East Hampshire District Council has frozen its share of Council Tax for the forthcoming year, one of only a handful of councils around the country to do so. The freeze follows two consecutive cuts, bringing Council Tax down to 2010 levels.

The decision, unanimously agreed by EHDC at its Full Council meeting last night, forms part of our ongoing ambition to be financially self-sufficient and no longer reliant on either Government grants or Council Tax.

EHDC is committed to having the capacity to reduce Council Tax to zero. When that happens we may still charge a nominal tax and use the proceeds to deliver new or better services. To achieve this the council has set itself ambitious targets to generate income through means such as selling skills and property investment while also providing our services more efficiently. These methods have allowed the council to make two consecutive cuts in Council Tax – the only council in the country to achieve this – backed up by this year’s freeze.

Our commitment to keeping Council Tax low has been held up by our innovative approach to public services. Instead of relying on government grants and increases in Council Tax we have looked for new ways of making and saving money.

This includes investing in property, especially commercial properties with high-value long term tenancies where there is very low risk.

We have also been selling services to other local authorities, looked for other ways to share costs with other Councils and offered services to local businesses.

EHDC has also been working hard to provide its services more efficiently and is always looking for new ways to provide excellent public services at a lower cost.

Council Tax will be frozen for 2018/19 at £131.11 for a Band D property.

Hampshire County Council are increasing their precept by 5.99% which is a 2.99% increase for their core services and 3% specifically to support adult social care pressures. For a Band D property this equates to an extra £1.31 per week or £65 per year.

To read more about the HCC increase click on this link HERE

Sally and the team are back out this Sunday 25th February to do a Horndean and Clanfield Litter Pick and all are welcome as always. Meeting time is 9:30 at the far end of Morrisons car park and new faces are welcome.

The map below shows the new proposed red wards for Catherington, Downs, Murray and a combined Kings, Blendworth and Rowlands Castle (including the War Memorial and village centre).

A few years ago the local plan was prepared (Where Housing will be built in the area) and this ran from 2016 to 2028. For Horndean this allocated the bulk of the new housing to Land East Of Horndean, and Clanfield to Windmill Farm.

The local plan needs to be reviewed every 5 years to make sure that we are on track with our housing delivery, and to leap a further 5 years forward so it is a rolling programme.

Housing Delivery.

Across EHDC we need to be building out about 600 homes per year (including in the South Downs National Park). For us to be able to control where housing goes and stick to the Local Plan, we need to have a 5 year supply of granted permissions, Currently we have about 7.5 years of permissions so can refuse development outside of the settlement policy boundary. Whitehill and Bordon, LEOH and some larger developments in Horndean have made significant contributions to this delivery.

We also need to be achieving 40% affordable housing outputs and have been doing well against this.

Look ahead to 2036. 

The next plan period will run to 2036 and we need to identify where these additional years housing will be allocated to ensure the infrastructure (schooling, highways etc) can go with it.

Essentially we will need to start looking at the ‘nest least worst’ places to build across the district.

Risks.

The housing need is calculated by a complex formula laid down by central government. We know that this (and past governments) have been looking for ways to increase the rate of building so they may change the formulae. The problem with this is that developers carefully balance supply and demand – they keep the house building rate at a point where it generates good prices and sales. build too many and you have cash tied up in homes that aren’t selling and need to reduce prices.

The South Downs National Park Authority is its own planning district and is a colossal NIMBY. The park has protection against development but they too need to take the right number of homes in the right places to prevent the park towns from stagnating.

Portsmouth also needs to allow for growth – but is fairly built out. that means adjacent areas need to take on their housing. We need to be making sure that Havant help here and this also generates more affordable housing.

The allocated sites for 2029 to 2036 need to be ring fenced for these years. this doesn’t want to be a way to enable early development of any new sites.

Next Steps.

EHDC is open to new housing – but in the right places and with the right facilities. We are looking to direct more new homes into the former army bases at Whitehill and Bordon but will need also to start considering options in Horndean and Clanfield again.

EHDC have announced another “call for sites” (invitation for land owners to put their land forward) at which point they are assessed for sustainability. I would anticipate that we will again hold local consultations to seek a view on which ones we should consider or rule out.

Again we will be looking to protect the sites we have in the past and over the next 18 months will need you to help by attending the consultations when they are announced. (probably later this year).

Keep reading this blog for updates and information on the next steps.

Carla Baverstock-Jones, Chief Officer at Horndean Parish Council together with two of her children and two members of the HPC Admin Team, will be Abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower for charity on 27th May 2018 to raise funds for the following two Charities:

PAPYRUS, who are the national charity for the prevention of young suicide.

SURVIVORS OF BEREAVEMENT BY SUICIDE CHARITY, who offer a unique and distinct service for bereaved adults across the UK, run by the bereaved for the bereaved.

There is a Virgin just giving page if people wish to donate to the event, with a link below.

While this is not an official HPC activity it would be great to support them in their bid!

Click HERE to support them