Fareham Borough Council
Council services, offices, bin collection, and local planning
Fareham Borough Council is the local authority for the borough, responsible for a range of services that affect daily life including refuse collection, recycling, planning applications, council tax billing, housing, and environmental health. The council offices are at the Civic Offices on Civic Way, just west of the town centre.
The council operates as a borough within the two-tier Hampshire system. This means that some services are provided by the borough council and others by Hampshire County Council. The borough handles waste collection, street cleaning, planning, housing, and leisure facilities. The county council is responsible for education, social services, highways, libraries, and fire and rescue. Understanding which council is responsible for which service can save frustration when trying to report a problem or make an enquiry.
Bin collection in Fareham operates on a fortnightly cycle for general waste and recycling. Each household has a grey bin for non-recyclable waste and a blue-lidded bin for mixed dry recycling (paper, card, cans, plastic bottles, and glass). Garden waste collection is available as an opt-in paid service using a brown bin. Collection days vary by area, and the council's website provides a postcode lookup to check your schedule. Missed collections can be reported online.
Planning applications are handled by the borough council's planning department. Anyone proposing to build an extension, convert a property, or carry out significant external works will need to check whether planning permission is required. The council's planning portal shows current and past applications, and neighbours are notified of applications that affect their area. Planning committee meetings are held regularly and are open to the public.
Housing is a significant area of the council's work. Fareham maintains a housing register for social housing, though the waiting list is long and the supply of available homes is limited. The council also has responsibilities for homelessness prevention, housing standards in the private rented sector, and disabled facilities grants for home adaptations.
The council runs Fareham Leisure Centre (through a contract with Everyone Active), manages parks and open spaces, and maintains the town centre public realm. Environmental health officers deal with noise complaints, food hygiene inspections, and pest control. The licensing team handles applications for alcohol, entertainment, and taxi licences.
Council meetings and committee agendas are published online, and residents can attend most meetings as observers. The council is composed of elected councillors representing the borough's wards, with elections held in most years on a rolling cycle. The political composition of the council has historically favoured the Conservatives, though individual wards vary.
The council's customer service team can be contacted by phone, email, or in person at the Civic Offices. Many transactions, including council tax payments, bin collection queries, and planning application tracking, can be handled through the council's website without needing to phone or visit.