Agenda item

(1)      To receive any questions by Members submitted in pursuance of Standing Order 8 (3).

 

Public Questions

 

(2)          To answer any questions from the public submitted under Standing Order 9 in accordance with the Procedure Note.

(1)  Standing Order 8 – Questions

 

The Mayor reported that no urgent questions had been submitted under Standing Order 8 (3).

 

(2)  Public Questions

 

Further to the new scheme for public questions at full Council meetings, the questions that had been accepted had been circulated to Members in advance. Each question was received as set out below, and the Mayor invited a response to each in turn:

 

(1)  W. Doody – Cove and Southwood Ward - Rushmoor Pension Fund ESG Investment - I’ve looked through the Hampshire Pension Fund’s 2023/24 Annual Report and its Responsible Investment policy but can’t find any clear breakdown showing how much of Rushmoor’s pension contributions are invested under ESG or ‘responsible investment’ criteria. Given that ESG investment appetite is possibly now wavering, can you please disclose, for the record, how much of Rushmoor’s share is currently invested in ESG linked companies or funds, which organisations those investments are with, how long those commitments last, and under whose oversight this was approved?

 

Cllr Gaynor Austin, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources advised that the information was technical by its nature, and the question had been referred to the Hampshire Pensions Fund for consideration. The response would be published as soon as it had been received.

 

(2)  G. Bailey – Cherrywood Ward – Event Spend - Could the council please advise the public on how much was spent by the council on the following in 2024/25?

 

1)    The Pride Parade

2)    The Rushmoor Eco Festival

3)    The Rushmoor cultural day

 

Cllr Sophie Porter, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities and Active Lives, advised that £1,147 had been spent on the Pride Parade, £1,500 on the Rushmoor Eco Festival and £0 on the Rushmoor Cultural Day.

 

(3)  M. Goodacre – Manor Park Ward - Flags - Flags are now being put up in front of people's houses and windows. Where will it end? Please confirm what steps the Council is taking to limit the number of flags per road.

 

Cllr Gareth Williams, Leader of the Council, advised that he noted, with concern, reported incidents where residents have been harassed and filmed when asking not to have flags outside their own property, and even council staff placing Remembrance poppies had been questioned. It was clear that, for some, the installation of the flags went beyond simple patriotism and had become an opportunity to intimidate and bully those whose opinions differ from their own, thus removing their voice.

 

The flags were almost all attached to lamp columns and street furniture owned by Hampshire County Council, and Rushmoor had no power to remove them, even if they have been attached without seeking permission from the owner.

 

The Council was in discussion with Hampshire to ascertain their position on the matter, but residents could write directly to their County Councillor or contact Hampshire County Council directly, via their website, to request the removal of any objects they believe to be dangerous or threatening. Incidents of threats or intimidation should be reported to the police.

 

(4)  J. Peckham – Cherrywood Ward – Unpaid Council Tax – What is the current sum outstanding in unpaid Council Tax, and what are the council doing to recover the debt and at what further cost to the local taxpayer?

 

Cllr Gaynor Austin, Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources, advised that for the full Council Tax year of 2024/25 the Council issued bills totalling £70.4m. During that year just short of £69m had been paid, leaving £1.5m outstanding at 31st March 2025. This represented a payment rate of 98%. This was a similar rate of payment to previous years. The Council had continued to work with those residents who still owed money, taking Court action where appropriate. Council Tax that remained outstanding from earlier years currently amounted to £5.3m. The cost to collect the Council Tax each year was around £308k at the current year’s value.

 

(5)  V. Graham-Green – Cove and Southwood Ward – Walk this Waste - Could the Leader of the Council please state what evaluation has taken place of the ‘Walk this Waste Skips” pilot and what were the results on the success or failure of the pilot. Further could he make public the full cost including officer time of the pilot compared with the original costings including officer time and whether fly tipping has been reduced as a result of it.”

 

Cllr Christine Guinness, Portfolio holder for Pride in Place and Neighbourhood Services, advised that the Walk this Waste trials had been a fantastic success.  While the main aim had been to see if the initiative could reduce fly-tipping, the real achievement had been the incredible amount of bulky waste collected and the excellent response from residents. Across the nine events, 8 tonnes of bulky household items had been collected from 178 residents — a huge amount of waste that might otherwise have been left around properties or fly-tipped.

 

The trials cost around £5,700 to run, and every pound was well spent on helping residents dispose of their unwanted items responsibly, keeping our neighbourhoods cleaner and tidier.

 

She stated that the feedback had been amazing. Residents told us how much they appreciated the service, how easy it was to use, and how friendly and helpful the staff were. Social media posts reached thousands of people, with some of the highest engagement we’ve ever had and so many positive comments about how much residents loved the trial.

 

Even though the data didn’t show a direct reduction in fly-tipping, the trials clearly made a positive difference in our communities — helping people take pride in their local areas, promoting responsible disposal, and showing that there’s real enthusiasm for this kind of community-focused service.

 

(6)  K. Lynch – Resident of North Town – Community Cohesion Fund – Can I ask the council what became of the £50k allocated purely to facilitate the voices of those in the Rushmoor community that felt they were (are) unheard? Where was this money spent? Who spent it, who received it and what for? Is there any left, how much and where is that destined?

 

Cllr Sophie Porter, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities and Active Lives, advised that in August 2024, councillors had agreed to work together to address residents’ concerns arising from increased community tensions. A budget of £50,000 was approved to support this work, with expenditure overseen and agreed by a cross-party working group.

 

The Group unanimously agreed to commission the Belong Network to deliver a programme of activities and support. Over the past year, the Council has worked in partnership with Belong to deliver a range of initiatives, including the facilitation of community events and meetings known as Rushmoor Voices, the delivery of workshops and training sessions for community groups and leaders, and support and expertise to consider the development of a Council cohesion plan.

 

To date, £32,300 of the £50,000 allocation has been spent. The remaining £17,700 would be utilised over the next year to build on Rushmoor Voices and facilitate and deliver local community place meetings for residents, aimed at continuing to build cohesion and strengthen communities.

 

(7)  G. Olivier – Wellington Ward – Homeless People – Why does the Council fail to remove homeless people that are sleeping in military estates, in areas where small children regularly play. I reported an incident earlier this year and all the Council did was leave a note and water in the tent. Why not remove the belongings and then leave a note saying if you want your stuff back come and get it? By not taking decisive action, you are prioritising an adult drug users rights above the safety of our children.

 

Cllr Keith Dibble, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning, advised that the Council had a statutory duty to support individuals who are homeless. The Council’s outreach team worked proactively to engage with people sleeping rough, offering support and encouraging them to come off the streets. If someone was not present during a visit, we leave a calling card with contact details, so they know how to reach us. In hot weather, we may also leave bottled water to help safeguard their wellbeing. Where tents or personal belongings are placed on military land or private property, it is the responsibility of the landowner to decide whether and how to address their removal.

 

Anti-social behaviour, including drug use, was a matter for the police. However, we work closely with the police and other partner agencies to respond to street homelessness and any associated issues in a coordinated and compassionate way.

 

(8)  P. Crerar – Manor Park Ward – Local Government Reorganisation – Please can the Council confirm why Rushmoor residents were never consulted on whether they did or did not want Rushmoor Borough Council abolished? We have been given absolutely no say in this issue when so many residents are strongly against losing our local council.

 

Cllr Gareth Williams, Leader of the Council, responded that the reasoning was the same that the Conservative Government under Margaret Thatcher applied when abolishing the Greater London Council without consulting London residents, i.e. the structures of local government are delegated from Parliament and cannot be decided by a minority of subjects who wish to assert their independence.

 

Cllr Williams stated that the Council had been asked to submit a proposal for new unitary councils, not whether it agreed with the policy, adding that the alternative to engaging with the process would have been to accept the Conservative-led County Council proposal to merge Rushmoor with a group of 5 councils and create an authority stretching almost to the South Coast. Residents have had the opportunity to have their say on the Council’s proposals by responding to our surveys, and the government would consult further on this later in the year.

 

(9)  D. Fowdar – Knellwood Ward – Asylum Hotel – What about that Migration Hotel in Farnborough, are they still going to be used, or closed down gradually? Where will the migrants move to?

 

Cllr Gareth Williams Leader of the Council, advised that Rushmoor currently had one contingency hotel within the Borough, operated by the Home Office. While the Government had committed to reducing its reliance on hotels for accommodating asylum seekers, the Council had not yet received confirmation regarding the future closure or timeline for this facility.

 

(10)  S. Kavanagh – Manor Park Ward – Housing – As a military town, can you tell us how many homeless veterans have been housed and for comparison can you tell us the number of asylum seekers that have been housed in social housing

 

Cllr Gareth Williams, Leader of the Council, advised that the Council records information on veterans applying for housing; however, the data was not considered robust. This was because it relied on applicants voluntarily stating their veteran status on the housing application form, and the field was not mandatory. In many cases, individuals applied for housing years after leaving the armed forces and may not disclose their service background. As a result, the data may underrepresent the actual number of veterans seeking housing support.

 

The Council did not record the number of asylum seekers rehoused into social housing. However, data was collected on applicants rehoused by ethnicity.

 

Approaches for rehousing from contingency hotels were low, as most individuals were single and, once granted the legal right to remain, often relocated to join family or established communities in other areas, typically London or other major cities.

 

When asylum seekers approach the Council for housing advice and assistance, they are assessed in the same way as any other applicant. If eligible for housing due to specific circumstances, they are typically placed into temporary hostel accommodation while being supported to secure alternative long-term housing. No preferential treatment was given.

 

(11)  N. Ashwood – Empress Ward – Illegal Activities - Over the last 2yrs I’ve reported many illegal activities being carried out by illegal immigrants, and nothing has been done by the police, not even when suspected terrorist activity is going on. What is the Council doing about this issue?

 

Cllr Christine Guinness, Portfolio Holder for Pride in Place and Neighbourhood Services, advised that whilst the Council met regularly with constabulary colleagues to discuss issues, complaints about policing decisions, deployment or delivery should be directed to our policing colleagues by calling 101, visiting a police station, online or by letter. The Council did not act as a point of contact for complaints in relation to policing. The IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) were also able to take complaints; they would then forward any complaint to the relevant police force or Police and Crime Commissioner on the complainant’s behalf.