East Hants District Council

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Big news from East Hampshire District Council

Interim proposal for Local Government Reorganisation agreed by EHDC

East Hampshire District Council today agreed to submit an interim proposal for local government reorganisation in Hampshire to central government.

The report is the culmination of a series of meetings between council Leaders and Chief Executives of the 14 other councils in the county and it represents a consensus approach.

It has been supported by consultants KPMG and forms the interim proposal for local government reorganisation for Hampshire that must be submitted to central government by Friday 21 March. All other Hampshire councils will also be considering this interim proposal before this deadline.

This submission follows the publication of the Devolution White Paper at the end of last year and the announcement that Hampshire and the Solent is part of the Devolution Priority Programme.

The report shows that councils are aligned on the need to develop structures which are fit for the future and have agreed principles to guide decision-making – alongside the government’s criteria. However, all councils have yet to reach a consensus on a preferred option for the unitary structures.

The report proposes that the Isle of Wight should remain as a separate unitary authority and is requesting confirmation from government about this and if it meets the exceptional circumstances required to do this.

Cllr Richard Millard, Leader of East Hampshire District Council, said: “This document is the culmination of a multitude of meetings between Council Leaders and Chief Executives and represents a consensus approach between multiple partners.

“However, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure the future of local government in Hampshire is stable and financially viable.

“The most important thing now is that we make our decisions based on facts, not opinions.”

Grow Up! update

The Great Spring Clean starts today thanks to Grow Up!

East Hampshire Norse will have more road sweepers and clean-up crews from 17-31 March thanks to funding from the Grow Up! Programme.

Great Spring Clean logo and funding logos

Funding through the Grow Up! Programme is being used by East Hampshire Norse to provide more boots on the ground cleaning up litter, revitalising street planters, sweeping roads and cutting back vegetation across the district.

This boost to resources will help get the areas we’re responsible for up to a higher standard which will be easier to maintain throughout the year.

Councillor Richard Millard, Leader of East Hampshire District Council, said:

“This time of year is a great opportunity to bring in extra resources to make sure that East Hampshire’s environment is as beautiful as it can be.

“I’m pleased that we can use this funding through Grow Up to make a difference in the local area and support the large number of local residents and community groups that are committed to keeping litter off our streets.”

We’ll be posting on our social media channels during the spring clean to show you what the team has been up to.

Find us on: Instagram • Facebook • Threads • Bluesky • Nextdoor • X

Find out more about the Great Spring Clean

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UKSPF

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

Find out more on GOV.UK

Bin update header

Buy loose. Waste less.

This week (17-23 March) is Food Waste Action Week. The focus this year is on buying loose fruit and vegetables, so we only buy what we’ll use rather than more than we need which then gets thrown away.

46% of the potatoes we buy are wasted. Buy loose. Waste less.

Food waste facts

Did you know, we waste:

46% of the potatoes we buy
23% of the carrots we buy
18% of the apples we buy

Food waste costs on average £1,000 for a household of four every year. By shopping for loose produce, you’ll be able to save money and waste less food.

Read about the benefits of buying loose fruit and veg

23% of the carrots we buy are wasted

What’s Food Waste Action Week?

Food Waste Action Week is part of WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign.

WRAP’s research has identified the potential to reduce household food waste by removing the packaging on uncut fresh fruit and veg, enabling us to buy closer to our needs as well as the ‘bonus’ benefit of eliminating a significant amount of unnecessary packaging.

WRAP recently called for a packaging ban on 21 fruit and veg items, to be developed via a formal consultation process. This recommendation has been created in consultation with industry stakeholders from across the supply chain. Selling these 21 items loose has the potential to save around 100,000 tonnes of edible fruit and vegetables from being wasted annually in people's homes as well as saving 13,000 tonnes of plastic film.

Learn about good food habits

18% of the apples we buy are wasted

When will we have food waste collections in East Hampshire?

Food waste collections for East Hampshire households will be introduced in 2026.

Workplace food waste collections (for workplaces with 10 full time equivalent (FTE) employees) should be in place from 31 March 2025. Find out more on the Business of Recycling website.

Big news from East Hampshire District Council

EHDC Leader: Deciding without evidence is as absurd as joining with Ibiza and Benidorm

East Hampshire District Council Leader, Cllr Richard Millard, has made it clear he won’t back a unitary partnership without solid evidence— dismissing speculation as being “as nonsensical as suggesting we merge with Ibiza and Benidorm.”

He stressed that decisions about Hampshire’s future must be based on facts, not guesswork, to ensure the best outcome for residents.

His comments came after EHDC published an interim proposal for local government organisation that will be considered by councillors on Monday 17th March.

This report is the culmination of a series of meetings between council Leaders and Chief Executives of the 14 other councils in Hampshire and it represents a consensus approach.

It has been supported by consultants KPMG and forms Hampshire's interim proposal for local government reorganisation that must be submitted to central government by 21st March. All other Hampshire councils will also be considering this interim proposal before this deadline.

Cllr Millard said: “The interim report does not set out a preferred option for the unitary structures. It does not even say how many unitary authorities there should be. And it certainly doesn’t say who should go with who.

“It doesn’t say these things because we do not have the detailed evidence to inform our decision-making at this stage.

“Therefore, any recommendations or opinions being announced by other leaders are based on nothing other than desire – which is as nonsensical as suggesting we merge with Ibiza or Benidorm.

“I will make decisions based on fact, data, evidence and numbers. This is my duty because I am doing what’s best for residents. And by residents, I do not just mean the current residents of East Hants but all the residents in Hampshire who will be receiving their services from new unitary councils.

“It’s not every day that we have an opportunity to shape how all council services will operate across the whole of Hampshire. We have his opportunity now and we must not let opinion guide are decision-making. This would be doing our residents a huge disservice.

“We must work together to create financially sustainable and resilient services that meet the needs of our communities.

“It’s not about what individual leaders want, it is about what Hampshire needs.

“The only way to do that is to analyse the data and to interrogate it with forensic analysis. Only then can we draw conclusions.

“This is not about individual councils. This is bigger than that - it is about create strong and stable councils for our residents. And I am 100% committed to that.”

For more information about local government reorganisation and devolution

Bin update header

Is your workplace ready for simpler recycling?

From 31 March 2025, businesses with more than 10 employees will be required to separate out materials for recycling and have a dedicated separate food waste collection.

See the government guidance

What’s changing?

The law is changing in England which will require you or your workplace to recycle the following materials:

Food waste
Paper and card
Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, and cartons
Metal tins and cans, foil and empty aerosols
Glass bottles and jars
Plastic films (from 2027)

When?

By 31 March 2025 – if you have 10 or more full- time equivalent (FTE) employees.
By 31 March 2027 – if you have fewer than 10 FTE employees in total across all of your premises.

Who needs to do it?

All workplaces in England, including:

Businesses
Care homes
Educational establishments
Healthcare establishments
Places of worship
Penal institutes (like prisons)
Charity shops
Residential hostels
Premises used for public meetings

What you should do now

If your workplace could be affected, speak to your waste collector to see if anything needs to change.

Tell your staff about any new processes and how to recycle correctly.

Check out the national guidance and visit the Business of Recycling website to find out more.

Simpler recycling for residents is due to be introduced in 2026.

Big news from East Hampshire District Council

Council budget allocates over £400,000 to support the community

Cllr Community Grants doubled; Funding for climate projects

Despite the difficult financial climate East Hampshire District Council has earmarked £430,000 in its coming budget to fund community projects through its councillors.

Each of the council’s 43 councillors will have £7,000 to distribute to good causes and community projects in their own part of the district, giving councillors the chance to tackle the issues that matter most to their residents.

A further £3,000 per councillor will also be set aside for green projects, helping the council and the community move towards our environmental objectives.

Last night (Thursday 27 February) councillors voted through a budget that meets the unprecedented challenges faced by councils in the current economic climate and delivers improved services and crucial support for the community.

As well as the councillor grants, a cross-party initiative includes around £100,000 in the budget to put towards enforcement officers focused on littering and parking issues.

Another £100,000 has been set aside for improving car park maintenance and buying digital speed cameras to help keep our roads safe.

Cllr Richard Millard, EHDC Leader, said: “The economic picture for councils is incredibly tough at the moment, as it is for everyone.

“However, thanks to a successful transformation process, which has made services more efficient and reduced our costs, the council can put more than £400,000 towards a councillor initiatives fund that will give them the power to address local issues.

“No-one knows better what’s going on in a community than the people that live there – that's why it makes sense to give each councillor a funding pot they can use to pinpoint the projects that will make the biggest difference in their nieghbourhoods.

“And to help us reduce our impact on the environment and reach carbon net zero, £129,000 will be dedicated to schemes relating to climate change and sustainability.”

Councillors agreed to raise Council Tax by £5 for Band D properties, taking the amount paid to EHDC by those households to £151.92.

The budget has been set in the face of severe financial challenges, including sharp rises in inflation and the Governent’s expansion of waste and recycling.

Cllr Charles Louisson, EHDC’s Portfolio Holder for Finance, said: “Despite the difficult financial climate for local authorities, EHDC remains in a very strong position.

“We have achieved a balanced budget by confronting the challenges we face and going through a successful transformation process to make our services modern and efficient.

“Although we have raised our Council Tax, the money that will generate does not even cover the costs added by inflation this year.

“However, the budget we have approved will support our communities, allow our economy to grow and prosper, tackle local and district-wide issues and push us towards our environmental ambitions.”

TBD header 2025

Welcome to our monthly round-up of what's happening in your district.

In this issue: funding for local projects, have your say on national park development plans, veterans festival, green steps, get up & go, and more...

Please follow our social media channels for regular updates.

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Apply now to fund your local project

Community groups, charities and organisations can apply now for developer contributions funding.

The application window opened on Monday 27 January and will run to Friday 21 March 2025.

Parish councils, schools, sports clubs and all kinds of community groups can apply to the fund with a huge variety of schemes that can be supported.

Developers contributions are paid by house-builders into a pot that can be used for local community projects.

There are two types of developer contribution – Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) and Section 106. The criteria and application processes are different for each pot so it’s worth looking into the detail.

Find out more about funding opportunities

tbd south downs local plan review

Comment on housing plans in the Park

The South Downs National Park has opened a public consultation on its Local Plan Review.

Our residents are urged to read the documents and have their say on how and where development takes place inside the national park.

The consultation will run until Monday 17 March.

In December, the Government increased the mandatory housing figure for East Hampshire from 575 to 1,142 homes a year.

The number of houses built inside the park may have an impact on the number of homes built in the areas just outside the boundary, so you don’t have to live inside the park to have a view.

Find out more and take part

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Vets turn out in force for first festival

The first ever East Hampshire Veterans Festival, a free drop-in event held on Friday 24 January at Petersfield, proved to be a huge success.

Aimed at serving and former members of the armed forces, and their families, the festival gave scores of people the opportunity to meet with service charities and other veterans for advice, assistance and support.

A range of stalls and presentations on various topics were on-hand throughout the day, making it the perfect place for former service men and women to drop in, take a look around, have a chat, and share their experiences with other veterans.

Corporal Louis (pictured) was a popular guest at the festival.

Read all about VetsFest

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We've upgraded our planning system

A new way of accessing and commenting on planning applications

We have recently upgraded the public access part of our planning portal, which allows residents and consultees to search planning applications and leave comments.

The new upgraded system is currently in transition, once it is fully established, it will be much easier for the public and more streamlined for our staff.

It does mean that you will need to register as a new user to submit comments on planning applications.

Information and advice has already been sent to regular users, and full guidance is available on our website.

Go to our new planning system

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Helping communities to help themselves

More than £350,000 of grants have been awarded to community groups, councils, schools and charities across East Hampshire.

A total of 22 projects ranging from art galleries to recreation grounds have benefited from the final round of our Supporting Communities Fund.

The grants go towards supporting local projects that contribute to improving residents’ mental health and tackling social isolation as well as building resilience in our community groups and organisations.

Find out how community groups are putting money to good use

Over £69k climate grants awarded in final wave of funding

Eight projects have received Community Climate Action Fund grants to take action in reducing carbon emissions in their local communities.

Over three rounds, the council has provided a total of £250,000 to support local projects that help improve energy efficiency and educate local people about climate change.

See which projects were awarded

tbd small green steps

A few small steps that could help save the planet

Make a difference with help from our Green Steps newsletter

We're taking green steps on our journey to carbon neutrality and we want your help to keep the district moving in the right direction.

Sign up to our monthly Green Steps email newsletter and we'll send you hints, tips and money-saving ideas on how to cut your carbon footprint.

Take a look at our recent newsletters which offer a range of advice on things like: eating less meat, protecting nature and recycling more of the right things.

Small steps, big difference!

Sign-up for Green Steps now!

tbd eh community lottery adventure

Win a year of adventures or £1000 cash!

Fancy winning annual family membership for English Heritage, the National Trust, and a Merlin Pass too!

Start supporting East Hampshire Community Lottery Fund today and you could win the ultimate passport to Britain's best attractions, or a £1,000 cash!

Sign up to play the East Hampshire Community Lottery and support your favourite good causes at the same time.

Our community lottery supports the work of community groups and organisations. Tickets cost just £1 a week, with cash prizes of up to £25,000 to be won every week.

Get your tickets before Saturday 22 February 2025 and you’ll be in a chance to win this fantastic bonus prize. Buy more tickets for more entries.

Get your tickets today and make

tbd get up and go yoga

Get up & go! – Enjoy something new

Are you looking for affordable and accessible ways of being active in your local community?

From walking football to chair yoga, Get up & go! has something for everyone.

Get up & go! offers a range of exciting physical activity sessions for residents of East Hampshire and the surrounding areas, especially for those who are not achieving their recommended levels of physical activity, or living with mild to moderate health conditions.

We want anybody who feels they might benefit from these activities to join in, so go on, get up and go enjoy something new.

Follow Get up & go! East Hampshire on Facebook or take a look at our website for all the latest classes. It's updated regularly with new sessions that are funded through the project.

Find out more and book onto a session

tbd follow us header

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Follow us on social media for regular updates

Big news from East Hampshire District Council

Apply now to fund your local project

Developer contributions available until 21 March

Money drawn from local development is now available to help fund community projects.

Community groups, charities and organisations can now apply to a funding pot made up of developer contributions.

Developer contributions are a fee paid by house-builders towards local infrastructure. Each area builds up a fund of money according to how much development it takes.

In previous years developer contributions funding has supported health projects, school improvements, play areas, charities and a range of fantastic local projects.

There are two types of developer contribution schemes – Section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Find out about developer contributions and other grant funding

Cllr Angela Glass, EHDC’s Portfolio Holder, Regulation & Enforcement, said: “The developer contributions we collect can make a huge difference to the local area.

“Parish councils, schools, sports clubs – all kinds of community groups can apply to the fund and a huge variety of schemes can be supported.

“The amount of money available in each area varies according to the amount of development that area takes, but it is always worth contacting the council and finding out if you can apply for a grant that might make all the difference to your community.”

Applications for developer contributions can be submitted until Friday 21 March 2025. Submit applications to cil@easthants.gov.uk

Big news from East Hampshire District Council

East Hampshire Veterans Festival provides expert advice and support to former armed forces people

Information, guidance and support was at the ready last week, making the first-ever East Hampshire Veterans Festival a huge success

The first ever East Hampshire Veterans Festival, a free drop-in event held last Friday 24 January at Petersfield Festival Hall, proved to be a huge success.

Arranged by EHDC, in partnership with Petersfield Royal British Legion and the Office of Damian Hinds MP, there were many local and national groups offering practical help, with experts on finances, job-hunting and mental wellbeing as well as welfare charities who help thousands every year.

Damian Hinds, MP for East Hampshire, said at the festival: "The festival was a fantastic opportunity for local veterans to access a wide range of support organisations, all in one place. It was also a great chance to engage with one another – with some veterans reconnecting after many years—adding to the festival’s special significance.”

Vets Fest 25 pic compilation

Supporting our armed forces community is a priority for EHDC

EHDC's Armed Forces Champion and Royal Navy veteran, Councillor Phil Shaw, said: “What an amazing event! I am so proud that we are showing our support for our armed forces community in such a positive way.

"We have the bravest, most loyal military personnel in the world in our Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy services. This festival has given us an opportunity to give something back.

"Many veterans struggle to adjust to civilian life after serving their country. If we can help those making the transition and make it much easier for them to access to support and information. Events like this, provide a solid platform that veterans might need to thrive when they leave the armed services.”

Find out more about East Hampshire Veterans Festival

Veterans Festival 2025 organisers

L-R, Cllr Phil Shaw - EHDC Armed Forces Champion, Hannah Robbins - EHDC, Megan Lloyd - DH Office, Damian Hinds - MP, and Chris Paige, Petersfield RBL

A veteran is someone who has completed at least one day's service in any branch of the armed forces.

For more information about the event, or to find out what support is available for our armed forces in East Hampshire, including clubs and networking opportunities please contact our Armed Forces Officers – Joanne Utting and Hannah Robbins at communitynorth@easthants.gov.uk

Or visit the Armed Forces section of our website.

Big news from East Hampshire District Council

South Downs National Park consults on its Local Plan Review

Public asked to comment on housing plans in the park

East Hampshire residents can have their say on housing plans inside the South Downs National Park through a consultation opening this week.

The consultation opened on Monday 20 January and will run until Monday 17 March

Take the consultation now

The South Downs National Park Authority is a separate planning authority to EHDC and prepares its own Local Plan for the whole of the South Downs – including the area of East Hampshire that is inside the park.

The Government sets housing targets for the whole of East Hampshire so the number of homes built inside the park through the SDNPA’s Local Plan has a direct impact on the number of homes which must be delivered in the rest of the district.

In December the Government increased the mandatory housing figure for East Hampshire from 575 to 1,142 homes a year. This is a 98 per cent increase.

We have called on the South Downs National Park Authority to take a fair share of these homes inside the park. Currently the SDNP Local Plan Review proposes around 60 homes a year.

National planning policies also require East Hampshire to attempt to accommodate housing from the national park and other neighbouring planning authorities that cannot meet their own targets.

Public meetings

The South Downs National Park Authority is hosting two public meetings on the consultation in East Hampshire.

Petersfield – Wednesday, 29 January between 6.30pm and 8.30pm at Festival Hall, Heath Road, GU31 4EA
Liphook – Saturday, 1 February between 2pm and 5pm at Liphook Church Centre, Portsmouth Road, GU30 7DJ

Cllr Angela Glass, EHDC Portfolio Holder for Regulation & Enforcement, which includes Planning, said a certain level of development is healthy for towns and villages and without it communities can stagnate.

She said: “While a highly protected area, national parks should seek to sustain their communities and avoid decline. To do this they need to provide a reasonable amount of new housing, particularly affordable housing, in key areas such as Petersfield. However, the SDNP Local Plan Review is only proposing to deliver a small number of new homes.

“The council is concerned for all residents within East Hampshire and wants the best outcomes and quality of life for all. As such, we think the SDNPA Local Plan Review needs to grapple with day-to-day issues facing local communities and be clear on how it is planning to sustain communities and avoid decline.

“While we recognise the landscape priorities of the SDNPA, the needs of the people who live in the SDNP should also be a high priority.

"We encourage all residents of East Hampshire, whether living in the SDNP or outside of it, to look carefully at this consultation and respond, particularly thinking of the local housing needs and the future vitality of settlements in the SDNP."

Please note that the venue (in Horndean) will be given out when applicants complete the on-line registration process.

EHDC Vehicle Repairs Poster

Bin update header

Household glass collections Q&A

When’s my glass going to be collected?

Glass collections from homes in the district are now fortnightly. If you don’t know when your glass will be collected, it’s included in your October 2024 - September 2025 bin calendar. If your glass box is not collected on your scheduled day, it can be reported as missed through our website in the same way you can report another bin.

What if I have more than a box full of glass?

We’ll take as many glass bottles and jars (no lids or corks please) as you have on your collection day as long as they are in a suitable container.

Suitable containers are sturdy plastic boxes with handles, no more than 38 litres in size. They should weigh less than 5.5kg when you put them out. Each loader picks up around 3,500 glass boxes each week and overloading can lead to injury.

Where are the bottle banks?

There are no longer any glass banks in the district, and there is signage in the former bank sites making it clear that the banks have been removed.

Leaving glass in the places where there used to be banks is fly tipping, and our District Team will issue fines to anyone who can be identified as having dumped their glass.

Glass bottles can be broken easily and represent a hazard to other residents including children, local wildlife and the crews we send to clear it up.

Find out more about glass collections

Big news from East Hampshire District Council

We’re changing how we work for you

Penns Place closing down, more services to be delivered digitally

We’re changing the way we work to make our services easier for people to use.

Our customer information shows that customers want services they can easily access when and where they want.

As a result, we’ve reshaped our services behind the scenes to make them streamlined and efficient and we are improving the way residents can reach us to make it simple and straightforward.

Already most of our customers expect to access our services online. That way they can get what they want, when they want it.

In fact, only around three per cent of customer enquiries come through the council’s reception at Penns Place.

So from 2 April we will be closing our reception at Penns Place and focusing on providing our services digitally, to support our residents in a more convenient and forward-thinking way.

We are creating a network of access points around the district where residents can speak directly to council officers through a live link-up. Using this network, residents will be able to receive the support and assistance they need to conduct their business with the council.

If customers are unable to access our services digitally, they can contact us via the telephone on 01730 266551 where one of our team will be available to help directly or arrange an appointment for a face-to-face meeting if appropriate.

A handful of our customers still pay for services using cash. We have contacted these customers direct and set up alternative means of payment.

Cllr Richard Millard, EHDC Leader, said: “This way of delivering our services to residents is leaner, more efficient and conforms with what our residents expect of us and how the vast majority of them already contact us.

“By focusing on providing services online we can make life easier for residents that are comfortable using digital technology and still support the very few who cannot.

“Removing our reception from Penns Place will mean the council no longer is tied to an expensive and out-dated facility that is rarely used.”

For more information on how residents can reach us, go to www.easthants.gov.uk.

Ends