It is the priority of Fareham Council to ensure the health and well-being of residents during this COVID crisis. While the safety of our residents is a top priority, the Council is making efforts to ensure that as many services as possible will be made available to everyone as per the Governments ongoing and ever-evolving advice.

In May, the Government has allocated an extra £1.15m to Fareham Council to continue to support critical front-line services during these testing times. This follows a previous grant already received of £33,996. Our income has reduced, and our costs have increased with the extra steps taken to support the vulnerable, the homeless and many others in the community. Suspending parking fees, assisting residents and businesses that are struggling to pay their bills, a lessened demand for revenue generating services such as trade waste, planning, sports booking etc, have a significant effect on our budget. This latest Government funding will help to reduce that impact. 

The Government has announced a range of business support measures which are available to UK businesses and employees. As of 15 May, Fareham Borough Council has released over £16.3M in grants to businesses in the Borough as part of the Government's support package during the Corona Virus pandemic. The Council has been putting huge efforts into confirming and verifying eligibility. Amongst the 1,868 statements received from businesses across Fareham, the Council has managed to review 99.7% of those for eligibility. Many rejections are down to duplicate submissions or inaccurate information, and a high proportion are returned due to not following the guidelines of supplying bank details for payment. We urge any submissions to be checked against the guidelines to reduce the work for us and speed up the payments to you!

Council Efforts

• Those who are required to self-isolate can connect to the community volunteer's network who can help you with the collection/delivery of essential items, such as food and prescription medicines. Those who need to self-isolate may include:
  • Those with a serious health condition who are extremely vulnerable
  • People above the age of 70
  • Pregnant women
  • Those showing coronavirus symptoms
  • Those self-isolating for any other reasons
• The Council is working with quite a few local organisations to provide help to those in need.
• The Council will provide all updates regarding any changes in the Council services.
• The Council will also provide community help to residents as well as any required information for local businesses. Live updates will be available on the Council's social media handles.
• While the Civic Offices are closed, you can always contact the Council by phone, the numbers for which are available on the Fareham Government website. Community help is also available for those in need from the Coronavirus Community Help page.
• The Council understands the growing concerns of the community and will do everything in its capacity to help out.

I am listening. Please feel free to contact me or visit my website https://www.stepheningramconservativeparty.co.uk for updates on what the Council and the Conservatives can do for you in this current time.