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)  Peter Crerar – Manor Park Ward – Alfred Burtoo – “In 1983, Alfred Burtoo was fishing on the Basingstoke Canal and claimed that a UFO landed nearby, and he was examined by two aliens.

I am sceptical about this story for many reasons… particularly that aliens travelled light years across the universe to then visit North Town… why not Manor Park? 

Many, however, treat Alfred Burtoo’s story seriously including Reform UK PCC for Leicestershire.

Given that Alfred Burtoo has created an urban myth for Aldershot like the Loch Ness Monster, is it not time that we have the location of this legend on the Basingstoke Canal marked out for heritage?”

 

Cllr Keith Dibble, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Planning, advised that Alf Burtoo was a man who deserved respect. Alf lived with his wife and son in Pegasus Avenue, Aldershot. He was a friend of Cllr Dibble and had played a very important role when the then Mr Dibble had first won Belle Vue ward, (now North Town), in 1984.

 

Alf had been convinced it had happened and never doubted it. However, his family and friends were of the opinion that he fell asleep while fishing and had a very deep dream. He believed until his dying day, and he was never mocked by friends and family. The answer was given that a special memorial to Alf Burtoo was not necessary, because every day the diverse and lively North Town community reflected the heritage of Alf and everyone past and present from North Town.

 

(2)  A resident of North Town – H-Stop HVM - “Why are there H-Stop HVM installed at the top of Union St in Aldershot. These things are designed to be rapidly deployed to prevent vehicular attack. Has the Council received such a threat and what is that threat if so, if not, then who has funded these barriers and why?”

 

Cllr Julie Hall, Portfolio Holder for Economy, Skills and Growth advised that the Council had not received any threat. The bollards controlling access to Union Street and Wellington Street, Aldershot had not been working and during this time the area had been accessed by vehicles which were driven without due care and attention.

 

The Council had assessed that the risk to pedestrians was significant and the barriers were hired to ensure that, whilst the bollards were out of action, the area could still be quickly secured from uncontrolled vehicles.

 

The Council would consider whether the barriers had been effective and whether to retain them in the event of future issues with the bollards.   

 

(3)  Caroline Emberson – Aldershot Park Ward – Lifts in Aldershot Town Centre - When will lifts providing access to town and in the town be fixed and maintained fully, including Union Yard, Westgate and the Wellington Centre – it is a nightmare for disabled people currently?

 

Cllr Julie Hall, Portfolio Holder for Economy, Skills and Growth advised that she understood and recognised the frustration with the lifts. 

 

The only lifts for which the Council was responsible in Aldershot Town Centre was the disabled lift at Union Yard. Unfortunately, despite a number of repairs the lift was currently out of action and both short and medium-term actions to get it working were being pursued. Union Yard was still accessible for disabled visitors via other entrances, though it was recognised this was inconvenient.

 

The owners of the Wellington Centre had recently invested in fixing their lifts, although there remained a few problems currently with one of them. The escalators were posing a more significant problem due to their age and difficulties obtaining parts, but the owners were continuing to seek a solution, and the Council were pressing as much as was possible for a resolution.

 

The lift at Westgate, again not a Council owned or controlled property, had been raised repeatedly with the agents and owners of Westgate. The Council were pursuing information on its repair and would share news when it became available.

 

(4)  Maria Hardy – Fernhill Ward – A331 Litter and Fly Tipping - Can the Council tell me what they propose to do about the fly tipping and litter on the A331. Over the last 3 years it has become increasingly worse. I often use this road, and I am appalled at the state it is in. I have reported this litter problem many times, but nothing seems to be done about it.

 

Cllr Christine Guinness, Portfolio Holder for Pride in Place and Neighbourhood Services, advised that the Council was responsible for cleaning a certain section of the A331, which was between the Basingstoke Canal aqueduct and the Farnborough Gate junction. The section to the south of this was maintained by Guildford Borough Council and the section to the north was maintained by Surrey Heath Borough Council. As this was a high-speed road, there were strict health and safety rules in place to allow work to be carried out, including full lane closures. Due to the significant disruption this causes to the public, the highway authorities for the A331 (which were Hampshire County Council and Surrey County Council) carried out maintenance twice per year when they allowed the district authorities to enter their lane closures to carry out litter and fly tip clearance. This was once in the spring (usually April/May) and once in the autumn (usually September/October).

 

(5)  Darren Brady – Rowhill Ward - Cost of Supporting Asylum Seekers - Data published by Taxpayers’ Alliance from local authority spending shows that Hampshire Councils spent £31.7 million supporting asylum seekers during the most recent financial year. How much did Rushmoor Borough Council spend supporting 'asylum seekers'?

 

Cllr Sophie Porter, Portfolio Holder for Healthy Communities and Active Lives, advised that Rushmoor Borough Council did not use council tax to support asylum seekers. There was an asylum seeker grant awarded by the Home Office specifically for asylum and resettlement support.

 

During the 2024/25 financial year, the Council allocated £85,174 towards supporting asylum seeker support from this government grant, therefore, there was no additional cost to the Council. The majority of this expenditure related to direct staffing costs and casework provision.

 

Funding was also used for initiatives aimed at supporting the integration of asylum seekers and refugees including English language and cultural classes and the coordination of volunteering opportunities to prepare for working life.

 

(6)  Michael Mills – North Town Ward - Scout Hut Lease Renewals - Are the Council supportive of Scouting or trying to close Scout Groups across Rushmoor? If supportive why has rent gone up 700% at the recent lease renewals? This rise is linked to the councils new Asset Management Plan. It affects 50% of groups in Rushmoor, those who own their huts but lease Council land. Our rent for the land increased from £750 to proposed £5,600. Whilst groups receive rebates this is not guaranteed and needs to be applied for every 3 years. This rise is not sustainable. We fundraise to subsidise maintenance, bills and keep subscriptions affordable to all.

 

Cllr Julie Hall, Portfolio Holder for Economy, Skills and Growth, advised that the Council was supportive of scout groups and had not implemented the large increases referred to – as part of the 2023 asset management strategy as inherited.

 

The Council were reviewing the situation and was re-examining the rental valuations and subsidies/rent relief it gave. At present 90% rent relief was provided to all eligible community organisations, and this resulted in very low net rents for a number of organisations. For example, a rent of £750 with 90% relief results in a yearly rent of £75. The Council had a responsibility to ensure good management of its assets and part of this was ensuring that at lease renewal, rents reflected current, not historic levels, and that subsidies given were economic and reflected good value for taxpayers.

 

However, the Council recognised the concern around the cliff edge that rent increases can cause. It would be bringing forward a revised policy to Cabinet on 17th March 2026 to address this issue alongside the new Asset Management Strategy. Cllr Hall offered to have a conversation on this with Mr Mills.

 

(7)  Martin Gear - Manor Park Ward - Scout Hut Lease Renewal – Delays - Why are the leases for scout huts taking so long to renew? It has so far taken over 7 years to renew the lease of the 2nd Aldershot Scout Hut, and it’s still not completed. Last correspondence was 5th June 2025 from the legal team saying they would be in touch. The 14th Aldershot has been delayed from November 2025 to June 2026 so far. Is this a trend with the scouting leases. These need to be sorted as soon as possible especially with the uncertainty of the unitary council on the horizon.

 

Cllr Julie Hall, Portfolio Holder for Economy, Skills and Growth, advised that the recent delay had been due to the issues mentioned in the previous question with changes to rents. Previously when implementing a new IT system a substantial number of issues, including lease renewals, were identified and the Council had been working through these issues over the last couple of years.  We regret these delays and we recognise the timing concern and would ensure these leases were resolved this year (2026), and prior to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).