Take part in the Clanfield Skate Park Jam on August bank holiday weekend at Peel Park, Clanfield with an opening Jam on the 29th August 2016 between 3pm and 7pm.
Food, Music and Prizes, come along and enjoy the day!
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All posts for the month July, 2016
The next Neighbourhood Policing Team beat surgery is on Friday 5th August 2016 at Horndean Library on Five Heads Road and runs from 16:00 to 18:00. All are welcome!
I am delighted to let you know that George Hollingbery, our MP, has been appointed PPS (Parliamentary Private Secretary) to The Prime Minister.
This is an exceptional honour for George and for him to have such close access to the new PM can only be great news for Meon Valley.
Statement from George Hollingbery MP regarding his appointment as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
“This is the second time Theresa May has asked me to work closely with her as a Parliamentary Private Secretary and the appointment is a huge honour.
“It will be a privilege for me to act as her eyes and ears in the Commons and to liaise with Downing Street, the Chief Whip and my Conservative MP colleagues on a broad range of issues as they arise.
“The job is going to be challenging and extremely interesting, and I’m absolutely certain I will have my hands full, but I thank the Prime Minister for the trust she has shown in me.”
The last 2 months in National Politics has been interesting and the EU referendum a major victory for some people and a major concern for others. It was a shame there was not a more convincing result with voters feeling happier the issues were clearly and honestly set out but the next steps are clear.
With the change of Prime Minister, the challenges in the Labour Leadership and the endless field day for press coverage some other local issues are struggling to get the coverage that they perhaps should.
I have blogged in the past about the plans to form a Combined Authority or other structural link with the Councils in the Hampshire area and this has been developing in the background and it is fair to say it has suffered its own significant political shenanigans too.
Any form of devolution of power from Westminster could be good news for us locally – it is it delivered to the right organisations – but the extent to which a combined authority is structured may affect the remit and powers of existing Councils – and this is a challenge to overcome.
Take 1: Solent Combined Authority: Just about a year ago PUSH (Partnership for Urban South Hampshire) announced its proposals to look at forming a Combined Authority which would largely replicate the PUSH or Solent LEP region. This would have left 4 of the PUSH councils out of the plans as a Council needs to be fully IN or OUT of a combined authority. (EHDC, Winchester, Test Valley and New Forrest District Council).
Take 2: Hampshire Wide Combined Authority: The Solent plans were put on hold when Hampshire County Council proposed a County Wide Combined Authority. There was a significant drive for additional housing by central government (which the County Bid was pressing to support) as well as a directly elected Mayor with significant powers. as these plans developed it became clear all of the new powers were goingn to sit with the County Council with little opportunity for Districts and Boroughs to support their communities. Two of the biggest concerns for most Councillors were the immense power of a Directly Elected Mayor, and the proposition of a Hampshire wide housing board which would allocate housing across the county. In East Hants we have got our local plan in place and know what our commitments are over the next decade and a bit – and don’t want this to be threatened. The Hampshire bid finally died when pretty much all of the District and Borough Councils felt they could not sign up to it.
Take 3: South Hampshire and Isle of Wight CA: A number of Councils along the South Coast have been working on a ‘South Hampshire and Isle of Wight Combined Authority’ and this had the support of ALL of these councils – including Hampshire County Council who signed the bid – and then unsigned it the next day! With strong central government support this has caused some considerable strain between the elected officials of the District / City / Borough and County Councils as well as some changes at Cabinet level. Without the support of the County Council this bid can not legally proceed. Hampshire County Council have followed this up with a decision to publicly consult on their County Wide Bid (despite this not having the support of any of the local authorities)
Take 4: The Solent Combined Authority: Under existing legislation City Councils can form a Combined Authority and Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight have announced plans to create a Combined Authority which will be up and running by March. This will also bring in £900m of investment over the nest 30 years.
For the time being the new Combined Authority will be built up around just Portsmouth. Southampton and the Isle of Wight and District and Borough Councils can not be involved in these negotiations to propose how this might be structured as Hampshire County Council has chosen not to be involved in this bid but once the Solent Combined Authority has been set up they can invite Districts and Boroughs to join in.
Currently Southampton, Portsmouth and the I.O.W. are developing their plans which if agreed would lead to a public consultation for their residents this summer before they decide whether or not to proceed.
For us locally we are effectively parked away from the discussions but as a restructuring of local government is expected during this parliament it is important we are able at some point to participate and ensure we get the best position for our communities.
For me the following are key issues:
- EHDC remains on total control of our local plan. A wider scale housing board would risk additional housing locally.
- Any proposals for a directly Elected Mayor need to have significant controls to ensure a key figure from a very urban area does not suddenly have absolute control over significant issues impacting our community
- There has to be a overall cost saving to the community – by delivering local services better, cheaper and faster
- We currently have Parish Council, District Council, County Council and Central Government. We do not want to see a new fifth tier of government with overheads, premises and administration. Lets structure this so the current organisations are given the right reposibilities they are best placed to manage.
Some relevant links below:
Southampton City Council CA Press Release
Clanfield Post EHDC Leader Statement
EHDC are planning to position double yellow lines on a number of roads around Horndean to improve road safety. Inevitably this will be supported by a number of people, and for some it will be an issue!
The roads where this will be done are as follows:
Acorn Gardens, Ashley Close, Benbow Close, Catherington Lane, Crouch Lane, Elmeswelle Road, Enterprise Road, Five Heads Road, Frogmore Lane, Hillside Industrial Estate, Keydell Avenue, Letcombe Place, Merchistoun Road, Merchistoun Road (Spur), Murray Road, Napier Road, Portsmouth Road, Queens Crescent, Rodney Way, Rowlands Castle Road, Walden Gardens and Whitehaven.
Here is a link to the consultation document with road plans showing the proposed extent of the road markings: TRO Consultation Link and you can leave comments on this website link or email to the officers dealing with it on tro@easthants.gov.uk
The consultation ends on the 29th July 2016.
Image below is for the proposals around Portsmouth Road and Five Heads Road. Please click on the link above to view all of the proposals.
The Rural Area Play projects (RAPP) and Get Activ8d summer activity list has been published and you can see all of the activities on this link here: RAPP, Get Activ8d Information
to book online you can click on this link here: RAPP & Get Activ8d Online Booking
The next monthly Horndean and Clanfield litter pick will be on Sunday the 31st July and the usual meeting point will be at the top corner of Morrisons.
We will be meeting up at 9:30 and as usual providing equipment (pickers, bags, gloves) and some ideas on where to pick. Many of the group wish to target areas close to them which is great and we would love to see some new faces!
Please feel free to join us to deploy at 9:30 until 11:30! The filled bags will be collected by EHDC as usual.
Sally
Horndean Parish Council are organising another BioBlitz Weekend following last years highly successful activity which saw dozens of schools and youth groups as well as large numbers of adults stop in and take part. Visit the Horndean Parish Council Website for more information and see below:
Hazleton Common BioBlitz 5th & 6th August 2016
Come and join the race to find as much wildlife as we can!
Become a wildlife explorer for a day and discover what’s living right on your doorstep by joining in at your local BioBlitz event. Our team of experienced naturalists and wildlife watchers need your help to find and identify as many different species of birds, bugs, plants and beasties as we can before the clock runs out. Just like a real scientific expedition, everything we find will be documented and passed on to local and national databases that monitor our local wildlife.
With interactive activities for kids, grown-ups, beginners and experts alike there is something for everyone at a BioBlitz.
Find us at Hazleton Common by following the signs for BioBlitz or turn into Hazleton Way off of Portsmouth RD (A3), turn left into Greenfield Crescent, turn left into Hollybank Close and follow the signs for the event.
Please be advised parking is VERY limited and walking, cycling or parking elsewhere is advised !
For more information on what a BioBlitz event is please visit: http://www.bnhc.org.uk/bioblitz/
Horndean’s New Community Building: what will it provide?
A new community building, one of the biggest in the area, is planned for Horndean as part of the 700-home development on Land East of Horndean. It’s just one of a range of improvements to be delivered on this site.
The building will include a purpose-designed hall for people to watch films, shows and theatrical productions, as well as enjoy art exhibitions, dance classes and a host of other community activities. It will have retractable theatre-style seating, a stage, lighting rig, a cinema screen and projector, but with multi-use flexibility for fairs and functions of all sorts.
There isn’t anything in the area that offers this kind of thing and our research shows there is a real demand for it. We have the opportunity to create something very special for the area but we have to make sure we get the design right – that means lots of consultation.
East Hampshire District Council, together with Horndean Parish Council asked local people, at a consultation event in January, what the building should be used for and local school children were canvassed in May.
Top of the list of things local people want to see was recent films, followed by live feeds from West End shows and live performances from professional theatre companies, public lectures and local theatre groups made up the top five.
Schoolchildren at Horndean Technology College and Horndean Junior School also put a cinema at the top of their list, with dances and music performances figuring highly along with private hire for family events.
You can see the popularity of typical functions in the table below and more information and the survey is at www.easthants.gov.uk/leoh.
It’s a big project that will take some years to complete and as we progress there will be plenty of chances to be involved in consultations. If you or your organisation would like to register a possible future interest, please contact either Horndean Parish Council at contact@horndeanpc-hants.gov.uk or Cllr David Evans at david.evans@easthants.gov.uk
Cllr David Evans.
Horndean Parking Review.
The Public Consultation on the existing parking review will take place from Friday, 8th July 2016 to Friday, 29th July 2016. Public notices will be displayed in each of the affected roads, on the East Hampshire District Council website, at Horndean Library during normal library opening hours and at the EHDC offices at Penns Place, Petersfield during normal working hours. The notice in each case will give details as to how any interested party can comment on the proposals.
A new round of parking reviews in Horndean will then commence with each District Councillor meeting up with the Senior Traffic Engineer. Problems and reported issues will be discussed in each Ward to ascertain if any new or amended parking restrictions are necessary to address safety issues. All requests are being investigated to prioritise the District’s future works programmes. It should be noted that the review relates only to parking restrictions such as single and double yellow lines, limited waiting etc. Physical traffic calming measures such as speed humps, pinch points etc are dealt with by Hampshire County Council.
Councillor Sara Schillemore – Catherington and Lovedean: 27th July 2016.
Councillor Elaine Tickell. – Hazleton and Blendworth: 27th July 2016.
Councillor David Evans. – Kings: 28th July 2016.
Councillor Lynn Evans. – Murray: 28th July 2016.
Problems and issues should be notified to the relevant Ward Councillor before the stated date. Their contact details are as follows:-
Sara.schillemore@easthants.gov.uk.
