The Council of Rushmoor met on Thursday, 1st October 2026, to discuss a range of important local issues. Key topics included the government's handling of local government reorganisation, the implementation of a new national scheme for planning application delegation, and the results of the Wellington Ward by-election.

Government Handling of Local Government Reorganisation

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to a notice of motion concerning the government's handling of local government reorganisation in Hampshire. The motion, proposed by Councillor Steve Harden and supported by several other councillors, noted the government's withdrawal of its reorganisation decision following updated legal advice. The motion highlighted the time and public money spent by councils like Rushmoor in preparing for these changes, which have now created further uncertainty.

The council was asked to resolve to:

• Ask the Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer to publish an assessment of Rushmoor's Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) costs, including consultants, legal advice, officer time, communications, joint work, and contractual commitments, along with an indicative opportunity cost and a list of projects not pursued.
• Identify wasted or irrecoverable spending.
• Write to the Secretary of State demanding reimbursement of Rushmoor's wasted costs.
• Call on the government to reimburse all affected councils and provide an explanation for what went wrong.
• Call for Rushmoor residents to have a meaningful say before any replacement proposals are introduced.

Implementing the National Scheme of Delegation for Planning Applications

The council was scheduled to receive a report on the implementation of the new National Scheme of Delegation for planning applications, which was due to come into effect on 31st October 2026. This scheme establishes a mandatory national framework for determining which planning applications are decided by officers and which are referred to committee. The report outlined the necessary updates to the Council's Constitution and proposed a new protocol for managing decision-making under these prescribed arrangements. The changes are being introduced under the Town and Country Planning (Discharge of Local Planning Authority Functions) (England) Regulations 2026.

The report recommended that the Council note:

• The introduction of the National Scheme of Delegation.
• The new Protocol for managing decision-making under prescribed arrangements.
• The updates required to the Council's Constitution to implement the new legal requirements.

Returning Officer's Report - Wellington Ward By-Election

The council was set to receive the Returning Officer's Report on the result of the Wellington Ward By-Election, which was held on 16th July 2026. The report detailed the number of electors, ballots completed, and the percentage turnout. The results indicated that Fouzia Tanveer Khan was elected as the candidate for Wellington Ward.

Appointments 2026/27

Changes to appointments to various committees for the remainder of the Municipal Year 2026/27 were scheduled for approval. These changes were intended to ensure political balance across the committees. Specifically, adjustments were proposed for the Audit and Governance Committee, the Development Management Committee, and the Licensing and Corporate Business Committee, involving the appointment or replacement of councillors.

Reports of Cabinet and Committees

The council was also scheduled to receive and ask questions on reports from various Cabinet and Committee meetings. These included minutes from meetings of the Cabinet held on 30th June, 4th August, 20th August, and 15th September 2026. Reports from the Licensing and Corporate Business Committee (1st July and 3rd September 2026), the Development Management Committee (15th July 2026), and the Audit and Governance Committee (30th July 2026) were also to be presented. Additionally, reports from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meetings on 13th July and 17th September 2026 were to be noted.

Questions

The agenda included provisions for members to submit questions under Standing Order 8(3) and for public questions to be answered under Standing Order 9. There was also an opportunity for members to ask questions of the Cabinet.