Basingstoke and Deane

History

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.

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:

• Basingstoke Municipal Borough
• Basingstoke Rural District
• Kingsclere and Whitchurch Rural District The new district was initially named Basingstoke, after its largest town. 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. 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.

Governance

Basingstoke & Deane Independents Basingstoke & Deane Independents ;Administration (29) : : :: :: :: Green Party (2) :: ;Other parties (25) : Conservative (15) : Labour (10)

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.

Political control

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" (at the time, comprising local party the Basingstoke and Deane Independents, two Green councillors 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"). 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.

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:

Leadership

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:

Composition

Following the 2024 election, and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:

The Basingstoke and Deane Independents, the Green councillors, the All In Party councillor and the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent Forum" group, which forms the council's administration with the Liberal Democrats. The next election is due in 2026.

Premises

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 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.

Towns and parishes

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.

Media

Television

The area is served by BBC South and ITV Meridian with television signals receive from the Hannington TV transmitter.

Radio

Radio stations for the area are:

• BBC Radio Berkshire
• Heart South
• Greatest Hits Radio Berkshire & North Hampshire

Newspapers

Local newspapers are the Basingstoke Gazette, and Basingstoke Observer, and Hampshire Chronicle.

Elections

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.

The wards are:

• Basing and Upton Grey
• Bramley
• Brighton Hill
• Brookvale and Kings Furlong
• Chineham
• Eastrop and Grove
• Evingar
• Hatch Warren and Beggarwood
• Kempshott and Buckskin
• Norden
• Oakley and the Candovers
• Popley
• Sherborne St John and Rooksdown
• South Ham
• Tadley and Pamber
• Tadley North, Kingsclere and Baughurst
• Whitchurch, Overton and Laverstoke
• Winklebury and Manydown

References

References

1. "Basingstoke and Deane Local Authority".
2. (1911). "A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 4". Victoria County History.
3. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
4. {{cite legislation UK. (1973)
5. "Change of name and status". The National Archives.
6. (23 January 1978). "Royal Charter's modest arrival". Evening Post.
7. "About Basingstoke and Deane". Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
8. (12 May 2025). "Colin Phillimore elected Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane". Basingstoke Gazette.
9. "Council minutes, 18 May 2023".
10. (4 January 2021). "New chief executive joins borough council".
11. {{cite legislation UK. (1972)
12. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey.
13. (24 May 2023). "Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council cabinet shake-up sees Independents and Lib Dems take control". Newbury Today.
14. "Council minutes, 18 May 2023".
15. "Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
16. (2008-04-19). "Basingstoke & Deane". [[BBC News Online]].
17. (2006-12-22). "Tories take control of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council".
18. (2008-01-25). "Tories lose overall control of borough council". [[Southern Daily Echo]].
19. (16 May 2003). "All change!". Daily Echo.
20. (22 June 2004). "Labour woe as Tories grow". Daily Echo.
21. (23 May 2005). "Labour politician gets top council position". Daily Echo.
22. (8 May 2008). "Borough council leader set to go out on a high". Basingstoke Gazette.
23. "Council minutes, 15 December 2011".
24. (13 December 2012). "Former leader Cllr Andrew Finney is told to say sorry". Basingstoke Gazette.
25. "Council minutes, 9 February 2012".
26. (5 April 2019). "Council leader to step down from top job after seven years". Basingstoke Gazette.
27. "Council minutes, 16 May 2019".
28. (3 February 2022). "Basingstoke and Deane council leader Ken Rhatigan resigns". Basingstoke Gazette.
29. "Council minutes, 28 February 2022".
30. (19 May 2023). "Basingstoke council elects Independent Paul Harvey as new leader". BBC News.
31. "Council minutes, 18 May 2023".
32. "Local elections 2024: live council results for England". The Guardian.
33. (21 November 2024). "Basingstoke party started after Women's Equality Party closure". Basingstoke Gazette.
34. "Basingstoke and Deane". Thorncliffe.
35. "Your Councillors".
36. (19 June 2022). "Basingstoke Flashback: History of London Road buildings". Basingstoke Gazette.
37. "Parish council contact details".
38. (May 2004). "Hannington (Hampshire, England) Full Freeview transmitter".
39. {{cite legislation UK. (2019)
40. "Ward and Parish boundaries".