Extra Link articles

Complete article that was shortened in March 2026 Link:

Candovers Oakley and Overton Division- Cllr Juliet Henderson

🌧️ Winter Weather and Our Roads

Since Christmas, the combination of freezing temperatures and relentless rain has taken a real toll on Hampshire’s roads. The constant freeze–thaw cycle is exactly the kind of weather that accelerates potholes and surface deterioration, and we’ve seen a sharp rise in reports as a result.

Despite this, Hampshire's Highways Team has already repaired more than 62,000 defects since the start of the financial year — an enormous effort given the conditions.

To keep pace with the extra demand, Highways have secured additional crews and machinery, even as councils across the country compete for the same resources. You’ll now see more Jet/Dragon Patchers out on the network, extra patching gangs already working since early January, and further teams joining in the coming weeks.

Alongside pothole repairs, winter weather is also putting pressure on drainage systems. Extra jetting machines are now available to help manage localised flooding, and a dedicated team is responding to drainage issues as they arise. We’ve also added an extra white‑lining crew to tackle worn markings at smaller sites.

Given the sheer volume of defects, some potholes will need temporary infill repairs to keep roads safe while permanent repairs are scheduled. It’s not ideal, but it’s the quickest way to manage safety risks during peak demand.

📝 How you can help

The best and most effective way to report potholes or any highway issue is through the Hampshire County Council website or the Our Hants app. Clear locations and photos are helpful, but not essential. Reporting via email or social media can actually slow things down, as it bypasses the system our teams use to prioritise safety defects. Please see links below:

Potholes: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem/potholes  

Tree/hedge problems: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-aproblem/treehedge  

Flooding/drainage issues: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-aproblem/flooding  

Pavement problems: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-a-problem/paving

Broken or missing signs: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-aproblem/brokensigns

Faulty street lights: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-aproblem/streetlight

Faded or missing road markings: https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/highways/report-aproblem/road-markings  

Problems with rights of way: https://www.hants.gov.uk/landplanningandenvironment/rightsofway/reportaproblem

When reporting an issue, you’ll be sent an email confirming a reference number for the report. If you would like me to follow this up for you then do please forward that message to me and I will chase for you.

Tackling Problem Pavement Parking in Hampshire

Pavement parking is one of the issues I hear about regularly — and for good reason. When cars block pavements, it can be dangerous and deeply unfair to people who rely on clear, safe routes: wheelchair users, those with sight loss, older residents and parents with buggies and prams. It also damages our verges!

The Government has now confirmed that new legislation is on the way to give councils like Hampshire County Council far greater control over pavement parking. Under the new proposals:

Local transport authorities will be able to prohibit pavement parking across their areas, rather than dealing with it street by street.

A new regulatory framework will allow councils to tailor solutions to local needs, including accessibility and disabled parking.

From 2026, councils will also be able to enforce against unnecessary obstruction of pavements as an interim step, giving us more ability to act where parking is clearly causing problems.

Most drivers are considerate, but the small minority who park without thinking create real barriers for others. These new powers will help us protect vulnerable residents, keep pavements clear, and prevent the sort of verge damage that blights too many neighbourhoods.

More Specialist SEND Places Agreed for Hampshire Schools

Hampshire County Council has approved a major package of new investment to expand specialist support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across the county.

The number of children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) continues to rise sharply, and around 40% need a specialist place. These decisions move us another step closer to our ambition of creating 1,000 new specialist places by 2030.

Here’s what’s been agreed:

157 new specialist school places across Hampshire

A mix of new resourced provisions and refurbishments to support pupils with autism, SEMH needs and other complex requirements

This is a significant step in making sure children get the right support, in the right place, as close to home as possible — reducing travel times, strengthening inclusion in mainstream schools where appropriate, and ensuring families can access the help they need.

A £633m Boost for Hampshire’s Schools

At a time when councils up and down the country are teetering on the brink, Hampshire is investing hundreds of millions of pounds in the future of our children.

This week, Hampshire County Council approved a £633 million capital programme for new schools, better facilities, and vital improvements to children’s services. Ten new schools — including two special schools — and hundreds of additional specialist SEND places will be delivered across the county.

This is only possible because of the careful, responsible financial management we’ve maintained for years. While others have stumbled, Hampshire has kept its books balanced, protected taxpayers’ money, and ensured we can still invest where it truly matters.

This programme will deliver:

New mainstream and special schools in growing communities

Over 390 new specialist SEND places

Major upgrades to school buildings and early years settings

Investment in Best Start Family Hubs

Support for foster carers and adaptations for children with disabilities

This is long‑term, serious investment — the kind that shapes a county for generations. And it’s being delivered because this council has refused to take the easy way out, choosing instead to plan ahead, spend wisely, and protect Hampshire’s future.

Can you help a vulnerable Hampshire child this winter?

This winter, we’re asking Hampshire residents to consider something truly life‑changing: opening your home — and your heart — to a vulnerable child.

Hampshire County Council has launched a new fostering campaign that shines a light on the difference fostering makes, not just for children in care but for the families who welcome them. One of the most powerful parts of the campaign is a new video told through the eyes of a foster carer’s own child, showing the warmth, friendship and lasting bonds that fostering can bring.

Every child deserves a safe and loving home. And right now in Hampshire the number of children who need that stability is growing faster than the number of foster carers available. For every child we find a home for, others are still waiting.

We’re looking for carers from all walks of life. You don’t need to own your home or have previous childcare experience. What matters is compassion, stability, and the willingness to make a difference. In return, you’ll receive excellent training, competitive allowances, and ongoing support from a dedicated social worker and our Hampshire Hive network — a brilliant “extended family” of local foster carers supporting one another.

If you’ve ever wondered whether fostering could fit into your family life, now is the moment to explore it. You can find out more and take the first step here: https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/fostering

New friendships. New futures. Happier hearts all round.

https://youtu.be/5_1Socpqt1c

Cllr Juliet Henderson

 

Additional HCC contribution to March 2026 Link:

It is vital that residents report potholes and I am very aware of the issue and in close contact.

Additionally, there is a national petition which I am also encouraging residents to support.

Fix Our Roads: National Plan on Dangerous Potholes Now - Petitions

 

I have circulated an update from the leader of Hampshire County Council which I have included below explaining the extent of the issue.

Meanwhile please do continue to report them using the link here: One you have a TRACK IT number please send it to me and I will see where it is on the works programme.

Please report potholes — especially worsening ones — via the official system:
🔗 https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/roadmaintenance/roadproblems/potholes (hants.gov.uk in Bing)

🚧 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐄’𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐒 — 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐖𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍’𝐓 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓 “𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄”

Hampshire’s roads have taken an absolute battering this winter. Weeks of relentless rain and violent freeze–thaw cycles have ripped open the surface across the county. Potholes are appearing faster than crews can fill them.

Here’s the blunt truth:

We simply don’t have the money to maintain the roads to the standard we all want.

💥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦

Cost to bring roads up to the standard I’d want: £600 million
Highways budget this year: £60 million
£540 million shortfall
No amount of “efficiency” fills a gap like that.

💷 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞

Social care and education costs are exploding — and Hampshire is hit harder than most:
- By 2030, nearly 5% of residents will be over 80
- More children with Special Educational Needs than average
- Rising demand for disability support
- These services are legally required. If someone qualifies, we must provide care.

- And now Government 'Fair Funding' is removing almost £40million from our budgets and sending it to mostly Labour run councils in London and the midlands and north.

📉 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

Band D Council Tax paid to Hampshire: £1,609  
Surrey: £1,846  
West Sussex: £1,800  
Oxfordshire: £1,911

We’ve had lower Council Tax for years — but that means less money for roads.
You can’t run a high‑maintenance network on a low‑tax budget.

🛠️ 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰

Here’s how the system actually works:

1️⃣ Every report triggers an inspection — councillors and residents use the same system.
2️⃣ Safety defects come first — A‑roads and B‑roads before residential streets and country lanes.
3️⃣ Temporary repairs are often unavoidable — asphalt won’t bond in cold, wet weather.
4️⃣ Permanent repairs take 7× longer — so crews make more locations safe first.
5️⃣ Non‑safety defects are queued — tackled when weather and resources allow.

And yes — some temporary repairs fail in this weather. If they do, please re‑report them.

🌧️ 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐥

We've had 156% of our average January rainfall
February’s average rainfall was exceeded in the first week alone
Repeated freeze–thaw cycles
Some potholes appear overnight. Others worsen within hours.

🏛️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

Hampshire faces a £500m highways funding gap
Government funding this year: £30m
We matched it — still nowhere near enough

Only a tiny fraction of road tax and fuel duty goes to road maintenance

Hampshire’s roads are better than many neighbours, but roads across the South East — and even motorways — are in dire condition.

This is a national crisis, not a local failing.

🔧 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰

We’ve secured extra resources:
- More Jet/Dragon Patchers
- Extra patching gangs (started 12 Jan, more added end of Jan)
- More drainage jetting machines
- A dedicated flooding response team
- Extra white‑lining crews

Temporary infills will be used where needed to keep roads safe. Permanent repairs will follow when conditions improve.
We’re funding this by using underspends in other areas.

📈 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭

We’re reshaping the 2026/27 budget to move every possible penny into road maintenance — likely £10m extra for summer repairs.

And we've launched plans for a lane‑rental disruption charge:

Companies pay a daily fee for roadworks on key routes
Encourages shorter, better‑planned works
Could raise up to £5m a year for road maintenance

📲 How you can help

Please report potholes — especially worsening ones — via the official system:
🔗 https://www.hants.gov.uk/transport/roadmaintenance/roadproblems/potholes (hants.gov.uk in Bing)

Accurate locations and photos help enormously.

And thanks to you for your patience, it's a very difficult situation and we are doing our absolute best.  

 

Cllr Juliet Henderson

Candovers Oakley and Overton Division

 

Article we didn't have space for in December 2025:

Switching your internet, phone or TV provider

You might be able to save money by switching to a new provider for your internet, mobile phone, landline or TV or to a bundle deal that's made up of two or more of these services.

Before you switch
If you’re struggling to pay for your phone or internet, talk to your provider. Ask if they can offer you a cheaper deal. You can find their contact details on their website or on a letter from them. Tell your provider you're thinking of switching to a cheaper deal with a different provider. Your provider might offer you a cheaper deal to get you to stay with them.

If you don’t want to stay with your current provider, find out if you’ll be charged an exit fee to leave - check your contract or contact your provider. You’ll usually be charged an exit fee if you want to leave before the end of a fixed-term contract. This can be expensive, so it might be better to wait until your current contract ends. 

You can check if you’ll be charged an exit fee to leave your mobile contract by texting the word ‘INFO’ to 85075. It’s free to text this number. 

If you’re near the end of your contract, your provider should contact you to remind you. They’ll also let you know about their best available deals.

If you’re getting benefits, you might be able to get a cheaper internet, mobile or landline deal called a “social tariff”. It depends which benefits you get. If your provider has a social tariff, you won’t have to pay to move to it. You can move at any time - you don’t have to wait until the end of your contract. If your provider doesn't offer a social tariff, you can switch to another provider who does. You can check which providers offer social tariffs on the Ofcom website: www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs. You can then check the provider's website to see if you can switch to their social tariff. You’ll need to check that you’re on the right benefits for the social tariff, you’re the main account holder named on your contract and the social tariff package covers all the services you need.

Choosing a new contract
You should compare tariffs from different providers to find one that suits your needs and budget. You should check how long the contracts are for and any charges for installation, line rental or connection. Sometimes you might be offered six or 12 months free or discounted - check how much the monthly fee will be after the offer ends. 

You might also want to think about getting a bundle - a deal with one provider that includes internet, landline and TV. They’re sometimes cheaper and will also simplify your monthly bills.

You’ll usually find better deals online than in shops or on the phone. Use a price comparison site approved by Ofcom - this means they’re independent and unbiased. Check which price comparison websites are approved by Ofcom on their website: www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/price-comparison

More information about switching providers is available on our website, including information for those who are renting, please go to: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/phone-internet-downloads-or-tv/switch-broadband-phone-or-tv-provider/

Citizens Advice Basingstoke is an independent local charity providing free, confidential and impartial advice for local people, whatever their enquiry involves.

Anyone wishing to speak to an adviser should call the free Advice Line on 0808 2787829. For details of the weekly drop-in sessions across Basingstoke or if you would like to send in your enquiry online, please go to: www.cabasingstoke.org.uk

Registered charity no 900116.

Lucy Sweet
 

Four Local Charities Receive Additional Masonic Donations

Four charities in and around Basingstoke have benefitted from a funding source that was able to provide finance in addition to what they had received during the summer.

The 105-year-old Elvetham Masonic Lodge, which operates out of the Basingstoke Masonic Centre in Victoria Street at the Top of Town, had made donations to these charities from their own resources.

During the autumn they were able to apply to the Tom Langton fund which was established by a previous Grand Master of the Masonic Province of Hampshire and Isle of Wight, the interest from which is donated to suitable applicants proposed by individual lodges.

This successful application has meant that Elvetham Lodge was able to provide an additional £2,000 to be split equally between the four charities they had assisted just a few months previously.

The lodge’s Charity Steward, Richard Pfleger, presented a cheque for £500 each to Tim Knight of Mencap’s Green Fingers gardening project in South Ham, Basingstoke, Natalie Walker of the Mustard Seed Autism Trust, a child support group in Odiham, Steve Dignum of the Hook Shed project where, assisted by the Hook parish council, a shed is currently under construction, and Chris Cornwell of Hartley Wintney Voluntary Care Group which has 120 members supporting the local community in various ways.

The presentation was made in the Lodge room of the Basingstoke Masonic Centre which proved of real interest to the recipients. Behind the group can be seen the banner of Elvetham Lodge and two boards listing the names of all the Lodge’s Worshipful Masters since their founding in 1920.

Paul Flint, Elvetham Masonic Lodge