Hampshire County Council
Councillors:
78
Wards:
76
Committees:
49
Meetings (2026):
57
Meetings (2025):
155
Meeting
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority - Hampshire
Meeting Times
Scheduled Time
Start:
Tuesday, 7th October 2025
10:30 AM
Tuesday, 7th October 2025
10:30 AM
End:
Tuesday, 7th October 2025
2:30 PM
Tuesday, 7th October 2025
2:30 PM
Meeting Status
Status:
Confirmed
Confirmed
Date:
07 Oct 2025
07 Oct 2025
Location:
Room X - Hampshire & IOW Fire & Police HQ, Eastleigh
Room X - Hampshire & IOW Fire & Police HQ, Eastleigh
Meeting Attendees
Committee Member
Councillor Sally Goodfellow
Liberal Democrat and Labour for HIWFRA (Southampton City Council)
Present, as expected
Committee Member
Vice Chairman of the Council
Committee Member
Councillor Karen Lucioni
Independent Alliance Group for HIWFRA (Isle of Wight Council)
Present, as expected
Committee Member
Councillor George Madgwick
Independent Alliance Group for HIWFRA (Portsmouth City Council)
Apologies
Agenda
1
Apologies for Absence
To receive any apologies for absence.
Minutes
Apologies had been received from Cllr Price, Cllr Carpenter and Cllr Madgwick.
The Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, was also unable to attend.
The Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, was also unable to attend.
2
Declarations of Interest
To enable Members to disclose to the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest they may have in any matter on the agenda for the meeting, where that interest is not already entered in the Authority’s register of interests, and any other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests in any such matter that Members may wish to disclose.
Minutes
Members were mindful to disclose to the meeting any disclosable pecuniary interest they may have in any matter on the agenda for the meeting, where that interest was not already entered in the Authority’s register of interests, along with any other pecuniary or non-pecuniary interests in any such matter that Members wished to disclose.
3
Minutes of Previous Meeting
To approve the open minutes from the previous Full Authority meeting.
Attachments:
- Document Minutes , 29/08/2025 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Authority 29 Sep 2025
Minutes
The minutes of the last meeting were reviewed and agreed.
4
Deputations
Pursuant to Standing Order 19, to receive any deputations to this meeting
Minutes
There were no deputations for the meeting.
5
Chairman's Announcements
To receive any announcements the Chairman may wish to make.
Minutes
The Chairman welcomed the new Chief Fire Officer, Dr Sabrina Cohen-Hatton, on behalf of all Fire Authority Members, to her first Authority meeting.
The Chaiman shared that on 3 September Deputy Chief Fire Officer Shantha Dickinson and Crew Manager Luke Holdcroft attended the South East Reserve Forces and Cadet Association event at Admiralty House in Old Portsmouth to receive an award on behalf of the Service. They received the Silver Award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. This award demonstrates the Service's commitment to employees who are military veterans and reservists. The Chairman noted that the Authority aspired to work towards the Gold Award.
Finally, the Chairman confirmed that following the Fire Authority meeting on the 29 August, where Members considered the Operational Changes Consultation Report, a letter had been sent to the Minister responsible for Fire and Rescue.
That letter highlighted the significant financial challenges that Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Services faced, and called on the Government to act, before future decisions become untenable in terms of balancing risk and resources.
The Chaiman shared that on 3 September Deputy Chief Fire Officer Shantha Dickinson and Crew Manager Luke Holdcroft attended the South East Reserve Forces and Cadet Association event at Admiralty House in Old Portsmouth to receive an award on behalf of the Service. They received the Silver Award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme. This award demonstrates the Service's commitment to employees who are military veterans and reservists. The Chairman noted that the Authority aspired to work towards the Gold Award.
Finally, the Chairman confirmed that following the Fire Authority meeting on the 29 August, where Members considered the Operational Changes Consultation Report, a letter had been sent to the Minister responsible for Fire and Rescue.
That letter highlighted the significant financial challenges that Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Services faced, and called on the Government to act, before future decisions become untenable in terms of balancing risk and resources.
6
Member Developments
To receive any updates from Members of the Authority.
Minutes
Members provided the following updates:
· Cllr Vaughan set out his experience at the Basingstoke Fire Station open day.
· Goodfellow noted that she had worked with Southampton’s MPs to send additional letters to central government to compliment that sent by the authority.
· Cllr Parker-Jones had attended the Emergency Service’s Service, a joint Service between Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Hampshire Constabulary. Cllr Parker-Jones had also attended the Local Government Association Fire Commission meeting, which focused on funding and the concerns surrounding the new funding formula.
· Cllr Harrison thanked Officers for the recent refresher training provided for members of the authority, which covered finance, legal, governance and equalities.
· Cllr Vaughan set out his experience at the Basingstoke Fire Station open day.
· Goodfellow noted that she had worked with Southampton’s MPs to send additional letters to central government to compliment that sent by the authority.
· Cllr Parker-Jones had attended the Emergency Service’s Service, a joint Service between Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Hampshire Constabulary. Cllr Parker-Jones had also attended the Local Government Association Fire Commission meeting, which focused on funding and the concerns surrounding the new funding formula.
· Cllr Harrison thanked Officers for the recent refresher training provided for members of the authority, which covered finance, legal, governance and equalities.
7
Quarter 1 Budget Update Report
To receive a report from the Chief Finance Officer setting out the quarter one forecast position for the Authority and providing financial updates following the Budget Report in February 2025.
Attachments:
- Document Item 7 - Budget Update Report Q1 29 Sep 2025
- Document Item 7 - Budget Update Report Q1 Appendix A1 Capital 29 Sep 2025
- Document Item 7 - Budget Update Report Q1 Appendix B TM indicators 29 Sep 2025
Minutes
The Fire Authority received a report from the Chief Financial Officer which set out the quarter one forecast position for the Authority and provided financial updates following the Budget Report in February 2025.
Members noted that the Authority’s costs had been increasing faster than funding meaning that in addition to the in-year delivery of savings of £1.734m a draw from reserves of £1.813m was required to set a balanced budget for 2025/26.
The Authority heard that the current forecast is for an underspend against the budget of £1.147m (1.1%), which meant the Authority still need to draw from reserves this year to support the revenue budget, but to a lesser degree.
The reasons for this was set out in the report.
In response to questions Members found that it was for the Fire Service to decide how best to respond to the HMRC recommendations, so cost implications could be properly considered.
RESOLVED:
· That the forecast outturn position for financial year 2025/26 were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the update on the delivery of the required savings were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the need to invest one-off resources to support workforce planning in response to the Cause of Concern raised by HMICRFS were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That transfers from the capital financing budget (£1.3m) and the interest income budget (£0.3m) to the Capital Payments Reserve were approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority to be set aside to support the Authority’s future management of fire contaminant risks outlined in the August 2025 report to the Authority.
· That the updated capital programme (appendices A1 and A2) including the reallocation of funding across schemes be approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the quarterly prudential indicators and treasury indicators in tables 5 and 6 and Appendix B were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
Members noted that the Authority’s costs had been increasing faster than funding meaning that in addition to the in-year delivery of savings of £1.734m a draw from reserves of £1.813m was required to set a balanced budget for 2025/26.
The Authority heard that the current forecast is for an underspend against the budget of £1.147m (1.1%), which meant the Authority still need to draw from reserves this year to support the revenue budget, but to a lesser degree.
The reasons for this was set out in the report.
In response to questions Members found that it was for the Fire Service to decide how best to respond to the HMRC recommendations, so cost implications could be properly considered.
RESOLVED:
· That the forecast outturn position for financial year 2025/26 were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the update on the delivery of the required savings were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the need to invest one-off resources to support workforce planning in response to the Cause of Concern raised by HMICRFS were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That transfers from the capital financing budget (£1.3m) and the interest income budget (£0.3m) to the Capital Payments Reserve were approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority to be set aside to support the Authority’s future management of fire contaminant risks outlined in the August 2025 report to the Authority.
· That the updated capital programme (appendices A1 and A2) including the reallocation of funding across schemes be approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the quarterly prudential indicators and treasury indicators in tables 5 and 6 and Appendix B were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
8
EXCLUSION OF PRESS AND PUBLIC
To resolve that the public be excluded from the meeting during the following items of business, as it is likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during these items there would be disclosure to them of exempt information within Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, and further that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons set out in the reports.
Minutes
It was agreed that the public be excluded from the meeting during the following items of business, as it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings, that if members of the public were present during these items there would be disclosure to them of exempt information within Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, and further that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, for the reasons set out in the reports.
9
Quarter 1 Budget Update Report - Exempt Appendix
To receive an exempt appendix in relation to Item 7.
Attachments:
- Document Item 7 - Budget Update Report Q1 Appendix A2 Capital Confidential 29 Sep 2025
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