Leigh Usher
Council: Fareham
Committees:
Activity Timeline
Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.
75 meetings · Page 1 of 15
Executive Portfolio for Leisure and Community - Monday, 2nd February, 2026 5.30 pm
Executive Portfolio for Leisure and Community - Wednesday, 21st January, 2026 1.45 pm
Decisions from Meetings
119 decisions · Page 15 of 24
Fareham Town Centre Regeneration Strategy 2025-2035
From: SPECIAL, Executive - Thursday, 13th February, 2025 5.00 pm - February 13, 2025
To seek Executive approval of the Fareham Town Centre Regeneration Strategy 2025-2035 alongside approval of the proposed increase to the Revenue Base Budget and identified project budgets to support the long-term delivery of the Strategy. To seek Executive approval of the proposed Stage one Masterplanning work and the associated capital budget. The Council has a strong ambition to reverse the decline of Fareham Town Centre through regeneration, recognising the wider placemaking, economic regeneration and health benefits a more successful town centre would bring. Fareham’s town centre has a key role in supporting the economy of the Borough. It is the highest-ranking destination in the Council’s retail hierarchy and as such, provides the main location for retail, leisure, entertainment and cultural activities for the Borough’s residents. Work has already begun to deliver the Council’s significant regeneration ambition with the construction of Fareham Live, the demolition and replacement of Osborn Road multi storey car park, the purchase of Birks Building (also known as Foresters Hall) for housing development, alongside the purchase of Fareham Shopping Centre in September 2023. The Council appointed an asset manager to manage the Shopping Centre, alongside regeneration consultants to support the development of a deliverable and realistic Regeneration Strategy. Stage 1 and 2 of this work was reported to the Executive in January and March of 2024 respectively. Stage 3 of this work has now been completed after a further round of detailed analysis and consideration. This is provided at Appendix A ‘Fareham Town Centre Regeneration Strategy: Analysis and opportunity Assessment’. This work has informed the development of the Fareham Town Centre Regeneration Strategy 2025-2035, which also considers the Council’s Corporate Priorities resourcing requirements and the need for economic and residential growth in the town as reflected in the Fareham Local Plan 2037. The ‘Fareham Town Centre Regeneration Strategy 2025-2035’ is provided at Appendix B to the report.
Recommendations Approved
Community Fund Application - Victory Hall
From: Executive Portfolio for Leisure and Community - Tuesday, 4th February, 2025 4.30 pm - February 04, 2025
This report presents an application for funding under the Council’s Community Funding Programme. An application to the Community Fund has been received from Victory Hall for £10,000 towards a new accessible toilet and additional storage space at the front of the hall. Victory Hall has an existing toilet block, but when the hall is busy access is via going outside into the car park and accessing the toilet via the back door which is not suitable. More storage is also required to store tables and chairs which are currently taking up valuable cloakroom space. The Hall currently has over 1,000 users attending each week, with many being elderly or having mobility issues. Provision of a new accessible toilet would be a real benefit to these users and make the hall a more attractive venue. Better storage would also allow the hall to host more different types of events. Planning permission has been acquired for these works. The estimated cost of the project is £80,000. Victory Hall are looking for £10,000 from the community fund. They have raised £17,500 from fundraising and donations and will use £12,500 from reserves. Victory Hall have also secured a loan of £40,000 from ACRE to be paid back over 5 years. As of 13 January, Victory Hall held £81,685 in their accounts. In the accounting year 1 April 2023 – 31 March 2024, there was an income of £84,711 and expenditure of £69,033. Both Councillor Ford and Councillor Burgess supports Victory Hall’s application.
Recommendations Approved
Fareham Housing Acquisitions, Disposals and Tenure Changes
From: Executive - Monday, 3rd February, 2025 6.00 pm - February 03, 2025
To obtain Executive approval for Fareham Housing to acquire additional homes, dispose of existing properties and change the tenure of vacant properties, to ensure the housing stock is fit for purpose and meets local housing need. The Affordable Housing Strategy (2019) aims to provide the right affordable homes in the right places for those who need them. As a responsible housing provider, Fareham Housing aims to provide accommodation to meet the needs of residents. The report recommends delegated authority is given to the Director of Housing to acquire, dispose or change the tenure of empty homes as required, to ensure decisions concerning the best use of the housing stock can be made quickly and efficiently.
Recommendations Approved
Draft Air Quality Strategy 2025-2030 for Consultation
From: Executive - Monday, 3rd February, 2025 6.00 pm - February 03, 2025
To approve the draft Air Quality Strategy 2025 – 2030 for consultation prior ro final consideration and adoption. Air pollution can have a serious effect on people’s health. The Environment Act 2021 requires all local authorities to have either an active Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) if the authority has declared an Air Quality Management Area or to produce an Air Quality Strategy. In 2024, Fareham revoked both of its AQMAs and is therefore no longer required to have an AQAP. As such, an Air Quality Strategy is required. A 12-week public consultation process on the draft Air Quality Strategy is proposed and the final Strategy will be brought back to the Executive for decision later in the year.
Recommendations Approved
Insurance Services Contract
From: Executive - Monday, 3rd February, 2025 6.00 pm - February 03, 2025
This report considers the tenders received for the provision of Insurance Services for Fareham Borough Council. The report recommends an award of contract for the services. Ten Borough and District councils in Hampshire have worked collaboratively to procure insurance services from 1 April 2025 using an Open Procedure in accordance with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The current cost of insurance across the 10 borough and district councils in Hampshire is £4.7 million a year and for Fareham Borough Council £531,000. This report provides the Executive with information regarding the tenders received and seeks an award of contract for a 3-year long term agreement with the option to extend for a further 2 years for the provision of insurance services.
Recommendations Approved
Summary
Meetings Attended: 75
Average per Month: 3.0
Decisions Recorded: 119