Connie Hockley | Councillor for Titchfield, Fareham

Community Fund Application - MHA Communities Hampshire South

From: Executive Portfolio for Leisure and Community - Wednesday, 18th March, 2026 3.00 pm - March 18, 2026

An application to the Community Fund has been submitted by MHA Communities Hampshire South, a registered charity supporting older people across the area, requesting £2,475.50 as a startup grant to establish a new weekly indoor kurling group for older residents in Fareham. MHA Communities Hampshire South exists to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of older people who may otherwise be isolated, lonely, or unable to participate in local community activities. They currently support over 250 older residents across South Hampshire, offering a range of regular volunteer-led activities, including exercise groups, with oversight from a small part-time staff team. The organisation has identified a growing need in Fareham for accessible exercise opportunities for older people. In response, they ran a 12week trial indoor kurling group at the United Reform Church in Fareham Town Centre. Attendance grew from 4 to 20 participants within this trial period, with demand continuing to rise. They also recruited volunteers to support the sessions. Their aim is to build on this trial and reach at least 50 additional isolated or lonely older residents in Fareham by the end of 2026. MHA Communities Hampshire South are seeking start-up funding to purchase indoor kurling equipment, cover promotional costs, and fund six months of hall hire and one staff member for 3 hours per week. They acknowledge that marketing to the older population can be challenging and plan to promote the group through referrals, word of mouth, local publications, newsletters, and social media. To ensure long-term sustainability, attendees will be asked to pay £6 per session, with income and expenditure reviewed throughout the project. The total cost of the project is £3,195. MHA Communities Hampshire South are requesting £2,475.50 from the Community Fund to support the first six months of delivery, with the remaining £719.50 to be funded from their reserves. As of 30 January, MHA Communities Hampshire South held £10,904.06 in their accounts. In the accounting year 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2024 within the Hampshire South accounts, there was an income of £155,694.83 and expenditure of £126,127.46. Money received for this project will be ringfenced for designated spending towards the establishment of the Fareham kurling group. Both Ward Councillors, Councillor L Whittle and Councillor K Wiltshire support MHA Communities Hampshire South community funding application.

Recommendations Approved

Community Fund Application - Natal Bean

From: Executive Portfolio for Leisure and Community - Wednesday, 18th March, 2026 3.00 pm - March 18, 2026

This report presents an application for funding under the Council’s Community Funding Programme.  An application to the Community Fund has been received from Natal Bean Foundation CIO requesting £2,500 towards the purchase of 12 Tripp Trapp Highchairs, which are safe, ergonomic and inclusive seating for babies and toddlers for use within their café and community spaces. Natal Bean Foundation is a Fareham-based early years family hub operating from Ashcroft Arts Centre. They support families from pregnancy through the first 1,001 critical days and beyond, delivering accessible community provision including infant weighing clinics, parent workshops, peer support groups, health education sessions and inclusive family activities. Their sessions currently welcome an average of 56 parents each Monday, support approximately 28 babies through weekly weighing clinics, and provide space for two small local businesses to deliver workshops. Across a full year, this equates to more than 2,800 parent visits and over 1,200 babies supported. Support from Community Playthings, IKEA Partnership, Howdens and Hopscotch Nurseries Ltd has already been secured for the new Ashcroft Family Wellbeing Hub project to reduce the overall setup costs. Natal Bean Foundation would like to purchase Tripp Trapp highchairs for use within their café and community spaces. As pushchairs will not be permitted inside the building due to space and safety considerations, it is critical that families have secure, developmentally appropriate seating available. This would enable accessibility, safety and equitable participation for families attending sessions at Ashcroft Family Wellbeing Hub. The total cost of this project is £2,748. Natal Bean Foundation are looking for £2,500 from the Community Fund, with the remaining amount of £248 being funded from Natal Bean Foundation reserves. As of 25 February 2026, Natal Bean Foundation held £692.56 in their accounts. In the account year 6 April 2024 – 5 April 2025, there was an income of £6,918.88 and expenditure of £7,032.90. Both Ward Councillors, Councillor L Whittle and Councillor K Wiltshire support Natal Bean’s community funding application.

Recommendations Approved

Biodiversity Duty Report

From: Executive - Monday, 2nd March, 2026 5.00 pm - March 02, 2026

The purpose of this report is to introduce the Council’s first statutory Biodiversity Duty Report, required under the Environment Act 2021, which mandates public authorities to consider, act on, and report biodiversity actions every reporting cycle. The report provides the Executive with an overview of actions already undertaken over the reporting period (2024–2025) and planned actions for the next period, in line with DEFRA guidance for local authorities. The report seeks approval to publish the Biodiversity Duty Report by the statutory submission deadline of 20th March 2026. The Environment Act 2021 introduced a strengthened 'biodiversity duty' requiring all public authorities in England to consider what they can do to conserve and enhance biodiversity. The Act requires all local authorities and local planning authorities in England to publish a report detailing actions they have taken and plan to take to comply with their statutory biodiversity duty. The end date of the first reporting period should be no later than 1 January 2026, and the report must be published within 12 weeks of the period’s end. Therefore, for a reporting period ending 1 January 2026, the publication deadline is 26 March 2026. The Biodiversity Duty Report (Appendix A) accompanying this paper follows the DEFRA template to report on actions undertaken in the reporting period 2024 to 2025. The report also covers proposed future actions to ensure alignment with recent initiatives including the submission of the Hampshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy LNRS).

Recommendations Approved

Private estate management arrangements - Response to consultation

From: Executive - Monday, 2nd March, 2026 5.00 pm - March 02, 2026

To provide the Executive with an overview of the proposals contained with the Government’s consultation on Reducing the prevalence of private estate management arrangements, and to seek approval for the submission of the consultation response attached at Appendix A to this report. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published a consultation document called “Reducing the prevalence of private estate management arrangements”. The consultation focuses on tackling the growing issue of unadopted amenities on privately managed housing estates in England, where roads, drainage systems, green spaces, and other communal infrastructure are maintained by private estate management companies rather than public authorities. The government is concerned that this trend has led to unfair charges, poor transparency and limited homeowner rights, creating significant consumer detriment. The government recognises the importance of new housing supply to meet national demand and proposes to deliver reform in parallel with wider housing ambitions, including building a record number of new homes, while making sure that public services are sustainable. The consultation sets out that the government aims to: · reduce reliance on private estate management and increase adoption of amenities by public authorities · implement common standards for adoptable amenities to improve quality and consistency · explore mandatory adoption for certain public amenities, while considering exceptions for premium or exclusive features · remove perverse incentives that make non-adoption attractive to developers · improve data transparency, homeowner protections, and dispute resolution mechanisms · consider prohibiting embedded management arrangements and promoting resident-controlled management · assess financial sustainability of estate management charges and introduce affordability safeguards · seek evidence on impacts for homeowners, developers, local authorities, and management companies. The consultation aims to better understand the root causes and incentives that have led to the rise of unadopted amenities and what options for reform exist. It is recognised that the options for reform being explored through the consultation are far-reaching and have implications for housing supply and local authority budgets. The consultation is open to a number of organisations not just local authorities, including housing developers, highways authorities, utility companies, resident- controlled management companies, private management companies and Registered Providers of Social Housing. The consultation is being considered by the Planning Strategy Advisory Panel on the 25 February and any matters raised by the Panel will be provided to the Executive to consider as part of their decision making. The consultation closes on 12 March 2026.

For Determination

Fareham Coastal Study (Fareham Quay and Alton Grove to Cador Drive)

From: Executive - Monday, 2nd March, 2026 5.00 pm - March 02, 2026

The report updates members on the outcomes of the Fareham Coastal Defence study, delivered by Coastal Partners, Fareham Borough Councils Coastal Team. Coastal Partners undertake the ongoing monitoring, maintenance and management of Fareham Borough Council’s sea defences. Significant external funding was secured from the Southern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (SRFCC) Local Levy (£457.5k) for Coastal Partners to undertake the Fareham Coastal Defence Study (the Study). In addition, Fareham Borough Council (FBC) approved £30k to support the work. Through careful monitoring and management of the project to its conclusion, the FBC contribution will not be required to complete the Study and will therefore remain within the Coastal Protection Reserve. The Study has now concluded with the identification of leading options to reduce flood and erosion risk at Alton Grove to Cador Drive, and at Fareham Quay. This has achieved the primary objective to “identify a leading option that aligns with the River Hamble to Portchester Strategy, addresses climate change, tidal flood risk and coastal erosion risk to both property and legacy landfill whilst delivering the maximum Standard of Protection possible”. At Alton Grove to Cador Drive, the (phased) leading option involves new erosion protection to legacy landfill areas in Phase 1, followed by new raised flood defences in around 20 years’ time in Phase 2. £13 Million of funding is estimated as required to construct this option. At Fareham Quay, the (phased) leading option provides new raised frontline erosion and flood protection to the recreation ground in the north in Phase 1, followed by replacement of the frontline erosion protection at the same height around the recreation ground in the south in around 20 years’ time in Phase 2. Property Flood Resilience measures are proposed to a small number of properties at risk on Fareham Quay itself during Phase 1. £13.4 Million of funding is estimated as required to construct this option. Although technically feasible leading options have been recommended for each frontage, the economic appraisal has shown that under current Government funding rules, none of the options considered would be economically viable (i.e. benefit cost ratios are less than one). The economic appraisal does also recognise ‘local benefits’ such as recreation, biodiversity and ecology, water quality and protection/remediation of legacy coastal landfill, however these do not form a strong enough business case for securing national sources of funding without a benefit cost ratio above one. To proceed to the next stage of a capital scheme (detailed design, planning & consenting), it will be necessary to secure further funding which under current national funding rules, is unlikely to come from Defra Grant in Aid. However, having completed the study FBC are now well positioned to take advantage of any future changes in the funding policy space and Coastal Partners continue to lobby for national change in relation to coastal landfill funding via the Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group (LGA Coastal SIG). Due to uncertainty regarding funding availability to implement all options, a position statement and adaptive coastal management pathways have been developed, to help decision makers plan for and prioritise future actions and engagement.

Recommendations Approved

Councillor Connie Hockley

Activity Timeline

Meetings Attended ^{Note this may include planned future meetings.}

Decisions from Meetings

Community Fund Application - MHA Communities Hampshire South

Community Fund Application - Natal Bean

Biodiversity Duty Report

Private estate management arrangements - Response to consultation

Fareham Coastal Study (Fareham Quay and Alton Grove to Cador Drive)

Summary

Councillor Connie Hockley

Activity Timeline

Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.

Decisions from Meetings

Community Fund Application - MHA Communities Hampshire South

Community Fund Application - Natal Bean

Biodiversity Duty Report

Private estate management arrangements - Response to consultation

Fareham Coastal Study (Fareham Quay and Alton Grove to Cador Drive)

Summary

Meetings Attended ^{Note this may include planned future meetings.}