Rushmoor Borough Council Cabinet Meeting

March 11, 2025, 7 p.m.

This is a meeting of the Cabinet of Rushmoor Borough Council held on the 11th Mar 2025.

The last meeting was on 22nd Apr 2025. The next meeting is scheduled for 3rd Jun 2025.

Meeting Status
Confirmed
Agenda Published

Yes

Decisions Published

No

Minutes Published

Yes

Meeting Location

Concorde Room, Council Offices, Farnborough

Meeting Recordings

No recordings have been submitted for this meeting yet. If you have one, you can Upload a Recording

Agenda
Item Title Minutes
1 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Having regard to the Council’s Code of Conduct for Councillors, no declarations of interest were made.

2 MINUTES Minutes of Previous Meeting

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 11th February, 2025 were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

3 BUDGET MANAGEMENT - MONTH 10 Budget Management - Month 10 - Report No. FIN2508

The Cabinet considered Report No. FIN2508, which set out an update on the Council’s forecasted financial position for 2024/25, as at the end of January, 2025.

 

Members were reminded that the Council had a statutory obligation to set and maintain a balanced budget. It was reported that, in February 2025, the Council had identified a significant challenge to its future financial sustainability. Members were informed that the forecast outturn for 2024/25 was on track, with the full £740,000 savings requirement achieved for 2024/25. The level of external borrowing had reduced through careful cashflow management, which had delayed and reduced the need to borrow externally. It was confirmed that the overall reduction in the level of borrowing required in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy could only be achieved through capital receipts.

 

The Cabinet was pleased with the progress that had been made in addressing the Council’s challenging financial position and expressed gratitude to the finance team for its work in this respect.

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

 

(i)           the revenue budget forecast, as set out in Section 3.1 of Report No. FIN2508, be noted; and

 

(ii)          the virements, as set out in Section 3.12 of the Report, be approved.

4 DISCRETIONARY RATE RELIEF POLICIES - 2025/26 Discretionary Rate Relief Policies - 2025-26 - Report No. FIN2507
Discretionary Rate Relief Policies - 2025-26 - Appendix 1
Discretionary Rate Relief Policies - 2025-26 - Appendix 2

The Cabinet considered Report No. FIN2507, which set out two changes to discretionary rate relief policies that had been announced by the Government.

 

Members were informed that retail, hospitality and leisure businesses would continue to receive relief, which had originally been introduced in 2014, but that the level of relief from 2025/26 would be reduced on previous years. The other change related to private schools, that would no longer be receiving mandatory relief. The purpose of the report was to amend the Council’s existing Discretionary Business Rate Relief Policies to reflect the changes.

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

 

(i)           the amendment to the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Rates Relief Policy, as set out in Appendix A of Report No. FIN2507, be approved; and

 

(ii)          the amendment to the Discretionary Rate Relief Policy for charities, not for profit organisations and other specified organisations under the Localism Act 2011 to exclude private schools receiving Discretionary Rate Relief, as set out in Appendix B of Report No. FIN2507, be approved.

5 COUNCIL TAX SECOND HOME PREMIUM Council Tax Second Home Premium - Report No. FIN2509

The Cabinet considered Report No. FIN2509, which set out the proposed introduction of a Council Tax premium to be paid on second homes.

 

Members were informed that it was hoped that the introduction of a premium would encourage owners of furnished but unoccupied properties to bring them back into use. It was confirmed that the Council already levied a premium in respect of long term vacant properties that were unfurnished. It was reported that owners would receive at least one year’s notice of the introduction of the premium and that this period would provide sufficient time to make any appropriate changes. The premium would be applicable in respect of 98 properties in the Rushmoor area. It was confirmed that the premium would be introduced on 1st April, 2026 and not 1st April, 2016 as stated in the report.

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

 

(i)           the increase of Council Tax by 100% for second home properties from 1st April, 2026, as set out in regulations and in Report No. FIN2509, be approved; and

 

(ii)          the amendment to the long-term empty homes policy, to include changing an additional 100% to second homes, as set out in Report No. FIN2509, be approved.

6 CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY & ACTION PLAN 2025-28 Climate Change Strategy & Action Plan 2025-28 - Report No. ACE2505

The Cabinet considered Report No. ACE2505, which set out an update to the Council’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan.

 

Members were reminded that the Council had declared a climate emergency in June 2019 and that the Cabinet had approved a Climate Change Action Plan shortly after this. Since that time, the Council had been delivering a number of projects and programmes that had sought to mitigate the impact of climate change. The Cabinet was informed that the report provided details of revisions to the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan to cover the period 2025-28.The Action Plan now identified ten priority actions and these were set out in the report. It was confirmed that, in a change to earlier versions of the report, the use of UKSPF Funding to deliver climate change actions would be considered as an option. 

 

In discussing this, Members stressed the importance of the Rushmoor Climate Community Group in progressing the Council’s climate change response. The Cabinet expressed strong support for the updates to the Council’s approach in addressing climate change.

 

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

 

(i)           the Climate Change Strategy 2025-2028, as set out in Annex 1 to Report No. ACE2505, be approved; and

 

(ii)          the Climate Change Action Plan 2025-2028, as set out in section 3.3 of the Report, be approved.

7 EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

RESOLVED: That, taking into account the public interest test, the public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the under mentioned item to avoid the disclosure of exempt information within the paragraph of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 indicated against the item:

 

Minute           Schedule      Category

No.                  12A Para.

                        No.

 

74                   3                      Information relating to financial or business affairs

8 LAND DISPOSAL - FARNBOROUGH TOWN CENTRE Land disposal - Farnborough town centre - Exempt Report No. REG2502
Other items:
Item Title Minutes
0 THE FOLLOWING ITEM WAS CONSIDERED <br/>IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PUBLIC
Councillor Christine Guinness photo Committee Member Pride in Place / Neighbourhood Services Portfolio Holder
Councillor Christine Guinness

Labour

Present, as expected

View Profile
Councillor Gareth Williams photo Chairman Leader of the Council
Councillor Gareth Williams

Labour

Present, as expected

View Profile
Councillor Jules Crossley photo Committee Member Policy, Performance & Sustainability Portfolio Holder
Councillor Jules Crossley

Labour

Present, as expected

View Profile
Councillor Keith Dibble photo Committee Member Housing & Planning Portfolio Holder
Councillor Keith Dibble

Labour

Present, as expected

View Profile
Councillor Sophie Porter photo Vice-Chairman Deputy Leader and Healthy Communities & Active Lives Portfolio Holder
Councillor Sophie Porter

Labour

Present, as expected

View Profile
Committee Member Finance & Resources Portfolio Holder
Councillor Alex Crawford

LAB

Present, as expected

Committee Member Economy, Skills & Regeneration Portfolio Holder
Councillor Julie Hall

LAB

Present, as expected

Source
This meeting detail is from Rushmoor Borough Council website
Back to Cabinet
Sponsored – Ads help keep this service free and open. Registered users get a cleaner view — sign in to join them!