Richard Ivory
Council: Fareham
Committees:
Activity Timeline
Meetings Attended Note this may include planned future meetings.
57 meetings · Page 1 of 12
Council - Thursday, 9th October, 2025 6.00 pm
38 attendees, 13 documents, 0 media files
Decisions from Meetings
97 decisions · Page 11 of 20
Warm Homes Social Housing Fund, Wave 3
From: Executive - Tuesday, 11th March, 2025 6.00 pm, NEW - March 11, 2025
To provide an overview of the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund, Wave 3 grant and seek Executive approval to undertake energy efficiency works under this scheme. The Warm Homes Social Housing Fund (WH) Wave 3 is a government initiative aimed at improving the energy efficiency of social housing across England. The scheme provides funding to social housing landlords to retrofit existing properties. The fund focuses on upgrading homes with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) below band C. The Council will be required to fund a minimum of 50% of the eligible project costs. These costs will be incorporated in the HRA capital programme within existing budgets for stock improvements over the next 3 financial years to ensure this funding opportunity can be utilised. A confidential appendix is included in the report and outlines the cost of the project. The procurement process is still in the early stages, therefore in the interest of fairness, best value and commercial sensitivity the full details are restricted. An application has been submitted for this project, following consultation with the Director of Housing and the Executive Member for Housing. Subject to funding being awarded, approval is sought to undertake the works and enter a contract with an appropriate supplier, through an approved framework. Approval is also sought for the funding arrangements to meet the Council’s contribution.
Recommendations Approved
Finance Strategy, Capital Programme, Revenue Budget & Council Tax 2025/26
From: SPECIAL, Executive - Thursday, 13th February, 2025 5.00 pm - February 13, 2025
The report seeks final confirmation of the recommendations to be made to Council on 14 February 2025, in respect of the revenue budget, capital programme and council tax for 2025/26. On 13 January 2025, the Executive reviewed the Council’s overall finance strategy and considered proposals relating to the revenue budgets and the council tax for 2025/26. This report updates the Council’s budgets to reflect the decisions taken and other known changes since 13 January 2025, including the provisional local government finance settlement. The net revenue budget for 2025/26 will be £15,050,100. With core funding estimated to be £5,819,957 no payment from the collection fund and other income sources and use of reserves totalling £693,500, this leaves the total amount due from the Council taxpayers to be £8,536,643. This level of council tax for 2025/26 equates to £191.42 per Band D property. This represents an increase of £5.56 per year from the council tax set for 2024/25 and is within the 2.99% referendum threshold set by the Government.
Recommendations Approved
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
Fareham Shopping Centre Asset Management Initiatives
From: SPECIAL, Executive - Thursday, 13th February, 2025 5.00 pm - February 13, 2025
As detailed in the confidential report
Recommendations Approved
Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Indicators
From: Executive - Monday, 3rd February, 2025 6.00 pm - February 03, 2025
The report considers the draft treasury Management Strategy and Investment Strategy for 2025/26, prior to its submission to the Council for approval. Regulations require the Council to prepare and formally approve both an annual Treasury Management Strategy and Investment Strategy. The latest document updated for 2025/26 is attached as Appendix A to the report for consideration by the Executive before being submitted to Council for approval. In the past 12 months, the Council’s investment balance has tanged between £18 million and £32 million, lower levels are expected in the forthcoming year due to capital programme expenditure. The Council expects to be a long-term borrower and new treasury investments will therefore be made primarily to manage day-to-day cash flows using short-term low risk instruments. The existing portfolio of strategic pooled funds will be maintained to diversify risk into different sectors and boost investment income. BORROWING levels are expected to be £71.3 million at the end of 2025/26, compared to £72.3 million in the last strategy. The Council has previously raised all of its long-term borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) but will consider long-term loans from other sources. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has issued a consultation on the extension of the statutory override on accounting for gains and losses on pooled investment funds. The outcome is expected to be published in February 2025. Whether the override will be extended beyond 31 March 2025 is unknown. The Council has set up a reserve of £500,000 to mitigate the impact of the pooled funds statutory override not being extended as unrealised losses on pooled investment funds are required to be recognised in the General Fund. The actual impact will be based on the valuations of the Council’s long term funds on 31 March 2026.
Recommendations Approved
Summary
Meetings Attended: 57
Average per Month: 2.5
Decisions Recorded: 97