Hook Parish Council

Hook Parish Council: Monthly Bulletins 2008

December 2008

All being well, the new Elizabeth Hall will have been opened by H.R.H. The Earl of Wessex whilst this issue of Focus is being printed. A report will be in January Focus and photographs will be available very shortly via www.hook.gov.uk/scrapbook/elizabeth_hall_opening_2008.php.

Completion of the footpath from Holt Lane to the centre of Hook has taken rather longer than expected but it is now finished and all the lights along the path should be working correctly. Unfortunately, unlike road traffic lights, these lights and street lights do not report themselves out of order if they break down so it does help if you report a failed light to the Parish Council office quoting the road name and column number. We can then alert the correct department at Southern Electric Contracting and ask them to go and fix the fault which usually takes a couple of weeks.

The Exploring Hook leaflet which we produced in early 2007 and delivered to every house has proved so popular that our stock of leaflets was exhausted a couple of months ago. The leaflet, which maps walks in and around Hook along with places of general interest, has now been reprinted and is available to callers at the Parish Council Office and also at the Neighbourhood Centre, the Post Office/Movie Express, the Hogget and the Crooked Billet.

The Christmas lights will be turned on in time for the Christmas Cracker which is on Friday 5th December. There are some changes to the Grand Parade lights and street light displays this year. Most of these are on a three year hire agreement which is funded by the Parish Council but we have been able to renegotiate some of this agreement a year early so as to change some of the lights and increase the number of displays on the lampposts.

Early in the year and at the Annual Village meeting we arranged a demonstration of possible equipment for an Outdoor Gym. Feed back from those who field tested the equipment was very helpful and a working group of Parish Councillors and other interested people is now investigating a comprehensive layout for purchase.

Many parents use the Parish Council owned Harletts Park Car Park at the start and end of the School Day whilst other parents and their buggies use the adjacent footpath. It would help parents walking along the footpath with buggies if car driving parents would park back from the footpath so that their bumpers do not cause an obstruction or, far worse, endanger the safety of a small child.

Hampshire Wildlife Trust continues to work to improve Bassetts Mead. In particular nettles are much reduced following the riverbank cut in September and the cattle are helping in the fields by grazing and trampling. Regrettably it seems that a number of residents in Athoke Croft are fly tipping garden waste over their fences into Holt Copse which is Parish Council property. Apart from making the place untidy such rubbish would eventually suffocate tree roots and cause the tree concerned to die. We are in the process of identifying the houses involved and will be asking their owners to respect both the environment and our property. Hart's garden waste collection service would help them dispose of material that they are not able to compost at home.

In past years we have removed the nets from the tennis courts next to the Community Centre during the winter but a number of people have asked us to leave them in place so that they can play when the winter weather is kind so we have done just that. It seems that leaving them up may not shorten their life. Footballers have the use of the adjacent multicourt so there is no need for the tennis courts to be used for football in the winter. A reminder that there is no charge to use the courts and no booking is needed so just turn up with your own racquets and tennis balls and play!

Antony Hunter

November 2008

The new Elizabeth Hall will be formally opened by H.R.H. The Earl of Wessex on Thursday 27th November. His Royal Highness has three engagements in North Hampshire on that day so, inevitably, his visit will be restricted to under an hour. For reasons of space and security the number of people we are able to invite is limited. Invitations will be sent out shortly to those who have been heavily involved in the project, the running of both the old and new halls, to regular hall users and representatives of the Community. H.R.H. will tour the building and be very briefly entertained by the Hook Players, Scottish dancers and the Hook Eagle Morris Men before unveiling a plaque and declaring the hall open. We would appreciate the help of a number of volunteer Marshals to ensure that only those with invitations can enter the building. All Car Parking during the visit will need to be restricted to pass-holders. People with previous experience as, say, Fun Run or Fireshow Marshals would be particularly welcome and will join the other guests for light refreshments after the formal opening. Please ring the Parish Council Office if you would like to help.

A Planning Application has been made for a motorcross track at Trimmers Farm in Totters Lane. The site is a few meters inside Winchfield and Winchfield Parish Council are therefore taking the lead in opposing the proposal with our help and support. Although the concept of a track on which teenagers can ride, away from main roads, has some attractions there are existing tracks elsewhere. The land is in very open countryside and comments from residents focus on the noise and dirt that the activity would produce, possible pollution of the Whitewater as a result of run off from the site and traffic. Totters Lane is only 1.6 metres wide and neither the lane nor the junction with the busy A30 were designed for the volume of use that a motocross circuit could attract.

We have had very positive response from both residents and retailers to the concept of a pilot scheme to recycle domestic batteries as mentioned in October Focus and the pilot is now underway. Collection points are at Trees, Londis, Texaco, Hook Surgery, Junior and Infants Schools, Robert May's, the Parish Council and Tesco. The batteries will then be transferred via the Parish Council Office to Wastecare, which is a hazardous waste specialist. The UK's current recycling rate for domestic batteries is just 2.8% which needs to be increased to 25% by 2012.

The HSPA Fireshow and Firework Spectacular will be on Saturday 8th November. Hartlett's Park, which is the fall-out area, will be closed as usual for 24 hours from 12 noon on that day. Please remove all cars from the Parish Council Car Park outside the Community Centre by 4pm.

The Holt Park development was completed at the end of 2007. However all the key roads, drains and street lights are still the property of Taylor Wimpey. Hampshire County Council will take them over once they are of "adoptable standard"� but not earlier, as to take them over now would pass the cost of resolving outstanding matters to Council Tax payers. A number of street lights do not work and some of the drains are clogged or blocked by builders' rubble. We understand that a programme of work that needs to be done on the road issues has been agreed between Highways and Taylor Wimpey and that their contractor is preparing prices for approval. It is likely that the whole drainage system will need to be jet washed. The lighting system will be carefully checked given that a number of the lights have never been serviceable. We will keep in touch with progress.

The usual short service at the War Memorial will take place at 9am on Remembrance Sunday 9th November. All are welcome to attend and to lay a wreath or place a cross if they wish.

Antony Hunter

October 2008

It has always been our intention to contract out the management of Bassetts Mead because we do not have the necessary expertise to manage it ourselves. We have now entered into a management agreement with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. A local farmer has taken a crop of hay and the Trust has cut the long grass and nettles along the path by the Whitewater. A dozen cattle are now grazing in the field closest to the river. They are Luing (pronounced Ling !) and are a good tempered hardy breed that originates on the island of Luing off the west coast of Scotland. They are a cross between the beef shorthorn and the highlander. If humans don't bother them they won't bother humans and it seems they are not fussy as to diet so will eat poor grass as well as good grass. The cattle are in one of the three fields at Bassett's Mead so facilities for dog walking in the other two fields are unchanged. There are three pedestrian entrances to Bassett’s Mead: opposite the Crooked Billett, near the Dave Deadman play area and from Athoke Croft.

The Outline Planning application by the owner of the Hook Barbers and Dry Cleaners has been refused by Hart. Hart concluded that the proposal would be over dominant in the street scene and out of keeping with the area. They also expressed concern about the likely lack of amenity space and landscaping. At present we do not know if a new application will be submitted or if the owner will appeal.

Most of the parking spaces in front of the Fairholme Parade shops, which are opposite The Raven and controlled by Hart, are occupied all day by commuters. Hart will shortly be advertising a proposal to limit the length of waiting time so as to make the spaces more readily available to shoppers.

Users of the Elizabeth Hall may be aware that the timber used for the stage has already proved to be unsatisfactory and that gaps have appeared because it was not properly seasoned before being laid. As a result the entire stage is now being re-laid and will be ready for the Hook Players autumn performance.

Domestic, non-rechargeable, batteries such as AA, AAA, C and D cannot currently be recycled by Hart because of the conditions in which they need to be stored before being sent on for processing. We are considering setting up a scheme under which residents would be able to drop these batteries at convenient points within the Parish. Comment and feedback on the idea would be very welcome either by email to the clerk or by telephone to the Parish Council Office.

A joint application by O2 and Orange to install a new phone mast on land near the B3349 at Reading Road, near the junction with Griffin Way, was refused by Hart in November 2007. The applicants appealed to the Planning Inspectorate and that appeal has now been dismissed. All decision letters by the Inspectorate have to be very thorough because the only ground of appeal against an Inspector's decision is on the basis of maladministration, not on disagreement with the decision itself. However the five page decision letter is unusually lengthy. The Inspector was satisfied that there is a need for better coverage in north Hook and was also satisfied that coverage could not be provided from existing installations. In his opinion there is no better site for a new mast than the one proposed in this application. The appeal was therefore dismissed for just one reason: namely the visual harm to the area. He considered that the stark and prominent appearance of the mast could be reduced through the use of additional landscaping to the north and between the site and the road. The applicants had said that there was the opportunity for additional planting but had not taken it so he concluded that the proposal did not minimise the harm that it would cause. Early indications are that the phone companies will put in a new application designed to overcome the Inspector’s sole reason for refusal. In the meantime those who objected to the application are delighted whilst those living in the low lying roads off Great Sheldon's Coppice still have an inadequate mobile phone service.

Antony Hunter

September 2008

Around 5pm on Monday 14th July, 22 large and expensive caravans towed by a similar number of expensive 4 by 4s invaded Hartletts Park. Unfortunately the grapevine failed to warn anyone in Hook that they had been evicted from a site near Yateley earlier in the day so we did not have the opportunity to padlock the entrance to the Car Park. We already held a Parish Council resolution to authorise the eviction of trespassers from private Parish Council land so steps to obtain the necessary Court Order were underway within an hour. Bailiffs, under Police supervision, duly evicted the trespassers on Tuesday 15th. Fortunately there was no damage to the football pitches or the drainage system which keeps the surfaces in playable condition in wet weather. Whilst the cost of the eviction is likely to total around £3,000, including the bailiff’s fees and having tow trucks on standby, the cost of repair to the football pitches and the drainage would have been higher and, more importantly, the pitches would have been out of use for the coming season. Many residents have expressed delight that we took such swift action and hopefully word has got round that trespassing on Hook Parish Council property is not worthwhile! We are investigating ways of making it more difficult for such an invasion to occur again.

No sooner had our landscape contractor cleared up after the trespassers when a small number of teenagers sadly decided to vandalise the new skate park with paint. Much of the language and drawings were totally obscene. As a result of thoroughly good Police work one of the culprits was identified and has received a formal Police caution. Enquiries to identify the others continue and PC Beale on 0845 0454545 would be grateful for any information.

McCarthy and Stone have withdrawn their appeal against refusal of Planning Permission to redevelop 25 to 31 Sheldons Road. We understand that the reason is their concern as to the current overall state of the housing market. We have no further news about the possible application by Sentinel to build on the Greenfield site at Owens Farm Lane which would be outside the Hook settlement boundary and in a totally unsuitable location. It may be that they have similar concerns.

It is almost five years since we opened the Parish Council Office in Ravenscroft. Having an office has helped us to work much more effectively with the Community and other organisations such as the Police and Highways. However we currently only have one room in which to deal with enquiries from the public, hold meetings and handle telephone calls and paperwork.. A Parish Council working party, which is due to report before the end of the year, is looking at options to provide us with additional office space and in particular to provide us with a separate meeting room. Whilst we do so we need to ask callers to restrict visits, except by prior appointment, to our normal office hours which now are 9am to 12 noon Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

We continue to liaise with the department responsible for footpaths at Hampshire County Council on the need for a new bridge at Shirlens Copse to replace the one that was destroyed by flooding. Hampshire has not only faced budget restraints but also the fact that much needed post flood replacement work has far outstripped their resources. We are hopeful of a new bridge being installed in the autumn.

We carry out daily safety checks on our main parks but we cannot check everywhere everyday for broken glass. Fortunately vandal damage has been relatively light over the summer but underage drinking continues and those concerned shift their haunts regularly so it would help if discoveries of broken glass were reported to the office so we can arrange for the glass to be cleared before it causes injury.

Newnham Road is currently closed at Owens Farm Lane to allow for strengthening work to the railway cutting. The work should be complete by early September. The speed limit on the section near Owens Farm is due to be reduced to 30 mph in the autumn. A 30 mph limit will then be in place in Newnham and all the way into Hook.

Rat Running in Four Acre Coppice was discussed with Hampshire Highways at our July Parish Council meeting. The outcome was that we have passed the issue, along with the research data, to the Highways Action Team for this area and to our County Councillor Jonathan Glen.

Antony Hunter

July / August 2008

The move from the old Elizabeth Hall to the new has now taken place and users are delighted with the facilities. The old Hall will be demolished shortly. Landscaping and layout of the car park will then be completed and it follows that car parking will continue to be limited during July and into August because contractors will still be working on site. A formal opening is being planned for the Autumn.

Officers at Hart decided to refuse the application for 37 sheltered apartments on the site of 25-31 Sheldons Road so the application will not be put to Committee. Hart's key reasons are that the application is out of keeping with the area, detrimental to trees, parking is inadequate, and access would be dangerous. In addition the proposal does not contain any affordable housing or financial contribution to the additional infrastructure which would be necessary because of the development. McCarty and Stone now have the options of accepting the refusal, putting forward a new application in an effort to overcome the reasons for refusal or going to Appeal.

Way back in 2002 residents in the Four Acre Coppice area expressed concern that buyers of houses in Holt Park would use Four Acre Coppice as a "rat run" to reach Griffin Way South rather than drive up to the Crooked Billet and along the A30. A traffic survey in 2003 showed that almost all the traffic entering and leaving Griffin Way South from Four Acre Coppice was very local indeed. Given the significant increase in traffic at that junction a fresh survey was carried out in April which demonstrated that the additional traffic does not come from Holt Park but is made up of vehicles leaving the A 30 to use Four Acre Coppice as a short cut. Peak hour queues at the A30/B3349 roundabout, road works on the A30 and Sat Navs appear to be the main causes. We have the topic on our agenda for our next meeting with Highways which is in July.

The owner of the aged building which houses the Hook Barbers and Dry Cleaners has put in an outline planning application to demolish them and construct a two and a half storey building consisting of four shops and six flats. Although the new building will be taller than the present one it will not be out of keeping with its surroundings and we understand the barbers and dry cleaners will continue to trade from the redeveloped site.

The new skate park opened as planned on Sunday 8th June. In fact it was hard to keep enthusiasts away from it in the few days when it appeared to have been finished but had not yet received its ROSPA inspection. On opening day skaters came along from 6am. Some 200 teenagers and the press attended the opening. The skate park has been funded by a combination of money legally due from George Wimpey as a part of the Planning Permission for Holt Park and a donation from the Big Lottery Fund. At the same time the "teen shelter" at the same location, funded through The Base, also came into use. Both these new facilities are already extremely popular. The surface of the new skate park is proving, as expected, to be very quiet compared to the old ramps.

An appeal against refusal of the proposal for a phone mast on Reading Road was lodged in January. The time for representations against or in favour of the mast is long over but it could still be some time before the Planning Inspectorate releases a decision. Because of the high volume of appeals a case such as this can take up to a year to be decided.

The bench at the Birch Grove end of Wellworths Park has become a regular haunt for underage drinkers yet appears to have little use from anyone else. It is therefore being removed and will be relocated to St John's Church.

Antony Hunter

June 2008

The Annual Village Meeting was held in the Community Centre this year because the Elizabeth Hall was not available due to building work. Around 70 residents attended and visited the Exhibition which was followed by answers to questions. The minutes will be published on our website but there were a number of items raised on which we can provide an update:

1. Comment was made that cars are still regularly parking on the verge by the Cemetery and that the result is that the grass is now severely damaged and becoming very unsightly. There had previously been doubt as to the ownership of the land concerned but we have been able to finally confirm that it is owned by Hampshire Highways so we can now agree a solution with them to keep cars off the grass and reinstate the verge.
2. South West trains have cutback on the opening hours of the station ticket office after the morning peak due to staffing difficulties which they hope are temporary. We will keep in touch with them to ensure that the issue is not forgotten.
3. A number of residents have requested allotments and we have made arrangements with Basingstoke and Deane so that Hook residents can rent an allotment in Basingstoke. Clearly this is not as satisfactory as an allotment in Hook. Unfortunately there is no land available and all the fields surrounding Hook are under option to developers in one way or another. We hope to find a landowner who would allow his land to be used for allotments, at agricultural rent, on an agreement that would return the land to him if Planning Permission were ever to be obtained.
4. When Holt Park started to be developed Taylor Wimpey funded a traffic survey to assess the extent to which Four Acre Coppice was being used as a “rat run.� Now that the development is complete a follow up survey has just been undertaken and the results should be available shortly.

Work on the new Elizabeth Hall is progressing and various contractors are now completing the fitting out. After the move the old hall will be demolished and the landscaping completed. The main delay in moving across has been caused by the need to tackle water leaking into the area under the stage and basement. This is not an uncommon problem on clay soil and a technical solution has now been found.

Saturday 14th June promises to be an exciting day in Odiham and all are invited. Odiham Parish Council and the Town Manager Group, along with many other local bodies including ourselves, are supporting an RAF Heroes day. A Parade in the High Street and flypast at 11am will be followed by a “Blues and Booze� event in The Bury until 6pm. There will be plenty of signed parking.

The new skate park is under construction and will open on Sunday 8th June at 2pm. The project has been funded by money from Taylor Wimpey under a legal agreement connected to the Holt Park development and by a contribution from the Big Lottery Fund. A user group of skaters provided considerable help in agreeing the design and there is more information elsewhere in Focus.

A joint venture with Hampshire Wildlife Trust and Hampshire County Council has led to the planting of over 200 wildflowers at Coalhouse Corner by children from the Junior School. There is more news elsewhere in Focus.

Our May meeting elected Nigel Carpenter as Chairman of the Parish Council and Martin Whittaker as Vice-Chairman for the 2008/2009 Year. Jane Bonnin was re-elected as Chairman of the Planning Committee and Tony Taylor was elected as Chairman of the Amenity Committee. Our office is the focal point of all knowledge and information so it does help if questions or comments are directed to the office team in the first instance rather than to individual Councillors. In the past most issues have automatically rested with the Chairman but in order to spread involvement more widely and make better use of the skills of our Members we have agreed to specialise and work with the office team on our particular areas of expertise.

Antony Hunter

May 2008

The Election for one of Hook's three District Council seats takes place on Thursday 1st May. Polling will be at the Community Centre in Ravenscroft this year, between 7am and 10pm, due to current lack of parking space at the Elizabeth Hall.

In the meantime work on the new Elizabeth Hall moves ahead and internal fitting out and landscaping are well underway. A firm date for the move of equipment and bookings from the old hall to the new hall cannot yet be set because the area under the stage remains very damp, largely as a result of excessive rain last autumn, and needs to dry out thoroughly before the building can be brought into use.

Removal of the old skate park and construction of the new one on the same site in Hartletts Park will start in early May. The design has been put together with substantial help from a user group and those of us who are not skateboarders have needed to learn a whole new vocabulary! Providing there are no hitches along the way we hope to have it in use by Half Term.

A formal application to demolish 25-31 Sheldons Road and build 37 sheltered apartments on the site has now been made. Many objections from residents have been made to Hart and these are recorded on their website along with the objection from the Parish Council. Regrettably McCarthy and Stone, the developers, have taken little meaningful account of the opinions expressed to them at a Public Exhibition last November and the core concerns expressed by so many last year still remain. Although the site concerned is large it slopes down from Sheldons Road towards Middle Mead and Butts Meadow and the development would be detrimental to homes in those roads. The scheme would be overbearing and dominate the Sheldons Road street scene. Proposed parking is totally inadequate.

The Planning Inspector appointed to consider two appeals against refusal for redevelopment of the Ivy Lodge site behind Londis in Elms Road has made his decisions. He has allowed the appeal against refusal of permission for five flats and dismissed the appeal against refusal of permission for four small houses. His rationale includes his belief that the design of the flats is less intrusive generally and a better fit for the site than the scheme for the houses. The five flats will have a total of nine bedrooms but parking on the scheme will total only six spaces. The Inspector believed that this on site parking will be adequate because it is in line with Government Policy which states that "if parking is not provided people will not have cars." Unfortunately he was not swayed by our argument at the Hearing that all trains and buses that serve Hook run east to west which is no help to those who work in, say Reading, Guildford or at Heathrow or Gatwick. It seems to us inevitable that parking will overflow onto Elms Road which is already littered with cars during the working week.

The "trim trail" in Hartletts Park is worn out and both for that reason and the fact that it does not meet current needs is poorly used. We are investigating the possibility of replacing it with an "outdoor gym" designed for all users from teenage to the elderly. Modern and flexible outdoor equipment is now available and examples can be seen at the Hook Fun Run on Sunday 18th May. We will be having a stand at the Fun Run so that residents can see what sort of equipment could be on offer. In putting together an outline proposal we are keen to have residents' feedback on the possible design so consultation questionnaires will be available at the Fun Run and also through other Hook groups and organisations. There is more information on the web at www.hookrunners.com.

After four years I stepped down as Parish Council Chairman following the Annual Village Meeting at the end of April though I will, of course, remain on the Council. The Annual Parish Council meeting in May will elect a new Chairman for the coming year as well as make appointments to our various Committees.

Antony Hunter

April 2008

This year, the Annual Village Meeting will be on Thursday 24th April from 8pm at the Community Centre in Ravenscroft, not at the Elizabeth Hall. We will continue to follow the successful formula of recent years and start with a display of exhibits. In addition to your Parish Councillors, representatives from Hart Community Safety and Environmental Health, Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire Highways, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Hart Neighbourhood Centre and Neighbourhood Watch will be on hand. There will be no speeches, so the time at the formal meeting, which will start 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 by Tuesday 15th April so that we can carry out any necessary research and make sure we cover the topics that are of greatest interest. Questions that are not submitted by that date or are handed in on the night will be covered if time allows. The numbers of residents attending has increased each year since we changed the format so if you have yet to attend do please "give it a try" and come along!

The Parish Council Annual Report will be distributed to every home ahead of the Annual Village Meeting and will also be available to callers at the Parish Council Office.

The new Elizabeth Hall is coming towards completion and equipment and bookings will move across from the old Hall in early May. However landscaping, car parking, surfacing of the access road and demolition of the old hall will take place over the next two months which means that car parking on site will be restricted or not available at all. There is a pay and display car park at The Raven.

Hart have decided to increase Car Park Charges at the Reading Road car park with effect from 1st April. Regrettably there was no consultation at all on the structure of the changes. Our view is that if more revenue is needed it would have been best raised by increasing fees for longer term parking and leaving short term charges unchanged so as to help the school run, shoppers and retailers.

Park keeping and gardening are services provided by the Parish Council which we know are highly valued by residents. We recently decided that we should put the contract out to tender so as to ensure that we are providing the required quality of service from a reliable supplier at an acceptable price. Ten contractors were invited to tender and the contract was eventually won by Goslings Garden and Fencing Services Ltd.

Following their exhibition last November McCarthy and Stone have just made a formal application to demolish four houses in Sheldons Road and build 37 apartments for the elderly. Plans can be viewed at the Parish Council office from 9 am until 12 noon on weekdays. We also arranged to open the office on Saturday 29th March and published this opportunity on our notice boards, by letter drops to houses in surrounding roads and through Hook Announcements. The Parish Council Planning Committee will consider the plans at its scheduled meeting on Wednesday 2nd April at 8pm in the Community Centre.

In the meantime there is no further news on the possible development for the elderly off Newnham Road.

The developers who have obtained Planning Permission to redevelop the site of The Bungalow in London Road have now demolished the original building and we believe intend to put the approved eleven new dwellings on the market early in 2009. However they have yet to complete the necessary legal agreement with Hampshire Highways in respect of the work that will be needed on the A30.

An encouraging number of residents have signed up to receive updates by email from us, through Hook Announcements, on topics that occur at short notice. The opportunity to view the plans for the proposed Sheldons Road development is a recent example. We will not bombard you with emails and email addresses will not be published or shared. If you would like to receive these messages please go to the mailing list page to sign up. It is easy to remove your name later if you decide the scheme is not for you!

Antony Hunter

March 2008

The new Elizabeth Hall continues to take shape and rather dwarfs its much loved elder sister. As a result of wet weather the project is some seven weeks behind schedule but it is within the financial budget. The move from the old hall to the new is currently scheduled for the week of 21st April and demolition of the current hall for around 27th April. The Annual Village Meeting will now take place in the Community Centre in Ravenscroft as will the District Council Election on Thursday 1st May. Landscaping and surfacing of the car park after demolition of the old hall will mean that there is unlikely to be any parking available at the Elizabeth Hall during much of April. Alternative parking should be available in the pay and display car park at The Raven.

The Annual Village Meeting will be held from 8pm on Thursday 24th April at the Community Centre this year only, not the Elizabeth Hall as is normal. The evening will start with an opportunity to walk round displays provided by the many community organisations with which we work. The Meeting itself will begin around 8.40 and will concentrate on your questions: there will be no speeches. Questions should be sent in advance, please, so we can be sure to cover the issues of greatest concern and arrange for the appropriate person to respond. Please email questions to clerk@hook.gov.uk or post or deliver them to the Parish Council office: address below.

The wildlife area at the junction of Carleton Close and Newnham Road has been named Coal House Corner for historic reasons. Bird nesting boxes are being installed to cater for the post Valentines Day bird activity!

Road Works have, unfortunately, been everywhere for much of the last few weeks. The Station Road resurfacing was carried out on Sundays from 11th November until 2nd December as planned. At Holt Park Great Marlow was surfaced by a different contractor around the same time. In both cases the work was regarded as unsatisfactory and has had to be redone. Southern Water had co-operated with Hampshire Highways in kindly delaying their work on the A30 until the New Year when Station Rd was due to have finished. Unfortunately remedial works were necessary on Station Road and it was not possible to postpone the SE Water works further. Budget issues cause a problem for many authorities towards the end of the financial year in March because they cannot carry over the funds involved to the following year. Additionally on the 1st May a new contractor will replace the current highways maintenance contractor and thus there is even less scope to reschedule works over the intervening period.

Although we publish news of forthcoming events in Focus, the magazine only comes out once a month so in the past we have not been able to advise people of information at short notice. We are now setting up a facility so that we can email residents with information on items that cannot wait until the next issue of Focus. Topics might include information on open mornings for Planning Applications, flooding and road works. We would use the facility sparingly and it would be possible to unscribe. Email addresses would not be shared. For more information and to sign up please go to the mailing list page.

A planning application has been made by BMW to build a new dealership on land between Griffin Way South and Osborne Way. The site concerned has been vacant for many years and we are supporting the application which would make good use of this empty brownfield site. There would be an access to the car sales and workshop direct from Griffin Way South.

There is no further news on the possible McCarthy and Stone project to develop housing for the elderly in Sheldons Road.

The possible application for housing off Owens Farm lane by Sentinel Housing has still not been made. In the meantime we commissioned advice from Planning Consultants who broadly share our view, namely that the site concerned is far too large to be regarded as a "Rural Exception Site" as well as being outside the scope of the approved local plan. They also agree that the site is quite unsuitable for a development to house the elderly.

Antony Hunter

February 2008

Shortly before Christmas contractors carried out resurfacing work in Station Road and at about the same time George Wimpey's subcontractor surfaced Great Marlow in Holt Park. Neither job has proved satisfactory, possibly because of the weather, so the tarmac men will have to come back. There are a number of other Highways issues on Holt Park which will need to be resolved to the satisfaction of Hampshire Highways before they will adopt the Holt Park roads. Quite a number of cars in Holt Park either have no road fund licence or some safety defect and once those roads become public highway the Police will be able to take action against the owners of the vehicles concerned.

Work is well underway on strengthening the edge of the carriageway at Murrell Green. This work will also prevent Pocket Savers from continuing to use Highway land as an extension of their second hand car sales show space.

Some thirty percent of households were "caught out" by Hart's decision to collect black bin rubbish a day early before Christmas. i.e. on Saturday 22nd December rather than Monday 24th December. Hart have promised more effective publicity if they bring our collection day forward in the future. Our usual collection day continues to be Monday or a day later if a Bank Holiday is involved.

The new Elizabeth Hall now has a roof, though the project is running some four weeks late, largely due to bad weather last autumn. It is hard to judge how much parking will be available at the hall in April so, for this year only, the Annual Village Meeting will be held at the Community Centre on Thursday 24th April from 8pm. The evening will start with an exhibition by many of those who work closely with us all year round. This will give the chance for an informal chat. The meeting itself will be dedicated to answering your questions rather than to presentations. More information will be in March and April Focus.

A culvert on the footpath that leads from Goose Green round Shirlen's Copse and towards Rotherwick recently collapsed. The footpath has been closed until either 14th July or until repair work has been completed whichever is the sooner. This is a popular route but fortunately the alternative footpath which runs from Great Sheldon's Coppice and down the other side of Shirlen's Copse remains open.

The January Parish Council meeting approved our plans for the Parish Council element of your Council Tax in 2008/2009. We continue to put aside money to complete the new Elizabeth Hall project, which is running within budget. Given the serious antisocial behaviour problems our Community has suffered recently we have also budgeted for improvements in our CCTV facilities and are now considering various options. Our total budget will increase by about 3% which is generally in line with inflation. The Parish Council Annual Report will be distributed to all homes as in recent years.

Ideas for a name for the wildlife area at the junction of Newnham Road and Carleton Close would still be very welcome. We are about to install three bird nesting boxes on site which need to be in place by Valentines Day as apparently that is the official start of the nesting season! Other projects under way include planting, mowing and coppicing plans.

The audit process now requires Parish Councils to develop a whole set of policies and to keep them regularly updated. The ever-growing list includes Financial Regulations, Standing Orders, a Register of Members Interests, an Assessment of the Risks we run in managing our business, an Audit Plan and a policy for placing Insurance.

A reminder that the Parish Council Office at the Community Centre in Ravenscroft is always open between 9am and 12noon Monday to Friday. Visitors are very welcome or you can telephone us on 768687 or 768573.

Antony Hunter

January 2008

Many thanks to all who were involved in making the Christmas Cracker such a success. The volunteer organising committee, Police, musicians, choirs, dancers, stallholders, entertainers, retailers and marshals all worked very hard in the interests of our community.

We would welcome feedback from residents on our Christmas Lights. Most of the lights are leased for three years so new designs will appear in 2009. We have installed power to more street light columns this year so that additional lanterns will be on show next year. We are also considering a suggestion that more lights be placed in the trees round Grand Parade.

We have had excellent feedback on the planting near Casa Flora. One resident particularly commented: "it all looks so much better since you moved the Bus Stop!" A plaque acknowledging Bell Cornwell's financial support will be fixed to the seat in the area shortly.

A possible planning application to demolish 25 to 31 Sheldons Road and build 41 units on the site was mentioned in December Focus. Since then it seems that a change in Planning rules could have a major impact on the ideas of this developer unless he is able to provide additional "green open space" so as to deter the new residents and their dogs from visiting the Hazeley Heath Special Protection Area.

December Focus published a letter requesting that allotments be provided in Hook and encouraging interested residents to write to Hart. Prior to that letter we had received eight requests from residents and had made Hart aware of the numbers but not, of course, of the names of those making requests. We are aware of one further request since December Focus was published. The problem is that there is no suitable land available in or on the outskirts of Hook. Allotment holders naturally want to pay a very small rent but all the fields round Hook are under option to developers. In fact when the Parish Council needed to buy land to provide the new cemetery some years ago we had to pay the development land price. The "green space" in central Hook was given on the condition that it is available to all so none of it could used to provide allotment gardens for a small number of people. We do have an arrangement with Basingstoke and Deane under which they will allow Hook residents to rent allotments from them. Details can be obtained from the Parish Council Office.

We would welcome ideas for a name for the wildlife area at the junction of Carleton Close and Newnham Road. Please ring or write to the Parish Council Office.

Residents from the John Morgan Close area packed the public seats at a recent Hart Planning Committee meeting. The Committee refused the application for a shared O2/Orange phone mast at the Gas Compound on the B3349. The Committee gave three reasons for refusal. They were concerned about the physical appearance of the mast, were not satisfied that there was a need and were not satisfied that alternative sites had been properly considered. It seems very likely that the mobile phone companies will appeal and seek to show that there is a need for the mast and that alternative sites had been properly considered. Having received considerable sums of money from the phone companies in return for the current series of licences the Government now requires the Planning Inspectorate to work under strict guidelines when considering appeals.

We continue to receive regular phone calls from residents expressing concern about the possible Planning Application for land off Owens Farm Lane. We recently met with Premier Properties, who have options on the land, and Sentinel Housing at their request. The meeting could best be described as "lively." Much of the developer's case rests on their belief, for which they have no evidence, that there is massive demand in Hook from Hook residents for a development of this size and type. The site concerned is outside the Hook Settlement Boundary but their contention is that the development should be permitted as an exception to normal Planning rules. However exceptions are subject to strict criteria. In view of the importance of this proposal to the immediate area and to Hook as a whole we are engaging the services of Planning Consultants to work with us. Redeveloping Gregory House is surely a far more satisfactory and sustainable solution than attempting to channel the elderly onto a site that is well away from any facilities. It seems very likely that a Planning Application will be made and if and when that occurs we will arrange to display the plans at the Community Centre on a Saturday morning and members of the Parish Council will be on hand to listen to residents' comments. The time and date of this event will be posted on the three Parish Council notice boards: in Grand Parade, near the Cemetery and at the Community Centre.

Antony Hunter