Welcome

Well, for the sixth year running we’ve done it again and have been awarded top marks by the Audit Commission as part of its annual performance assessment.

We’ve been rated a four-star authority – improving well – by the Audit Commission. This places us in a select group of top-performing councils in England. We’re really proud of our achievements and will continue to improve services and ensure Hampshire remains a place where we all want to live. Find out exactly how well we are performing in our special annual report.

By now you should have received your Council Tax bill. We have once again issued a joint statement with Hampshire Police Authority and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority, as well as some district and borough councils. In this edition there is an update on Council Tax issues, including how to claim Council Tax benefits and Pension Credit, and the County Council’s budget.

This edition is also packed full of interesting articles about the County Council’s varied services and activities. Read about the Hampshire Talented Athlete Scheme, which helps local sportsmen and women achieve their full potential in the competitive world of sport. Get a glimpse of what Hampshire may look like in the future as we talk to our experts about climate change, and discover the exciting changes that are being made to the registration service.

Our walking feature, this time round, takes us from Hook to the delightful village of Rotherwick. Plus, we’ve got some great competitions for you to enter!

We hope you enjoy this issue.

Leader replies

Dear Councillor Thornber,

When I received my Council Tax bill last year, the percentage increase was higher than the one you had originally quoted in Hampshire Now.

We live in Bishop’s Waltham and perhaps there is a good reason for this discrepancy, but we do feel that this is a very misleading situation. We would appreciate knowing the reason for the higher percentage being charged.

Regards,

Anon, via email

Thank you for your email. Your Council Tax bill is made up of services supplied by your county council, city and parish councils, and police and fire authorities.

Hampshire Now only quoted the percentage increase for services supplied by Hampshire County Council.

Most levels of local government, including county, district and borough councils, and police and fire authorities, are capped by central government and cannot increase Council Tax by more than 5%.

However, parish councils are not capped, and therefore that element of your bill can be increased by more than 5%.

Last year the average parish council precept increased by 5.3%. Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council raised its precept by 24% last year, which compared with those under 5%, had a big impact on your bill, making the overall rise much higher than the figure quoted by the County Council.

If you would like any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Councillor Ken Thornber CBE, Leader of Hampshire County Council