51°15′22″N
1°06′40″W
/
51.256°N 1.111°W
/
51.256; -1.111
Borough and non-metropolitan district in England
Basingstoke and Deane
is a
local government district
with
borough status
in
Hampshire
, England. The main town is
Basingstoke
, where the council is based. The district also includes the towns of
Tadley
and
Whitchurch
, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. The modern district was created in 1974, initially being called
Basingstoke
. It changed its name to "Basingstoke and Deane" in 1978 at the same time that it was made a borough;
Deane
was added to the name to represent the rural parts of the borough, being the area's smallest village.
Parts of the borough lie within the
North Wessex Downs
, an
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
. The neighbouring districts are
Hart
,
East Hampshire
,
Winchester
,
Test Valley
,
West Berkshire
and
Wokingham
.
History
[
edit
]
The town of Basingstoke was an
ancient borough
. It appears to have had a degree of self-government from at least the thirteenth century, was incorporated as a borough in 1392 and was given the right to appoint a mayor in 1641. It was reformed in 1836 to become a
municipal borough
.
[2]
The modern district was created on 1 April 1974 under the
Local Government Act 1972
, covering the area of three former districts, which were all abolished at the same time:
[3]
The new district was initially named Basingstoke, after its largest town.
[4]
Charter trustees
were established for the area of the former borough of Basingstoke, allowing the district councillors representing that area to choose one of their number to take the title of mayor, continuing Basingstoke's series of mayors dating back to 1641. On 20 January 1978 the district was renamed Basingstoke and Deane and granted borough status, allowing the chair of the council to take the title of mayor instead, with the charter trustees being dissolved at the same time.
[5]
[6]
The name Deane was chosen to represent the rural parts of the borough as it was said by the council to be the area's smallest village.
[7]
Governance
[
edit
]
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council provides
district-level
services.
County-level
services are provided by
Hampshire County Council
. Much of the borough is covered by
civil parishes
, which form a third tier of local government, although the main urban area of Basingstoke is an
unparished area
.
[11]
[12]
Political control
[
edit
]
The council has been under
no overall control
since 2022. Following the
2023 election
a minority administration of the Liberal Democrats and the "Independent Forum" group (at the time, comprising local party the Basingstoke and Deane Independents, the Green councillor and the independent councillors) took control of the council. Paul Harvey of the Basingstoke and Deane Independents was appointed leader of the council and Liberal Democrat leader Gavin James was appointed deputy leader (but styled "co-leader").
[13]
Labour voted in favour of the new administration forming, but does not form part of the administration itself, with all positions on the council's cabinet held by Liberal Democrats or members of the Independent Forum.
[14]
The first election to the modern council was held in 1973, initially acting as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
Leadership
[
edit
]
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Basingstoke and Deane. Political leadership is instead provided by the
leader of the council
. The leaders since 2003 have been:
[19]
Composition
[
edit
]
Following the
2024 election
, the composition of the council was:
[24]
The Basingstoke and Deane Independents, the Green councillors, the Women's Equality councillor and the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent Forum" group, which forms the council's administration with the Liberal Democrats.
[25]
The next election is due in 2026.
Premises
[
edit
]
The council is based at the Civic Offices on London Road. The old Basingstoke Town Council had bought a large eighteenth century house called Goldings at 5 London Road in 1922 and converted it to become municipal offices. Following the creation of the new council in 1974 a new office building incorporating a council chamber was built west of Goldings, opening in 1976 and now being called Deanes. Additional offices to the east of Goldings were subsequently added
c.
1990
called Parklands. Goldings is now used as a
register office
with the council being based at Deanes and Parklands, with the two buildings together being called the Civic Offices.
[26]
Towns and parishes
[
edit
]
Much of the borough is covered by civil parishes, with the parish councils for Tadley and Whitchurch taking the style "town council". Some of the smaller parishes have a
parish meeting
rather than a parish council. The town of Basingstoke itself (roughly corresponding to the pre-1974 borough) is an unparished area, directly administered by the borough council.
[27]
Media
[
edit
]
Television
[
edit
]
The area is served by
BBC South
and
ITV Meridian
with television signals receive from the
Hannington
TV transmitter.
[28]
Radio
[
edit
]
Radio stations for the area are:
Newspapers
[
edit
]
Local newspapers are the
Basingstoke Gazette
, and
Basingstoke Observer
, and
Hampshire Chronicle
.
Elections
[
edit
]
Since the last boundary changes in 2021 the council has comprised 54
councillors
representing 18
wards
, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held three years out of every four, with a third of the council (one councillor for each ward) being elected at a time for a four-year term of office.
Hampshire County Council elections
are held in the fourth year of the cycle when there are no borough council elections.
[29]
The wards are:
[30]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
UK Census
(2021).
"2021 Census Area Profile ? Basingstoke and Deane Local Authority (E07000084)"
.
Nomis
.
Office for National Statistics
. Retrieved
5 January
2024
.
- ^
A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 4
. London: Victoria County History. 1911. pp. 127?140
. Retrieved
31 August
2023
.
- ^
"The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972"
,
legislation.gov.uk
,
The National Archives
, SI 1972/2039
, retrieved
31 May
2023
- ^
"The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973"
,
legislation.gov.uk
,
The National Archives
, SI 1973/551
, retrieved
31 May
2023
- ^
"Change of name and status"
(PDF)
.
Department of the Environment
. The National Archives
. Retrieved
31 August
2023
.
- ^
"Royal Charter's modest arrival"
.
Evening Post
. Reading. 23 January 1978. p. 7
. Retrieved
31 August
2023
.
- ^
"About Basingstoke and Deane"
. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. Archived from
the original
on 23 September 2010
. Retrieved
29 August
2010
.
- ^
"Cllr Dan Putty elected as Mayor for second term"
.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
. 10 May 2024
. Retrieved
19 May
2024
.
- ^
"Council minutes, 18 May 2023"
.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
. Retrieved
31 August
2023
.
- ^
"New chief executive joins borough council"
.
31 August 2023
. 4 January 2021.
- ^
"Local Government Act 1972"
,
legislation.gov.uk
,
The National Archives
, 1972 c. 70
, retrieved
31 May
2023
- ^
"Election Maps"
. Ordnance Survey
. Retrieved
1 September
2023
.
- ^
Blackshaw, Cameron (24 May 2023).
"Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council cabinet shake-up sees Independents and Lib Dems take control"
.
Newbury Today
. Retrieved
1 September
2023
.
- ^
"Council minutes, 18 May 2023"
.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
. Retrieved
31 August
2023
.
- ^
"Compositions calculator"
.
The Elections Centre
. 4 March 2016
. Retrieved
1 June
2023
.
- ^
"Basingstoke & Deane"
.
BBC News Online
. 19 April 2008
. Retrieved
17 October
2009
.
- ^
"Tories take control of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council"
.
24dash.com
. 22 December 2006. Archived from
the original
on 15 July 2009
. Retrieved
17 October
2009
.
- ^
"Tories lose overall control of borough council"
.
Southern Daily Echo
. 25 January 2008. Archived from
the original
on 22 August 2011
. Retrieved
17 October
2009
.
- ^
"Council minutes"
.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
. Retrieved
19 July
2022
.
- ^
"Labour politician gets top council position"
.
Daily Echo
. 23 May 2005
. Retrieved
1 September
2023
.
- ^
"Former leader Cllr Andrew Finney is told to say sorry"
.
Basingstoke Gazette
. 13 December 2012
. Retrieved
19 July
2022
.
- ^
Birkbeck, Tim (5 April 2019).
"Council leader to step down from top job after seven years"
.
Basingstoke Gazette
. Retrieved
19 July
2022
.
- ^
Cullum, Jemma (3 February 2022).
"Basingstoke and Deane council leader Ken Rhatigan resigns"
.
Basingstoke Gazette
. Retrieved
19 July
2022
.
- ^
"Local elections 2024: live council results for England"
. The Guardian.
- ^
"Your Councillors"
.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
. Retrieved
12 May
2024
.
- ^
Brown, Robert (19 June 2022).
"Basingstoke Flashback: History of London Road buildings"
.
Basingstoke Gazette
. Retrieved
1 September
2023
.
- ^
"Parish council contact details"
.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
. Retrieved
1 September
2023
.
- ^
"Hannington (Hampshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter"
. May 2004.
- ^
"The Basingstoke and Deane (Electoral Changes) Order 2019"
,
legislation.gov.uk
,
The National Archives
, SI 2019/1122
, retrieved
1 September
2023
- ^
"Ward and Parish boundaries"
.
www.basingstoke.gov.uk
. Retrieved
10 May
2023
.
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