Hampshire waste tips and museums at risk as council cuts £132m

Waste tips, museums and services for homeless people are at risk of closing as a council prepares to save £132m.

Conservative-run Hampshire County Council said it was under "immense pressure" to balance its budget by April 2025.

It has proposed to reduce road repairs and gritting, switch off street lights for longer and reduce grant spending.

Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT), which has been warned of a £600,000 grant cut, said it may close five venues.

It said it anticipated shutting Ashcroft Arts Centre and Westbury Manor Museum in Fareham by 2025 as well as making Eastleigh Museum's current closure permanent.

Curtis Museum in Alton and Andover Museum and the Museum of the Iron Age would follow in 2026 unless further funding can be found, HCT said.

It said it would also cease to operate Bursledon Windmill in March 2024 following the withdrawal of funding by Eastleigh Borough Council.

Launching a consultation on planned service cuts on Monday, Hampshire County Council leader Rob Humby said "tough decisions" were needed to find the necessary savings.

The authority said household waste sites at Alresford, Bishop's Waltham, Fair Oak, Hartley Wintney and Hayling Island were most at risk of closure.

It said it planned to withdraw all funding for homelessness support services, which could result in the closure of emergency hostels.

Street lights in some areas would be switched off from midnight until 05:00 GMT, instead of the current three-hour period of darkness.

The council said it would also end funding for community transport schemes, bus services, some school crossing patrols and three adult social care grant schemes for organisations.

It said 4,000 people would also be asked to pay more towards their home care.

The authority's latest proposals would contribute about £17.5m towards the £132m savings target.

Fareham Borough Council said it was disappointed at the impending closure of Westbury Manor Museum, which it said it paid £448,000 to refurbish in 2016.

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