Test Valley Borough Council Council Meeting

Prayers were led by the Reverend Wharton.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors K Brooks, J Budzynski, D Drew, A Gillies, R Kohli, and N Lodge.

Councillor C Borg-Neal arrived at 5:34pm, he did not participate in decision making until agenda item 6 – Empty Dwellings Council Tax Premiums.

No members of the public had registered to speak.

Councillor P Bundy declared an interest in agenda item 6 – Empty Dwelling Council Tax Premiums and left the room during consideration of the item.

Consideration was given to a report of the Leader which set out details of a joint submission, to be made by the local authorities in the Hampshire and Solent area to the Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution in relation to proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in the area.

The submission fulfilled the Government’s request for an interim plan for LGR to submitted to the Minister by 21 March 2025.

Councillor P North proposed and Councillor Flood seconded the recommendation.

Recommended to Cabinet:

That the submission to Government of the interim Local Government Reorganisation proposal for Hampshire and the Solent, as attached as Annex 2 to the report, be approved.

Consideration was given to a report of the Finance and Resources Portfolio Holder which recommended that a new policy which would reduce the timescales for charging the 100% premium for unoccupied and unfurnished dwellings from two years to one year and applied a 100% premium to dwellings which were no-one’s sole or main residence and had been substantially furnished for more than one year.

The premiums would act as an incentive to bring empty properties back into use, aligning with existing Council policies for housing and homelessness. It was recommended that premiums be charged on unoccupied dwellings from 1 April 2026.

Councillor Flood proposed, and Councillor P North seconded the recommendation.

Resolved:

That the Empty Dwellings Council Tax Premiums policy, as shown in the Annex to the report, be approved.