Basingstoke & Deane Today out now 

Our residents' newspaper Basingstoke & Deane Today will be landing on doormats in the borough this week. The 12-page spring edition is packed with updates and information on council services, news and events. There's also a what's on page featuring activities and events taking place in the borough over the next few months. If you have not received yours yet, you can take a look at the edition online.

Creating a biodiversity improvement zone

We are considering plans to improve habitats for wildlife and flora by managing green spaces and verges differently. We’re proposing to run a pilot project in Hatch Warren and Beggarwood and have put forward several open space areas and verges to be managed differently during the cutting season. People are being asked for their views on the proposed pilot and the areas selected. Find out more about the Biodiversity Improvement Zone pilot and have your say online.

It's not fine to idle

From Monday 23 March, our Clean Air Campaign will step up a gear as we introduce new powers to penalise motorists idling their vehicles. Our civil enforcement officers, community safety patrol officers and environmental officers will issue £20 fines to motorists caught idling while stationary on a public highway. The fines will be a last resort and will only be issued when a motorist refuses to switch off their engine. The move supports the council’s Climate Emergency declaration to work towards a carbon neutral borough by 2030.

Get help to buy 

First time buyers looking to get on the property ladder in Basingstoke and Deane are being invited to find out more at a free information and advice session. We are hosting a Help to Buy event at the Civic Offices on Wednesday 25 March from 3pm to 8pm. Drop in to get advice about various schemes and speak to representatives from housing associations, independent financial advisors and building societies.

Did you know?

There's no better time to join one of the 26 free weekly walks across the borough, including a brand new walk in Winklebury from May. All of our walks are led by a trained walk leader, with a backmarker so you can comfortably join without any fear of being left behind. The walks are part of the national Walking for Health initiative, a partnership between the Ramblers Association and Macmillan Cancer Care, to encourage everybody to get active. All ages and abilities are welcome.