BASINGSTOKE needs to break away from Hampshire County Council and take control of its own public services.

That is the message from a senior councillor who said he is fed up of the town playing second fiddle to Winchester when it comes to civic chiefs dishing out funding.

Councillor Andy McCormick said the upper-tier authority, responsible for a multi-million pound budget and services such as schools, roads and public health, has a record of cutting services in Basingstoke and spending the money elsewhere in the county.

Winchester-based Hampshire County Council insisted it needed to close libraries in South Ham and Odiham last year to save money.

But less than a year later, it has announced a £500,000 investment in Winchester library.

HCC said it was a “one-off investment” and the new partnership with Hampshire Cultural Trust is “directly linked” to budget cuts.

You can read the full story in this week's Gazette. Also in the paper:

  • Basingstoke police have increased patrols in certain areas of the town they say are being targeted by so-called ‘boy racers’. Officers said they are aware of an increase in reports of events, sometimes involving more than 100 motorists.
  • A Basingstoke dad is set to show off his culinary skills this week when he appears on popular Channel 4 show Come Dine With Me.
  • A human chain was formed by volunteers from a Basingstoke charity to bail out flood water from their premises following a “catastrophic” leak.
  • The council does not anticipate reducing waste collections to fortnightly, despite having several staff members self-isolating.
  • Around £70,000 is spent on maintaining Eastrop Park each year, the council has confirmed. Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council has revealed how much money is spent on the town centre park annually, after proposing to introduce charges for the car parks to go towards this maintenance cost.
  • Highways England will be closing Black Dam roundabout overnight to carry out improvements, motorists are being warned. The entire roundabout and its approaches will be shut for a total of 11 nights across August and early September.
  • Two Basingstoke councillors have hit out over the ‘menace’ of electric scooters, and are calling for a police crackdown to address illegal use of them in the town.
  • A Basingstoke mum has started a petition campaigning for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to install CCTV at local cemeteries after her son’s grave was vandalised again.
  • Plus, a look back at the scorching summers of years gone by in our Flashback Thursday column.
  • The latest of your letters to the editor.
  • A chance to see all the entries and vote in our Child of the Year contest.
  • An eight-page puzzle pull-out to keep your brain active.
  • The latest business and entertainment news.
  • All the latest sports news.
  • And much more!

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