Christmas Closure
The Parish Council Office will be closed from 12 noon on Friday 23rd December and will reopen on Tuesday 3rd January at 9am.
Christmas Refuse collections
At the time of writing, Hart District Council (HDC) have advised that due to the days that Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall, there will be changes to your refuse collection dates. Garden waste collections will take a two week break as usual. The details have not been put on their website yet. Once released, they can be found here https://www.hart.gov.uk/waste-recycling.
We are awaiting posters with the information from HDC and, once received, will put this in all our usual places for residents (Facebook, Website, Noticeboards, App)
HDC have also advised that they will be running their Christmas Tree Recycling collection points. The collection point for Hook will be in Crossways Car Park (next to the Doctors Surgery) from the 2nd January – 29th January. If you subscribe to the Green Waste Subscription service, you will be able to leave your tree out with your green bin collections after Christmas, until 29th January. We also understand that the Scouts will be running their Christmas Tree recycling scheme. See page X for more information.
Christmas Tree and Lights
At the time of writing, our contractors have started to put up this years Christmas Display in the centre of the village. We are trialling a new display this year and would welcome feedback from residents. Goslings Garden and Fencing Services have kindly donated the Christmas tree this year. This will be installed at the end of November. We also invited the Infant and Junior School children to create Christmas wishes baubles that will be displayed on the fencing around the tree. The lights are due to be switched on from 25th November.
Poppies and Remembrance
A huge thank you for all the wonderful volunteers who once again braved the weather to put up over 400 poppies on lampposts all around Hook. I am sure you will agree they looked splendid and were a lovely tribute to those who have fallen.
We would also like to thank Hook In Bloom for the beautiful poppy drapes. This year the display was extended and looked stunning.
Hook Parish Council placed a wreath on behalf of the village at the 9am and 11am services at the War Memorial on Sunday 13th November. The 11am service was well attended and the Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Brownies and Guides undertook their annual parade from Crossways Car Park to the War Memorial. The Union Jack flag was flown throughout the weekend at Hartletts Park and we created a display in the Community Centre windows. The display included poems about WWII, written by children in Year 6 at Hook Junior School.
Echo Hotel Music Club (EHMC)
Saturday 12th November saw Gorilla Riot supported by The Karma Effect rocking Elizabeth Hall in the final date in the EHMC 2022 calendar. It was another sell out event.
We are currently putting together the 2023 programme. Follow the Echo Hotel Music Club Facebook page to hear when tickets for gigs are released.
If you know a band or musician that plays original music (no cover bands), please get in touch with Cllr Verd Nabbs via email or message him via the Echo Hotel Music Club Facebook page.
Planning application for residential development at Land West of Brown Croft
The most recent application for residential development at Land West of Brown Croft (Application No: 22/01506/FUL) was refused by Hart District Council in early November. The decision to reject the application cites a number of reasons, including a failure to integrate into the suburban low scale nature of the existing settlement edge adjoining the site, several issues with the proposed affordable housing component, a lack of open space for play, insufficient details of the proposed Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) and inadequate highways information. This land is designated for development in Hart’s Local Plan and so it is very likely that another application for residential development of the site will be forthcoming at some point in the future.
Finally, we would like to wish all our residents a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.