Citizens Advice Basingstoke Lease Termination

06 May 2025

Citizens Advice Basingstoke is a local charity, providing free, confidential and impartial advice to help people put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.

The charity is extremely disappointed that following Hampshire County Council (HCC) terminating its lease in the Basingstoke Discovery Centre from 1st August, there has been no response from the County Council to its request to find a way to keep the charity in its current accommodation.

Chair of the Board of Citizens Advice Basingstoke, Tony Curtis wrote to HCC’s Leader, Nick Adams-King, on 19th April to express deep concerns about the impact of the lease termination upon those who use the charity’s services and to request a mutually acceptable solution, but Councillor Adams-King is yet to respond.

Tony said “I understand, from a letter sent by Councillor Adams-King to Luke Murphy MP, that HCC is not prepared to let us stay in the Discovery Centre, which has been our home for over 30 years. It seems that the seriously detrimental impact on our charity and our clients is being set aside in favour of the short term operational needs of the County Council".

Tony continued: “I understand why the County Council needs to review the use of its property and make cost savings where possible, but, I don't believe that, in taking the decision to evict Citizens Advice Basingstoke, any consideration was given to what this would mean for this trusted and valued local charity, which provides a lifeline for almost 10,000 local people every year, many of whom have nowhere else to turn.

Citizens Advice Basingstoke is urging the Leader of the County Council to review the situation as a matter of urgency and find a way to keep them in their home, alongside incoming HCC Children’s and Adult Services teams. Accessibility is extremely important to the charity, as 45% of clients receiving their help have a disability or long-term health condition.

Jean Smith, a client of Citizens Advice Basingstoke said: “I’m really shocked that the Council is forcing Citizens Advice Basingstoke to move out of their office, their advisers have helped me such a lot with the problems I have and are still helping me now. I’d be lost without them, we need them to stay in the library, so that they are there for us when we need help.”

Citizens Advice Basingstoke is asking the local community to get in touch if they are able to help with the search for new offices in the town-centre area. The charity has 60 expert volunteers providing over 250 volunteer hours per week and 19 staff members who all work incredibly hard to help people resolve the challenges they are facing. Anyone wishing to help can contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.