15 December 2025
NEW FOREST DISTRICT COUNCIL
Minutes of a meeting of the New Forest District Council held on Monday, 15 December 2025
* Cllr John Sleep (Chairman)
* Cllr Dave Penny (Vice-Chairman)
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Councillors: |
Councillors:
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John Adams * Alan Alvey * Peter Armstrong * Geoffrey Blunden * Hilary Brand Mark Clark * Steve Clarke * Jill Cleary * Kate Crisell * Sean Cullen * Jack Davies * Steve Davies * Philip Dowd * Barry Dunning * Jacqui England * Richard Frampton * Allan Glass David Harrison Matthew Hartmann * David Hawkins John Haywood * Jeremy Heron * Nigel Linford
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* Patrick Mballa * Colm McCarthy * David Millar * Ian Murray Stephanie Osborne * Alan O'Sullivan Adam Parker * Neville Penman * Dan Poole * Caroline Rackham Alvin Reid * Joe Reilly * Janet Richards * Barry Rickman * Steve Rippon-Swaine * Michael Thierry * Derek Tipp * Neil Tungate * Alex Wade * Malcolm Wade * Christine Ward * Phil Woods * Richard Young
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*Present
Officers Attending:
Kate Ryan, Alan Bethune, James Carpenter, Sara Hamilton, Richard Knott, Peter Matthew, Chris Noble, Daniel Reynafarje, Karen Wardle and Matt Wisdom
Apologies
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Adams, M Clark, Harrison, Hartmann, Haywood, Osborne and Reid.
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Minutes |
RESOLVED:
That the minutes of the meetings held on 25 September (Special meeting), 13 October and 3 November 2026 (Special meeting), be confirmed.
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Declarations of Interests |
Cllr J Davies declared a pecuniary interest in agenda item 5, Taxi Licensing Policy – Amendments to Appendix B, due his employment by a taxi operator, he reported that he would not comment or vote on this item.
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Chairman's Announcements |
The Chairman announced with sadness, the passing of the long-standing MP Sir Patrick McNair-Wilson. He had been the MP for the New Forest from 1968 through to 1997. The Chairman acknowledged that he had played a special role for so many at the meeting, representing the New Forest constituents with such commitment. He spoke on behalf of the Council, and placed on record the appreciation for Sir Patrick’s service and that thoughts were with his family.
Engagements
The Chairman reported that it had been a busy period since his last update on his civic engagements and spoke on the following:
Minstead Trust Showcase and Award Event
On Thursday 6 November, he had attended Minstead Trust Showcase and Award event which had been well supported by civic heads across Hampshire.
Remembrance Services
He had been honoured to represent the District at the Remembrance Service in Lyndhurst on Sunday, 9 November, along with the Leader, Cllr Jill Cleary. The Vice Chairman, Cllr Dave Penny had represented the District at the Totton Service.
Signing of the Armed Forces Covenant
On Monday 10 November, the Chairman reported he had had the pleasure of welcoming Deputy Lieutenant, Mr. Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre, to witness the signing of the revised and updated Armed Forces Covenant by himself, the Chief Executive and the Commanding Officer of 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Lt Col Tom Goodall MBE. Also in attendance were other senior officers from the Regiment along with some of our veterans. The new covenant reaffirmed the commitment to supporting the Armed Forces Community of HQ Solent Station. Special thanks were expressed to Anne-Marie Cranton of HQ Solent Station, whose dedicated support had been vital in maintaining the strong link with the Military at Marchwood.
Armistice Day
The Council held the annual Armistice Day commemoration at Appletree Court on 11 November. The Chairman reported he had attended this along with Cllr Cleary and 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, as well as staff where wreaths were laid at the flagpole. Thanks were expressed to Cllr John Adams for attending in full regalia to play the bagpipes during the event.
Solent Mind Annual Celebration Event
On Thursday 13 November, the Chairman reported he had attended Solent Mind Annual Celebration Event where Dr Lesley Stephens, from Hampshire & Isle of Wight NHS Foundation, gave a speech on the 10-year plan to revolutionise the operations of the NHS and the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprises. This was followed by a presentation from the Chief Executive Officer of Solent Mind, Sally Arscott, where volunteers, who had received support on their life issues, were now helping others. It was a very moving and well-supported event.
New housing development openings
On Tuesday, 18 November, the Chairman reported he had attended the official openings of the new housing developments at White House Way, formally Hythe Hospital and the following week Monday, 24 November, at Compton Road and Old Milton Road, New Milton, formally the offices of the Advertiser and Times. Both were amazing housing projects, and the Council should be immensely proud of them.
Other events attended included the Beaulieu Estate Dinner, at the invitation of Lord & Lady Montague and the Council’s long service awards. Cllr Penny had represented the Chairman, at the New Forest Brilliance in Business Awards along with Cllr Tipp, which he understood to be a great success.
Finally, the Chairman reported that the Vice-Chairman and himself had attended several Christmas Carol Services which had put them in the Christmas spirit and wished everyone a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year.
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Leader's Announcements |
The Leader reported that as the end of 2025 came to an end, the year that local government reorganisation began, she had looked back on some of the updates she had given and acknowledged the excellent work that members and staff had provided to residents.
This included the largest operational change with the new waste and recycling service, new housing developments, the launch of a community lottery, ongoing coastal maintenance, the championing of local businesses and youth skills, awarding essential grants to community organisations, planting hundreds of trees, and continuing the regulatory and enforcement activity that keeps residents safe and protects the Forest environment, this was just a small snapshot.
The Leader was also pleased that the corporate peer challenge revisit, one year on, found that good progress had been made with the improvements identified in the corporate plan. The team had also recognised the commitment of staff and the positive way they were delivering services for our communities. All work highlighted was down to the dedication and resilience of staff, frontline; service-based, and the staff in our corporate services teams who provide vital but often unseen work. She acknowledged that staff would carry this into 2026 and beyond and thanked them for the commitment they bring every day to help improve the district for residents.
And finally, the Leader reported of a special Christmas news story. The Freedom Leisure team would be distributing Christmas presents kindly donated by leisure centre users. This year the presents would be distributed throughout the New Forest to the Handy Trust, St Barbs holidays and activities food programme, Fair Share food bank, Youth and Families Matter and New Milton Youth Trust. The Leader reported that the fantastic initiative would ensure that a significant number of children would receive presents, who otherwise might not have done so. The Leader expressed her sincere thanks to Freedom Leisure and to the Portfolio Holder, Cllr Dan Poole for leading and supporting the amazing initiative.
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Taxi Licensing Policy – Amendments to Appendix B |
Cllr J Davies declared a pecuniary interest, due his employment by a taxi operator. He reported that he would not comment or vote on this item.
Cllr Tungate introduced the report and moved the recommendations, highlighting that the proposed amendments to the taxi licensing policy were in line with the Institute of Licensing’s Suitability Guidance and that no responses had been received through the public consultation.
Cllr Young seconded the motion.
RESOLVED:
That the updated Appendix B of the Taxi Licensing Policy be approved.
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Report of Cabinet - 5 November 2025 |
PART I – ITEMS RESOLVED BY CABINET
There were no speakers on items 1-2 resolved by Cabinet at its meeting on 5 November 2025.
PART II – RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
Item 3 – Financial Monitoring Report (based on performance April – September 2025 inclusive)
Part 1 – Recommendations resolved by Cabinet
A councillor spoke on the recommendations for Cabinet, noting that the report highlighted a shortfall in the projected income for car parking, and that it was expected that the variance would reduce by £29,000. This was due to the increase in fees and charges which would be introduced in January 2026. It was felt that each time the council increased car parking fees and charges, fewer people paid for parking and therefore it was suggested that they not be increased each year.
The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate responded, confirming that the target had not been met, however overall, there had actually been a net increase in income over the previous year. The Portfolio Holder reminded members that the short stay parking clock offered good value for money for car parking and was very popular.
Part II – Recommendation to Council
Cllr Heron introduced the report and moved the recommendations. Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.
RESOLVED:
That £1.5 million is transferred from the Budget Equalisation Reserve to the Local Government Reorganisation Reserve, with the previous approved delegation to cover this increased balance.
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Report of Cabinet - 3 December 2025 |
PART I – ITEMS RESOLVED BY CABINET
Item 1 – Medium Term Financial Plan – General Fund Update
The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate responded highlighting that the future was uncertain, however there continued to be a need to plan for the long term and of the importance of sound financial management.
Item 2 – Medium Term Financial Plan – Housing Revenue Account
There were no speakers on this item.
Item 3 – Allocation of community infrastructure levy (CIL) to local infrastructure projects
A member sought clarity on whether the District Council or the new unitary authority would determine the bids for the 2027/28 financial year, when applications would be invited in spring 2026. A member highlighted that a two-month window for submission of applications was not a long period of time and it was suggested that officers work and consult with potential applicants to ensure that anyone wishing to apply was able to do so.
Another member expressed the view that as CIL receipts related to developments in the district, that this money should be spent within the district towards projects to benefit the residents of the New Forest, rather than being passed to any new unitary authority.
The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy reported that it was the intention for CIL monies to be allocated and spent within the district and that should there be any unspent funds, they would pass to the new unitary authority.
Item 4 – Half Yearly Update Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report
A councillor highlighted that there had been a discussion at the last Resources and Transformation Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting regarding the rise in complaints, following the roll-out of phase 1 of the waste and recycling service. This was a single issue and therefore needed to be recognised. The next reporting period for complaints would include the roll-out of phases 2 and 3 of the waste service and that this should also be recognised. One member acknowledged that lessons had been learnt from the first phase of the roll-out.
The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate acknowledged the points made and confirmed that it was important to be careful when looking at the figures, to ensure that a single issue did not skew the report.
PART II – RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
Item 5 – Council Tax 2026/2027
Cllr Heron introduced the report and moved the recommendations. Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.
A councillor acknowledged that the report included the number of second homes in the district which had had an impact on the figures. Thanks were expressed to officers for calculating this.
Cllr Heron responded to this, reporting that last year the council tax base had been calculated using an estimate for the number of second homes in the district. The calculation within the report had been based on the actual number of second homes which had made a difference to the tax base outcome.
RESOLVED:
That Council approved:
1. The calculation of the tax base for the year 2026/27 of 74,305.8; and
2. Pursuant to the report and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by this Council as its council tax base for the year 2026/27 as detailed in paragraph 13 of the Cabinet report.
Item 6 – Council Tax Support Scheme, Council Tax Premiums, S13A Policy, Discretionary Housing Payments Policy and Crisis Resilience Fund
Cllr Heron introduced the report and moved the recommendations. Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.
A councillor highlighted that he had asked a question about the number of people who had been disproportionately affected by the last approved changes to the support scheme and payments policy but had not received a full explanation. Cllr Heron reported he would be happy to speak directly with the councillor outside of the meeting to ensure that he was provided with an answer to his query.
RESOLVED:
That Council approved:
1. The current Council Tax Reduction scheme continues from 1 April 2026 with no proposed changes;
2. The current application of Council Tax Premiums continues from 1 April 2026 with no proposed changes;
3. The S13A (1) (C) Policy be approved; and
4. The Discretionary Housing Payments Policy be approved
Item 7 – Lymington and Pennington Neighbourhood Development Plan, Examiner’s Report
Cllr Tipp presented the report and moved the recommendations, highlighting that the plan had been nine years in the making and congratulated the hard work of Lymington and Pennington Town Council in developing it.
A few members spoke in support of the recommendations recognising the time and work which had been put into the production of the development plan. They reported they were pleased to see it being taken forward and hoped that it would be supported.
RESOLVED:
That Council:
1. Noted the recommendations made in the Examiner’s Report (Appendix 1) into the Lymington and Pennington Neighbourhood Plan (Appendix 2 shows the submission plan);
2. Agreed the Examiner’s proposed modifications (including further minor modifications identified by the two planning authorities) and the NFDC responses to them as set out in the Decision Statement (Appendix 3); and
3. Subject to the separate agreement of the New Forest National Park Authority, agree for officers to make the necessary arrangements for the Lymington and Pennington Neighbourhood Plan to proceed to Referendum (the date of the referendum is anticipated to be towards the end of January 2026).
Item 8 – Waste Service Budgetary Position
Cllr Blunden introduced the report and moved the recommendations. Cllr Blunden reported that it detailed the current position on the roll out of the council’s new waste collection service and the steps needed to maintain its success. The service had been delivering clear environmental benefits including improved recycling rates and a reduction in littering. It was essential to continue to meet the statutory obligations under the Environment Act 2021.
The Portfolio Holder clarified, there had been an updated confirmation of the bin manufacturing schedules and that the delivery of bins to households in phase 3 would commence in March, with the new service collections for residents commencing in early May 2026. This would see the whole district on a new modernised service which would see increased recycling rates, cleaner streets and be better for the hard-working crews.
The report addressed the operational challenges in the areas of the district where there was free roaming livestock, and it recommended making permanent the behind the gate collection policy for food waste caddies in these areas. The policy had proved effective in reducing animal interactions and safeguarding the reputation of the service. The report also sought the approval of additional funding to maintain the service continuity and the bring sites provision.
The Portfolio Holder reported that the recommendations included a commitment to a full review after the roll-out of phase 3 had been completed, set out in paragraphs 30 and 31 of the report. The review would also allow the consideration of wider approaches to collections in these areas in the future, including the bring sites and would be informed by data, financial modelling and operational experience. The recommendations were clearly financially significant, but they would ensure that the service remained resilient, environmentally responsible and legally compliant, while leaving scope for further consideration of longer-term operations once the service had bedded in.
Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.
Several councillors spoke about the waste hierarchy and the importance of education to reduce the volume of waste collected throughout the district. It was hoped that this could be considered through the proposed review of the service following the roll-out of phase 3.
It was questioned by one member whether the complaints received had been dealt with appropriately, recognising that there had been a back log with the roll-out of phase 1.
A councillor noted that a recommendation was to carry out a review following the roll-out of phase 3 and sought assurance that it would be carried out in a timely matter.
A number of members spoke about the roll-out of phases 1 and 2 and highlighted issues of concern, as well as the success of the roll-out, particularly with the roll-out phase 2 and lessons being learnt from phase 1. It was recognised that more resources had been put into the service and that residents in phase 3 would benefit from this.
A councillor raised concern about fly tipping, and the impact on bring sites, particularly with the next phase of the roll out which might increase the problem further.
A recommendation within the report related to a supplementary budget of £301,000 to support the management of bring sites. Further information was sought by one councillor to ascertain how this would be spent, in particular whether it would try to reduce the waste collected at the bring sites, possibly through education.
Cllr Blunden responded at the end of the debate and agreed with the points made on the importance of educating residents on waste reduction. He confirmed that the complaints received had been responded to. In relation to the review which was proposed to be conducted following the roll-out of phase 3, this would be carried out swiftly and any proposed actions would be implemented in a timely manner. Lessons had been learnt from phase 1 and this had been seen through the roll-out of phase 2 and it would continue in relation to phase 3. The problems around the bring sites and fly tipping were recognised. The data from the materials collected at the bring sites, suggested that they differed from those of fly tipping incidents, often relating to business waste. He reported that he would respond directly to the councillor who had asked for further detail on how the supplementary budget would be spent to support the management of the bring sites.
RESOLVED:
That Council:
a) Approved an additional £1.500m of annual budget to be added to the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan from 2026/27 onwards to maintain collection service continuity, bring site services and retain the collections of food waste containers from behind gates in areas open to free roaming livestock;
b) Approved an additional £967,000 to be added to the Council’s Capital Programme for 2026/27 to accommodate the purchase of the additional vehicles required to support Cabinet recommendation 1; and
c) Approved a supplementary budget of £301,000 to 2025/26 to support the continued bring-site service.
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Questions |
Questions were put and answered under Standing Order 22, as follows:-
· From Cllr Dunning to the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy, Cllr Tipp, regarding the development at Lymington Shores in Lymington and the footbridge.
· From Cllr Young to the Portfolio Holder for Community, Safety and Wellbeing, Cllr Poole regarding an update on the progress of the CCTV programme.
· From Cllr Millar to the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Blunden, regarding requests for smaller and larger bins as part of the waste programme roll-out.
· From Cllr McCarthy to the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Blunden, regarding the operational implications and the cost of switching to the “behind the gate” collection service to reduce incidents of animal interference with food waste caddies.
· From Cllr M Clark to the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate, Cllr Heron regarding the assumptions within the Medium-Term Financial Plan and the fair funding review.
· From Cllr Rackham to the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Blunden, regarding the bring sites and modelling work around behaviour change as part of the roll-out of the new waste service.
· From Cllr Cullen to the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Blunden, regarding assisted collections.
· From Cllr J Davies to the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Blunden, regarding a timescale for the upgrade of the public conveniences in New Street, Lymington.
· From Cllr A Wade to the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Blunden, regarding communication with residents in phase 3 of the roll-out of the new waste and recycling service.
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Notice of Motion |
The Chairman announced that in accordance with Standing Order 42.2 that he would allow the motion to be dealt with at the meeting, as he considered it to be convenient to the despatch of business.
In accordance with Standing Order 21, Cllr M Wade moved the following motion:
This Council Notes Associated British Ports have been holding public consultation meetings on their plans for their Strategic Land Reserve on Dibden Bay.
Dibden Bay has not been identified in this Council’s Current statutory planning document, the District Local Plan 2016 -2036, as an allocated site for port expansion. However, a decision on whether port operations can be expanded looks to be taken out of our hands on the basis that it is nationally significant.
This Council believes that the likely local impacts to the environmental sites on Dibden Bay along with being so close to our National Park outweigh the potential economic benefits. Notwithstanding this, the decision should be taken by locally elected Councillors.
Therefore Council resolves to write to the Prime Minister accordingly, urging him to give local people, through their local councillors, the final say and in doing so reminding him of his commitment to localism.
Cllr M Wade in presenting the motion, stated that that localism was the bedrock upon which all local government was founded. Local councillors had been elected by local residents to take decisions on their behalf, they knew the district, their communities and their residents wishes and concerns. Cllr Wade expressed the view that members of the planning committee, armed with their local knowledge, should be able to balance the considerations against the commercial, environmental as well as national and strategic factors as a regulatory body, to decide what was not only best, but legally appropriate for the area.
Cllr Wade explained the geography around Dibden Bay, that it was sited on the edge of the Waterside peninsular with Southampton Water on the east and the National Park on the west, with one road, the A326 running north to south, to South Waterside. Reference the environmental importance of the land on or adjacent to Dibden Bay, in that there were areas of formal conservation designation, a triple SSI on the site itself as well the Solent and Southampton Water SPA and RAMSAR site. It was also on the edge of the New Forest National Park Authority, which needed to be protected.
Cllr Wade spoke of the ABP proposal in 2002 for a container port which had been unsuccessful due to the environmental impact. ABP had since been developing a new proposal for its automotive business and that ABP currently handle over 820,000 vehicles per year. ABP wanted to expand its business at Dibden Bay to be the largest most important vehicle importer and exporter in Europe. It was highlighted that the majority of the vehicles would enter or leave the port by road, therefore increasing the traffic along the A326. Hampshire County Council was proposing a £187 million road improvement project to the A326. This was a complex project taking 3-4 years to be completed which would have a significant impact to traffic and cause delays to journey times.
Cllr Wade recognised the scale of that the proposal at Dibden Bay and that no district councillors would be involved in the decision. The motion sought to request that the application be determined by the district council rather than the government, using local knowledge and experience. Cllr Wade asked members to support the motion.
Cllr Dowd seconded the motion.
Cllr Tipp proposed a number of amendments to the motion. He explained that local councillors could not make a decision on the proposal due to the legislation, in particular the Planning Act 2008, requiring nationally significant developments to be determined by the Secretary of State. Cllr Tipp explained that he did not want wish to ask the Minster to change the law, which would be the only way that the decision could be taken locally.
Cllr Tipp also explained that paragraph 3 of the motion stated that the likely environmental impacts outweigh the potential economic benefits. Given that no environmental assessment had been carried out to date, it was not possible to make a judgement without all the evidence and therefore he proposed that the wording of the motion be amended to reflect this. Cllr Tipp also proposed a number of other the amendments to the motion, set out below. These were circulated to all members by email as well as displayed on the screens in the council chamber, as follows:
This Council Notes
Associated British Ports haves been holding
public consultation meetings on their plans for their Strategic
Land Reserve onat Dibden Bay.
Dibden Bay has
not been identified in this Council’s Current statutory
planning document, the District Local Plan 2016 -2036, as an
allocated site for port expansion. However, a decision on whether
port operations can be expanded looks to be taken out of our hands
on the basis that it is nationally significant.
The Council’s current statutory planning document, the District Local Plan 2016–2036, acknowledges Dibden Bay as ABP’s Strategic Land Reserve but does not allocate the site for port expansion.
Planning law and our adopted Local Plan make clear that any proposal for port-related development at Dibden Bay would constitute a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and therefore be determined by the Secretary of State, not this Council.
This Council
believes that the likely local impacts to the on
internationally designated environmental sites
aton Dibden Bay, combined with its proximity to
the along with being so close to our New Forest
National Park, must be fully considered in any decision-making
process outweigh the potential economic benefits.
Notwithstanding this, the decision should be taken by locally
elected Councillors.
Therefore, this
Council resolves to write to the Secretary of State and
the Prime Minister, accordingly, urging
himthem to ensure that give
local views are given significant weight in the
examination process, and people, through their local
councillors, the final say and in doing so reminding him
them of histheir Government’s stated
commitment to localism.
Cllr S Davies seconded the amendments to the motion.
Those who supported the amendment to the motion expressed that view that it allowed local people to be involved in the process and express their views, whilst remaining within the current legislation. It was felt that the Government should not be asked to change the law and that it was unlikely that any request to make a change would be successful. It was suggested that the amendment, was achievable, realistic and was the best way to support the local community and the area.
It was felt that the potential environmental impacts were acknowledged within the motion and that the area was recognised as being important and needed to be protected, particularly in relation to wildlife. Furthermore, it was highlighted that the detail of the application and the potential environmental impacts had not been quantified to date and therefore the amendment should be supported.
Those who did not support the amendment expressed that view that it supported the economy and local industry at the detriment of the local environment. Concern was expressed that the Secretary of State would not fully consider the views of the local community and that the district council was best placed to consider local views. Local members would also be able to consider all matters in any future application, including the impact of the development to residents, wildlife, pollution and flooding, for example.
It was felt that the proposed letter, whilst acknowledging that a change in legislation would be required in order for a decision to be taken locally, it was considered to be entirely appropriate and reasonable to ask the Prime Minister to do this. Members opposing the amendment, felt that it watered down the motion and did not support localism.
Put to the vote, the amendment was carried.
Members went on to debate the substantive motion.
In support of the motion, the view was expressed that the Nationally Significant Infrastructure process for decision making guaranteed that there be local engagement and that the decision would be taken considering the views expressed by local people, the needs to the area and the impact on the environment. It was therefore felt that the decision being taken by the Secretary of State addressed the concerns raised at the meeting.
In objection to the motion, it was further highlighted that the decision on any future application should be taken locally and that the motion had been weakened with the amendments. It was also highlighted by a councillor, that the motion had been brought forward having listened to the view of local residents. They had been concerned regarding the degradation of land at Dibden Bay and that there was no clear record on the state of the land at the current time. They were also concerned that their views would not be considered fully if the decision were taken by the government.
RESOLVED:
That the following motion be supported:
This Council Notes Associated British Ports has been holding public consultation meetings on their plans for their Strategic Land Reserve at Dibden Bay.
The Council’s current statutory planning document, the District Local Plan 2016–2036, acknowledges Dibden Bay as ABP’s Strategic Land Reserve but does not allocate the site for port expansion.
Planning law and our adopted Local Plan make clear that any proposal for port-related development at Dibden Bay would constitute a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project under the Planning Act 2008 and therefore be determined by the Secretary of State, not this Council.
This Council believes that the likely local impacts on internationally designated environmental sites at Dibden Bay, combined with its proximity to the New Forest National Park, must be fully considered in any decision-making process.
Therefore, this Council resolves to write to the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister, urging them to ensure that local views are given significant weight in the examination process, and reminding them of their Government’s stated commitment to localism.
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Allocation of seats and appointments to committees and panels |
Cllr Cleary presented the report and moved the recommendations. Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.
RESOLVED:
That Council:
1. Considered the allocation of seats to committees and panels in accordance with the principles set out in the report, and in doing so, agreed to the allocation set out in the table in Appendix 1, which proposed no change to the previous position agreed on 13 October; and
2. Appointed councillors to individual committees and panels, as identified in Appendix 2, for the remainder of the four year period ending May 2027.
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Date of next meeting |
RESOLVED:
That the Council Meeting scheduled for 6.30 pm, Monday, 23 February 2026, be moved to 6.30pm, Thursday, 26 February 2026.
CHAIRMAN