Hook Parish Council

Hook Parish Council: Monthly Bulletins 2006

December 2006

The last few weeks have seen an avalanche of complex Planning Applications. A further application has been made for the site of The Bungalow in London Road. The design of the houses is very similar to the previous proposal but access is now planned to be from a realigned A30, not through Birch Grove. Our objections about overdevelopment of the site and the width of the access road remain and we do not feel that the proposed access from the A30 would be practical or safe.

The developer wishing to convert Wellworth's into a tyre and exhaust centre has returned with a revised proposal which reduces the number of bays and installs noise reduction curtains. Sunday opening is no longer proposed. We remain of the opinion that noise and disturbance to nearby residents, users of Wellworth Park, the Church and the Cemetery would be unacceptable. We have suggested that the applicant consider taking a site on Osborne Way but the company concerned wishes to continue to try and get permission for the Wellworth site.

An application has been made to build 12 industrial units on the site in Osborne Way formerly occupied by Case’s yellow diggers. We have concerns about the amount of additional traffic which would use the privately owned Osborne Way. We believe that if the site is to be developed access from Griffin Way South would be more appropriate.

As Focus goes to press we have received an application to demolish 8 houses off London Road near the Walls Caravan Park and build40 affordable houses. The proposal is only in outline so there is no design information. Access is proposed to be from the section of Holt Lane near the George Wimpey sales office which is a dead end. The Parish Council Planning Committee will consider the application on Wednesday 6th December at 8pm. The plans can be viewed at the Parish Council Office at the Community Hall between 9 am and 12 noon on weekdays but in view of the likely interest in this application, we are also arranging to open the office on Saturday 2nd December from 10am to 12 noon.

There have been a number of burglaries recently in which thieves have broken into houses where the front door was not properly secured and then taken car keys and stolen a car. Police advice is to make sure your front door is secure and to keep car keys out of sight.

Fortnightly glass collection starts on Monday 4th December and will then be the same as fortnightly Blue Bin day. Black Bin rubbish collection due to take place on Monday 25th December will be on Saturday 23rd December whilst blue bin collection scheduled for Monday 1st January will be on Tuesday 2nd January. Our collection day will then revert to Monday and not move a day as happened under the old system.

In the last few months we have mentioned the cost to our Community of Antisocial Behaviour and Criminal Damage in Hook. Damage by teenagers in Hartletts Park, in particular, has included destruction of a trampoline and a basket swing and steps in the play area. The total cost approaches £3,000. None of this includes the cost to the Community of clearing up the results of underage drinking and associated activities. We ask that parents reading Focus explain to their teenagers that this behaviour is totally unacceptable, in the hope that peer pressure by responsible teenagers on irresponsible teenagers will help stamp out the current problems. Spending your money on vandal repairs and clearing up broken glass reduces the amount that might be spent on new facilities. We are contacting the schools to ask them for similar support.

Antony Hunter

November 2006

Hart has been unable to provide a uniformed Dog Warden service for eighteen months because the Dog Warden has been, and still is, on sick leave. A new Dog Warden has been recruited and will shortly be making visible patrols of those parts of Parish Council land where dog fouling has been a problem.

A permanent and lit cycle path, funded by George Wimpey, from Holt Park to the station has now been designed and is scheduled for installation in Spring 2007. The plans for the cycleway are on display in the Parish Council Office in Ravenscroft from 9am to 12noon on Weekdays.

Hart’s new system of Alternate Bin Collection of Black Bins one week and Blue Bins the second week is scheduled to start with Black Bins, in most of Hook, on Monday 30th October followed by Blue Bins on Monday 6th November. Anyone who has ordered a large Blue Bin but still not received it should email abc@hart.gov.uk. All homes should now have a glass collection crate ready for the start of Glass Collection on Monday 4th December. It is uncertain if houses in the original glass trial will suffer a gap in collection. We hope that Hart will update residents regularly through their web site at www.hart.gov.uk. as it has been difficult to reach the depot by telephone in recent weeks.

Plans for a footpath along Newnham Road have received funding approval along with white lining to encourage traffic to slow down. At present there are no contracts let for the work and therefore no timescale but both we and Highways are pleased with collective progress.

Visitors to Hartletts Park will have noticed contractors installing the long awaited multicourt floodlighting. The underground ducting for the cables was installed when the multicourt was built but parts of it have suffered damage in the interim which has caused delays. We are now waiting for the contactor to return and install the actual floodlights.

The Public Inquiry into Hart’s refusal of Planning Permission to develop the site of The Bungalow in London Road has been postponed, initially for three months. The reason for the delay is the continuing uncertainty over the impact of the European Law restricting development within set distances of Special Protection Areas. The inquiry that has been deferred is the one into the application involving access to the site via Birch Grove.

Antony Hunter

October 2006

For some years we have been keen to restore them War Memorial. The pointing round much of the base is very worn and the setting itself looks tired. We now have grant support from Hampshire County Council, who are also helping us with design work. The plan is to restore the setting in line with the intentions at the time the Memorial was built. The drawings are available in the Parish Council Office between 9 am and 12 noon on Weekdays for anyone who wishes to come and have a look.

Concern is often expressed about speeding on Griffin Way South, which is the through route between Reading and the M3, particularly at school run times. The road has been accepted for the Community Speed-Watch trial under which volunteers will record the registration numbers of cars that are measured by roadside equipment as exceeding the speed limit. Vehicle owners will then receive a warning letter. The aim of the project is to reduce speeds and improve safety through awareness, not to issue speeding tickets. We have a number of volunteers already but some more are needed. Please ring the Parish Council Office on the number below if you would like to help.

The Elizabeth Hall Redevelopment Committee continues to work hard towards the target start date for the building work of April 2007. Hart District Council Cabinet has now agreed that £330,000 of funding for Community use, from George Wimpey in respect of Holt Park and Barratt Homes in respect of The Foundry, can be released to the Parish Council and allocated to the rebuild. The project is well on track and a detailed feature is planned to appear in January Focus.

Much of Hook Cemetery is already consecrated but the remainder, apart from a section reserved for non-Christian burials, is to be consecrated on Tuesday 26th September at 10am. The arrangements were made too late for inclusion in last month’s Focus: all are welcome to attend.

O2 have withdrawn their application for a phone mast at Owen’s Farm, accepting that the mast would be unsightly in that particular location. It is likely that O2 and Orange will apply to share a mast on the verge of the B3349 Reading Road towards the Hook Garden Centre. There is no doubt that a mast is needed to serve north Hook, much of which currently has poor reception, and the B3349 appears to be the most suitable location. Their proposals will include appropriate landscaping.

A few months ago an application was made to extend Murrell Green Business Park by about 50%. That application is still pending but in the meantime another developer has submitted an application to extend in a different direction. If both were to be granted the Business Park would double in size. We have objected to both sets of proposals. The land surrounding the current Business Park is agricultural land and is not zoned for industrial use. In our view the road network on the existing estate is already struggling to cope and pressure on the A30 would be unsustainable if these applications were approved.

Antony Hunter

September 2006

We are one of four Parish Councils in Hampshire invited to take part in a trial scheme to reduce speeding on key roads. We have picked Griffin Way South and the A30. Local volunteers will record the speed measured by a roadside device which will lead to drivers receiving a warning letter from the police. The parish and the volunteers will decide on the times and days of the week to measure speeding. We are looking for at least six volunteers able to contribute a minimum of 2 hours a week across eight weeks between November 2006 and April 2007. If you are interested in helping please ring the Parish Council Office.

We have received excellent feedback from schools, stallholders and visitors on the Summer Festival and Green Road Show. Around 2,000 school children attended the Educational days on Thursday and Friday whilst 4,500 people attended the joint Parish Council and HSPA event on Saturday 1st July. Many thanks to our lead sponsor Serco.

Longstreet Homes have appealed against Hart’s refusal of Planning Permission for 13 dwellings on the site of The Bungalow in London Road. This is the application that involves access to the site by demolishing 17 Birch Grove. We have repeated our earlier objections and added that the scheme is not in accordance with a recent EU ruling for the conservation of Special Protection Areas which include Hazeley Heath. A date will be set for a public inquiry in due course but due to workload at the Planning Inspectorate the inquiry is likely to be held in mid 2007.

A planning application has been received to convert Wellworths to a tyre exhaust and battery centre. The rear of the current premises would be replaced by a new building giving a total of seven bays and a store for tyres and parts. The centre wishes to operate seven days a week including Sunday morning. We have opposed the application primarily on the grounds of severe nuisance noise which would be detrimental to nearby residents, to those using Hartletts Park, to St Johns Church and visitors to the cemetery. We also have a concern about the proposal to store hazardous material within the building which also contains a residential flat.

In June Hart District Council refused an application by O2 for a phone mast at the gas compound on the B3349. They also objected to a similar application at the same site by Orange. The reasons were largely technical in that neither company had shown that they had considered alternative locations or had attempted to share a single mast. O2 have now lodged an application for an alternative site in the Owens Farm area. Environmentally this site would be massively intrusive and, as in the previous case, sharing and alternative locations have not been fully considered so we have objected. There is little doubt that there is a need for a mast somewhere in northern Hook but we take the view that it is essential that a new mast must be capable of being shared by all operators and be in the least environmentally damaging location.

July and August have been dismal months as far as vandalism is concerned. The cost to you of damage to play areas in Wellworth Park and Hartletts Park alone are in the region of £1,500. If you see people causing damage please report it immediately using 999 or 101 according to the level of urgency.

We are supporting Hampshire County Council’s application for a double temporary classroom at the Infants School for the next four school years. This will help provide much needed additional school places.

George Wimpey has applied to vary the existing planning permission at the southern end of Holt Park Phase 2. They wish to build 2 and 3 bedroom houses instead of a number of the 4 and 5 bedroom houses on the approved plans. We have objected to this proposal for an additional 17 houses and are concerned that as they would only have one parking space each the area would become littered with parked cars.

Antony Hunter

July / August 2006

Part of the planning agreement for the Holt Park development is the provision of a 13 hectare country park on land between the River Whitewater and the estate itself. The park is a mixture of open walkable grassland, which will be managed through a combination of grazing and hay cropping, and woodland which can be easily walked along a bark footpath. Over the past four years George Wimpey have been clearing weeds from the site, planting new trees, restoring the woodland and improving the drainage. The park is being adopted by the Parish Council and will be managed on our behalf by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. Rob Stoneman, Chief Executive of the Trust, formally opened the park on 23rd June so it is now available for public recreation. Bassett’s Mead can be reached by footpaths near the new teenage play area off Doctors Acre on Holt Park. There is no public parking at these access points so the best route for drivers is up Great Marlow, the main access road in Holt Park, and then left at the sculpture and then left again into Athoke Croft where parking spaces are provided at the far end.

All Parish Councils are required to have "Standing Orders" which are procedural rules under which we work. These govern key issues such as format of meetings and voting procedures. We adopted an up to date set of Standing Orders at our June meeting and these can be viewed between 9am and 12 noon on weekdays at the Parish Council Office in the Community Centre in Ravenscroft.

Hook Summer Festival, which will take place on Saturday 1st July, is a joint venture between the Parish Council and the Hook Schools Parents Association.  The idea emerged when we jointly combined the existing and highly successful HSPA Summer Fair with an environmentally friendly circus. The circus will also play host to school children from our area on Thursday 29th June and Friday 30th June. The Parish Council has obtained generous sponsorship from local business Serco and a lottery grant from Awards for All which cover almost all of the cost of staging this major event.

Hart’s Dog Warden has been on sick leave for quite some time so we have been receiving a lower level of service for which we have negotiated a lower level of charge from Hart. Many have suggested that some dog owners, in the interests of all, could easily take more care in cleaning up after their pet.

We would welcome feedback from residents on their views about the Call and Go Bus Service. Truly rural parishes in our area have much greater use per household than is the case in Hook. Some say that the reason is that we also have both a Stagecoach service and a railway station so providing a choice. But there may be other reasons? The greatest use per household is in the Fleet area. Future funding of the service by Hart, county and parishes is under review. We have taken the view, with the support of many parishes, that the parishes that make most use of the service should provide the greatest subsidy and that the previous system based on a subsidy per household regardless of use has no logic. Any feedback and opinions to the Parish Council Office by phone or email to clerk@hook.gov.uk would be very welcome!

Antony Hunter

June 2006

The Annual Village Meeting was attended by over 100 people which was the highest number for many years. We have had very positive feedback on the format and on the displays. A good variety of questions were submitted ahead of the meeting and it was no surprise that rubbish and recycling collection attracted more questions than any other topic. District Councillor Jonathan Glen explained that the current collection difficulties are largely caused by the old age and unreliability of the collection vehicles and that new lorries are on order for delivery in the autumn at the same time as Hart changes over to alternate weekly collection. Unfortunately quite a number of those who sent in questions were unable to attend the meeting. We welcome questions at any time: there is no need to wait for the Annual Village Meeting: simply drop in to the Parish Council Office at the Community Centre in Ravenscroft between 9am and 12noon on weekdays, send an email to clerk@hook.gov.uk, or give us a ring on the number below.

May marks the beginning of a new Parish Council year and our first meeting elected Antony Hunter as Parish Council Chairman and Nigel Carpenter as Vice Chairman. Committee Chairman will be elected at the first meeting of each Committee.

We are working very closely with the Elizabeth Hall Redevelopment Committee on exciting plans for the new hall and with the existing Elizabeth Hall and Community Association Charities as they work towards a complete management and financial merger into a new charity which will manage both halls. The aims are for more professional management, reduction in costs, better service to hirers and to recognise that volunteers do not grow on trees! The merger costs are being met by the Parish Council. Both existing charities are nominating Directors to the new board and the Parish Council nominated Director will be Pete Comley.

The condition of the War Memorial at the junction of Newnham Road and the A30 has been gradually deteriorating over the years. We have been having discussions with a number of organisations so as to obtain grant funding to restore the memorial and continue to pay respect to those it commemorates. Although Hook has suffered some vandal and graffiti damage in recent months it is encouraging that the poppy wreaths from last November still remain intact at the base of the Memorial. We are now close to a way forward for the restoration.

Over the last few months Hook’s Police presence has reduced from three full time officers to one full time officer, due to a resignation and a transfer. Unfortunately there is no news of replacements. Our hard working officers are now P.C. David McDonald (full time) and S.C. Stephen White (a fully trained part time volunteer with ten years experience). As a result the Police Surgeries at the Neighbourhood Centre can only be held on the first Saturday in the month between 10am and 2pm.

As Focus goes to press the news has come in that the proposed developer of The Bungalow site has withdrawn his appeal which was scheduled to be heard at a Public Inquiry on 4th July. He is not required to give any reason for withdrawing but it seems likely that the recent European legislation on Special Protection Areas is the cause. As we understand it he already owns the site so it seems inevitable that another scheme will emerge.

Antony Hunter

May 2006

Hart advise us that Rubbish collection dates have changed. Scheduled collection day for almost all Hook (Green Zone) is Friday after May 1st and Monday after May 29th. Updates are always posted on Hart’s website at www.hart.gov.uk.

George Wimpey recently applied to increase the density of part of their un-built second phase at Holt Park by removing 35 larger houses from their plans and introducing 59 smaller houses. We opposed the proposal to cram in these extra dwellings. It is clear that the currently approved plans for the overall site provide inadequate parking for residents, let alone visitors. Hart has refused this revised scheme and we believe George Wimpey are likely to build the remainder of their part of the site in line with the permission that has already been approved.

After a lengthy debate with Hart, revised Car Park charges in Reading Road Car Park are scheduled to come into force as Focus goes to press.

We recently held our usual quarterly update with Highways. At present traffic on Newnham Road driving towards Hook leaves the Newnham 40mph limit and then drives through an open 60mph stretch before reaching the Hook 30mph limit. Inevitably cars reach the Hook speed limit at much higher speeds than 30mph. Newnham are now keen to reduce the speed limit in the whole of Newnham from 40mph to 30mph which provides an opportunity for a 30mph limit along the whole of Newnham Road including the current 60mph section. District Councillors in both Basingstoke and Deane and Hart are supportive of the joint views of the two Parish Councils so it is now for Highways to draw up a scheme for consideration including signage, white lines and other traffic measures. There will then be consultation with the Police. Police concern is, understandably, to be confident that the new speed limits would be respected by the great majority of drivers. The process could well take a year but would provide a collective way forward over speed issues that have caused concern within Hook and Newnham for a very long time.

Work on the A30 between Black Bridge and Sheldons Road is now almost complete. Apart from resurfacing both the road and the pavement, the work has included a new white line scheme to slow traffic, stronger signage at the entrance to Hook and bollards and kerbs at the entrance to Memorial Road. The Memorial Road junction had become a safety hazard because cars had taken to mounting the pavement so as to pass vehicles waiting to turn right into Newnham Road.

Earlier in the year a pedestrian on the footpath by the Total petrol station was knocked down by a car. Very fortunately he was unhurt but a child would not have been so lucky. Although there are dotted white lines at the entrance and exit to the petrol station, which are intended to give priority to pedestrians, the road, pavement and garage forecourt are all on the same level. Highways are now arranging to build kerbs and bollards into the footpath.

The concept of a reduction in speed limit from 50mph to 40mph on the B3349 between Hook and Heckfield is still under consideration between Highways and the Police. A number of Focus readers have commented that they doubt a reduction would be respected but we await the outcome of the debate.

Antony Hunter

April 2006

The Annual Village Meeting will be on 26th April at the Elizabeth Hall at 8pm. Feedback on last year’s format was very favourable, so the 2006 meeting will run on similar lines. The evening will start with a display of exhibits and County, District and Parish Councillors will be on hand for an informal chat. Exhibitors will include Hampshire Highways, Hampshire Wildlife Trust, Hart Recycling, Elizabeth Hall Redevelopment, Police, Neighbourhood Watch, Hart Neighbourhood Centre and Hart Community Safety.

As last year there will be no speeches so the time at the formal meeting, which will commence around 8.45, will be spent on answering your questions. Please submit questions in advance either by email to clerk@hook.gov.uk or by letter to the Parish Council Office at the Community Centre by 14th April so that we can research the answers where necessary and allocate each question to the person best qualified to answer it. Questions that arrive after that date or are not submitted in advance will be covered at the end if time allows. It was excellent to see a larger number of people at the meeting last year and to receive a greater variety and number of questions than was possible in previous years. A copy of the Parish Council Annual Report will be delivered to every house during April. Copies will also be available at the meeting.

Relying on the European Union Birds Directive English Nature has started to raise objections to all new housing applications within 5 km of the Hazeley Heath Site of Special Scientific Interest unless the developer provides additional green space to reduce the impact on wildlife nesting on Hazeley Heath. The latest application on the site of The Bungalow in London Road has been refused by Hart partly on the grounds of English Nature’s objection. The whole of Hook is within the 5km limit.

We have recently had a number of complaints about cars being left for hours at a time in the parking bays outside Trees which are intended for short term use. Last time a restriction was considered it was felt that it would be difficult to install the necessary signs without inconveniencing users of the pavement but if long term parkers continue to monopolise the bays legal restrictions will have to be introduced.

South East Water has asked us to urge people to use water carefully. Their reservoirs that supply us are at a low level so unless consumption drops we could well face a hosepipe ban during the summer.

The Police tell us that there has been a welcome increase in the number of people attending their advice surgeries at Dickson House on Wednesdays from 4.30pm until 7pm and on Saturdays from 10am until 2pm. A number of laptops have recently been stolen from parked cars. Locking a laptop in the boot is no safeguard as the criminals are professional with electronics to detect hidden laptops even when they switched off. There have been a number of domestic burglaries in Hook recently. These have predominantly been committed by putting a hand through the letter box on UPVC doors, where the handle had only been lifted to engage the lock. Advice from the police is to double lock all doors with the key both when leaving home and at night.

Unfortunately Hart have postponed the changes to the Car Park charges which are now expected to be introduced on 21st April.

The speed limit in Reading Road has now been reduced from 40mph to 30 mph.

Antony Hunter

March 2006

The Annual Village Meeting will take place in the Elizabeth Hall at 8pm on Wednesday 26th April. Feedback on last year’s format was very favourable so the 2006 meeting will run on similar lines. The evening will start with a display of exhibits to walk around and County, District and Parish Councillors will be on hand for an informal chat. There will be no speeches so the time at the formal meeting, which will commence around 8.45, will be spent on answering your questions. We ask that questions be submitted in advance either by email to clerk@hook.gov.uk or by letter to the Parish Council Office at the Community Hall by 14th April so that we can research the answers where necessary and allocate each question to the person best qualified to answer it. Questions that arrive after that date or are not submitted in advance will be covered at the end if time allows.

All homes should have received a mailing from Hart explaining that later in the year they will move to a new system of refuse collection. In week 1 black refuse bins will be collected and in week 2 blue recycling bins will be emptied. Hart’s aim is to encourage recycling. Hart will provide double size blue bins at no extra charge to those who order them by 17th March, either by returning the slip with the mailing, or via the Hart website at www.hart.gov.uk. or by writing to Recycling Bin Offer, Hart District Council, FREEPOST AT148 Fleet, GU51 4BR. Hart Recycling will attend the Annual Village Meeting exhibition to answer questions and provide advice.

As mentioned in February Focus Highways are about to start major work on the A30 between Hook Centre and Black Bridge. Work on the footpaths includes changes to discourage motorists from driving over the pavement, particularly near the junction of Memorial Road and the A30. Whilst footpath work takes place traffic will be controlled by lights. Highways hope to time the actual road resurfacing work to take place during the school holidays as the entire section will be closed to through traffic for up to two weeks. Access for those who actually live on the section concerned will be provided.

Over 50 residents took the opportunity to look at the latest plans for redevelopment of The Bungalow site on Saturday 28th January. Many also attended the Planning Committee Meeting on 1st February. The fundamental concerns are that the development would destroy the environment fronting London Road by building on existing gardens and put intolerable strain on Birch Grove and surrounding residential roads. If this proposal were to succeed it might set a highly dangerous precedent that could lead to further redevelopment proposals for other parts of the area to the north of London Road.

George Wimpey have applied to change the layout of part of the un-built Phase 2 at Holt Park. Their application would replace many of the larger houses with smaller ones and flats increasing the number of homes in that part of the estate from 35 to 59 dwellings. We have objected to the application on the grounds that the density at Holt Park is already high enough and in the knowledge that traffic and parking problems already exist despite only 110 of the 330 homes approved by the Planning Authority being occupied.

The application for the replacement Church in Elms Road was refused by Hart Planning Committee after a discussion lasting an hour. The Committee recognised that many of the reasons for the previous refusal had been overcome but took the view that the bulk of the proposed building and impact on the street scene were unacceptable. It is likely that the Church will appeal.

The Parish Council and HSPA are organizing a joint event to take place on Saturday 1st July in Hartletts Park and on the School grounds. The Hook Summer Festival will be a fun event for families and the general public.

Antony Hunter

February 2006

Hart Cabinet reached a decision on Car Park charges at their January Meeting. Implementation date for the new charges at Crossways (Reading Road) is likely to be 1st April and will provide a choice of paying 30p for 30 minutes, 50p for one hour, £1 for 2 hours or higher charges for longer periods. There will be no charge before 9am or after 7pm. A proposal was put forward to charge for the six spaces outside the pharmacy but, after discussion, it was dropped so those spaces will continue to be free. One of the reasons that the issue has dragged on for so long is that Hart rely on the "profit" from Car Park charges to subsidise other services and to help balance their budget.

A new application for The Bungalow site in London Road has been received. The fundamental change is that 17 Birch Grove would be demolished and all traffic would be through the site of that house. The Parish Council Planning Committee will consider the application at its meeting on Wednesday 1st February. The meeting, which commences at 8pm, is not a public meeting but is open to the public.

The January Parish Council Meeting included our useful quarterly meeting with Hampshire Highways. They will be carrying out major work on the A30 between Hook Centre and Black Bridge from February until April. Work on the footpaths will start in early February. Some of the section is in very poor condition and needs to be completely re-laid. The footpath work will include changes to discourage motorists from driving over the pavement in a number of places, particularly near the junction of Memorial Road and the A30. Whilst that work is going on traffic on the section involved will be controlled by lights so journeys will inevitably take longer. The resurfacing of the road itself will take place in March or April. Highways are trying to time the work to take place during the school holidays. The entire section will be closed to through traffic for up to two weeks whilst the resurfacing takes place. Access for residents, at a safe and very slow speed, will be maintained but through traffic will be diverted round Hook via the junction with the M3 and the Dorchester Arms. Plans of the work can be viewed in the Parish Council Office from 9am until 12 noon on weekdays. As part of the programme Highways are including a number of measures to encourage drivers to respect the speed limit as they enter and leave Hook.

Despite a lot of time and effort by both the Parish Council and Highways to address speeding issues in Newnham Road residents still have a concern and it is clear that the problem has not been solved. Following an extensive discussion with Highways they are now looking at ways of changing the white lines to discourage speeding and protect pedestrians. We agreed that in the longer term a pavement is the best solution but it could well be up to three years before funding is available.

Although we do not yet have a date for implementation of the reduction in the speed limit in Reading Road from 40mph to 30mph we understand all the necessary administrative hurdles have been cleared so the change should be implemented very shortly.

Hart are carrying out a Housing Needs Survey to help them assess the local need for houses over the coming years. It is crucial for them to identify "hidden households", such as couples who are continuing to live with parents because they cannot afford a home of their own. Elderly people living with their children come into the same category of those who would like to live independently but are unable to do so. If your home receives a questionnaire please complete and return it!

Antony Hunter

January 2006

December Focus stated that Hart would finally make a decision on the Car Park issue at its December Cabinet Meeting. After Focus went to press Hart decided to postpone the decision until the January Cabinet Meeting which is on Thursday 12th January at 7pm in the Council Chamber at Hart. The Parish Council has requested permission to speak. This further postponement, which we were told was to allow more time for options to be considered, is deeply disappointing. It seems that there have been two underlying problems which we are working to overcome. The first is that there is a view within Hart that all Car Parks should have the same tariff structure regardless of the needs of those who park. The current District parking structure seems to suit Fleet as there are longer opportunities for shopping and entertainment but it does not suit Hook where the prime need is for short shopping visits, school runs and Surgery appointments. The second and longer term issue is that Hart are increasingly using Parking as a "stealth tax" to subsidise other services. Certain Parking charges are 25% to 100% higher than they were in 2004/5. Hart’s income from Parking is 37% more than the cost of running the Car Parks. We believe that Car Parks exist to provide parking on a tariff and at a price that suits the users of each Car Park and that costs and income should be roughly matched. Current feedback to us continues to be that the option to pay for 1 hour of parking and the removal of the night charge should be implemented right away. This view has the support of our District Councillors who are pressing for these changes to be effective as from the January Cabinet meeting. A good Hook attendance at the meeting in Hart would help our case!

Ever since the Multicourt was installed next to the Community Centre it has been our intention to floodlight it so as to provide an all weather surface that could be used both during the day and in the evening 12 months of the year. Up until now lack of funding has been the issue. The good news is that we now have money available for the work which will take place as soon as we can get a contractor on site to install the equipment.

This is the time of year when the Parish Council sets the amount we need to collect from you in 2006/7 to finance the services we provide in Hook. Hart collects the money on our behalf and this amount appears on your Council Tax bill. Our Finance Committee’s proposals for an increase on individual households broadly in line with inflation will be considered at our January Parish Council Meeting on 4th January. Our Annual report for 2005/6 giving detailed figures will be distributed to every house in April 2006 as usual.

Despite foul weather a fantastic number of people turned out for the Christmas Cracker on 2nd December. Feedback from those who attended has been excellent and we all owe a big "Thank You" to all those who supported the event, particularly Sue Gibson and her team for all their work both on the day and during the previous eleven months. The Cracker raised over £2,500 for Hook good causes.

Prior to the opening of the Police Beat Office many people asked for "Surgery times" when they could go and talk to a Police Officer. However these Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning Surgeries have been very lightly used and the Police are considering discontinuing them so that the time of the officer concerned can be used by being "out and about" rather than sitting waiting for visitors who do not appear. The joy riders who caused damage to Hartletts Park a few months ago have been arrested and charged with a series of offences.

Subscribers to Hart’s green sack garden waste scheme can leave their Christmas tree out for collection with their sack in the week from 10th to 17th January. If you don’t subscribe please take your tree to the Springwell Lane Hartley Wintney recycling point.

Several people showed serious interest in standing for the vacant seat on the Parish Council. In the event Pete Comley was elected unopposed and took his seat at our December meeting. Pete and his family have lived in Hook for over ten years. He is particularly interested in environmental issues.

Antony Hunter