It isn’t often (in fact this is the first time) that I bite back with the local paper but The Horndean Post deserves a response which is a shame as The Post has usually been pretty fair. As the Finance Portfolio Holder at EHDC I could have addressed every point in The Horndean Post before they went to print but was not contacted.

The article entitled “Council spends millions in loans… on the quiet” manages to turn a great news story into an article with a negative slant so lets put some more flesh on the bone and give some more detail.

Over the last 5 years the funding EHDC receives has been cut significantly with the ‘Revenue Support Grant’ (the annual grant from central government) of about £2.5m dropped to zero and other grant income totalling a further 3.5m being progressively reduced. This leaves EHDC with a shortage of £6m every year – or about 25% of our running cost.

So, with options being to cut services or massively increase council tax, we decided to look for other solutions and did something about it. This was a multi-pronged approach including the following:

1 – Cutting the excessive fat from old style cosy easy going local councils

2 – Starting up new profit making businesses

3 – Cost savings by partnership working with other Local Authorities

4 – Long term investment portfolio for secure income

EHDC and Havant merged the senior management team of directors which has saved both Councils about £1.5m a year in salaries without affecting service. We were one of the first local authorities to consider such an unusual approach and it has been a major success for the last 8 or so years.

EHDC has some exceptionally talented officers and some lead Councillors who are or have been board directors of large successful local, national and international businesses – This gives a great opportunity for this business capability to be applied to EHDC to transform it from a traditional District Council to a modern efficient stable organisation.

We also spoke to other local Councils to look at how we could deliver the same service for less money and for services like waste disposal for example and we joined with Winchester to create a larger customer base with Biffa and a lower cost. Now that contract is ending we have just changed this to work with Havant to keep this saving moving forward. We have been able to replace the lost income every year without increasing Council tax by making EHDC more business like and through investment AND increased our services.

The property investment strategy is one we have been working on for two years – it isn’t a new stealthy initiative.

The £6.5m a year property investment will generate an income is worth £125 every year to every household in EHDC that we do not need to charge in increased tax or lost services. That has to be a GREAT NEWS story – and it is!!!

Below is a pie chart of our income. Property is a significant part of our future income. It is in fact the same size as our council tax. Not only do we secure significant cash funding from this we also generate £4m a year in rent which we do not take as income to pay off the equity in the property. In addition we build up a similar sum each year in equity as the properties grow in value.

Our multi pronged approach means that for the last 5 years we have been able to continue to provide every service to the community with no cuts. In fact, for several years out of the surplus funds we have generated we have paid for an additional 3 PCSO’s to help support the police, brought in £368,000 a year in grant funding to help local causes with £4,500 every year for local Councillors to support local good causes and several other initiatives that have also gone missed by the local press…

So in the front page of paper this week it is reported that “No trace of the spending spree can be found in easy-to-access public documents” – As a matter of fact this has been brought to 2 annual budget reports at Full Council meetings and also 3 Full Council meetings where the policy to buy property to raise funds was agreed. All of these are available online in the meeting minutes but more importantly were discussed in public forum for anyone including the press to hear being debated.

If only the press turned up at EHDC meetings occasionally then they would know all about this – in fact the cabinet meeting at EHDC tonight was the first time I have seen a reporter at an EHDC meeting for 3 or 4 years… So much for being held to account by anyone, let alone the press, who might otherwise know what was going on…

The story also explains that back bench Councillors are only told about the deals after they have been carried out – That is simple, we are bidding in a competitive market for property and the last thing we are going to do is publish our bids before deadlines to let every other local authority or investment institution know what we are willing to pay. The system is simple, we agree a strategy with all members and then get on and carry it out.

The story also notes that consultants are paid a finders fee – this is correct, just like an estate agent charges for marketing a property and securing a buyer.

So as this is being portrayed with a negative slant are EHDC doing anything wrong?

No. Property investment is being used by local authorities up and down the country to replace key income that is being lost from grant funding to ensure we can continue to provide all of our services. Our strategy has been audited by our audit and scrutiny panel as well as external auditors.Tthis is just a good business decision being carried out effectively.

Pension funds, hedge funds and a dozen other institutions also rely on property as a steady secure income and we have the advantage that we can secure funding at about 1.6% (Compare that with your mortgage rate), we have no expensive shareholder or management charges and every pound in profit goes to us, the council tax payer, and no one else. Not only do we get the income but we also get the equity growth in the property as a future bonus.

The Tesco EHDC has bought for £40m brings in £900,000,00 a year in income from a business that will be trading next year and every year for the foreseeable future – that means we don’t need to increase Council Tax to supplement this income.

As a resident of EHDC I fully support the this strategy. It underpins a low cost Council Tax base while making sure that not only can we continue to provide all of our services but also to pick up some of the services the Police, HCC and others can not afford to continue to carry out.

Holding any elected member to account is essential and part of this is the political opposition but the other part is the press. For this to be effective they need to be present at the meetings where issues are debated and I would guess this topic to have been covered at no less than 5 public meetings at EHDC.

So, I hope this helps put this great news story into context with the full story turning and helps explain how EHDC have the accolade of being the best performing District Council in the country when you look at Council Tax increases.

As to the headline “Council spends millions in loans… on the quiet” – it isn’t that it was on the quiet, just that no one was there listening when we debated it in public and agreed to do it.

For a list of the properties EHDC owns visit this link HERE

Guy.

Our current Local Plan runs from 2017 to 2028 and when we prepared this in 2012 we held local consultations which brought us to a large site at Hazleton and Pyle Farms with a comprehensive development that protected the smaller sites in our community. If you were living here at the time you will  remember the flood of speculative housing applications that we had to fight off.

Every 5 years the local plan has to be revised to make sure that it is up to date, we are meeting our housing needs and that it takes on board new government policy – If we do not keep it up to date then developers can apply to build on pretty much any bit of land and provided it is sustainable, not in a flood plane and other basic criteria, would have a good chance at success.

So, this part of the local plan focuses on our needs from 2028 to 2036, a further 8 years ahead.

There is one complication – EHDC used to be responsible for all of the planning in the district. Since the formation of The South Downs National park the park who control the majority of the land take only about 10% of the housing – something that we had to manage in the last local plan. Our local plan covers only the parts controlled by EHDC.

So, in the last review of the Local Plan the SDNPA tool about 1,000 homes in the plan period and the parts of EHDC outside of the park 10,000 homes. We were able to accommodate a very large number of these in the former Army barracks at Whitehill and Bordon which helped.

The good news is that the housing numbers across the district remain about the same post review so we are not looking at a major increase like we had in 2023 but just the same steady amount.

The next bit of good news is that LEOH has the ability to take about 100 more homes than the previous allocation which means we can avoid building on dozens of acres of green field land elsewhere.

The final major bit of good news is that we are identifying timescales when the new allocated sites can be built on so that we don’t end up with a sudden surge in housing but make sure the build rate is slow and steady.

The proposed maps for Clanfield, Rowlands Castle and Horndean are below (please remember this is the draft plana and will be going to consultation shortly, details below)

HORNDEAN SITES:

SA 33 Horndean LEOH – additional 850 homes – 2020 to 2028

SA 34 Lovedean land to rear of 191 to 211 – 33 homes – 2030 to 2032

SA 35 Catherington Parsonage Farm – 5 homes -2030 to 2031

SA 36 Lovedean Cottage Farm, James Copse – 75 to 85 homes – 2023 to 2026

SA 37 Lovedean Woodcroft Farm – 70 to 180 homes – 2023 – 2027

So this is the Draft copy which is going to be reviewed internally and go out for public consultation between 5th February and 19 March 2019 for a 6 week period. When the final consultation copy is prepared I will publish it here with the consultation links and how to respond.

In the meantime the draft copy (all 380 pages long) can be downloaded on this link and you can find the details for Clanfield, Horndean and Rowlands Castle on pages 115 to 139: Local plan Review 2017 – 2036 This also gives more detail on each individual allocated site.

Appendix A which talks about how the plan is developed, how Neighbourhood plans are incorporated and the duty to cooperate (with adjacent planning authorities) can be downloaded here: Local plan Review 2017 – 2036 Appendix A

Appendix B which is the maps for the entire EHDC region can be downloaded here: Local plan Review 2017 – 2036 Appendix B

If the land is not on these maps then it is not going to have a look in until 2037.

Home-Start is the UK’s leading family support charity.  There are Home-Start branches all over the country and the first Home-Start scheme was launched in 1973.  Each local Home-Start is an independently registered charity.

Home-Start Butser was established in 1998 by the local community to support families with young children.  It covers a large area of East Hampshire, from Greatham in the North to Rowlands Castle in the South.

I have been able to help Home Start every year that we have awarded grant funding by £500 and while the support they give in each area is confidential I do know that they have made a significant difference to households in Clanfield and Horndean.

Here is a link to find out more about Butser Home Start

Clanfield Co-Op site between the parishes of Clanfield and Horndean and an excellent location for a Defibrillator station to give vital support for the community. Horndean Parish Council have a network of Defibrillators by Nico’s, Napier Hall and Jubilee and Clanfield have also added to the network.

In the event of a heart attack chest compressions will keep the blood circulating around the body which keeps the brain alive until help arrives – but every minute help takes the change of successful resuscitation drops by 10%. CPR alone is very unlikely to restart the heart but a Defibrillator has a much bigger chance.

If you dial 999 to get help for a heart attack victim the operator will ask if you have someone with you who can get a local defibrillator and they know the location of all of the closest machines. These are generally opened with a number code that the operator will give.

In a grant award earlier this year I was able to support the scheme by £745

The New Blendworth Centre are another great local organisation that support adults with learning difficulties and disabilities. they actively engage in the local community and have a fleet of ageing minibuses to move their users about. One of these life expired vehicles was in desperate need of replacement and I was very pleased to be able to support with £610 to help complete the funding. Cllr Elaine Tickell also supported the fund raising as did Aviva with a large contribution.

The charity have another few vehicles that are nearing the very end of their service lift so if you are a business with a vehicle you might like to donate to help then I am sure they would be very pleased to hear from you.

The centre also has plant sales to help raise funds and to find out more visit their website on this link here: New Blendworth Centre

Councillors Elaine Tickell and Guy Shepherd visited us on Friday to have a look at our new minibus that was generously donated by the Friends of The New Blendworth Centre and partly by the Aviva Community Fund.

The New Blendworth Centre is a day provision for post 19 year old people with varying degrees of learning difficulties/disabilities. The Centre offers its Service Users a work orientated placement in a semi-sheltered environment, situated in the village of Horndean in Hampshire. The Centre aims to develop and support individual goals, encourage friendships, raise self-esteem and promote confidence and independence. Referrals for placement at the Centre can be made through either your local social services office or by contacting the Centre direct.

Within the Centre grounds there is a small nursery outlet with many poly tunnels and potting sheds which facilitates the service users activities. From seed sowing, plant cuttings, potting on, cleaning stock and generally keeping the nursery and its display areas clean and tidy, makes for a busy day at the Centre. The end product of these on-site activities can be purchased by the general public in our nursery shop.

In the last few months I have been able to support a number of local charities and organisations that give invaluable support in the community – Here is a bit of information about one of them, The Rosemary Foundation, who provide a “Hospice At Home” support service.

The Rosemary Foundation was established in June 1997 when a group of Palliative Care Nurses formed an ‘At Home’ service following the closure of Bordean House, just outside Petersfield.

From the early days of four patients and financed entirely by personal contributions from the Nurses and volunteers involved, The Rosemary Foundation has grown into a highly respected and important provider of care within the communities we serve. We now care for around 250 patients 24/7 annually, although still completely voluntarily funded, we have cared for 2500 patients in the last 21 years.

Based in Petersfield, our reach extends to an approximate 15 mile radius of Petersfield, and our nurses and carers travel the equivalent of driving twice around the World each year.

It costs nearly £1500 per day, every day of the year, to deliver our services, which are provided by our 16 wonderful , caring and dedicated team of nurses and healthcare workers along with a loyal team of volunteers.

Rosemary Roundation Website link

A while ago Outline planning permission was granted on Land East Of Horndean. Since then the land owners and developer have been organising site investigation works to establish the extent of the sink holes so that they can develop the masterplan to come to a fixed layout.

Bloor Homes who have the option on Hazleton and Pyle Farms will be presenting the updated masterplan to the community for comments.

This will be at Merchistoun Hall on Wednesday 12th December 2018 from 2:30pm to 8:00pm. Written invitations will be going out to local residents and adverts placed in The Post and The News but this consultation is open to all residents of Horndean and Rowlands Castle who have views on the scheme. All are welcome.

The revised masterplan will still deliver the primary School, Community building, MUGA, Playing fields and other S106 items.

The sinkhole survey results also show that there are very few issues with the land so there is also the possibility to build more than 700 homes on the same allocated site. this will have two significant benefits – It will prevent another green field being built on somewhere else in our community and will also result in a further opportunity for some S106 items.

Please fill in feedback forms at the consultation and also feel free to post your comments here on this blog too so that they can be shared with the community at large.

Below is the formal invitation on behalf of Bloor Homes who are running this consultation.

Dear Resident,

INVITATION TO A PUBLIC EXHIBITION

Bloor Homes would like to take this opportunity to invite you to a Public Exhibition relating to their updated proposals for Land to the East of Horndean (please see site map on the reverse of this invitation).

The exhibition will be held at Merchistoun Hall, 106 Portsmouth Road, Horndean, PO8 9LJ on Wednesday 12th December 2018 from 2.30pm to 8.00pm

As you may be aware, the site already benefits from outline planning permission for new homes and supporting infrastructure, including community facilities. Since the original application was granted, the project team has undertaken a significant amount of technical work which will inform a new outline planning application to be submitted to the Council in early December 2018. Although this application will follow the broad principles established as part of the previously approved scheme, we would like to share our updated plans with you and provide you with an opportunity to ask questions of the project team who will be in attendance on the day.

In the meantime, if I can provide any further information please do not hesitate to contact me via our freephone number: 0800 232 1794.

Yours sincerely

Jeremy Handel For and on behalf of Bloor Homes