We are one of four Parish Councils in Hampshire invited to take part in a trial scheme to reduce speeding on key roads. We have picked Griffin Way South and the A30. Local volunteers will record the speed measured by a roadside device which will lead to drivers receiving a warning letter from the police. The parish and the volunteers will decide on the times and days of the week to measure speeding. We are looking for at least six volunteers able to contribute a minimum of 2 hours a week across eight weeks between November 2006 and April 2007. If you are interested in helping please ring the Parish Council Office.
We have received excellent feedback from schools, stallholders and visitors on theSummer Festival and Green Road Show. Around 2,000 school children attended the Educational days on Thursday and Friday whilst 4,500 people attended the joint Parish Council and HSPA event on Saturday 1st July. Many thanks to our lead sponsor Serco.
Longstreet Homes have appealed against Hart’s refusal of Planning Permission for 13 dwellings on the site of The Bungalow in London Road. This is the application that involves access to the site by demolishing 17 Birch Grove. We have repeated our earlier objections and added that the scheme is not in accordance with a recent EU ruling for the conservation of Special Protection Areas which include Hazeley Heath. A date will be set for a public inquiry in due course but due to workload at the Planning Inspectorate the inquiry is likely to be held in mid 2007.
A planning application has been received to convert Wellworths to a tyre exhaust and battery centre. The rear of the current premises would be replaced by a new building giving a total of seven bays and a store for tyres and parts. The centre wishes to operate seven days a week including Sunday morning. We have opposed the application primarily on the grounds of severe nuisance noise which would be detrimental to nearby residents, to those using Hartletts Park, to St Johns Church and visitors to the cemetery. We also have a concern about the proposal to store hazardous material within the building which also contains a residential flat.
In June Hart District Council refused an application by O2 for a phone mast at the gas compound on the B3349. They also objected to a similar application at the same site by Orange. The reasons were largely technical in that neither company had shown that they had considered alternative locations or had attempted to share a single mast. O2 have now lodged an application for an alternative site in the Owens Farm area. Environmentally this site would be massively intrusive and, as in the previous case, sharing and alternative locations have not been fully considered so we have objected. There is little doubt that there is a need for a mast somewhere in northern Hook but we take the view that it is essential that a new mast must be capable of being shared by all operators and be in the least environmentally damaging location.
July and August have been dismal months as far as vandalism is concerned. The cost to you of damage to play areas in Wellworth Park and Hartletts Park alone are in the region of £1,500. If you see people causing damage please report it immediately using 999 or 101 according to the level of urgency.
We are supporting Hampshire County Council’s application for a double temporary classroom at the Infants School for the next four school years. This will help provide much needed additional school places.
George Wimpey has applied to vary the existing planning permission at the southern end of Holt Park Phase 2. They wish to build 2 and 3 bedroom houses instead of a number of the 4 and 5 bedroom houses on the approved plans. We have objected to this proposal for an additional 17 houses and are concerned that as they would only have one parking space each the area would become littered with parked cars.
Antony Hunter – Parish Councillor