News

In this communication:   

Council Tax for 2024/25
Corporate Plan consultation update
Plans for new waste and recycling services
Household glass collection dates up to March 2025
Funding available for energy efficient upgrades
New community garden designed for BBC Gardener’s World
Protecting yourself from fraud
Help with childcare costs

Council Tax for 2024/25

At our full council meeting on Monday, we set our part of the 2024/25 Council Tax bill.

Your Council Tax to New Forest District Council will be £199.79 for the year (average band D property).

This is an annual increase of £5.80 (2.99% increase) for our part of the bill.

Your bill also includes the Council Tax you pay to Hampshire County Council, your town or parish council, the police, and fire and rescue service. New Forest District Council keeps 9p from every £1 you pay in Council Tax.

You’ll get your Council Tax bill in the post in March, which will detail how much you pay for the year and the breakdown of what goes to each organisation.

The money we keep from your Council Tax bill helps to pay for the essential services we provide, like supporting people at risk of becoming homeless, planning permissions for new and existing properties, waste and recycling collections, caring for the coastline and public open spaces, and supporting local businesses.

Our services are also funded by Business Rates, government grants and fees and charges.

Information about Council Tax, including how to pay and applying for a discount, is available on our website.

For support with paying your Council Tax, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01590 646111.

Corporate Plan consultation update

Thank you to the people and organisations who took the time to read our draft corporate plan and give us their comments as part of the consultation in December and January.

The Corporate Plan is an important strategy at New Forest District Council and shapes the way the council works.  It brings together strategic and service objectives, helping the organisation to work towards the same vision, values, and priorities.

The draft Corporate Plan was developed from insight from our residents survey with interviews with over 700 people, and with input from councillors and officers.

Consultation respondents were supportive of our ambitions and 75% agreed with our vision for the New Forest. 68% of respondents agreed with our priority themes of people, place, and prosperity. 

All comments and suggestions have now been carefully considered and final amends are being prepared in readiness for publication in early April, after Cabinet on 3 April 2024.

You can view the draft Corporate Plan on our website.

Plans for new waste and recycling services

As part of our plans to improve recycling for the district, we will be making changes to household waste and recycling collections from spring 2025.

Our goal is to reduce household waste, increase recycling, and provide a more effective service.

We have been reviewing when we will make changes to household waste and recycling collections, following the government’s latest update on national plans for waste disposal.

From spring 2025, we are planning to:

collect food waste separately every week, using caddies
collect recycling one week and general waste the next week, using wheeled bins
continue to collect glass every four weeks, using the glass collection box

There will be a stage 2 of service change, where we will:

collect more recyclable materials, like extra plastics, foil, and cartons
review whether glass can be collected every 2 weeks in the recycling wheeled bin

We cannot start stage 2 of this service change until new recycling facilities in Hampshire are ready. Hampshire County Council are working with us, and the other local authorities in the county, to confirm how new materials will be collected and sorted. This work is currently in progress and means that new recycling facilities will not be ready until 2026 at the earliest.

We have already made changes to how we collect garden waste. Our new garden waste wheeled bin collection service starts from 1 April 2024. From April 2024, we will only collect garden waste using wheeled bins, instead of the bags we currently use.

We will keep you updated as we progress with service changes and provide lots of information on the new system. For now, you can read more information about our plans to improve recycling on our website.

Household glass collection dates up to March 2025

We collect glass bottles and jars from households every four weeks.

To view and print your glass collection days up to March 2025, search your postcode on our website.

Your collection day will stay the same. For example, if we usually collect your glass on a Tuesday, we will still collect it on a Tuesday.

We can send you text messages to remind you when your glass will be collected, or to let you know if there are changes to your collection. To sign up for free, register your details on our website.

In the past, we have sent print copies of our glass collection calendar with Council Tax letters. To help reduce how much paper we use, we are now only sending print copies of the glass collection calendar on request. To request a printout of your collection days, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit one of our local information offices.

Thank you for recycling glass, it all makes a difference. For more information on how to dispose of glass in the New Forest, visit our website.

Funding available for energy efficient upgrades

You can apply for funding to improve the energy efficiency of your home with the Warmer Homes programme.

If you live in a house with a mains gas supply, you can receive up to £10,000 towards installing the measures. If your house does not have a mains gas supply, you could receive up to £25,000.

The funding is available on a first come, first serve basis until March 2025 for both homeowner occupiers and private rental tenants.

You can apply for funding if you have an energy performance certificate rating (EPC) of E, F, or G and either an annual total household income of £30,000 or less, before housing costs and bills, or be on means tested benefits.

There is also reduced funding available for households with an energy performance rating of D. You can find out the energy performance rating of your home on the GOV.UK website.

Find out more about the Warmer Homes programme on our website.

You can use our free Cosy Homes tool to find out how you can make your home more energy efficient. You can create a refurbishment plan to make your home warmer, reduce your carbon footprint, and cut energy bills. All you’ll need to get started is your postcode and an idea of how much money you want to spend.

New community garden designed for BBC Gardeners’ World

We’re supporting local groups to create a new community garden in Bramshaw.

The garden will first be displayed at BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair in Beaulieu from Friday 3 to Sunday 5 May 2024. After the event, the garden will be moved to Bramshaw Village Hall, where regular users of the hall can enjoy and help care for the space.

The garden has been designed and built by home-schooled children in Bramshaw and adult participants of Solent Mind, in collaboration with local award-winning designer Leigh Johnstone. The space has been named “A Forest of Calm” and aims to reflect the benefits that being creative and connecting with nature can have on our mental wellbeing.

We have supported and funded the design project together with our partners Culture in Common and the New Forest National Park Authority. This is part of our continued commitment to enhance the artistic and cultural opportunities available to our residents.

Find out more on our website.

Protecting yourself from fraud

40% of crime in England and Wales is due to fraud.

By staying vigilant and taking a moment to stop, think, and check whenever we’re approached, we can help to protect ourselves and each other from fraud.

The ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ campaign aims to raise awareness about how you can:

find out if you’re at risk
spot the signs
protect yourself
recover if you have been a victim of fraud

You can find this advice, and information on how to report fraud, on the GOV.UK website.

Help with childcare costs

You can find information about the help available for childcare costs on the GOV.UK website.

This includes free childcare options, child benefit, free school meals, and more.

Find cost of living advice on our website.

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Attendee panel closed

NEWS RELEASE

Dozens of organisations in and around the New Forest are inviting people to join in with the New Forest Awakening Festival which runs throughout March 2024.

Run by the New Forest National Park Authority, the annual festival around climate and nature focuses on the special qualities of the New Forest, the small actions we can all take to help protect it, and what organisations are doing to help tackle the twin climate and nature crises in the National Park.

Now in its fourth year, the festival offers a month-long timetable of activities including wildlife walks and talks, free bike maintenance drop-ins, litter picks and composting masterclasses.

You can find out more about the New Forest’s trees, enjoy a farm tour, and learn more about sustainable woodland management. Help sow wildflower seeds, have a go at hedgelaying, go behind the scenes at a local sustainable brewery, and meet local food producers.

There’s also a chance to join Forest rangers to learn more about New Forest ponies, the history of the Forest - from Royal hunting ground to current day National Park, and even get valuable training tips for your dog to protect local wildlife and livestock.

The New Forest is a very special place. More than 50% is of international importance for nature, and many areas have the highest possible conservation status.

It has the largest area of lowland heath in Western Europe, shaped by the free-roaming animals owned by commoners. Commoning is the traditional system of land management with rights attached to land and properties allowing people to turn out ponies, cattle, sheep and pigs onto the open Forest.

The rare heathland and wetland habitats in the New Forest are an ark for nature, supporting rare wildlife, some of which are declining in other parts of the UK.

Ground-nesting birds such as the curlew, Dartford warbler and mystical nightjar can all be found in the New Forest. All six species of the UK’s native reptiles live here too, as well as 63% of Britain’s 24,000 types of insects, 75% of all dragonfly species and over 2,700 types of fungi.

The climate emergency is putting these fragile landscapes and habitats under threat, with hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters changing nature’s balance. The global crisis for nature is mainly due to land management practices, pollution and urban expansion. It is being worsened by a changing climate that is driving changes in the numbers and distribution of our wildlife species.

David Bence, Chair of the New Forest National Park Authority, said: ‘It takes a Team New Forest to work together to help protect this vitally important area for wildlife. Organisations, volunteers, community groups and individuals are all taking action for nature, but there is more to be done.

‘Now in its fourth year, the New Forest Awakening Festival has gone from strength to strength, showing people just how special this area is, and how taking a few small steps can all add up to make a positive impact on our fragile New Forest environment.’

The New Forest Awakening Festival runs throughout March. See the events at www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/awakening

New Forest District Council

In this communication:   

Local Plan review
New CCTV camera installed
Community grants awarded
Voting for British citizens overseas
Improving the energy efficiency of your home
How to dispose of vapes
Electricity bill discount
Explore more of the New Forest

Local Plan review

A Local Plan is a framework for the future development of an area and is used to assess planning applications.

Since our current Local Plan was adopted in 2020, there have been several significant changes that our new Local Plan will look to address. This includes lower than expected housing delivery, our climate change and nature emergency declaration in 2021, and the opportunities that the Solent Freeport will bring.

After our next Council meeting on 26 February, we’ll start identifying the issues that this new Local Plan should address. This information will be formed into a draft version of the Local Plan, which is expected to be formally consulted upon next year.

In the meantime, you can find more information about our planning service on our website.

Did you know you can watch all our public meetings on our YouTube channel? The next meeting is Planning Committee on Wednesday 14 February at 9am. You can watch this on YouTube.

New CCTV camera installed

We have installed a new CCTV camera in Fordingbridge high street.

We’re testing new 4G camera technology which produces high quality colour images and uses infrared to capture images at night or in low light conditions.

Fordingbridge was selected for the trial as it currently doesn’t have any CCTV cameras. We’ve been working with Fordingbridge Town Council for this trial.

In the future, we’re planning to expand our CCTV network across the district to areas that do not have cameras. This is part of our commitment to maintain low crime levels in rural communities.

We’re hosting a community event where you can learn more about the project and ask questions. Join us at 6pm at Fordingbridge Town Hall on Thursday 22 February. The event is open to anyone who lives or works in the area.

Community grants awarded

29 groups and organisations in the New Forest will receive community grants from us this year.

The funding has been given to groups across the district who support vulnerable residents and communities.

These organisations include Honeypot Childrens Charity, New Forest Basics Bank, Forest Forge Theatre Company, New Forest Disability Information Services, and Youth and Families Matter.

Read more about the funding on our website.

Voting for British citizens overseas

Do you know a British citizen living abroad?

A change in the law means they can register to vote in parliamentary elections, no matter how long ago they left the UK.

Find out more on the GOV.UK website.

Please share this information with family and friends who are living abroad.

Improving the energy efficiency of your home

Since October 2023, 224 of our residents have used our free Cosy Homes online tool to see how they can improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

You can create a refurbishment plan to make your home warmer, reduce your carbon footprint, and cut energy bills. All you’ll need to get started is your postcode and an idea of how much money you want to spend.

Find out more about the tool, and the funding options that are available.

How to dispose of vapes

Research from Recycle Your Electricals has shown that around 5 million single use vapes are thrown away in the UK every week.

It’s important to dispose of single use vapes correctly and safely.

Vapes should never go in your black or clear rubbish sacks, like any item containing a battery.

If batteries are crushed in collection vehicles or at recycling facilities, it can cause devastating fires.

To find local drop-off points to recycle vapes, add your postcode to the Recycling Locator tool on the Recycle Your Electricals website.

You can recycle vapes at Household Waste and Recycling Centres, also known as the tip.

Electricity bill discount

You could get £150 off your electricity bill through the government’s Warm Home Discount Scheme.

The scheme is running until March 2024 and the one-off discount is applied directly to your electricity bill. If you use a prepayment meter, you’ll be given a top-up voucher instead.

You can receive the discount if you either get the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit or are on a low income and have high energy costs.

You would have received a letter in January 2024 if you are eligible.

If you didn’t receive a letter but think you are eligible, you can apply before 29 February 2024 by calling the Warm Home Discount Scheme team on 0800 030 9322.

More information is available on the GOV.UK website.

You can find cost of living advice and support on our website.

Explore more of the New Forest

Follow the New Forest Code

Thank you for following the New Forest Code. It continues to help protect and care for this unique place.

Go New Forest

There are lots of places to enjoy and discover in our area. We work with Go New Forest, who celebrate and highlight all the New Forest has to offer to residents and visitors.

To hear more about places to visit, plan cycle trails, and local events you can visit the Go New Forest website.

Go New Forest is part-funded by the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The fund aims to improve pride in place, and invest in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

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NFDC March update