And here we have the final newsletter before the end of this term of office.
Inside you will find an update about White Dirt lane’s proposed closure, White Dirt Farm, Chalk Hill Road, the Allocation Plan, local bus service reviews, police survey and more!
The first days work has started on the Bandstand project at Merchistoun Hall. This community project funded by some 20 sponsors and Developers Contributions is being built out by students at Highbury College to give them some practicable experience working on a real project and with other trades on site. They would usually work with recycled materials that are then dismantled after a training session and practicable experience. This project will give them a permanent structure to work on which adds value to their training.
The first days work were undertaken by 11 year one students supported by 3 lecturers from Highbury and included the setting out of the Bandstand, checking it cleared the tree roots a planning condition), fencing off the works area, and then excavation of the foundations ready for concrete. Jewson kindly provided the minidigger and dumper at no cost, and the fencing came from Deborah Services who have loaned it for free during the project. HGP Architects in Fareham carried out the design work to submit the planning application and the Structural Design was provided again free of charge by engineers Reuby and Stagg of Ringwood.
The students used the design drawings to work out the setting out of the foundations and then marked them on the ground using a (very old) theodolite of mine. During the day some 60 tons of soil and clay was excavated. Some of this will be used for landscaping on the grounds and the rest will be sent away to landfill (sponsor required…). Benlee, a local groundworks company helped with the final grading off of the excavation to ensure the foundations were up to scratch for inspection by the Building Control officer.
Currently we are looking for sponsors for the following:
Sand and Cement for the blockwork
Timber for the roof structure
Tiles for the roof
Gutters and Downpipes
3 loads of crushed concrete
3 loads of clean clay muck away by grab lorry
Scaffolding for the blockwork and rendering
10 bulk bags of topsoil
The sponsors of the scheme to whom we are very grateful for are as follows:
East Hants District Council – £14,500 in Developers Contributions and grants
HGP Architects – Full architectural design and preparation of building regs and planning permission documents.
Reuby & Stagg Structural Engineers – Full structural design and calcs for building regs.
Bourne Steel – Fabrication and delivery of the steel frame which supports the roof structure.
Bouygues UK – Bricks, Blocks, staff time and an engineers survey for the planning drawings and estate regeneration.
Whelan and Grant – Concrete and steel reinforcement for the structure.
Midwest – Concrete for the foundations and some skilled concrete placers to help demonstrate to the students
Structural Steelcraft – Will be erecting the steel frame
NA Curtain Walling – 10mm armoured glass for the windows
Linden Homes – Full support for the project and a whopping contribution to be negotiated.
PC Builders Ltd – small local firm who are very keen to help and we will work with them to find a good item.
Deborah Services LTD – Free Heras Fencing Hire
Jewsons – Free Dumper and excavator Hire
Benlee – JCB and driver and labour to help bottom out the foundations
Elliotts and Polypipe – Egg Crate drainage system and below ground drainage supplies
Sean Mason – Local electrician supporting the project with cabling and ductwork for lighting and power
Cowplain Turf – Secure Storage
Over the last decade the ready availability of information on Google, Wikipedia and accessibility to new, used or downloaded books through Amazon and Ebay has made information gathering and media so much easier to obtain than going to the local Library. I had felt that the time would come, like the butcher and greengrocer when the service would just not have the demand to merit its ongoing use and local authorities would be reporting the demise of this long standing service.
The reality is very different though that Hampshire Libraries have diversified into so many different types of media and offer so many services to vulnerable people that they offer a vital role in the community, but do we know what they do now and do we use them enough?
Nic Morgan of the Home Library Service visited Horndean Parish Council for the Annual meeting and gave a review of the current offering of services. I have to admit, I was stunned at how they have diversified to continue to play a key role in the community.
Our Horndean branch on Five Heads road lent out 22,000 items last year. That is more than 100 items every day it was open. They can get you any of the 2 million items that are held at any other library branch in the County delivered to our local branch within just a few days.
Some of the items include Books, Quick Reads (short books for people with learning or memory difficulties), Large Print books, Magazines, Audio books, Books on CD and MP3, Play Aways (devices with preloaded books that just need a AAA battery), DVD’s (especially childrens), Talking Newspapers, Specialist books (Military, War etc), “Books On Prescription” which may be referred by your GP for example on Dementure and more.
Our Horndean branch also has two computors and you are able to visit pay websites like Ancestry.com for free. (It is worth calling ahead to book the computors)
The team across Hampshire have also set up a volunteer network called “The Home Library Service” of vetted and approved people who will visit people at least every 4 weeks who have ill health, disabilities or caring responsibilities to deliver library materials to you at home. This service is completely free and if you would like to register then email Nic on nicolette.morgan@hants.gov.uk giving the name, address, postcode, telephone and how you heard about the service. You can also do this on someone’s behalf. Alternatively you can call the service on 0300 55 1387 or visit http://www.hants.gov.uk/home-library-service.
Branches further afield like Waterlooville and Petersfield also offer courses and some recent ones have been: Keeping Chickens, Learn Mandarin, Play the Ukulele, Crafts and Arts.
Horndean Library is at no 12 Five Heads Road and is open:
Monday 2:00 – 5:00
Tues Closed
Weds 10:00 – 1:00 and 2:00 – 5:00
Thurs 2:00 – 5:00
Fri 2:00 – 7:00
Sat Closed
Sun Closed
Here is the link to Hampshire Libraries
New members needed for friendly knitting group “Knitter Natter” at Horndean Library
Knitters need other knitters, and whether you want to learn new stitches or pass on your skills, the warm companionship of a knitting group could enrich your love of knitting, crochet or needlecrafts. We meet on a Wednesday at 2.30pm every fortnight, a friendly, informal group who welcome new members, including those who would like to learn to knit. Contact Horndean Library on 023 9259 6371 for more information or see http://www.hants.gov.uk/library-horndean
The Horndean Parish Council Annual meeting is on Monday 20th April at Jubilee Hall, starting at 7:00pm.
This meeting is where the Council gives its annual report before the members stand down prior to the AGM where the new posts are elected.
British Transport Police have a text number where passengers can report incidents on trains. this is not to replace the 999 number but targeted at rowdy behavior, drunk disorderly issues and other antisocial issues. Importantly it allows people to report something subtly.
BTP are re-launching the campaign following its initial success and further details from their press release are below:
The introduction of our 61016 text number in March 2013 was highly successful, with 1,185 incidents reported within the first six months of the service. The service offers the travelling public and rail staff a means to contact us directly in an anonymous and subtle way, in order to report non-emergency crime.
The relaunch aims to increase awareness of the service and subsequently increase the level of reporting.
When to use the text service:
Text 61016 (or call 0800 40 50 40) when you want to contact us about an issue that doesn’t require an emergency response. For example, you can text when:
You want to tell about an incident that has already happened
You want to tell us about issues affecting your rail journey or your local station
You have a general police enquiry
If your enquiry concerns buses or roads, you can contact local police anywhere in the country by dialling 101.
The Land East of Horndean plans were debated at Barton Hall, Horndean Technology College tonight and approved by the Planning Committee. At this stage it is what is called ‘Outline permission’ which approves the principal of the number of dwellings, the community facilities and the highways improvements and access onto the land.
The development will deliver 693 new dwellings (of which 278 will be affordable), 1.7Ha of employment land and a care village with a care home, 45 assisted living units and 60 independent units.
The community facilities include:
Community Building of 1,300 to 1,500 SqM including a large multi use hall suitable for 3 indoor court games with pull out seating, staging, smaller meeting rooms, changing rooms, bar facilities
Junior and Full Size football pitches
1.2 to 2.0 Hectares of land for a Primary School with cash contribution to Hampshire County Council to fund the new school
Local retail centre with convenience shops
60 full size allotments
Land for a Skate Park
Cricket Pitch
Pavillion of 180 to 200 SqM with changing facilities and bar
MUGA ( Multi Use Games Area)
4 children’s play areas
20 pieces of outdoor gym equipment
21.45 Hectares (53 Acres) of outdoor public open space and woodland walks
There is also funding for local highways improvements, cycle paths and other facilities in Horndean
This effectively makes further large applications for housing in Horndean very unlikely to succeed unless they are already in the Local Plan and will be a major consideration in the current appeals for Lovedean and Blendworth Lane.
The application is not approved until the Section 106 agreement is finalised. This is where the final details of the community contributions are negotiated to add detail to the list above. One of these is the final decision from Hampshire County Council as to whether they will be funding a ‘one form’ primary school or a ‘two form’ primary school on the development. One argument for is that two form entry schools are more cost effective. One argument against is to spread the schools around the community and Hampshire County Council have land they own elsewhere in Horndean that is a possible option. The final outcome of this will be reported here.
The Secretary of State has also issued an Article 25 notice on the development and this is a formal notice not to complete the planning application process (finalise the Section 106) until he has decided if he wishes to call it in to be reviewed or not. This happened at Lovedean Lane, Fourmarks and is also currently in force at a development in Alton and is usually decided in a 4 week period. This development is the ‘least worst’ option for Horndean, it packs in the community facilities and Portsmouth Water have agreed the safeguards they wish to see for the plans to be approved. I can not see this being called in for a review and will post the outcome here when we hear.
The next steps in this are to ensure we get the best we can out of the community facilities as they are built. I have already publicly stated my commitment to ensuring this happens with the caveat that if the Community Facilities are not delivered, I will not stand again. I look forward to letting you know how these progress and in a little while posting the final Section 106 agreement so the list is clear.
In last years grant funding I was very pleased to support the New Blendworth Centre with a grant to purchase and lay some new paving to their plant sales area. This has now been laid and the Centre have been kind enough to send back a photograph of the final installation. If you are looking for plants then why not stop in and see the New Blendworth Centre which is just up Blendworth Lane in Horndean. As well as being very good value for money you will be supporting a great charity.
