Proposals to bring new attractions to Basingstoke Leisure Park and make it a great place to spend time, with green spaces and a range of free outdoor activities, have been drawn up by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
Led by the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Cllr Paul Miller, the borough will honour the service and sacrifice of the armed forces at two ceremonies next month.
Key support agencies will come together next week to offer help and advice to the borough’s Ukrainian guests and sponsors during an information event organised by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
The council has drafted a new parking strategy for our off-street parking provision which will supplement the Town Centre Masterplan and any other development proposals in Basingstoke until 2040.
Community and voluntary organisations across Basingstoke and Deane can now apply for grants to build their business and allow them to respond to changing needs in their communities.
Shoppers can support small and independent businesses at the popular Borough Basket Street Market in Basingstoke for the last time this summer on Friday.
Households in the borough will be contacted throughout August and September by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to ensure their details are correct on the electoral register as part of the annual canvass.
Together with our waste collection contractor Serco, we have taken the decision to start collecting bins earlier in the day – for the week commencing Monday 18 July - to reduce the risk of heat stroke and dehydration
The council is seeking your views on how the parks and open spaces towards the eastern edge of Basingstoke, could be protected and enhanced to provide a robust green infrastructure network for the future.
From Friday 25 March to Sunday 27 March, join the Love Basingstoke team for lots of interactive fun with your family and friends or spend the day exploring Basingstoke by yourself.
Celebrations to mark Her Majesty's Platinum Jubilee have begun in Basingstoke and Deane with a new tree being planted in the borough. The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Cllr Onnalee Cubitt was joined by distinguished guests on Friday 11 March 2022 to plant the Turkish Hazel tree near to the children’s play area in War Memorial Park.
Proposals to invest in frontline services and projects to shape the future of the borough while keeping council tax low have been agreed by councillors.
Cllr Simon Bound has been elected as Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s new Leader. At the Council meeting tonight (Monday 28 February), Cllr Bound, who has been Acting Leader since Cllr Ken Rhatigan stepped down at the start of February and was previously Deputy Leader, was voted in as Leader and announced his Cabinet.
The spring edition of our resident's newsletter Basingstoke & Deane Today is being delivered this week to homes across the borough. If you live in Basingstoke and Deane and didn't receive a copy by the end of the week, please let us know by emailing communications@basingstoke.gov.uk
You can read the newest edition online at https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/bdtoday
Arts and crafts, a children's disco and mindfulness storytelling sessions are just some of the fantastic family activities on offer this month in Basingstoke town centre.
Residents are invited to join the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Cllr Onnalee Cubitt for a spectacular one-off evening performance of Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘The Pirates of Penzance’.
Young people looking for exciting career opportunities are being encouraged to find out more about local schemes as part of a series of events during National Apprenticeship Week, which takes place between 7 and 13 February.
Two online engagement sessions later this month will launch consultation on the facilities a modernised Aquadrome could provide and how Basingstoke Leisure Park can be given an exciting and sustainable future.
A service to mark Holocaust Memorial Day will take place at 10am at the War Memorial, next to the Civic Offices on Thursday 27 January to remember those who suffered and died in the genocides, and those still living who lost family, friends and loved ones.
Two new grant schemes to support businesses that have been heavily impacted by the new COVID-19 variant have been launched by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
Garden waste collections are set to be temporarily suspended in Basingstoke and Deane owing to bin crew staff absences.
The difficult decision to delay restarting the fortnightly collections after Christmas comes following discussions between waste contractor Serco and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
Time is running out to have your say on budget proposals to invest in front line services and projects to shape the future of the borough while keeping council tax low.
This year there will be no changes to bin collection days as Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall at a weekend and the crews will be working on the bank holidays, unless adverse weather affects the service.
Show your support for small and independent businesses while enjoying a host of activities and free parking at council-operated car parks in the town centre to celebrate Small Business Saturday.
The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane is inviting residents to start the festive season on a high note by joining her for the return of the popular Mayor’s Carol Service.
Garden waste collections in Basingstoke and Deane are set to resume from Monday 15 November and in Hart from Monday 22 November as staffing levels begin to stabilise following the national HGV driver shortage.
Investment in front line services and projects to shape the future of the borough while keeping council tax low are proposals being put forward as part of setting Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s budget.
The borough’s skaters of all ages and abilities are invited to a free event to officially open the War Memorial Park skate park on Saturday 30 October from 12 noon until 4pm.
his year’s national Great Big Green Week, which highlights environmental issues and initiatives, takes place from Saturday 18 September to Sunday 26 September.
The show is set to go on when some of the borough’s best performers, including soloists, music and dance groups, return to The Anvil for the popular Basingstoke Variety Show.
Community spirit and joy will be celebrated at the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane’s Civic Sunday service which this year will be held at a new earlier time to encourage more people to attend.
With the summer holidays now under way and following the lifting of COVID restrictions, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is working closely with local organisations to host free family activities every Friday throughout August at War Memorial Park.
Community groups, residents and hirers of community facilities across the borough have until Sunday 15 August to share their views and help shape the borough’s future approach to facilities.
People are being asked to give their views on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s plans to get tougher on antisocial street drinking in the town centre.
The council is proposing to introduce a Public Space Protection Order for the town centre area to take a firmer stance on drinking-related antisocial behaviour and is asking people to have their say.
The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane has led borough tributes to His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, following the formal announcement of his death.
European Union citizens living in Basingstoke and Deane are being encouraged to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme before the deadline of 30 June 2021.
Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, European citizens living in the UK are required to apply to the scheme to continue living, working and studying in the UK after 30 June.
With Mother’s Day fast approaching, there’s never been a more appropriate time to show your loved ones - or anybody special - how much you appreciate them.
With shopping options for that special gift limited during lockdown, The Borough Basket is the perfect solution. An online marketplace for local independent businesses, more than 40 traders from across the borough have already signed up.
The spring edition of our resident's newsletter Basingstoke & Deane Today is being delivered this week to homes across the borough. If you live in Basingstoke and Deane and didn't receive a copy by the end of the week, please let us know by emailing communications@basingstoke.gov.uk.
Residents can now sign up to the Solar Together Hampshire scheme which offers high-quality solar panels at a competitive price with zero carbon emissions. It reduces household energy bills and lowers the carbon footprint at the same time. Find out more and register for free, with no obligation before Tuesday 23 March.
Testing kits are expected to start being handed out door to door in Bramley tomorrow. Hampshire County Council is working with the borough council, Public Health England and the Department of Health and Social Care to carry out the localised testing programme after a variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 was identified from a single positive test in the area. Residents are being urged to take the test to help research to better understand and prevent the spread of new variants.
Following the announcement of Captain Sir Tom Moore's death yesterday, The Union flag at the civic offices is flying at half-mast today (Wednesday 3 February), as a mark of respect.
The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane, Cllr Diane Taylor and Leader of the Council Cllr Ken Rhatigan have led tributes on behalf of the borough.
The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane has re-launched an English Civil War art and poetry competition for young people in the borough after it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Cllr Diane Taylor is inviting all schools and sixth form students in the borough to produce a piece of artwork or a poem relating to the Battle of Basing House in 1645.
Art entries for the competition can be in any form and should be inspired by Basing House and/or the English Civil War. The closing date is Friday 12 March 2021.
Enjoy free parking on Saturday 5 December and between 4pm and 7pm on each Thursday before Christmas if you use council-operated car parks in the town centre. You'll also be helping to boost support for local businesses in the run up to Christmas.
Free parking will also be available throughout December at the Lower Basing View car park.
Residents, local community groups, businesses and other organisations are being urged to have their say on a draft vision for the area north of junction seven of the M3 to help strengthen the final version.
This is your chance to have your say on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s plan to take local action to tackle climate change and air quality issues.
We want to make sure we take action that aligns with the views of our residents, communities and businesses so please take this opportunity to share your views – we can only achieve this together.
The consultation runs from Monday 5 October to Sunday 15 November 2020.
We’re updating our Local Plan which sets out where different types of future development will take place. We need your views on the key issues we will face and the options to address them to help shape how the borough should be developed over the next 20 years. Give your views before Monday 9 November.
People are being asked to give their views on the council’s plans to get tougher on dog owners who don’t clear up after their dog.
Evidence gained by the council demonstrates that dog fouling in public spaces is a problem across the borough and therefore the council is putting forward plans for a borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Order for dog fouling bringing tougher penalties.
The council is looking to improve wildlife and flora by managing green spaces and verges differently in the borough. We are exploring the opportunity to create a Biodiversity Improvement Zone for Hatch Warren and Beggarwood and have put forward several open space areas and verges to be cut differently during the growing season from April to September. A drop-in consultation event is being held on Monday 9 March from 4pm to 8pm at Hatch Warren Community Centre, Long Cross Lane for people to give their views or find out more, alternatively you can visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/hatchwarren-and-beggarwood-biz.
A new initiative which aims to give a voice to young people on issues that matter to them has been launched with support from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
The council’s equity loan scheme to help people get on the housing ladder - Basingstoke and Deane Own Home Loan – is now open for applications. Using £580,000 of council money allocated to provide affordable housing, Own Home Loan aims to support young people to buy a home with deposits of up to £30,000 per application. It is available to single people, couples and those with children who are on the housing register, with those who have been on the register for the longest time given priority. Priority will also be given to those applicants under the age of 35. The key difference to other loan schemes and a major local benefit is that it enables people to buy existing homes and not just new build homes. The deadline for applications is Friday 20 March 2020.
The Holocaust and other acts of genocide will be remembered in Basingstoke at a wreath-laying ceremony to mark UK Holocaust Memorial Day. The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Cllr Diane Taylor will lead the ceremony on Monday 27 January 2020 at 10am at the War Memorial, next to the Civic Offices. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
For the first time we'll be collecting real Christmas trees through the fortnightly garden waste service as a special festive offering to our garden waste customers. If you are a garden waste subscriber you can place your tree out for collection with your bin and/or sacks. Alternatively, you can take your Christmas tree to one of our collection points from Thursday 2 January to Sunday 26 January 2020.
New trees, benches and paths could all be included as part of improvements being made to Winklebury Playing Fields. Thanks to a funding boost of £27,500 from the Government for open spaces and parks, the council is proposing to create a new space to visit on the fields and is asking residents to give their views on what could be included.
The latest issue of our residents’ publication Basingstoke & Deane Today is being distributed to residents. This autumn edition gives an update on some of the things happening in the borough and information on services the council provides.
First time buyers looking to get on the property ladder in Basingstoke and Deane are invited to find out more at a free Help to Buy event.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council will host the information event, in partnership with Help to Buy South, at the Civic Offices on Thursday 26 September from 3pm to 8pm.
We're starting an exciting project to replace the popular skate park at War Memorial Park and provide better facilities for BMX bike riders and fans of parkour and free-running – and wants to hear residents’ views on what should be included. The project will provide better facilities in the park, behind Totally Tennis, for skaters, BMX bike riders and fans of parkour and free-running.
Sporty users of two popular borough facilities are to benefit from new energy-efficient lighting. The outdoor tennis courts at War Memorial Park and the games area in the Fieldgate Centre, Kingsclere, will receive upgraded LED lighting systems. This will mean big savings on electricity bills, better quality lighting and lower energy consumption.
Residents can now cut down on their paperwork and manage their council tax account and benefit claims online at a touch of a button. We've introduced a new 'self-service' area of the website where residents can log in to view their accounts and update their information from their smartphone, tablet or computer.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council have adopted a new transport strategy for Basingstoke. The Basingstoke Transport Strategy, which supports the developments in the Basingstoke and Deane Local Plan to 2029 and considers longer-term improvements needed beyond that time, was adopted at Council on Thursday 18 July.
Two of the borough’s parks have retained their position among the very best green spaces in the UK. Eastrop Park has been awarded Green Flag status for the 20th year running by the scheme while War Memorial Park has received the same award for the 12th year in a row. The Green Flag Awards are nationally recognised as a sign of quality, indicating that the parks have the highest possible environmental standards, are beautifully maintained, clean and safe, and have excellent facilities for visitors.
New collection days for residents’ rubbish, recycling and garden waste in Basingstoke and Deane and Hart are underway. Working with Serco, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hart District Council have changed waste, recycling and garden waste collections to reduce the distances bin trucks are travelling, revise the routes to incorporate new homes in the area and simplify collections for some residents so their glass and recycling is collected on the same day.
Local residents are being asked to help shape the redevelopment of the Basingstoke golf course site where approximately 1,000 new homes will be built. A consultation on the Basingstoke Golf Course Brief Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) is now open until Monday 5 August. It gives local people the chance to put forward their views on what is needed, including the type and size of homes, community facilities, transport, access, environmental quality, design and layout, before a decision is taken on the final document, due to be adopted in October 2019.
Budding artists from the borough enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside with professionals as part of this year’s Basingstoke Festival. Schools across the borough welcomed the chance, offered by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, to have an artist in residence for a day.
A new deputy chief executive with extensive experience in managing major infrastructure projects is set to join Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to guide key initiatives to ensure the area continues to be a great place to live and work.
Celebrate the borough’s parks and green spaces with a fantastic week of events to mark Love Parks Week. Lots of activities will take place until Sunday 21 July 2019 offering people of all ages the chance to play, explore, exercise and relax. Most of the programme is completely free of charge and includes bat walks, pond dipping, toddler walks, build a boat, parkrun, health walks, tennis taster sessions and cycle rides.
Festivalgoers of all ages enjoyed quality music, food, outdoor theatre and arts at the family-friendly B LOVE event on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 July. Local bands shone alongside national names and 370 community performers were stars of B AWESOME.
The council’s approach to protecting and enhancing the natural environment of the borough has been recognised at a national awards ceremony. The annual Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) Awards took place recently in London and the council was one of only three councils shortlisted for the Planning Authority of the Year Award.
Changing rooms at Basingstoke Rugby Football Club in Pack Lane will be transformed with a Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Local Infrastructure Fund grant of £147,900. None of the current changing rooms comply with current RFU standards and the communal shower room is inappropriate for the increasing mixed gender demand brought about by the huge increase in interest in girls/ladies rugby at the club.
Local residents are invited to join the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Cllr Diane Taylor at a community-spirited Civic Sunday service on Sunday 14 July. Dr Andy Taylor, the Mayor's Chaplain, will take the service which will feature music from the Sounds of Hope choir and soloist Chris Greenhalgh. Phil Norris, one of the leaders of Basingstoke Community Churches, will give a short address.
Work has started on a new headquarters for a major Basingstoke employer, thanks to funding from the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership and support through the borough council’s Invest to Grow Fund. One of the largest international pharmaceutical companies, Eli Lilly and Company, will move into a new 45,000 sq ft headquarters at Basing View from its current campus facility on Priestley Road in Basingstoke.
Environmental champions hit the streets on Clean Air Day to encourage drivers to put the brakes on idling. These clean air campaigners – officers from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and volunteers from Basingstoke Clean Air Campaign – were based at Alencon Link and outside Fairfields Primary School and Park View Primary School on the national awareness event Clean Air Day.
The eighth successive Basingstoke Festival has plenty of art in unusual places up its sleeve including street dance, flashmobs, street theatre, cinema in the park, ‘80s retro celebrations, live music, local history, B LOVE and visual arts.
Borough Mayor Cllr Diane Taylor marked the golden anniversary of twinning between Basingstoke and Alençon with a special visit to the French market town. A warm welcome was given to the Basingstoke and Deane Mayor and her Consort Dr Andy Taylor when they spent a weekend in the charming twin town, famed for its delicate needlepoint lace.
Stagecoach, Festival Place, students and local councils are joining forces to encourage residents to become part of the solution when it comes to air pollution. Young clean air champions from Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) are carrying out a pollution investigation at the Festival Place bus station.
Motorists can plug into a greener way of getting around Basingstoke and Deane thanks to the number of council electric vehicle charging points more than trebling. Five new points have been introduced in Eastlands and Parklands car parks, joining existing charging points in Central car park and Churchill Way car park and bringing the total number to seven.
Anybody interested in supporting vital work to restore the habitat at Wigmore Heath in Tadley is invited to a public meeting on Thursday 20 June. Many people showed interest in the project during a recent public consultation on declaring Wigmore Heath a Local Nature Reserve and the meeting, at Tadley Community Centre at 7pm, will give them the opportunity to show their support.
A Hampshire war veteran who won gold at the inaugural Invictus Games will be supporting Basingstoke’s annual flag-raising ceremony to mark Armed Forces Day next month. Former Royal Engineer Gavin Watson, aged 35, was discharged from duty due to medical circumstances – but won gold for Team UK in the Archery event at the Games held in London in 2014.
We have recently commenced work on an update to the Local Plan for the borough. As part of evidence gathering to inform the annual update of the SHELAA, we are undertaking a ‘call for sites’ for developers, landowners or other interested parties to let us know about sites that could be suitable for residential, employment or other development.
Basingstoke is proving once more that it’s punching above its weight when it comes to the digital sector, being named as among the top UK locations for investment in growing technology companies. The town has been named as the fourth best place for such investment, behind only London, Cambridge and Abingdon, with total deals worth £425 million between 2015 and 2018.
Drivers of taxis and private hire vehicles across the borough are being encouraged to go the extra mile when it comes to going green. A range of eco-friendly initiatives by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council are helping to drive change with the aim of reducing pollution and improving air quality.
Basingstoke and Deane’s new Mayor Cllr Diane Taylor and her Consort, Andy Taylor moved to the borough over 40 years ago as a young couple climbing the career ladder. But after four years living in Kempshott and 37 years in Oakley, any plans to move on have been ditched – they decided early on that Basingstoke was a great place to live, work and raise their family and they’ve stayed put. Cllr Taylor, who represents the Oakley and North Waltham ward, loves everything about living in the town.
It’s shaping up to be a summer of superb entertainment for residents. The 2019 Basingstoke Festival will run from Friday 21 June to Sunday 7 July and almost 1,300 tickets have already been sold for its hugely popular Pictures in the Park programme. The screening of Bohemian Rhapsody is sold out but you can still grab a ticket to see Moulin Rouge! on Wednesday 3 July or Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again on Friday 5 July in War Memorial Park on a big screen under the stars when the light fades after 9pm each evening.
Those who persistently cause issues in the town centre will be prosecuted – that’s the message from Safer North Hampshire, Hampshire Constabulary, Basingstoke Together and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, who are working together to take action on anti-social behaviour and to tackle the most persistent offenders.
Basingstoke and Deane has been recognised as a great place to do business, being named as one of the top office locations outside London, and the fourth best in the South East. The league table of workplace winners, published in Property Week, puts the borough ahead of locations such as of Guildford, Wokingham and Winchester.
The town’s historic heart will get a spring clean this month following a funding boost from the government. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has been awarded £30,000 as part of the government’s High Streets Community Clean Up Fund. Working in partnership with Basingstoke Together Business Improvement District, Basingstoke’s Big Spring Clean will see the Top of the Town area deep cleaned between Monday 8 April and Thursday 18 April. This will include chewing gum removal, jet-washing and general cleaning of paving areas, alleyways and floral planters in the area. Businesses can show their support by giving their shopfronts a spring clean including washing down their windows and adding planters.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and Hampshire County Council have been granted a final injunction from the High Court banning the setting up of unauthorised encampments in a large section of the borough. Basingstoke and Deane has become the first borough in the county and one of a small number nationally to be granted the final injunction for a period of five years. It prevents unauthorised encampments and unauthorised developments being set up or items fly-tipped within a designated area covering the urbanised area of Basingstoke town, as well as the outlying areas of Bramley, Silchester, Tadley Common and a small parcel of land at Stratfield Turgis.
Borough and parish elections will take place on Thursday 2 May. Important information on the nomination process and key election dates including deadlines for registering to vote and requesting postal or proxy votes can be found at https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/borough-pc-elections-2019
New planning guidelines to protect the heritage of our towns, villages, countryside and local heritage sites such as Highclere Castle, The Vyne and Silchester Roman Town have been agreed. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet recommended the adoption of the Heritage Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) at a recent meeting. The extensive and diverse historic environment has a positive impact on the character of the borough and enriches the lives of residents and visitors. Protecting and maintaining the area’s heritage is important and the new guidance ensures that it is protected and, where possible, enhanced.
Take a step towards a healthier future by joining a new health walk in Beggarwood. All are invited to join in and get out and about in the borough for the free 60 to 90 minute stroll at medium pace every month starting and finishing at Beggarwood Community Centre. Setting out on Wednesday 3 April at 10.30am, this new walk is one of a series which take place all around the borough.
Dog owners are being asked to Take the Lead when it comes to keeping their pets under control. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is launching a campaign reminding residents that it is against the law to let a dog be dangerously out of control anywhere, including in your own home. Your dog is considered dangerously out of control if it injures someone, makes someone worried it might injure them, attacks an animal or if the owner of an animal thinks they could be injured trying to stop such an attack.
Wheelbarrows and wellingtons were out in force when the much-anticipated new allotments were officially opened at Beggarwood Park. Gardeners of all ages joined Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Infrastructure Cllr Mark Ruffell at the opening ceremony. A further 20 additional plots of land have been cultivated at the existing allotment site in Beggarwood Lane funded by £102,000 from the council’s capital programme in response to demand for allotments in the borough.
The spring edition of our residents' newspaper Basingstoke & Deane Today will be delivered to homes this week. It’s got lots of news and information about what we’re doing in your area.
You’re invited to dine with the Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane at a charity lunch raising money for three great causes. Cllr Seán Keating will be welcoming guests to the event on Wednesday 27 March at The Restaurant, Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT), at 12 noon. A delicious three-course meal will be served, all cooked and served by the college’s hospitality and catering students.
Potential apprentices are being encouraged to blaze a career trail as part of National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from Monday 4 March to Friday 8 March. A series of events run by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in partnership with Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT), Basingstoke ITEC, Basingstoke Consortium, Queen Mary’s College and The Careers & Enterprise Company are taking place to give people the chance to find out more about opportunities in the borough.
Residents in Hatch Warren and Beggarwood are being encouraged to find out how they can shape their local area by coming along to a drop-in session. The session, taking place between 10am and 12pm on Saturday 9 March at Beggarwood Community Centre, will give residents the opportunity to find out more about what a community-led plan is and how they can get involved. The aim of a community-led plan is to involve residents in identifying the key local issues and priorities that affect them within their community and develop projects and actions to address them.
Experience the magic of the movies in War Memorial Park this summer. Three fantastic film musicals - Moulin Rouge!, Bohemian Rhapsody and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again - will be broadcast on a big screen under the stars as part of Basingstoke Festival 2019’s Pictures in the Park programme. When the light fades – after 9pm each evening – audiences will be treated to a very special outdoor cinematic experience right in the heart of the town.
Sophisticated data matching technology has been weeding out false claims for council tax discounts to protect public funds and to support the funding of key council services. The National Fraud Initiative (NFI), run by the Cabinet Office to compare computer records within local authorities, helps identify those who are wrongly claiming single person discount on their council tax as part of its work in preventing and detecting fraud. Last year Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council again stepped up efforts to identify fraudulent discounts using this intelligent data matching. This resulted in £65,422.64 being identified during a 2017/18 exercise as being fraudulently claimed from the council by 152 people claiming to live alone.
More government funding has been announced to help ensure that the right infrastructure is in place for Manydown and other new homes to be built in the west of Basingstoke in the future. An additional £695,000 ‘capacity funding’ was announced on Wednesday 13 February by Housing Minister Kit Malthouse MP, bringing Government funding for work on more detailed planning for Manydown to over £2.7 million.
An online guide which aims to make visits to shops, restaurants, beauty spots and other venues stress-free for disabled people has been updated with the help of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. National disability organisation AccessAble, previously know as DisabledGo, works to provide detailed accurate information to allow somebody to work out if a venue is going to be accessible to them. The guides cover venues such as shops, cinemas, theatres, railway stations, hotels, universities and hospitals.
People looking to get on or move up the property ladder can find information and advice at a free Help to Buy event we're organising in association with Help to Buy South on Tuesday 21 February. Drop in to the council offices in London Road any time from 3pm to 8pm for help and advice on low cost homes to buy and schemes available, including the Government's Help to Buy and shared ownership schemes. https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/helptobuy
The Holocaust and other acts of genocide will be remembered in Basingstoke at a wreath-laying ceremony to mark UK Holocaust Memorial Day. The Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane Cllr Seán Keating will lead the ceremony on Monday 28 January at 10am at the War Memorial. Alongside Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Chief Executive Mel Barrett, he will lay a wreath at the memorial on behalf of the borough.
A total of 828 new homes were completed in the borough between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2018 – the highest annual number built since 2009 – a new monitoring report has revealed. And, since 1 April 2018, a further 1,500 new homes are under construction.
Golden or diamond wedding anniversary couples in the borough are invited to join Basingstoke and Deane’s Mayor for a very special afternoon tea party. Delicate sandwiches, cakes and drinks will be served at the event, to be held on Monday 11 and Tuesday 12 February, for all married couples whose golden or diamond anniversary falls between Thursday 10 May 2018 and Thursday 9 May 2019.
The number of people rough sleeping in Basingstoke and Deane has fallen for a second consecutive year thanks to a joined up approach and the “tremendous effort and energy” of all the agencies, charities and volunteers to tackle homelessness in the borough.
Walkers and runners of all abilities can take a step in the right direction this winter on a new way-marked route. The new circular route around Stratton Park gives users an option to walk or run a 1.4km or 1km route around the park, with the route starting at Kempshott Village Hall.
A Faithless DJ set has been announced as the Saturday headliner for the 2019 B LOVE weekend. As the musical force behind the iconic group, Sister Bliss will perform on Saturday night playing Faithless’ top hits. Sister Bliss has become a firm festival favourite, performing sets across the world including Bestival.
Get the new year off to a running start by getting fit in the fresh air. A pair of 10-week programmes aimed at taking you from walking to running comfortably and confidently are now open for people to sign up.
A new Executive Director of Finance and Resources – Sue Cuerden - is set to join the council at a key time when it is investing in the successful future of the borough, as well as focusing on getting good value for residents. Sue was appointed to the post after the retirement of Kevin Jaquest. The role is a key one for the council, which was named as one of the most financially resilient in the country, as the holder of the post is legally responsible for ensuring the council’s financial stability and that money is spent wisely.
We're encouraging residents and businesses to get involved with the our latest project to generate ideas for improving the lives of people in the borough.
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