The meeting of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council scheduled for Thursday 19 December 2024 includes reports on the council’s capital programme, council tax discounts and council tax support schemes, as well as a motion on Inheritance Tax relief for family farms.

Inheritance Tax Relief

A motion submitted by Councillor Simon Minas-Bound and Councillor Jenny Vaux will ask the council to note the changes to Inheritance Tax relief announced in the 2024 Autumn Budget by the then Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves.

The motion asserts that “the Labour Government have committed a shameful betrayal and let down farmers by breaking their promise to not introduce a Family Farm Tax” and claims that the changes will introduce a Family Farm Tax and will have a detrimental impact on Family Farms and farmers’ ability to pass on their farms to the next generation of farmers. The motion cites warnings by the National Farmers Union and the Country Land and Business Association, “[t]hat countless farms will be harmed, threatening food security and rural areas."

The motion calls on the council to write to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, to outline the council’s opposition to the changes and to ask the council administration to: “engage with local farmers and community representatives on what support the Council can provide to them” and “publish a list of affected farms”.

Council’s Capital Programme

A report on the Council's Quarter 2 Capital Monitoring Report as at 30 September 2024, presented by Councillor Gavin James, requests that the council approves a number of proposed changes to the capital programme.

The report recommends a number of budget changes to the programme including a “budget virement¹ of £5.365M from the Manydown Land and Infrastructure Funding Scheme to the Manydown Development scheme (2024/25 £2.365M and 2025/26 £3.000M).”

The report explains that “[a]s a result of the final Manydown land negotiations, the council will no longer be required to provide this funding as it will now be secured from Homes England”. The report goes on to state that “[i]t has also been agreed that this council and Hampshire County Council will provide MDV LLP with additional B-loan investment in 2024/25 and 2025/26 to fund working capital and infrastructure costs relating to the project”.

The report also proposes that “The Malls Upgrading/Updating scheme” be renamed “Town Centre Improvements” to include The Malls and the wider town centre area.

The report explains that “[o]fficers have been working with Cabinet members on an action plan to deliver town centre public realm improvements to support longer-term viability and vibrancy” and asks for £0.10M of capital funding to be allocated to progress “two proposed permanent lighting schemes in market square and in the area outside of the Anvil”.

Council Tax Discretionary Discounts and Council Tax Support Scheme 2025/26

A report on the Council Tax Discretionary Discounts and Council Tax Support Scheme 2025/2026 presented by Adam Swain, the Chief Finance and S151 Officer², recommends a number of changes to the schemes for 2025/26.

The report recommends that discretionary discounts are kept at the 2024/25 level with the exception of the empty and unfurnished discount which is recommended to be reduced.

The report explains that “[t]he regulations stipulate that the level of discount can vary between 0% to 100% and the term can vary from 0 to 6 months.” For 2024/25 a 100% discount was awarded for the first three months, a 50% discount for 3 to 6 months and 0% discount thereafter. The report recommends removing the 50% discount for months 3 to 6 and reducing the 100% discount for the first 3 months to 100% for the first 2 months only.

The report recommends that an additional premium be charged for second homes in 2026/27. The report explains that “[i]t is now possible to charge more than a full Council Tax charge on properties of this kind” and proposes that a premium of 100% be charged.

The report recommends that the long-term empty property premium be kept at the 2024/25 level. The report explains that the current premium results in properties that have been empty for one year or more paying double council tax, properties that have been empty for 5 years or more paying three times council tax, and properties that have been empty for 10 years or more paying four times council tax.

The report also recommends that the current care leavers council tax discount be retained for 2025/26. The report explains that the current scheme provides 100% council tax discount for care leavers aged 18-21 who live alone. This discount is then reduced by 25% a year until the care leaver reaches the age of 25. If a care leaver is the second adult in a property, the council tax is reduced by 50% and by 25% if there are more than two adults in the property.