Steve Forster has represented Fleet on Hampshire County Council since 2017 and on Hart District Council since 2016.

Full statement

He is the Executive Member for Education, responsible for approximately 500 schools and libraries across Hampshire.

He lives in Fleet West and is active in the community year-round.

What Steve has delivered:

As Executive Member for Education at Hampshire, Steve has approved 1,000 additional specialist SEND places across Hampshire between 2025 and 2030, including six new proposals at his most recent Decision Day. Since 2018, more than 750 new SEND places have already been created, with 350 in progress and discussions underway for 600+ more by 2030. Over 90% of Hampshire schools are rated outstanding or good by OFSTED. He approved the £2.1m refurbishment of Shepherds Down Special School and new Resourced Provisions at five schools across the county. Closer to home, Hartland Village Primary School is due to open next summer, funded through developer contributions.

In Fleet, Steve secured developer funding for the £1.3m Upper Street/Albert Street junction safety scheme, now going to consultation. He brokered the new Fleet-Farnborough bus link over two years with Rushmoor Colleagues, connecting Fleet Station, Hartland Village, Calthorpe Park School, and Hart Leisure Centre. He has delivered road resurfacing on Fleet Road, Kings Road, Hitches Lane, Norris Hill Road, with further schemes scheduled including Mounts Way and Fleet’s high street area.

As just one of hundreds of examples of successful case work, a safety defect appeared on Fleet Road, he escalated it and had it temporarily fixed within hours.

At HCC cabinet level, Steve supported securing additional pothole repair resources mid-winter and the new lane-rental disruption charge which is expected to raise up to £5m per year extra towards highway maintenance.

Steve publicly and vocally opposed the ruling Hart administration’s 10,000 property Shapley Heath housing development. Working with a majority of residents and the Conservative group, he helped stop the proposed £23m plans to build on Gurkha Square instead supporting an affordable and better plan for refurbishing the Harlington. He helped secure the Hampshire and Solent Combined County Authority - a £1.3 billion investment over 30 years, after eight failed attempts since 2016 - and has fought to keep Hampshire's council tax among the lowest in the region: Band D at £1,690, compared with £1,938 in Surrey, £1,890 in West Sussex, and £2,007 in Oxfordshire.

On community safety, Steve is working with Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones to open a staffed police front desk at council offices, tackle shoplifting and anti social behaviour, prevent drug dealing, and expand Hart's CCTV coverage - with PCC budget now confirmed for CCTV measures. He is actively pursuing pavement parking enforcement and plans to introduce community safety patrols across Fleet.

Steve has worked with Fleet Phoenix for three years on the Hart Youth Achievement Awards, providing some Hampshire County Council grant funding. In memory of his daughter Sasha, he and his family created Sasha's Project, which has supported young people's mental health for the past five years.

Steve's approach:

Steve believes local government works best when it focuses on competence, delivery, and accountability. He communicates daily with residents through social media, responds to reported problems directly, and publishes the detail - funding figures, project timescales, council tax comparisons - so residents can judge the record for themselves.

If re-elected, Steve will:

Continue expanding SEND provision and protecting school standards across Hampshire.

Deliver the Upper Street junction safety scheme, the Fleet-Farnborough bus link, and further road resurfacing across Fleet and Elvetham Heath.

Push for permanent highway maintenance investment and new cycling and walking routes, including the planned 3-metre wide cycle path along Hitches Lane.

Work to get the best outcome for the proposed Hart/Rushmoor/Basingstoke local government reorganisation, which he considers risks becoming financially unsustainable and where there is a risk of Basingstoke and Rushmoor dumping housing allocations on Fleet.

Strengthen community safety with a police front desk, expanded CCTV, shoplifting enforcement, and community patrols.

Continue supporting Sasha's Project and Fleet's youth services.

Steve is accessible, responsive, and visible in Fleet every week of the year. His record is specific and verifiable. He puts Fleet first.