Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Brand, S Clarke, Haywood and Young.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2025 as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2025, be confirmed.

To note any declarations of interests made by members in connection with an agenda item.  The nature of the interests must also be specified.

Members are asked to discuss any possible interests with Democratic Services prior to the meeting.

All Members of the Council had been granted the necessary dispensations to speak and vote on the Scheme of Members’ Allowances, the annual budget and setting of the Council tax for 2026/27, considered at minute no 70, 71 and 72.

Cllr A Wade declared, for transparency purposes, his employment by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority, a precepting authority in respect of the overall level of Council tax, considered at minute no 72.

Cllr J Davies declared, for transparency purposes, his employment by a taxi operator, subject to the Licensing Fees and Charges 2026/27, considered at minute no 66.

The Chairman reported on the civic engagements he had attended throughout the District and Hampshire as follows:

15 January

The Chairman had the honour of representing the district at the official opening ceremony by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal of the new SMART Centre South Coast Institute of Technology at Southampton Solent University.

18 January

The Chairman had attended an event at the Blue Apple Theatre in Winchester (part of the Minstead Trust), which had great performances from the large team of actors and singers with learning disabilities, who form part of the Hanger Farm Community Theatre group, based in Totton.

27 January

The Vice-Chairman had represented the district at the Mayor of Havant’s Holocaust Memorial Day commemoration. The service was focused on “Bridging Generations” and led by Honorary Alderman Ms. Leah Turner.  Cllr Penny reported that this provided a very moving account of life before, during and after the Holocaust.

29 January

The Chairman had visited Tools for Reliance, based in Netley Marsh, where he was given a tour of the facilities and had the opportunity to meet some of the volunteers. The organisation supported training facilities across Africa, as well as supplying tool kits for armed forces veterans retraining for jobs in the community.

2 February

The Leader and Chairman had attended the funeral with full military honours of the armed forces veteran Jim Justice. This was a very well supported event with many armed forces officers attending.  A great service, and a special and well deserved send off.

The Chairman had also represented the district at the New Forest Disability AGM which was well supported by their volunteers, officers, and residents.

11 February

The Chairman had attended the East Hants Civic Day held at Treloar School and College.  This was a massive development for 180 disabled young people providing sensory and educational development.

14 February

The official opening of Merceode Lodge Care Home in Marchwood, had been attended by the Chairman where he had the privilege of cutting the ribbon. A guided tour was provided by the Managing Director, Tim Buckley of the very impressive state-of-the-art complex.

21 February

The Chairman had attended the Town Mayor of New Milton’s charity afternoon tea party, which raised vital funds for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.

19 April - Civic Service

Finally, the Chairman reported he would be holding his Civic Service on Sunday, 19April at 3pm at St Wins Church, Totton.  He invited members to this important event and advised that an invitation would be sent out via email in the next week.

There were no Leader’s announcements.

Cllr J Davies declared, for transparency purposes his employment by a taxi operator.    

Cllr Tungate introduced the report and moved the recommendations from the General Purposes and Licensing Committee meeting held on 9 January 2026.  Cllr Reid seconded the motion.

RESOLVED:

That Council:

1.     Approved the proposed fees and charges for the financial year 2026-27 as set out in Appendices 1 and 2; and

2.     That the power to set the scale of fees and charges for Hackey Carriage and Private Hire Licensing, including to consider the objections made in respect of the proposed, fees, be delegated to the General Purposes and Licensing Committee.

Cllr Alvey introduced the report and moved the recommendations from the Audit Committee meeting held on 13 February 2026. Cllr O’Sullivan seconded the motion.

RESOLVED:

That Council approved:

1.     the Treasury Management Strategy 2026/27 to 2028/29 including the Annual Treasury Management Investment Strategy for 2026/27 (and the remainder of 2025/26), and the Treasury Indicators contained within, as provided in Appendix 1 be approved; and

2.     that authority is delegated to the Section 151 Officer, who in turn delegates to Hampshire County Council’s Director of Corporate Operations, as agreed in the Service Level Agreement, to manage all Council investments and borrowing according to the Treasury Management Strategy Statement as appropriate.

Cllr Alvey introduced the report and moved the recommendations from the Audit Committee meeting held on 13 February 2026. Cllr O’Sullivan seconded the motion.

RESOLVED:

That the Investment Strategy 2026/27 provided at Appendix 1, be approved.

Cllr Cleary introduced the report and moved the recommendations from the HR Committee meeting held on 8 January 2026.  Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.

RESOLVED:

That Council approved:

1.     the changes outlined to Bands 1 and 2 with effect from 1 April 2026; and

2.     the Pay Policy Statement 2026/27

PART I – ITEMS RESOLVED BY CABINET

Item 1 – Corporate peer challenge feedback visit final report

A councillor highlighted that there was a recommendation within the report was to consider ways to improve the scrutiny function.  It was felt that improvements should be considered which would be for the benefit of residents and the future decisions made by the council.  The Leader responded noting this comment.

Item 2 – Local Plan Review – Approval of spatial options and policy direction document

A councillor noted that at the Cabinet meeting, the Leader had implored residents and stakeholders to respond to the consultation.  The residents of Fordingbridge, in particular, were keen to express their views, but had reported of experiencing difficulties in completing the online consultation form.  It was asked whether any additional support or communication could be provided to assist those who wanted to respond to the consultation in order to make their views known.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy acknowledged that the online form required an account to be created in order for comments to be submitted.  It was possible to save the response, part way through and return to it at a later point.  The Portfolio Holder reported he would pass this feedback to officers.

Item 3 – Draft New Forest creative and cultural framework

A councillor welcomed the draft creative and cultural framework and congratulated officers on its production, recognising the hard work involved.  It was noted that the work arising from the framework would need to take place in partnership with others and this was supported.  It was recognised that there were good quality cultural organisations operating in the forest but that they needed monetary support.  It was felt that a budget needed to be identified in order to assist in bringing cultural events to fruition.

One other member also expressed support for towards the draft framework and expressed the view that it would open up funding opportunities. 

The Portfolio Holder for Community, Safety and Wellbeing reported he was pleased to see the approval of draft framework.  He noted the comment regarding funding had been raised at the Cabinet meeting and responded to by the officer in attendance.  He reported that the framework would help with simplifying the process in applying for funding and that it would benefit the residents of the New Forest.

PART II – RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL

Item 6 – Financial Monitoring report (based on performance April – December 2025 inclusive)

A councillor noted that the report cited a security incident which had occurred at Hardley depot and questioned whether there would be an opportunity to be given more detail at a future meeting.  This was so members could be provided with some reassurance that measures had been put in place to mitigate against this happening again, including at other council depots and also recognising that there was a financial impact.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate reported that the incident was a great concern and confirmed that the security  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70.

Ahead of the Supplementary Council Agenda publication, which will follow, the background Cabinet reports relating to this meeting can be viewed on the Council’s website at the following link:-

Agenda for Cabinet on Wednesday, 18th February, 2026, 10.00 am Council Services

PART I – ITEMS RESOLVED BY CABINET

There were no items resolved by Cabinet in this report.

PART II – RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL

Item 1 – Housing Revenue Account Budget and Housing Public Sector Capital Expenditure Programme 2026/27

The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Homelessness introduced the item and moved the adoption of the recommendations.  Cllr Cleary seconded the motion.

The motion was put to a recorded vote, the outcome of which was as follows:

Voting for: Cllrs Adams, Alvey, Armstrong, Blunden, M Clark, Cleary, Crisell, Cullen, J Davies, S Davies, Dowd, England, Frampton, Glass, Harrison, Hartmann, Hawkins, Heron, Linford, Mballa, McCarthy, Millar, Murray, Osborne, O’Sullivan, Parker, Penman, Penny, Poole, Rackham, Reid, Reilly, Richards, Rickman, Rippon-Swaine, Sleep, Thierry, Tipp, Tungate, A Wade, M Wade, Ward and Woods

Voting against: None

Abstaining: None

The recommendations were carried, 43 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstaining.

RESOLVED:

1.     that from 06 April 2026, an increase in dwelling rents of 4.8% from the 2025/26 weekly rent level, in accordance with Government guidelines, be agreed;

2.     that from 06 April 2026, an increase in garage rents of 4.8% from the 2025/26 weekly rent level be agreed;

3.     that from 06 April 2026, shared ownership property rents be increased in line with the applicable rent review provisions within each lease. For the eight properties held under leases allowing RPI+0.5%, an increase of 5.00% from the 2025/26 weekly rent level be agreed, for all properties which are subject to CPI+1% under the current model lease, an increase of 4.8% be agreed and the weekly rent of one property sold under previous legislation be agreed to increase by 4.8%;

4.     that from 06 April 2026 Service Charges will continue to reflect actual charges;

5.     that the HRA budget, as set out in Appendix 1 of the Cabinet report, be agreed; and

6.     that a Housing Capital Programme to 2028/29, as set out in Appendix 4 to the Cabinet report, be agreed.

Item 2 – Medium Term Financial Plan and Annual Budget 2026/27

The Chairman used his discretion to allow the Leader of the Council and the leader of the opposition groups only to exceed the time limit for speeches, for making their budget speeches. He highlighted his intention to attempt to facilitate one budget debate on the recommendations from Cabinet and any single alternative proposal, also at his discretion. However, should more than one amendment be tabled, he indicated that these would be dealt with one at a time.

The Leader of the Council introduced the item and moved the recommendations as proposed in the report of the Cabinet dated 18 February 2025. She also made a statement on the budget, a copy of which is attached to these minutes. Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group made a statement and moved an amendment in the form of an alternative budget. Cllr Millar seconded the amendment.

A copy of the alternative budget had been circulated to all Members and published as part  ...  view the full minutes text for item 71.

All Members of the Council had been granted dispensations to speak and vote on this item.

Cllr A Wade declared, for transparency purposes, his employment by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority, a precepting authority in respect of the overall level of Council tax.

The Council considered the Council Tax for 2026/27.

The Portfolio Holder Finance and Corporate moved the recommendations in the report.  Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.

The recommendations were put to a recorded vote, the outcome of which was as follows:-

Voting for: Cllrs Adams, Alvey, Armstrong, Blunden, M Clark, Cleary, Crisell, Cullen, S Davies, Dowd, England, Frampton, Glass, Hartmann, Hawkins, Heron, Linford, Mballa, McCarthy, Millar, Murray, Osborne, O’Sullivan, Parker, Penman, Penny, Poole, Rackham, Reid, Reilly, Richards, Rickman, Rippon-Swaine, Sleep, Thierry, Tipp, Tungate, A Wade, M Wade, Ward and Woods

Voting against: None

Abstaining:  Cllr J Davies and Harrison

The recommendations were carried, 41 in favour, 0 against, 2 abstaining.

RESOLVED:

The Council resolved the following:

1.     That it be noted that on 3 December 2025 the Council calculated the Council Tax Base for the year 2026/27, as set out in paragraph 19 of the Council report;

2.     To calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2026/27 (excluding Parish Precepts) is £15,746,890;

3.     That the amounts be calculated for the year 2026/27 in accordance with Sections 31A, 31B and 34 to 36 of the Local Government and Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011, as set out in paragraph 21 of the Council report;

4.     That it be noted that Hampshire County Council (including Adult Social Care), the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and Isle of Wight and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service have issued precepts for 2026/27 to the Council in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government 2 Finance Act 1992, for each category of dwellings in the Council’s areas as set out in paragraph 22 of the Council report;

5.     That the Section 151 Officer be given delegated authority to implement any variation to the overall level of Council Tax arising from the final notification of the Hampshire County Council precept; and

6.     That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at paragraph 21(h) and 22, the Council, in accordance with Section 30 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011), hereby sets the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2026/27 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings, as set out in paragraph 24 of the Council report.

To ask questions under Standing Order 22.  Questions received will be published ahead of the meeting.  (Members are reminded that questions must be submitted to Democratic Services by no later than 12.00 noon, Monday, 23 February 2026).

Questions were put and answered under Standing Order 22, as follows:

·       From Cllr Brand to the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Blunden, on the food waste collection service for phase 3 residents.

·       From Cllr M Clark to the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy, Cllr Tipp, on the number of conservation officers.

·       From Cllr Millar to the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy, Cllr Tipp, on flooding risk and mitigation.

·       From Cllr A Wade to the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Blunden, on assisted collection for the new waste collection service.

·       From Cllr Haywood to the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy, Cllr Tipp, on neighbourhood plan policies.

·       From Cllr M Clark to the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Economy, Cllr Tipp, on Hythe Pier repairs.

·       From Cllr Haywood to the Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability, Cllr Blunden, on vermin infestations.

Note: A copy of the full questions and replies are attached to these minutes.

The Leader of the Council moved the recommendation in the report.  Cllr S Davies seconded the motion.

RESOLVED:

That Sophie Sajic be appointed Strategic Director, Housing and Communities.

Cllr S Davies introduced the item and moved the recommendations.  Cllr M Wade seconded the motion.

RESOLVED:

That the amendments to Chapter 4/5 (Procedure for Removing and Replacing the Leader of the Council) (Appendix 1) be approved which:

1.     Removes the automatic trigger, following a change in political balance; and

2.     Clarifies the provisions for bringing forward a motion to remove the Leader, inclusive of a new threshold of at least one third of the total number of council members.

To consider any changes to the membership of Committees or Panels that might be proposed by the political groups.

There were no changes.