Basingstoke and Deane budget approved boosting spending

Frontline services are set to receive a funding boost as part of newly approved council spending plans, as councillors gave the green light to the budget during a meeting on Thursday, February 26, setting out how the authority will fund its services from April 2026.

The decision follows a public consultation held in November and December 2025.

A central element of the budget is increased investment in keeping streets clean and maintaining parks and public spaces, building on an additional £750,000 allocated annually since 2024.

Councillors in the chamber (Image: Newsquest)

The council plans to introduce a dedicated jet washing service, following the success of deep cleaning in the town centre and other areas.

Cllr Gavin James, co-leader and cabinet member for finance and property, said: "We would like to thank everyone who shared their views during our public consultation, telling us how important our services are to them.

"We care about our communities, and this feedback directly shapes the decisions we make.

"Over the past two years, we have prioritised putting more money into our frontline services that shape how people feel about where they live.

"We are already seeing the impact of this decision – from the work of our teams to keep streets and green spaces clean and tidy, protecting vital emergency accommodation for those at risk of homelessness, to continuing our support for community transport and other vital services."

The budget also includes funding to strengthen the council's planning service, to support the coordinated delivery and collection of funding for vital infrastructure, and to support ongoing work to investigate breaches of planning permissions and conditions.

To improve residents' experience of accessing council services, funding has been allocated to expand the use of technology for faster and more convenient customer service.

Several budget amendments were approved during the meeting.

These include £40,000 per year to purchase up to 10 speed indicator devices to support targeted enforcement for speeding across the borough.

A £200,000 Business Rates Hardship Fund was also approved, aimed at supporting pubs and small businesses facing increased business rates or those not covered by national schemes.

Councillors also backed the temporary reintroduction of some one-hour free parking at the Top of Town for one year.

To fund its services, the council will introduce an average council tax increase of 10p per week, bringing its portion of the bill to £151.42 per year for the average household.

This is still likely to make Basingstoke and Deane one of the lowest districts in Hampshire, and most of the country for council tax.

Fees for additional services, such as car parking, will rise by an average of three per cent to reflect rising costs.

Cllr James said: "I am pleased that councillors backed our budget for the next year to build on this important work.

"Alongside our investment in everyday services, our capital budget includes over £21million of investment this year alone for projects that will shape our borough for the future.

"This includes driving forward our plans for a modern new water and leisure complex to replace the Aquadrome and other new attractions at the leisure park, alongside projects to improve our sports and community facilities."

In addition to day-to-day spending, councillors approved a capital budget totalling £129m over the next four years.

These funds are earmarked for projects including improvements to Basingstoke Leisure Park, protection of vital homelessness facilities, upgrades to community centres, and investment in sports facilities across the borough.

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