider a budget proposal from officers to accomplish this investigation and evaluation;

4) Thereafter consider implementation of any such support.

To consider the resolution of Council from its meeting held on 15 May 2025.

Council resolve to request Cabinet to:

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

2) 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.

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

4) Exclude from the scope of the HSRA scheme any shopping centres or retail sites that are solely owned or managed by a single entity — such as Festival Place and Chineham Shopping Centre — recognising that these are privately managed environments with distinct leasing strategies and operational frameworks.

To consider the resolution of Council referred from its meeting held on 15 May 2025.

Council resolve 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.

To consider the resolution of Council referred from its meeting held on 15 May 20205.

Council resolution and request to 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 within its remit 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.

This report seeks approval of the Future Economy Framework which will establish the foundations for economic development activities in the borough for 2025 to 2030 to help guide decisions and interventions to promote inclusive and sustainable growth.

Recommendation from the Leader of the Council

To review and consider amendments to Key Performance Indicators (KPI) ahead of the 2025/26 municipal year to ensure the indicators continue to enable effective monitoring of progress towards delivery against the Council Plan.

Recommendation from the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Service Transformation, Improvement and Performance

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