The Overview and Scrutiny Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Corporate Risk Register and complaints handling. The committee will be asked to review these reports and pass any comments to the cabinet. They will also be asked to consider the Cabinet Work Programme and the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)

The committee will be asked to review the progress of projects awarded funding from the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) in 2025/26. Hart District Council (HDC) was granted £327,000 through the UKSPF to fund projects in 2025/26. The report pack includes a mid-year monitoring report on the 2025/26 programme, and evaluations of the 2024/25 Community Hub and Young Persons Engagement projects.

The four approved Community Hub projects are reportedly progressing well, with minor adjustments to start and completion dates, but all are expected to be completed before the end of the year.

Three feasibility studies for cycle routes are also progressing at pace, for:

• Route 110, Hartley Wintney to Elvetham Heath
• Route 230, Yateley to Fleet railway station
• Route 120-130, Hook to Hartley Wintney

Improvements to enhance accessibility at Bramshot countryside park are also reportedly progressing. Detailed design specifications have been completed for enhancing the unsurfaced paths, which will complete a surfaced loop around the wetland area via the ponds viewing platforms, as well as adding an accessible pathway directly through the main picnic area.

The report pack includes detailed updates of the individual projects' progress in Appendix 1 UKSPF Timetable.

Appendix 2 UKSPF Case Studies presents detailed evaluations of the 2024/25 Community Hub and Young Persons Engagement projects. The report pack states that the majority of projects performed well against the original criteria set by applicants, and that where projects did not fully meet expectations, they provided valuable insights that will help shape and refine future delivery.

Case studies in the report pack include:

• Christ Church Crookham, Cooking Together – The Live Well for Less course
• Rotherwick Parish Council, play area expansion and enhancement
• 3rd Bramshill (Yateley Green) Scout Group, Scout Lodge Rear Extension
• Yateley Industries, Community Hub Improvements
• Citizens Advice, Hart, Enhancing Inclusive Community Hubs
• Church Crookham Parish Council, Access to Athletics
• Ewshot Village Hall, Access for All
• Blackwater and Hawley Town Council, Hawley Leisure Centre Improvements
• Hook Village Halls Association, Access for All
• St Peter's Church, Development of an accessible toilet in Yateley
• St Barnabas Church, Frogmore and Darby Green Community Hub
• Yateley School Community Hub
• Yateley Men's Shed, Yateley Men's Shed (YMS) Extension Project
• Army Welfare Service, Knowing Me, Knowing You project at Quetta Park
• Fleet Phoenix, Open Door Extra
• Hook Parish Council, Youth work - Pilot Scheme
• Inclusion Education, Inclusion EB8
• Vision4Youth, Blackwater Youth Club
• Yateley Industries, Job Coach Service
• Yateley School, Youth and Employment Hub in the Hudson Centre

Corporate Risk Register

The committee will be asked to consider the council's risk register, which is revised by management on a regular basis, and reported to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet every six months. The report pack says that this is to provide assurance that appropriate arrangements are in place to mitigate the risks identified.

The report pack states that the risks are considered to be within tolerance, and no remediation plans are deemed to be required.

Appendix A – Council Risk Register September 2025 highest rated risks summarises the key risks presented to the latest service panels held for each service.

The highest rated risks include:

• Medium Term Financial Strategy and Budget – unable to deliver sustainable balanced budget over the medium term > MTFS currently shows a budget shortfall from 2026/27 Savings and efficiency programmes will be needed if income and external funding remain static or decline in future. New Homes Bonus, retained business rates, waste costs and planning income are key risk areas
• Failure to recruit or retain suitably skilled staff. > This risk is heightened due to LGR. In the light of uncertainty some staff may seek the certainty of employment elsewhere; sickness due to stress/worry may also increase. Mitigate risk by promoting training, hold workshops and continue to be transparent with information available.
• Risk to service delivery from climate driven increased temperatures and extreme weather events > Plans to develop risk register to address climate change adaptation and delivery of council services

Complaints Analysis

The committee will be asked to note the complaints report for Q1-2, April to September 2025. The report pack updates members on the number of complaints for Quarter 1, April to June and Quarter 2, July to September 2025, and looks at performance across various metrics and examines any learning from the information presented.

The report pack states that Hart receives an estimated 60-70,000 contacts across the range of communication channels each month, and that a very small proportion of these contacts generate an issue or complaint that requires further investigation.

The Local Government Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code requires local authorities to produce an annual complaints performance and service improvement report for scrutiny and challenge.

As of 26 September, the council had received 56 stage 1 complaints and 10 stage 2 complaints.

Appendix 1 Half-yearly Complaints Analysis provides stage 1 complaints analysis across service areas Q1-2 2025/26. Appendix 1-4 complaints report 202526 includes stage 2 complaints analysis across service areas Q1-2 2025/26, stage 2 complaint outcomes from Q1-2 2025/26, and action and learning from upheld stage 1 complaints in Q1-2 2025/26.

Council Tax accounts for 45% of stage 1 complaints across Q1-2, the highest amount of complaints by team. The report pack suggests that this trend is a result of current economic conditions, an increase in enforcement action and the Universal Credit migration resulting in claimants receiving less financial support.

The council met its target to resolve stage 1 complaints within 10 working days in 64% of complaints in Q1-2.

The report pack states that as at 26 September, the council had received 82 enquiries through complaints@hart.gov.uk that have not been escalated to the formal complaint stage, because they were service requests, or managed by Hampshire County Council or another organisation.

25% of stage 1 complaints are logged as a mistake in the way a decision has been taken. Poor communication accounts for 18%. Two Stage 1 complaints in this period referenced bias or unfair discrimination, both escalated to Stage 2.

Two cases were referred to the Local Government Ombudsman in the reporting period. The Ombudsman did not investigate the first complaint, about planning permission granted more than 30 years ago. The Ombudsman also did not investigate the second complaint, regarding the Council's maintenance of a watercourse near the complainant's property, due in part to the timescale of the complaint and insufficient evidence of fault.

Cabinet Work Programme

The committee will be asked to consider the Cabinet Work Programme. Items listed on the work programme include:

• Council Risk Register (Half Yearly Review)
• Q2 Forecast 2025/26 Revenue, Capital and Treasury Outturn
• Performance report 2025/26 Q2
• Butterwood Homes Scrutiny Panel Report
• MTFS Emerging Pressures and Budget Strategy
• Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Implementation Plan
• Climate Change Update - progress against the Climate Change Action Plan
• Q3 Budget Monitoring Report and Forecast
• Draft Budget 2026/27 and Medium-Term Financial Strategy
• Draft Treasury Management Strategy, Annual Investment Strategy and Capital Strategy
• Housing Strategy
• Community Asset Transfer Policy
• Draft Service Plans
• Hampshire Waste Partnership

Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme

The committee will be asked to consider and amend the Overview and Scrutiny Work Programme. Items listed on the work programme include:

• UKSPF Mid-Year Monitoring Report
• Corporate Risk Register (Half-yearly review)
• Half-yearly Complaints Analysis
• Q2 Budget Monitoring Report and Forecast Outturn for 2025/26
• Feedback from Service Panels
• MTFS and budget strategy
• Explore potential of parking tariffs in countryside car parks
• Update on fly tipping enforcement, education and prosecutions
• Butterwood Homes Scrutiny Panel Report
• Climate Change Update
• Delivery of the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan
• Authority Monitoring Report 2024/25
• Draft Budget 2026/27 and Medium-Term Financial Strategy
• Draft Treasury Management Strategy, Annual Investment Strategy and Capital Strategy
• Q3 Budget Monitoring Report and Forecast Outturn for 2025/26
• Corporate Peer Challenge Feedback
• Housing Strategy
• Draft Service Plans
• Half-yearly Complaints Analysis
• Corporate Risk Register (Half-yearly review)
• Feedback from Councillor Representatives on External Organisations
• Overview and Scrutiny Committee Annual Report 2025/26
• Hampshire Waste Partnership