Hook Parish Council

Hook Parish Council: Monthly Bulletins 2003

December 2003

Following the resignation of David Ridley, Anne Atkins has been promoted to Parish Clerk with effect from 1st January 2004. The Parish will need to recruit salaried support for Anne and she is now considering how she would like that support to be provided. It is likely that we will be advertising in the New Year. The elected members of the Parish Council do successfully reflect the population of Hook as a whole in that most of our, unpaid, members have full time day employment. This means that we will need to increase our salaried day time resource to meet the ongoing and increasing needs of the Hook Community.

November Focus contained two letters about dog mess particularly on the footpath by the cemetery. We hope the dog owners responsible have taken both note and action! The Hart Dog Warden, Lynn Byfield, does patrol regularly and we are in touch with her about problems that occur.

The Planning application for seven houses next to The Holt, which was opposed by the Parish Council and many residents, has been refused by Hart on the basis that the density is too high and the general design out of keeping with the surroundings.

Although a new fence has been erected behind the Community Centre, antisocial behaviour continues as it is still possible to gain access to the area through the boundary with Ravenscroft. The Amenity Committee is considering ways of overcoming this problem including the possibility of extending the new fencing to make the entire area secure.

Some twenty houses on the Holt Park Development are now occupied and we are pressing Hampshire County Council for news of the new shuttle bus service which is due to link the development with Tesco and the railway station. As yet neither the start dates nor the route have been decided and it seems that Hampshire are having difficulty in finding a bus company that is able to operate the service.

As we near the shortest day of the year please help Hampshire Highways if you notice that a street light is not working by ringing 0800 50 60 60. They will need to know the name of the road and the column number which is clearly marked on the column at around eye level.

The Hook retailers’ Christmas Cracker event will take place as planned on Friday 5th December, unfortunately the wrong date was given in the recent issue of Hart News.

Antony Hunter

November 2003

Most of Hook will be aware of the fire that took place at the Community Centre on Friday 19th September. Our thanks are due to the teenagers who spotted the fire and raised the alarm, and to local residents for an endless supply of tea and coffee. The Parish Council is working in support of the Community Association towards the aim of opening the damaged parts of the building as swiftly as possible.

On Friday 17th October the newly landscaped area at Grand Parade was formally declared open by our District and County Councillor Jonathan Glen. The tired and overgrown vegetation has been swept away and in its place is an imaginative fresh landscape by local designer and Ravenscroft resident, Rachel Burbidge. At the centre of the scheme is a mosaic created by Maggy Howarth along with a seating area that will quickly become popular as a place to sit, rest weary feet, and have a chat. The Parish Council, responding to local opinion, had long wished to refurbish the area and the overall scheme that is being implemented, including the mosaic researched by Hook 2000, was enthusiastically endorsed at the Annual Village Meeting as far back as 2000 but no funds were available. Now, thanks to a substantial donation by George Wimpey who are developing Holt Park, the scheme has become reality! Fencing has been erected along the edge of the car park to prevent the new planting from vehicle damage, but this is likely to be removed once the plants become established.

Police Inspector Weston attended the October Parish Council meeting and updated us on a number of local issues. It is encouraging that Hook has a relatively low crime rate, but the most common category is the type of crime we can all do the most to prevent, namely theft of laptops and mobile phones from motor vehicles. He stressed the need to take a commonsense approach and not leave these items in cars, particularly at night. Progress on the building of the new Police Station in London Road has been delayed, but it is now expected to open in Spring 2004 with part of the building let to Hart Community Partnership. The mobile speed camera on the A30 has been successful in reducing traffic speeds, because drivers have taken note of the signs and the camera and slowed down. The number of speeding fines has been small. The "Kill your Speed Signs" have been moved back to Griffin Way South, which although not part of the mobile camera route, has been part of the Police Road Safety Campaign in the past few months. Traffic Calming has recently been installed near the Community Centre. There had been a number of incidents of dangerous driving in this section of road which is regularly crossed by parents with young children and is close to the play area. The bumps are designed in accordance with Highway standards so as to slow traffic to 5 miles an hour which is judged to be the safe speed for the area. Additional signage will be installed shortly.

The Hook Schools Bonfire and Fireworks will take place on Saturday 8th November and, as in previous years Hartletts Park, which is where the remains of the fireworks land, will be closed. Marshals will escort people from the Community Centre to the schools before the fireworks start. Sadly in recent weeks there have been a number of complaints about incidents in which adults have set off large fireworks in their own gardens, or elsewhere, with no consideration for either neighbours or animals. The HSPA event however is a safe properly organised display for the enjoyment of the Community as a whole.

Antony Hunter

October 2003

Since Spring 2001, following the sad death of David Deadman, our Parish Clerk has been David Ridley working on a part time basis. The Parish Clerk is effectively Chief Executive of the Parish Council and the demands of the role have grown and are continuing to get more varied, partly because of the growth of Hook but also because of the growing responsibilities we are taking on. David has now decided that the demands of Parish Clerk, his day job managing a team at Waverley Borough Council and spending time with his family are too great and he has tendered his resignation. We are very grateful to David for stepping in back in 2001 and for his considerable achievements on behalf of Hook. We intend to appoint a full time successor to David shortly.

Refurbishment of the Village Centre is proceeding to plan and the ground work is largely completed. Installation of the mosaic at the centre of the scheme will take place, ahead of schedule, around the end of September and in the meantime the plans are on display in the window of the Café Terrace. Planting may be slightly delayed due to the current lack of rain. The scheme will be completed by mid October.

A new transport service for people with mobility restrictions, the Cango Bus, has just been launched. The yellow bus will operate a subsidised service between local villages, and between the villages and Basingstoke Town Centre, Hospital and Railway Station. The bus will pick up and drop back to passenger's own home, Gregory House or Gefferys House. For more information or to register to use the service ring 0845 6024135.

The end of September sees three road works projects under way in Hook. Installation of the permanent traffic calming scheme in Reading Road as detailed in September Focus is scheduled to start on Monday 22nd September and may take up to three weeks to complete. In Newnham Road a change to a build out will start on Monday 29th September. Because of the nature of the work it is likely that a section of that road will need to be closed for up to two weeks. The third project involves the resurfacing of the footpath between the A30 and Raven Road and will require closure of the path for up to two weeks so that the work can be carried out.

Developer funding is available to finance a small recreation area near Hop Garden and Varndell Roads, primarily for the benefit of residents in the Sheldons estate. A Parish Council working party, to include local residents, is being set up with a brief to produce proposals for a play area for children in the 0 to 8 age range, and space for informal ball games.

The Evangelical Church in Elms Road recently applied for permission to build a new and larger Church on their site. The existing building is too small for the current needs of the Church and is showing its age. The proposal, which is currently being considered by Hart, has caused concern to residents in Lynwood Gardens and Nightingale Gardens in particular because the scheme has been drawn on the basis that access and therefore parking would be from the rear in Lynwood Gardens. The Parish Council takes the view that the proposal is too large and the roof is too bulky.

Antony Hunter

September 2003

Work has now started on the new landscaping for the area next to the Grand Parade car park. This exciting scheme will consist of new soft landscaping created by local designer Rachel Burbidge, with a central mosaic designed by Maggy Howarth. At last we are now able to implement the scheme for the improvement of the landscaping of Grand Parade. The original concept was endorsed by the Annual Village Meeting some years ago but implementation has only now become possible as a result of funding from George Wimpey as part of their contribution to the local community in connection with the Holt Lane development. Consultation with businesses in Grand Parade has taken place and only minor inconvenience to shops and parking is likely whilst the work is in progress between now and early October. Please be patient if parking and access is not quite as easy as usual!

Following extensive research in connection with speeding traffic in Reading Road and a well-attended exhibition, the Parish Council decided in May to support a Traffic Calming Scheme for Reading Road in order to improve road safety and work towards a reduction in the speed limit to 30 mph. As a result of concerns that were raised over the location of the build-out at the junction with Goose Lane we suggested to Hampshire County Highways that it be moved to a location closer to London Road. Highways have now responded that, after extensive consideration at senior level between themselves and the Police, Highways advise that the location by Goose Lane is not only considered to be safe, but also to be the most effective location for this build-out. North bound traffic, which is required to Give Way, has good visibility round the bend to see any approaching traffic which has priority. If the build-out were to be relocated towards London Road this visibility would be lost and a more hazardous manoeuvre would be required to pass the build-out. Visibility of oncoming priority traffic at build-outs is paramount for safety, as both directions of traffic are required to use the same area of road space. In light of this expert advice the we have decided to support installation of a permanent scheme with the build-outs in the same location as in the final stages of the trial. We understand that the work, which is being funded by Hampshire Highways, is due to commence shortly.

Earlier in the year concern was expressed that existing "rat running" through Pantile Drive and Holt Way as a short cut to Griffin Way South will become much worse as the George Wimpey development becomes occupied. A solution would be to block off the Pantile Drive junction with Holt Way which would be funded by George Wimpey. As a result of a Parish Council survey Hampshire Highways have agreed to fund a survey by consultants once the schools return. A further survey would then be carried out once Phase One at Holt Park is completed. At that stage, and depending on the results, the legal procedures for a road closure order may be started or another solution proposed. If there were objections to a closure a Public Inquiry might be necessary.

Antony Hunter

July / August 2003

At last, as a result of funding from George Wimpey as part of their contribution to the local community in conjunction with the Holt Lane Development, we are now able to implement the scheme for the improvement of the landscaping of Grand Parade which was endorsed by the Annual Village Meeting some time ago. This exciting scheme will consist of new soft landscaping created by local designer Rachel Burbidge with a central mosaic designed by Maggy Howarth. Consultation with businesses in Grand Parade has taken place and only minor inconvenience to shops and parking is likely whilst the work is in progress between late August and early October.

A developer recently applied for permission to build eleven dwellings next to and in the garden of the listed building "The Holt." The proposal was totally out of keeping with the area and in local opinion would represent architectural vandalism of the setting of the listed building. Following substantial opposition from local residents and the Parish Council the developers have withdrawn the proposal. This indicates that they recognised that the scheme would be refused by Hart and would not be likely to succeed on appeal.

Hart District Council has withdrawn their threat to close the Hook Public Conveniences and will continue to fund them at District level.

Residents of Alderwood Drive and Oaktree Drive were recently evacuated as a security precaution during a fire. We all owe a big "Thank You" to those involved particularly Hart District Council for the emergency planning, The Raven Hotel for providing a roof to shelter under and videos for the children, the Emergency Services for their superb handling of the situation and residents for their patience and understanding.

Development of the Foundry site is moving ahead and Barratt Homes have now been able to provide on-site parking for their contractors, and have put a procedure in place to control site traffic so as to avoid lorries parking on the A30 whilst they wait to deliver materials.

Reading Road has now been resurfaced and permanent traffic calming measures will be installed once the top dressing has settled and we have agreed the final position of the build-out near Goose Lane with Hampshire Highways.

George Wimpey and David Wilson Homes intend to jointly develop the second phase of the Holt Park Development for which outline Planning was granted in November 2000 and they will submit a detailed Planning Application in early July. The detailed plans will be on display in the Community Centre on Tuesday 15th July from 6.30 to 7.30 pm and representatives of the developers and Parish Councillors will be on hand to answer questions.

Antony Hunter

June 2003

At the first Meeting of the new Parish Council Tony Taylor was elected Chairman of the Parish Council, with Antony Hunter as Vice-Chairman. The Planning Committee elected Antony Hunter as Chairman and Fergus Kirkham as Vice-Chairman. The Amenity Committee elected Martin Whittaker as Chairman and Allen Saltmarsh as Vice-Chairman. All your Councillors look forward to working with all areas of interest in the Village over our four year term.

One of the key topics at the Annual Village Meeting was Policing in Hook. It was acknowledged that, due to a shortage of officers, recruitment difficulties and the attachment of P C Leighton Thomas to Aldershot C. I .D, Hook had been under policed during the last twelve months. Tribute was paid to Mattingley PC Martin Bowman and to Special Constable Steve White who have both worked hard to spread a thin resource as effectively as possible. Leighton Thomas was congratulated on his promotion to Detective on permanent transfer to Aldershot. Two new officers are to operate in Hook from mid May: Ruth Sealy and Daniel Green, and they will have the continuing support of Steve White. The existing Police House will be demolished in June and by October the new Hook Rural Police Centre, providing a base for a sergeant and ten officers, will be in action on the same site. Burglaries in Hook have fallen 30% year on year which reflects well on the effectiveness of Neighbourhood Watch. Police powers are limited in cases where under-age antisocial behaviour is taking place but no criminal offence is involved. A solution that has proved effective elsewhere is to send letters to parents and this scheme will now be introduced in Hook.

A lively informal meeting took place on 3rd April to provide an opportunity for villagers to look at drawings for a permanent traffic calming scheme in Reading Road. The exhibition was publicised in Focus and 56 letters were hand delivered to residents along with ten letters by post or email to people who had previously been in touch. Around thirty people attended the exhibition and expressed their opinion and written comments were received from fifteen people. There is broad agreement that permanent action to slow traffic is needed and indeed a number of residents favour much more restrictive measures than the proposed final scheme. These views are coupled with strong support for the 30mph limit that Highways have agreed to progress once the permanent scheme is in place. The two sided Build Out near Great Sheldon’s Coppice will be installed on a narrower basis than in the experiment and the Goose Lane Build Out will be installed closer to Hook than at present so as to avoid the blind bend. Work will start shortly on resurfacing the road and the permanent scheme is expected to be installed soon after the surface work has been completed. The Newnham Road changes will be installed as drawn.

The Parish Council owned "Kill your speed" signs have been on the A30 for quite some time and we are liaising with Hampshire Highways to arrange for them to be moved to Griffin Way South. The A30 will now be patrolled on a regular basis by a mobile speed camera.

Many thanks to the volunteers who gave up their time to construct the wooded footpath in Shirlen’s Copse so helping walkers to avoid a section that was previously a permanent bog.

Antony Hunter

May 2003

A reminder that one of Hook and Rotherwick’s three Hart District Council seats is up for election on Thursday 1st May and that voting will take place at the Elizabeth Hall from 8am to 9pm. In the normal way Parish Council elections would take place on the same day, but as only twelve candidates are standing for the twelve seats all twelve will be elected unopposed, and no formal election will be required.

As a Parish we say goodbye, good luck, and thank you so much, to three longstanding members : Peter Moore and David Burke who have decided not to stand again and Peter Jennions who has moved to the New Forest. Between them they have contributed over sixty years to Hook as District Councillors, Parish Councillors and Parish Council Chairmen, as well as building the Ravenscroft Community Hall and fighting off the Charles Church minitown proposal. Hook residents owe them much for their successes over the years.

The remaining nine members of the old Parish Council are re-elected as are former Parish and District Councillor Fergus Kirkham, former Parish Councillor Michael Clark, and new member Angus Ogilvy. Details of the members of the new Parish Council are at the foot of the page. Parish Councillors, incidentally, are unpaid volunteers in the same way as the many people who run Community activities for the benefit of the village.

At our April meeting we received a report from Eileen Johnson, the Centre Manager and Ray Watts, the Treasurer, on the excellent work of The Base which now welcomes up to 300 members a week from the 9 to 16 year old age group and we agreed to continue financial support for 2003/4.

Shortly after April Focus went to press Hart District Council decided, as a result of complaints and press publicity, not to close the public toilets across the District on 31st March. It is not yet clear if the decision to keep them open is permanent or temporary. As a Parish Council we do not want them to close, but we are reluctant to cover the cost or administrative work of managing them and take the view that all the public toilets within Hart should be best managed by one organisation.

The chain link fence at the rear of the Community Centre is now in poor repair and has become a safety hazard and we are in the process of obtaining quotes to replace it and to improve the landscaping in the area.

Around the beginning of May Holt Lane will be diverted to run through the edge of the George Wimpey Development. Understandable concern has been expressed that existing "rat running" through Pantile Drive and Holt Way as a short cut to Griffin Way South will become much worse as the George Wimpey development becomes occupied. The solution would be to block off the Pantile Drive junction with Holt Way. We have agreement from George Wimpey to fund the work and undertake it at the same time as they complete footpath work in Holt Lane and are now in discussion with Hampshire Highways. Comments from residents in the area are most welcome, please ring me on 762043

A reminder that surface improvements to the footpath in Shirlen’s Copse will be carried out on Saturday 3rd May by Hook volunteers with technical support from Hampshire Paths Partnership. There are nine volunteers so far but it would be good to have a few more!. If you can help please ring Anne Atkins on 768687.

Antony Hunter

April 2003

A reminder that nomination forms to stand for the Parish Council must be returned to Hart District Council in Fleet no late than 12 noon on Tuesday 1st April. Nomination forms for one of Hook and Rotherwick’s three District Council seats close at the same time as Andrew Henderson’s term is expiring. So it’s not quite too late to stand!

By the time Focus is on sale the refurbishment of the Ravenscroft play area will be complete, and the opening ceremony will have been carried out by Hart District Council Chairman and Hook and Rotherwick District Councillor Jonathan Glen. The old play area was tired and out of date. The Parish Council Amenities Committee considered proposals from four companies and the final choice was made following consultation with parents, schools, pre schools and the parents of children with special needs. The new play area is one of the first of its kind in the UK and Hook is the first Parish Council to install this inclusive play equipment, which is designed to be bold, colourful, safe and robust.

As mentioned in last month’s Focus drawings for a permanent traffic calming scheme in Reading Road and for changes to the Newnham Road scheme will be on show in the Community Centre in Ravenscroft between 6 pm and 7 pm on Thursday 3rd April. Representatives of Hampshire Highways and Parish Councillors will be on hand.

Hart District Council very recently announced that they intend to close all public conveniences in the District at the end of March as a cost saving measure. The one in Hook costs £8,000 a year, or £22 a day, to clean and maintain. Hart has suggested that the Parish might want to take the facility over which would simply mean that the work and the cost would be transferred from the District to the Village. The cost would be a significant addition to the Parish precept, but we are currently attempting, with little success so far, to establish how many people actually use the conveniences and how many of them live in Hook

Hampshire Paths Partnership has drawn up plans for surface improvements, including a boardwalk for footpath 22 in Shirlen’s Copse. They will provide the expertise and materials. Half a dozen volunteers have undertaken to help with the work on Saturday 3rd May but a few more are needed. If you are able to get involved please ring Anne Atkins on 768687.

Demolition work at The Old Foundry has been completed and Barratt will shortly start to build. The Parish has a key contact at Barratt and will keep residents informed as much as possible through Hook Focus.

Antony Hunter

February 2003

The entire Parish Council retires in May after four years, and Elections for all twelve seats will be held on Thursday 1st May 2003. The firm date for submission of nomination papers has yet to be set but will be no later than Monday 31st March 2003. Current Parish Councillors firmly believe that residents should have a choice and that election unopposed is a bad idea!  Some of the current members may not stand again, but in any event new members are crucial to the ongoing life of Hook.

There are many people in Hook who could make a very valuable contribution as a Parish Councillor. There is much that needs to be done, so any newly elected Parish Councillor who wishes to champion a particular idea will find a warm welcome.

The tradition in Hook is that at Election time individuals represent their own views and do not stand as a representative of any particular national party. There is also a recently established custom that all candidates help to distribute leaflets for all other candidates. This means that no one needs to leaflet more than about two hundred houses and that new candidates are not disadvantaged. Please give any one of us a ring to talk about the role of a Parish Councillor. Nomination forms can be obtained from David Ridley who will confirm the date for their return to Hart.

The design for a permanent traffic calming scheme in Reading Road, which will lead to a reduction in the speed limit from 40 mph to 30 mph, and the design for a further scheme in Newnham Road will be on display at the Community Centre in early April. The date will be on Parish Notice Boards.

The Planning Inspector has allowed the appeal by Barratts and granted permission for 56 dwellings on the Foundry site. At the heart of his decision is current central Government policy, which provides for higher density and less parking spaces per dwelling than than was previously the accepted norm.

Arguments made by the Parish and individuals are discussed in his decision, but regarded as of insufficient weight to refuse Planning Permission. The following quotes are designed to give a flavour of the overall tone.

• "The density of 56 dwellings per hectare does not appear unduly excessive ... in the light of Government advice that Local Planning Authorities should encourage housing development which makes efficient use of land and should seek greater intensity of use at places with good public transport accessibility. The appeal site meets this criterion .... even though it may well be the case, as argued by the Parish Council and some others, that some occupants .... would not find existing bus and train services convenient for all their journeys."
• "The proposed parking arrangements (79 spaces or 1.39 spaces per dwelling) is also reasonable .... bearing in mind national and strategic guidance which seeks to limit parking provision"
• "Some change of character is inevitable.... if the site is to be put to optimum use for housing purposes.....Bearing in mind the screening effect of the existing trees and the scope to reinforce this with additional planting I consider the effect on the character of the area as experienced from adjoining properties would not be so harmful as to justify withholding planning permission."
• "As regards The Grange .... the effect of the proposals on the listed building would be acceptable"

As a Parish we will now look to work with the developer to ensure that work proceeds with proper regard to the concerns of residents during construction.

Antony Hunter

January 2003

Vandalism and criminal damage around Hook is of considerable concern. It would appear that several small groups of teenagers are largely responsible, and that although some come from outside Hook, most of them are local residents. The Elizabeth Hall play area, the Scout hut, and the squash courts have been recent targets. Broken bottles, spray paint and attempts to light fires near Parish or Scout property have been among the latest incidents. There were attempts to disrupt the school fireworks, but these were stopped by marshalls and the police. Quite apart from the wholly undesirable social disruption, all this damage has to be repaired from the Parish precept at the expense of all residents of Hook.

We can all help to spot and report these individuals either through the Neighbourhood Watch LAIR system or by ringing the Police on 0845 045 45 45 or in case of emergency: if crime or disorder are in progress, or injury is caused or threatened or offenders are still nearby by dialling 999. Information about any of these offences can always be left, anonymously if you prefer, on the Hook Beat House answering machine on 762345. We believe that the community can overcome these problems by working together.

The Planning Inspectorate has dismissed the appeal by Redfield Garden centre against refusal of planning for a large new garden centre on the A287 at Mill Lane Crondall. The Inspector took the view that there were no sound commercial reasons for Redfields to move from their existing site, that the construction of a new garden centre in a rural area was undesirable, and that there would be significant loss of amenity and increase in traffic.

As Focus goes to press the Planning Inspectorate’s decision on The Foundry site is still awaited, but expected in the very near future.

Following the granting of Planning Permission for a T Mobile slimline mast on the B3349 roundabout their mast, which has been lying in the grass at the Railway station since residents prevented it being put up without Planning Permission, has finally been removed and the site is being restored to its original condition. Only as we went to press we learnt that Vodafone are in the process of changing the masthead on their existing site at the Railway Station. Because this masthead is no higher than the old one Planning Permission is not required.

At this, the darkest time of year, we need all our street lights to be in order. If you spot an out of order street light please ring Hampshire County Council’s street light fault line on 0800 50 60 60 and leave a message reporting the name of the road where the light is faulty and the number of the column.

Antony Hunter