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:
Thursday, 18th December 2025
10:30 AM
Thursday, 18th December 2025
10:30 AM
End:
Thursday, 18th December 2025
2:30 PM
Thursday, 18th December 2025
2:30 PM
Meeting Status
Status:
Confirmed
Confirmed
Date:
18 Dec 2025
18 Dec 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
Councillor George Madgwick
(Portsmouth City Council)
Present, as expected
Committee Member
Vice Chairman of the Council
Committee Member
Councillor Karen Lucioni
Independent Group for HIWFRA (Isle of Wight Council)
Apologies
Agenda
1
Apologies for Absence
To receive any apologies for absence.
Minutes
Apologies had been received from Cllr Lucioni.
Donna Jones, Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, was unable to attend but Alex Rennie, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner was in attendance.
Donna Jones, Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner, was unable to attend but Alex Rennie, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner was in attendance.
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.
No disclosures were made.
No disclosures were made.
3
Minutes of Previous Meeting
To approve the open minutes from the previous Full Authority meeting.
Attachments:
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 confirmed that the Chief Fire Officer had signed the Armed Forces Covenant on 1 December 2025. This symbolised the ongoing commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community.
The Chairman also noted that he had written to the Government in September to highlight the financial challenges facing the authority. Local MPs had also written in support of adequately funding the fire and rescue sector. The FBU and NFCC have also supported this cause. A letter was received from the Minister for Fire at the end of October, which will be responded to following the provisional settlement being received from Government.
The Chairman went on to acknowledge that the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum Executive meeting on 15 December confirmed the appointment of Chief Constable Alexis Boon as the LRF Chair and Deputy Chief Fire Officer Shantha Dickinson as LRF Deputy Chair.
The Chairman concluded by sharing his hope that all would attend the Graduation Ceremony scheduled for that afternoon to congratulate the most recent trainees and celebrate with their family and friends.
The Chairman also noted that he had written to the Government in September to highlight the financial challenges facing the authority. Local MPs had also written in support of adequately funding the fire and rescue sector. The FBU and NFCC have also supported this cause. A letter was received from the Minister for Fire at the end of October, which will be responded to following the provisional settlement being received from Government.
The Chairman went on to acknowledge that the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum Executive meeting on 15 December confirmed the appointment of Chief Constable Alexis Boon as the LRF Chair and Deputy Chief Fire Officer Shantha Dickinson as LRF Deputy Chair.
The Chairman concluded by sharing his hope that all would attend the Graduation Ceremony scheduled for that afternoon to congratulate the most recent trainees and celebrate with their family and friends.
6
Member Developments
To receive any updates from Members of the Authority.
Minutes
Members provided overviews on their attendance at the recent Fire Service Remembrance event, the Carol Service and Graduation Ceremony. Additionally, Members commented on their attendance at national meetings in relation to pay and conditions. Members also commented on the benefits of the recent Equalities training attend by several of them.
7
HIWFRA Constitution Review Report - Amendments for Approval
To receive a report from the Monitoring Officer providing proposed amendments to the Constitution for approval by the HIWFRA.
Attachments:
- Document Item 7 - HIWFRA Constitution Review Report - Amendments for Approval 10 Dec 2025
- Document Item 7 - HIWFRA Constitution Review Report - Appendix A - HIWFRA Constitution with Tracked Changes 10 Dec 2025
Minutes
The Fire Authority received a report from the Monitoring Officer which set out proposed amendments to the Fire Authority’s Constitution.
The Constitution is the key governance document that sets out how the Fire Authority operates, makes decisions, and ensures accountability to the public. It is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains up to date, reflects current legislation, and supports effective and transparent decision-making.
The proposed amendments have arisen from routine review, internal audit recommendations, and discussions held with Members and Officers. The amendments incorporate minor updates, clarifications, and alignment with current practices. A summary of the rationale for each amendment was provided in the report and detailed further in Appendix A.
RESOLVED:
That the proposed amendments to the Constitution were approved by the
HIWFRA Full Authority.
The Constitution is the key governance document that sets out how the Fire Authority operates, makes decisions, and ensures accountability to the public. It is reviewed periodically to ensure it remains up to date, reflects current legislation, and supports effective and transparent decision-making.
The proposed amendments have arisen from routine review, internal audit recommendations, and discussions held with Members and Officers. The amendments incorporate minor updates, clarifications, and alignment with current practices. A summary of the rationale for each amendment was provided in the report and detailed further in Appendix A.
RESOLVED:
That the proposed amendments to the Constitution were approved by the
HIWFRA Full Authority.
8
Q2 Budget Update Report
To receive a report from the Chief Financial Officer providing a budget update for quarter 2.
Attachments:
- Document Item 8 - Q2 Budget Update Cover Report 10 Dec 2025
- Document Item 8 - Q2 Budget Update Report - Appendix A1 10 Dec 2025
- Document Item 8 - Q2 Budget Update Report - Appendix B 10 Dec 2025
Minutes
The Fire Authority received a report from the Chief Financial Officer which set out the quarter two forecast position for the Authority and provided financial updates following the Budget Report in February 2025.
Officers set out 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 current forecast was for an underspend against the budget of £1.164m (1.1%), which would mean the Authority would still need to draw from reserves this year to support the revenue budget, but to a lesser degree. The overall position was broadly unchanged from Quarter 1.
Officers also provided an update on the medium term position ahead of the Authority setting the budget and council tax for 2026/27 in February 2026. As the local government finance settlement and the outcome of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation had not been published, there continued to be uncertainty about the Authority’s financial position for 2026/27. Using the information available with appropriate assumptions it was expected that the Authority will face a budget gap in 2026/27 and beyond.
Members noted that the Authority had sufficient funding set aside within the Budget Equalisation Reserve to address the forecast budget gap in 2026/27, however it was agreed that this was not a sustainable ongoing position. Options to deliver savings to address an ongoing budget gap should therefore be developed to allow savings to be delivered at the right time in a way that supports the delivery of the Safety Plan.
Members discussed the possibility of a referendum to increase Council Tax by more than the maximum allowed without one, and the various potential repercussions of this. Several members thought the public would be content to pay a little more to support the service, but concerns were raised regarding the cost of the referendum.
RESOLVED:
· That the forecast outturn position for financial year 2025/26 including the delivery of the required savings was noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That transfers from the capital financing budget (£0.6m) and the interest income budget (£0.6m) to the Capital Payments Reserve were approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That an additional £150,000 to meet uninsured costs of withdrawing from facilities at Fort Widley was approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the virements to realign the budget for NFSP costs were approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the forecast for a budget gap for 2026/27 and beyond even assuming council tax is increased by the maximum allowed without a referendum was noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the need to identify potential options for the further delivery of savings given the forecast ongoing budget gap was noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the updated capital programme forecasts were approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the quarterly prudential indicators were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the Treasury Management Mid-Year Report was approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the uninsured liabilities and associated urgent decision of the Chief Financial Officer set out in Appendix C were noted.
Officers set out 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 current forecast was for an underspend against the budget of £1.164m (1.1%), which would mean the Authority would still need to draw from reserves this year to support the revenue budget, but to a lesser degree. The overall position was broadly unchanged from Quarter 1.
Officers also provided an update on the medium term position ahead of the Authority setting the budget and council tax for 2026/27 in February 2026. As the local government finance settlement and the outcome of the Fair Funding Review 2.0 consultation had not been published, there continued to be uncertainty about the Authority’s financial position for 2026/27. Using the information available with appropriate assumptions it was expected that the Authority will face a budget gap in 2026/27 and beyond.
Members noted that the Authority had sufficient funding set aside within the Budget Equalisation Reserve to address the forecast budget gap in 2026/27, however it was agreed that this was not a sustainable ongoing position. Options to deliver savings to address an ongoing budget gap should therefore be developed to allow savings to be delivered at the right time in a way that supports the delivery of the Safety Plan.
Members discussed the possibility of a referendum to increase Council Tax by more than the maximum allowed without one, and the various potential repercussions of this. Several members thought the public would be content to pay a little more to support the service, but concerns were raised regarding the cost of the referendum.
RESOLVED:
· That the forecast outturn position for financial year 2025/26 including the delivery of the required savings was noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That transfers from the capital financing budget (£0.6m) and the interest income budget (£0.6m) to the Capital Payments Reserve were approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That an additional £150,000 to meet uninsured costs of withdrawing from facilities at Fort Widley was approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the virements to realign the budget for NFSP costs were approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the forecast for a budget gap for 2026/27 and beyond even assuming council tax is increased by the maximum allowed without a referendum was noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the need to identify potential options for the further delivery of savings given the forecast ongoing budget gap was noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the updated capital programme forecasts were approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the quarterly prudential indicators were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the Treasury Management Mid-Year Report was approved by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
· That the uninsured liabilities and associated urgent decision of the Chief Financial Officer set out in Appendix C were noted.
9
HIWFRS Mid-Year Performance Update
To receive a report from the Chief Fire Officer providing an update on the HIWFRS Mid-Year Performance.
Attachments:
- Document Item 9 - HIWFRS Mid-Year Performance Update 10 Dec 2025
- Document Item 9 - HIWFRS Mid-Year Performance Update - Appendix A 10 Dec 2025
Minutes
The Fire Authority received a report from the Chief Fire Officer which provided the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service’s Mid-Year Performance update.
Officers presented the report, which set out performance against key operational and corporate health measures in the period of 1 April 2025 through to 30 September 2025. The report was structured around the 2025-30 Safety Plan strategic objectives but also provided an assessment of progress in delivering directorate improvement activities.
Officers noted that 2025/26 had been a year of challenge and change. The new 2025/30 Safety Plan launched on the 1 April 2025 and September saw a new Chief Fire Officer join the Service. The Service had also responded to financial challenges by identifying and implementing changes.
The challenges had not been confined to finances, as the summer saw high numbers of fires in the open, fires between April and September 2025 increasing 36% versus the same period last year.
Members noted that, despite the overall 8% increase in incidents versus last year, response times only increased by 6 seconds versus last year and remained under ten minutes. There was a slight increase in on-call availability; the number of suspected fire deaths reduced slightly; and fire casualty numbers remained broadly stable. In terms of community safety, the number of fire safety audit related interventions increased slightly versus last year; and significant work had been done to improve the quality of premises risk information.
It was also noted that the percentage of staff with a completed PDR has increased and the Authority continued to make positive strides in carbon reduction activity. Staff sickness levels had increased slightly, although there had been an increase in accuracy of reporting sickness types.
RESOLVED:
That the 2025/26 Mid-Year Performance Update Report was noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
Officers presented the report, which set out performance against key operational and corporate health measures in the period of 1 April 2025 through to 30 September 2025. The report was structured around the 2025-30 Safety Plan strategic objectives but also provided an assessment of progress in delivering directorate improvement activities.
Officers noted that 2025/26 had been a year of challenge and change. The new 2025/30 Safety Plan launched on the 1 April 2025 and September saw a new Chief Fire Officer join the Service. The Service had also responded to financial challenges by identifying and implementing changes.
The challenges had not been confined to finances, as the summer saw high numbers of fires in the open, fires between April and September 2025 increasing 36% versus the same period last year.
Members noted that, despite the overall 8% increase in incidents versus last year, response times only increased by 6 seconds versus last year and remained under ten minutes. There was a slight increase in on-call availability; the number of suspected fire deaths reduced slightly; and fire casualty numbers remained broadly stable. In terms of community safety, the number of fire safety audit related interventions increased slightly versus last year; and significant work had been done to improve the quality of premises risk information.
It was also noted that the percentage of staff with a completed PDR has increased and the Authority continued to make positive strides in carbon reduction activity. Staff sickness levels had increased slightly, although there had been an increase in accuracy of reporting sickness types.
RESOLVED:
That the 2025/26 Mid-Year Performance Update Report was noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
10
Property Matters Report
To receive a report from the Chief Fire Officer providing an update on Property Matters.
Attachments:
- Document Item 10 - Property Matters Report 10 Dec 2025
Minutes
The Fire Authority received a report from the Chief Fire Officer summarising property related matters where action had already been taken by Officers under delegated authority. These actions were reported in accordance with the Authority’s Scheme of Delegation.
RESOLVED:
That the items undertaken by Officers under delegated authority set out in
paragraph 6 were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
RESOLVED:
That the items undertaken by Officers under delegated authority set out in
paragraph 6 were noted by the HIWFRA Full Authority.
11
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.
12
Q2 Budget Update Report (Exempt Appendix)
To receive an exempt appendix from the Chief Financial Officer in relation to item 8.
Attachments:
- Document Item 12 - Q2 Budget Update Report - Appendix A2 (Exempt) 10 Dec 2025
- Document Item 12 - Q2 Budget Update Report - Appendix C (Exempt) 10 Dec 2025
13
Protecting the Service and all of its Staff
To receive an exempt report from the Monitoring Officer in relation to protecting the Service and all of its Staff.
Attachments:
- Document Item 13 - Protecting the Service and all of its Staff (Exempt) 10 Dec 2025
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