Councillor Ian Bastable
Email: ibastable@fareham.gov.uk
Council: Fareham
Council Profile: View on council website
Committees:
Activity Timeline
Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.
99 meetings · Page 1 of 20
Planning Committee - Wednesday, 10th December, 2025 2.00 pm
Licensing Panel - Tuesday, 2nd December, 2025 10.00 am
Decisions from Meetings
97 decisions · Page 17 of 20
Partnership for South Hampshire - Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund Projects Inter Authority Agreement
From: Executive - Monday, 4th November, 2024 6.00 pm - November 04, 2024
To seek approval from the Executive to enter an Inter Authority Agreement to deliver Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund projects. The Inter Authority Agreement will help facilitate sustainable growth within the Borough, by enabling developers to purchase the mitigation required to achieve nutrient neutrality and, at a later point in time, Biodiversity Net Gain units. The Agreement is designed to mitigate the risk to the Lead Authority and provide a fair mechanism to cover the benefits and liabilities arising from the funds across the PfSH and catchment areas. In 2019, Natural England issued advice to Fareham Borough Council (along with most other authorities in South Hampshire), in respect of all new overnight accommodation (e.g houses, hotels, care homes). The advice highlighted the detrimental impacts of increased levels of nutrients derived from development upon Special Protection Areas, Special Areas of Conservation and RAMSAR sites within The Solent (often referred to as Habitat Sites) and the need to mitigate these impacts. Following this advice during 2019 and 2020, whilst the Council was seeking to identify a solution, the Council was only able to issue very few planning permissions for developments containing overnight accommodation as when deciding planning applications, the Council has a legal duty to consider whether any impacts from new development are likely to have a significant effect upon Habitat Sites. Where the is no evidence that an impact can be mitigated, a permission cannot be issued. The agreed solution found was based on an offsetting approach. It was agreed that where proposals could demonstrate that an equivalent amount of nutrients could be prevented from the entering Habitats Sites elsewhere, then a development could be approved subject to a planning condition requiring the developer to demonstrate how the mitigation measure has been identified and agreed. This approach has resulted in a system of mitigation in the form of ‘credits’. The corresponding number of credits, equivalent to the impact of the development, are purchased from a third-party supplier prior to the occupation of the development. Such third-party mitigation schemes take the form of land being removed from agricultural use, and the land being used for alternative uses that limit nitrates entering the ground, including re-wilding and tree planting. This Council has presently identified three such schemes, (two on the Isle of Wight and one in the Winchester District) which can be used to mitigate the impact of nutrients arising from developments in Fareham. The Natural England advice affects local authorities in the Partnership for South Hampshire (PfSH) area. In May 2023 Fareham Borough Council on behalf of PfSH provided an expression of interest to government for funding to provide local authority led nutrient mitigation solutions across The Solent. Funding of £9.6 million, was awarded from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in January 2024 to facilitate the delivery of nutrient mitigation across the Solent sub-region, this funding being referred to as the Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund (LNMF). Fareham Borough Council was identified as the Lead Authority in respect of the fund and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) associated with the requirements of the funding. To manage the relationship between the Lead Authority and the projects being delivered by the LNMF, an inter Authority Agreement (IAA) has been created to facilitate the partnership approach, manage and mitigate risks and ensure that shared benefits and responsibilities are able to be realised by authorities party to the agreement. To be able to benefit from the LNMF projects, PfSH authorities are required to enter the Inter Authority Agreement. This report explains the principles and responsibilities stipulated by the IAA and seeks authority from the Executive to enter it on behalf of the Council.
Recommendations Approved
Housing Revenue Account Monitoring 2024/25
From: Executive - Monday, 4th November, 2024 6.00 pm - November 04, 2024
The report provides comparative information on the Council’s Housing Revenue Account income and expenditure for the period for the first half of the financial year. Members are invited to consider the financial performance and any corrective action that may be deemed appropriate. The report provides summary information on the overall spending position against the Housing Revenue Account budgets in the current year. Revenue spending plans are currently showing a net overspend for the first half of the financial year. This is expected to continue for the rest of the year and the proposed payment into the prepayment of debt reserve is unlikely to be possible. Actions are being taken to try and address the trend with the HRA which is an issue across the country, not just in Fareham. However, the effect of these will take some time to show in the figures. It therefore remains appropriate to continue to monitor financial performance closely over the remainder of the financial year to ensure that any pressures do not adversely affect the services provided to residents and customers, and the Council’s obligations to tenants.
Recommendations Approved
Change of tenure of 29 Cottes Way, Hill Head and disposal of 5 Gordon Road, Fareham including the freehold
From: Executive - Monday, 4th November, 2024 6.00 pm - November 04, 2024
To obtain Executive approval for the change of tenure of 29 Cottes Way, Hill Head to shared ownership, and the disposal of 5 Gordon Road, Fareham, including the building freehold. The Affordable Housing Strategy (2019) aims to provide the right affordable homes in the right places for those who heed them. Following a review of the suitability of two void properties, the report asks for Executive approval to change the tenure of 29 Cottes Way to shared ownership, and to dispose of 5 Gordon Road, including the building freehold. The report also seeks approval for the costs, detailed in the accompanying appendix to the report, to undertake improvement works to 29 Cottes Way before converting to shared ownership. Capital receipts arising from the sales will be retained within the Housing Revenue Account and be spent on affordable housing, regeneration or the paying off of HRA debt.
Recommendations Approved
Food Waste Collection Service
From: Executive - Monday, 4th November, 2024 6.00 pm - November 04, 2024
To consider the introduction of a food waste collection service across the Borough in March 2026. It is anticipated that the introduction of weekly food waste collections will be mandatory for English Waste Collection Authorities from 31 March 2026. Preparations are already underway to meet this requirement in Fareham. A moderate financial and delivery risk has been identified if supply chain issues delay the availability of new food waste vehicles and kerbside caddies. Given that capital grant funding has already been received, and secure storage is available, it is recommended that the five food waste vehicles and 47,500 kerbside cassies required are purchased as soon as possible, in advance of the finalised Environment Act Regulations and Statutory Guidance being in place.
Recommendations Approved
Communications and Engagement Strategy
From: Executive - Monday, 4th November, 2024 6.00 pm - November 04, 2024
To seek approval to consult on the Draft Communications and Engagement Strategy, which sets out proposals for how the Council will communicate and engage with our diverse audiences. The creation and implementation of a new Communications and Engagement Strategy is a key project to be delivered under Priority Six of the Corporate Strategy 2023 – 2029 which aims to ensure we are ‘a responsive, inclusive and innovative Council’. The Communications and Engagement landscape has changed during recent years, with many more people consuming news and engaging online. However, a core group of people prefer to engage using more traditional methods. To ensure we continue to meet the needs of our diverse audiences a draft Communications and Engagement Strategy has been developed. This is based around a series of proposed aims, supporting priorities and projects with which to guide better communications and engagement with both external and internal customers of the Council. Approval is sought to consult on the draft strategy.
Recommendations Approved
Summary
Meetings Attended: 99
Average per Month: 4.3
Decisions Recorded: 97