Cabinet - Tuesday, 15th September, 2026 7.00 pm - Agenda and minutes

Under the Council’s Code of Conduct for Councillors, all Members are required to disclose relevant Interests in any matter to be considered at the meeting.  Where the matter directly relates to a Member’s Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Registrable Interest, that Member must not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not remain in the room unless they have been granted a dispensation (see note below). If the matter directly relates to ‘Non-Registrable Interests’, the Member’s participation in the meeting will depend on the nature of the matter and whether it directly relates or affects their financial interest or well-being or that of a relative, friend  or close associate, applying the tests set out in the Code.

NOTE:

On 27th May, 2021, the Council’s Corporate Governance, Audit and Standards Committee granted dispensations to Members appointed by the Council to the Board of the Rushmoor Development Partnership and as Directors of Rushmoor Homes Limited.

Having regard to the Council’s Code of Conduct for Councillors, no declarations of interest were made.

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting held on 20th August, 2026 (copy attached).

The Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 20th August, 2026 were confirmed and signed by the Chair.

To consider Report No. ED2615 (copy attached), which sets out changes to the national welfare provision through the new Crisis and Resilience Fund.

The Cabinet considered Report No. ED2615, which set out changes to national welfare provision through the new Crisis and Resilience Fund.

Members were informed that, in April, 2026, the Government had replaced the Household Support Fund (HSF) with the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF). The CRF was intended to help people on low incomes that were struggling with money and/or facing an unexpected financial shock. It was reported that the CRF was a three-year programme whereas the HSF had been an annual process and it was hoped that this would enable longer-term planning for those in need. CRF funding was delegated to county councils and full details of how the scheme would operate were still in development at district and county level.

The Cabinet was supportive of the Crisis and Resilience Fund as an important part of broader support for residents that were struggling with cost of living pressures.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that the information within Report No. ED2615, including work underway to support residents’ financial resilience, be noted.

To consider Report No. ED2616 (copy attached), which sets out the Rushmoor Young People’s Plan.

The Cabinet considered Report No. PG2616, which set out how the Young People’s Plan had been developed and included a draft of the Council’s Young People’s Plan (YPP) for 2026-2028.

It was reported that the YPP would outline a proposed approach for how the Council would help to improve opportunities for children and young people in Rushmoor and support them to live happy, healthy and rewarding lives. The Plan would focus on four priorities:

·                     Safety, trusted spaces and support;

·                     Health, resilience and active lives;

·                     Aspirations, skills and employment; and

·                     Belonging and community connection.

Members were informed that the new YPP would build on the Council’s first Plan (2025/26) and would maintain the internal work developed over that year, whilst adding a new element of engaging external partners more closely, based on feedback received from partner organisations, Members and young people themselves.

Members were advised that officers and the Portfolio Holder had received feedback since the report was published and that it was proposed to update the plan before it was published to respond to this feedback. It was proposed that, as a result, the production and publication of the YPP should be delegated to the Executive Director, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder. The final version would be attached to a Record of Executive Decision, circulated to all Members and then published on the Council’s website.

During discussion, Members strongly supported the approach taken in the production of the Young People’s Plan, with young people actively engaged at all stages. The Cabinet requested that a ‘young person friendly’ version of the Plan should be produced.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           the approach to the production of the Young People’s Plan, including to support and engage with all young people, with a particular focus on reaching young people who experience disadvantage, as set out in Report No. ED2616, be endorsed, noting that, over the lifetime of the plan, further work would be undertaken to refine and develop certain priority areas through ongoing engagement with young people and partners;

(ii)          the Executive Director, in consultation with the Healthy Communities & Active Lives Portfolio Holder, be authorised to agree and publish a final version of the Young People’s Plan 2026-2028, to include feedback received from Members and others; and

(iii)         the long-term approach to developing further iterations of the Plan, which seeks to increase young people’s role in influencing the work of the Council, as set out in the Report, be endorsed.

To consider resolving:

That, subject to the public interest test, the public be excluded from this meeting during the discussion of the undermentioned item to avoid the disclosure of exempt information within the paragraph of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 indicated against such item:

Item                Schedule      Category

No.                  12A Para.

                        No.

6                      3                      Information relating to financial or business affairs

RESOLVED: That, taking into account the public interest test, the public be excluded from the meeting during the discussion of the under mentioned item to avoid the disclosure of exempt information within the paragraph of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act, 1972 indicated against the item:

Minute           Schedule      Category

No.                  12A Para.

                        No.

33                   3                      Information relating to financial or business affairs

To consider Exempt Report No. PG2616 (copy attached), which sets out the details of the proposed disposal of the freehold interest in No. 1 Wyndham Street, Aldershot, subject to the finalisation of terms.

The Cabinet considered Exempt Report No. PG2616, which set out a proposal to dispose of the freehold interest in No. 1 Wyndham Street, Aldershot, subject to the finalisation of terms.

Members were informed that the property was the only one owned by the Council on this development of light industrial units. The current leaseholder had occupied the site for many years but had rejected the Council’s recent offer of a long leasehold extension. Instead, the leaseholder had expressed an interest in acquiring the freehold of the property and since that time had been carrying out negotiations with the Council’s agent, LSH Investment Management regarding price and terms. The price that had been negotiated was considered to provide good value to the Council and would provide a welcome boost to the Council’s cash reserves.

The Cabinet expressed support for the proposed approach, that it considered would represent the best value to the Council in relation to this site.

The Cabinet RESOLVED that

(i)           subject to final legal due diligence, the disposal of the freehold interest in No. 1 Wyndham Street, Aldershot, for the consideration set out in Exempt Report No. PG2616, be approved; and

(ii)          the Executive Head of Property and Growth, in consultation with the Executive Head of Governance and Law, be authorised to confirm the final terms of the disposal.