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All posts for the month June, 2013

Horndean Roadworks To End…

Posted by horndeanguy on June 29, 2013
Posted in: A point of view. Leave a comment

This time, the end is in sight, and even I believe it is.

Virgin are currently lowering the ducts that prevented the resurfacing works and the area that is opened up will be reinstated this weekend, and the lights taken down. They have a second 15m stretch of ducts to lower 50m to the north and will do this in a 3 day period early next week.

The final resurfacing is now planned to take place on the nights of the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th July at which point the roadworks in Horndean will end. I hope the residents on the road have been notified by Hampshire County Council and it will not be unbearably disruptive.

The new carriageway will be protected with a Section 58 order which prevents any roadworks for a period of 5 years unless they are urgent.

The end is in sight.

After a year of disruption, perhaps some sort of formal closing ceremony…

HPC – Transparent and Clear

Posted by horndeanguy on June 23, 2013
Posted in: Local Issues. 4 Comments

Horndean Parish Council is our closest and most accessible Tier of local government. It also spends as much of our Council Tax as East Hampshire District Council. Of the 5200 homes and 12,942 people it represents, very few people take a day to day interest in the organisation and what it does.

The main reason (I believe) is that we are all busy people running ever busier lives and there is often too little time to go beyond our immediate interests. For this reason I personally believe that the concept of ‘Localism’ is complete Bollocks.

There are a few documents at HPC worth reading though so you know what they do and where your council tax is spent, and these include the annual report (what the money is spent on) and the Annual Return (the financial report for the Council). In here you can see how the parish council spent its £371,700 precept between March 2012 and March 2013. (This has been increased by 9% for this current year)

In a spirit of openness and transparency the Parish Council have published in full the expenditure for the year including salaries, training, incomes from clubs and hall hire and bills. It is a fascinating read.

Click here for the HPC Annual Return 2012-2013

Click here for the HPC schedule of meetings, agendas, supporting documents and minutes: http://www.horndeanpc-hants.gov.uk/meetings.php

Horndean 2013 SHLAA Sites

Posted by horndeanguy on June 23, 2013
Posted in: EHDC, Local Issues. Leave a comment

The SHLAA sites submitted to EHDC have now been assessed and a map prepared to show which sites have been included and which sites excluded. Unfortunately, there are a few shocks.

First off to explain the coding. SHLAA sites have been assessed for 5 years now. Anything ending ‘-05’ is part of this years assessment. (-05 is 2013. -04 is 2012. -03 is 2011. -02 is 2010. -01 is 2009. No ending is 2008, the first year they were assessed.)

Blue Anchor Field which is HD002-5 is a major disappointment as this land is in the South Downs National Park, has no access, is on a slope and viewed extensively from surrounding areas. There is currently some confusion as to whether this site has been assessed so we hope this is an error. Updates will be posted here.

Trickets Field which is HD008-05 is also a new addition and could well bring 250 homes into the fields which would significantly change the views over Horndean.

Green Lane – 2 is also under threat with CL001-5 marked up and showing this site as included. This was probably inevitable but will do nothing to allay the concerns of residents who moved into a quiet village and are seeing its transformation around them.

Please see yesterdays post about the Community Forum meeting on the 30th July to discuss housing in Horndean and come if you can.

SHLAA Sites Horndean June 2013

Important Housing Meeting

Posted by horndeanguy on June 22, 2013
Posted in: EHDC, Local Issues. Leave a comment

East Hants is currently renewing its local plan, and this is a breakdown of the Districts housing needs between now and 2028.

This will give us a picture of the housing that is likely to be built in Horndean and the surrounding areas and it is important that people attend to understand what the impact will be on our communities.

Once the housing numbers are explained, the next step will be to look at where this might go and to see how we can link this with community facilities and where we can improve our villages.

This meeting is at Horndean Technology College in the Sixth Form block on Tuesday 30th July from 6:30pm.

The link below is to a presentation I made at the HPC Annual Meeting. It sets out population growth, how changing household size affects housing needs and SHLAA sites.

Future Housing In Horndean

For Downs Ward, residents should know that protecting White Dirt Farm against development is a number one priority and this land is designated as ‘Local Gap’ to prevent Catherington merging with Clanfield and Horndean.

A Brighter Horndean is coming!

Posted by horndeanguy on June 22, 2013
Posted in: Local Issues. Leave a comment

The HCC street light replacement works have started and this will see every light column in the area replaced with a new lower energy smart fitting (see past blog article “All New Street Lighting For Horndean” dated 3rd January for more information including maps of the works)

This will see some improvements to roads where there are currently no light columns, for example White Dirt Lane, and we have managed to get some local improvements considered and hopefully designed in.

One of these is to the entrance of the Clanfield Coop where the entrance is very dark. Thank you to Father Brian Goldsmith for raising this particular area as an issue.

Have your say on Healthcare

Posted by horndeanguy on June 22, 2013
Posted in: EHDC, Local Issues. Leave a comment

CF Healthcare

This is an important opportunity for members of the public with an interest in healthcare to meet and ask top NHS executives about healthcare in our area.

Children’s Services
Learning Difficulties
Mental Health
Community Healthcare

This will be at the Sixth Form block at Horndean Technology College on Tuesday 9th July between 6:30 and 9:30

Please come along!

Horndean Roadworks – Update

Posted by horndeanguy on June 21, 2013
Posted in: Gales Brewery, Local Issues. Leave a comment

Traffic Lights return to Horndean for a 2 week period to carry out some further works before the roadway can finally be re-surfaced. This is to lower 100m of Virgin ducts that are too shallow which halted the re-surfacing at the beginning of June. Once this has been carried out the night re-surfacing will be planned in and I will post an update here with the new dates for these final works.

In the meantime HCC have assured us that the works to the Virgin ducts will be limited to the Gales works site and not run as far as Five Heads Road or Junction 1 of the A3M as some highways websites are reporting.

Interestingly, the recently resurfaced London Road from Horndean village to Junction 1 of the Motorway are protected for 5 years with something called a Section 58 order preventing any roadworks except for urgent repairs to prevent the new surface from being substantially scarred early on. Now that is good thinking.

Roadworks – Small Update

Posted by horndeanguy on June 17, 2013
Posted in: Gales Brewery, Local Issues. 5 Comments

HCC confirm that Virgin Media will commence lowering of the ducts that halted the resurfacing works to the centre of Horndean from Tomorrow, Tuesday 18th June. We must acknowledge their considerable notice period in this matter.

The extent of the works are unclear, as is if it will require a closure or temporary lights. The duration is believed to be a maximum of 2 weeks, but I am not sure how they know that if they don’t know what they are doing. You might have read that wrong.

When your local elected officials are deemed worthy of being told more, we will pass this closely guarded information on unless you shop at Horndean Pizza where Matt seems to be the best source of information around at the moment, and you will know more than we do. They also do a pretty mean 12 inch meat feast with extra cheese.

In the mean time we can only dream of when the Cart Track running through the centre of our village will once again become a smooth shiny tarmac roadway.

Run the kids down this summer

Posted by horndeanguy on June 16, 2013
Posted in: EHDC, Local Issues, Useful Information. Leave a comment

get_activ8d_logo

There’s nothing to do. I’m Bored. East Hants and Get Active have the antidote to inactivity this summer. Fill the kids up with junk food and let them burn it off on one of the Get Activ8d summer programme activities.

Squash, Tennis, Martial Arts, Golf, Football Coaching, Climbing, Gymnastics, Cycling, Fishing, Basket Ball and more. For the less active there are also Crafts, Den Building, Necklace Making, Cookie Making and Plaster of Paris art…

Monday 29th July to Friday 23rd August.

For more information visit http://www.getactivenow.org.uk or call 01730 234 384

Butserfest Bands and Tickets

Posted by horndeanguy on June 15, 2013
Posted in: EHDC, Local Issues. Leave a comment

Butserfest LogoFirst nine bands announced for Butserfest 2013

Excitement is building for young people in East Hampshire and beyond following the announcement of the first nine bands that will play on the festival’s second stage. The acts announced are: Heights; Hacktivist; Marmozets; Gnarwolves; Continents; Palm Reader; The Valiant; Now, Voyager; and Aurora. With many more bands to be added to the festival lineup, and places for local bands on both stages, Butserfest 2013 is shaping up to be an amazing year of music and activities.

The alcohol/drug-free festival organised by East Hampshire District Council and supported by Southampton Solent University is now in its seventh year, with a growing reputation with bands, fans and their parents for being a great day out. Tickets are on sale now for £20 (plus online booking fee of £1.75) from butserfest.co.uk/tickets and will be available from local outlets soon. Discounted group tickets are now available at £90 for 5 (including fees), also from butserfest.co.uk/tickets.

To find out more about the festival, go to butserfest.co.uk, facebook.com/butserfest or follow @butserfest on Twitter.
Butserfest Photo
There are also a great work experience opportunity for someone to work with the team for 6 weeks to help generate local and national awareness of the festival.

While specialising in the marketing and promotion of the event, the intern will work closely with the Butserfest project team and be involved with all aspects of event planning, gaining unique insight into how the organisation works. Strong knowledge of using the internet, including social media, music websites and blogs is desirable. Excellent communication and writing skills are essential.

The deadline for applications (a CV and supporting statement) is Monday 1 July 2013. Interviews are expected to be held on Friday 19 July. Further details of the interviews and times will be sent to all short-listed candidates. To find out more about the job, go to http://www.butserfest.co.uk or call Richard Wells, EHDC Communications Officer 01730 234082 or Jude Simpson, EHDC Community Project Worker 01730 234396.

To apply, go to hampshirejobs.org.uk and search for ‘Butserfest’.

Keydell Move Halted

Posted by horndeanguy on June 10, 2013
Posted in: Local Issues. Leave a comment

Keydell Nurseries have been planning over the last few years to sell their current site for housing, and to move into new premises at Mays Coppice Farm, Wichers Gate Road in Rowlands Castle.

The plans (below) were submitted to EHDC on the 12th April 2012 for consideration.

Keydell Plans

On the 3rd October East Hants rejected approval based on landscape and access issues. Keydell appealed against this decision, and in the last few days The Planning Inspector has dismissed the appeal.

This means that, for the time being at least, Keydell stays where it is. If they look for another site and are successful with planning then Horndean will loose another green space, a valuable employment site, and another 130 plus homes will be built on the land. Hopefully this will not happen as the face of Havant Road would change completely in just a few short years.

Click on this link for the complete set of plans Keydell submitted for their new site, including the rejection notice and inspectors decision: http://tinyurl.com/pac2n2m

I am hoping Keydell will now drop these plans, but click on the poll below to let me know what you think.

Merchistoun Hall Next Activities:

Posted by horndeanguy on June 10, 2013
Posted in: Local Issues, Useful Information. Leave a comment

Craft Market -‘Merchistoun Maker’s’ – this coming Friday (7th) 9.30 – 12.30
Ideal for last minute birthday presents, cards for friends or, if you are like me – CAKES – and if you buy a coffee the money for it goes into the HCA fundraising pot – if I can bore you with an old Scottish saying ‘mony a mickle makes a muckle’ I’m sure I don’t need to translate – which leads me on to other small fundraising pots — the glass jar for coppers on the counter – it is surprising how it mounts up and we all get fed up carrying them around so do put them to one side and drop them into our glass jar

Discover Horndean Arts and Culture Trail 1 – 7 July
The Arts and Culture Trail is the inspiration of the Horndean Business Network and is all about local groups opening up their group to visitors for demonstrations / tasters in that first week in July. It should be good fun. Hopefully most of you will already have seen the big double page spread about it in PO7, PO8 but if you haven’t already had a copy delivered to your house do make sure that you pick one up from us or anywhere else where they are available.

HATS – Royal Flush, a comedy by Anne Knight – Thursday and Friday 18th and 19th July at 7.30 p.m.
Set in a charity shop with a grumpy manager and 3 loyal lady helpers plus an assortment of customers. A bottle of vodka gets left in the shop and accidentally is used to make tea, leaving everyone feeling rather merry. This will be performed as a rehearsed reading with some live sound effects. Tickets cost £5 and will be available from Horndean Post Office or at the door

Havant Road Site Starts.

Posted by horndeanguy on June 10, 2013
Posted in: Local Issues. Leave a comment

Havant Road Site Photo

In the last few days the Havant Road site has been fenced off and signboards erected to notify that work is commencing. A sad week for the centre of Horndean as this field is one of the last green areas within the Village, and its development will significantly change the views in the centre as 60 homes will be built.

The possible Doctors Surgery on this development (bottom left corner) is in abeyance until the outcome of the Gales Site Doctors Surgery is known.

This is an excerpt of the site plan, and if you would like to see all of the planning files then click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/pnnxqkb

Havant Road Site Plans

Horndean Resurfacing… Soon?

Posted by horndeanguy on June 10, 2013
Posted in: Local Issues. Leave a comment

Some of you will have noticed that the planned resurfacing of the main road through Horndean did not happen as announced on the 24th May. Or the later 28th May date. The then promised 3rd June date came and went with the advance warning signs now covered up.

We have heard that Virgin Media at the 11th Hour (and after 3 earlier planned date when it may have happened) identified that 80m of their ducts are too shallow and need to be lowered before the road can be re-surfaced.

I suppose there is consolation that this was discovered prior to the works being carried out. The sweepstake is on for how many weeks after the re-surfacing it is before a utility company decided to dig something up.

If you have any views on the current condition of the road then please send an email to Mark.Westwood@hants.gov.uk and copy me in on guy.shepherd@easthants.gov.uk

Mark is the Senior Highway Engineer and responsible for the entire roadworks in Horndean including the planning of the works. If you have any views on the temporary lights, the duration of the works, or concerns about the stones on the road or potholes, the delay to the final resurfacing or even any concerns about how much damage the development might do to the road before it is finished, then please email Mark and copy me in.

If I get another date then I will advertise it here…