Hook Parish Council

Hook Parish Council: Monthly Bulletins 2009

December 2009

Response to the presentation of our first Community Awards at the Annual Village Meeting in April was most encouraging and the time has now come to ask residents to make nominations for awards to be presented at the next Annual Village Meeting on 27th April 2010. Any Hook individual, group of individuals or business can be nominated and the only firm rule is that awards are made for contribution to our Community on a Voluntary basis. Last year a few people asked why certain Hook residents had not received an award and the reason was that no-one nominated them! Nomination letters or emails only need to be brief as we can work with the person making the nomination to add more detail if necessary. At present there is no closing date but do please send in your nomination the moment you think of one to clerk@hook.gov.uk or by letter to the Parish Council office.

We are delighted with the response to the battery recycling scheme we launched a year ago. Thank you very much for your support. The Parish Council team collect the used batteries you drop at Tesco, Londis, the Surgery, Trees, Hook Junior and Infant Schools and Robert May's. Incidentally we do this on normal visits and not by extra journeys! So far you have collected roughly the equivalent of 4 large wheelybins of batteries which all go off to Belgium for recycling. Please keep it going!

November Focus asked that reports of failed street lights be made by telephone but I quoted an incorrect number which was totally my fault for which I apologise! It helps if failed street lights, apart from Holt Park, are reported to the automated service at Hampshire County Council on 0800 50 60 60. Failed lights on Holt Park should continue to be reported to the Parish Council office on the number below because these lights are still owned by Taylor Wimpey.

The Christmas Cracker continues to be a hugely popular annual event and will be on Friday 4th December. Station Road will be closed from 15.30 to 21.30. Diversions will be signposted.

In the past a number of Community Organisations have asked if they could publicise their event by hanging banners on Parish Council property facing the Highway particularly at the Grand Parade roundabout. Consistent with the policy adopted by Highways themselves we have had to turn these requests aside for insurance reasons.

A few weeks ago we discovered that the owners of land adjoining Bartley House were in the process of felling most of the trees that fronted Station Road. In some ways their action has improved the environment because many of the trees were dead or dying. We have been trying to establish a dialogue with the owner of the land and the building to discover their medium term aim because, although the land is likely to benefit from the work they have done over a five year period, there is no doubt that in the short term the area has become unsightly.

Both the dog bin in Great Sheldons Coppice and the one in Hartletts Park were destroyed by fireworks on 5th November. Hart do not have a replacement in stock and have placed an order with their supplier for the Great Sheldons Coppice bin. The Hartletts Park bin is Parish Council property and a replacement bin has been installed.

Antony Hunter

November 2009

The Election for the vacant seat on the Parish Council took place on Thursday 15th October. There were two candidates and the votes cast were Gordon Winter 455, and David Hilton-Gee 232. Gordon Winter was therefore elected and is due to take his seat at the next Parish Council meeting on Wednesday 4th November.

The HSPA Fire Show and Firework Spectacular will take place on Saturday 7th November and Hartletts Park will be closed for safety reasons from noon on that day f or 24 hours. Cars must be removed from the Parish Council car park outside the Community Centre by 4pm as it is also part of the fall out zone.

The Outdoor Gym was formally opened, in bright autumn sunshine, on Monday 12th October by Dr Andrew Fernando who was a member of the working group which specified the equipment. Around twenty-five people of all ages attended including members of the Neighbourhood Centre's weekly "Healthy Walk" group, representatives of Hart Leisure Centre and our local Police. We are delighted that since the equipment has been installed it has had regular use from all age groups. A suggestion has been made that we should consider installing similar equipment at the other end of Hook near the Varndell Road play area (subject to funding) and comments to the Parish Council on the idea are most welcome.

It may be up to five years before failed street lights report themselves as out of order and until that happens it really does help if residents report a light that does not work or remains on during the day. Faults can be reported to 0800 50 60 60 by leaving a message stating that the fault is in Hook along with the road name and column number. Arrangements for lights in Holt Park are different as the lights are still the property of Taylor Wimpey. Please advise Holt Park lighting faults to the Parish Council Office.

Remedial work needed to roads and sewers in the first phase of Holt Park has now been agreed between the County Council and Taylor Wimpey and contractors are expected to establish a temporary base on Parish Council land off Doctor's Acre in the near future. Once the works are completed the County Council will take on responsibility for ongoing maintenance of roads, sewers and street lights from Holt Lane to the Sedges roundabout at the end of Great Marlow. Similar work on the rest of Holt Park which lies beyond the central Sedges Roundabout remains in the future.

A Parish Council led working party has been set up to make recommendations on work to be done at the Community Centre. HVHCA, who manage the building on our behalf, are part of the group and others may be invited to join to help with specific topics. Given that the original building was opened some twenty years ago major work to cover long term repairs and cater for current requirements is needed. The Parish Council owns the building and will approve and finance necessary work. At this stage we have already replaced the entrance lobby and are in the process of renewing the windows at The Base. Ideas for internal improvements are most welcome and in the meantime we are arranging energy, acoustic and asbestos surveys to help inform the way forward.

Antony Hunter

October 2009

An Election to fill the vacant seat on the Parish Council is scheduled for Thursday 15th October because more then ten electors wrote to request an Election. A number of Electors have asked questions about the cost of Elections. The Election in July cost £6,100 which is a charge on the residents of Hook but we are hoping that, because the October Election will be for only one seat, the cost will be lower. Nominations close just as Focus goes to press and we believe the Election will be contested. Applications for a postal vote need to be with Hart by 30th September.

All our play areas receive a formal safety audit each year and it was no surprise that the recent ROSPA report mentioned that the timber play area in Hartletts Park close to the A30 is near the end of its life. It will therefore be removed shortly and the ground reinstated. There are no current plans for new equipment to be installed on the site.

Installation of the Outdoor Gym is under way and now expected to be complete by the end of the month. We put back the earlier installation date because of the need to make sure that the fittings on the foundations did not form a health and safety hazard during the school holidays. We are planning an opening event in early October so please watch notice boards for details.

From time to time we receive requests to purchase Parish Council land from residents who would like to extend their garden. Land that we own was given to us for the benefit of the Community generally and it follows that requests are almost always turned aside as are requests to form private entrances.

We are in the process of conducting a survey of cars parked in the residential roads in central Hook and of local businesses to try to establish how many drivers might use Crossways Car Park in Reading Road if parking there was less expensive. The greatest urgency is in the residential roads near the school where, sadly, a number of parents who are "running late" have blocked the access to people's homes whilst they collect their child from school. We are in discussion with Hart about a possible two month experiment during which an hour's parking would be reduced from 70p to 10p. At present free parking for an hour is not technically feasible but might be feasible if the scheme became permanent. If the experiment, which has yet to receive formal approval from either Hart or ourselves, goes ahead we will publicise it. Such an experiment would need good support from residents by use of the car park to justify it becoming permanent.

We have received a number of complaints from residents whose cars have been clamped in Grand Parade. That car park is the property of the Grand Parade shops and they decided to employ a clamping company to tackle antisocial parking on the kerbs by the entrance which was causing considerable problems for delivery vehicles. Because the clamping company exceeded its brief their contract is being terminated and the shops are reconsidering their approach to the problem. Anyone who feels they were clamped inappropriately can contact any of the shops regarding making a claim against the clamping company.

Antony Hunter

September 2009

Results of the Parish Council by-election on 2nd July were Andre Baronne 304, David Burke 279, Gordon Winter 269, David Hilton-Gee 262. Andre Baronne took his seat at our meeting on 5th August but David Burke did not do so citing a change in personal circumstances. This leaves a vacancy as posted on our notice boards on 6th August. Unsuccessful candidates at the July election do not simply "move up" so we expect to learn on 27th August if at least ten electors have written to Hart requiring a fresh election. If that number of letters has not been received the Parish Council will select a resident to fill the seat under the process known as co-option.

Until the early 1980s responsibility for providing street lights in residential roads lay with Parish Councils so as a result we own and maintain some 108 street lights in residential roads in central Hook. From the early 1980s responsibility for providing lights on new residential roads passed to developers who then handed them to Hampshire County Council to maintain. Almost all of our lights are well over thirty years old and will need replacing over the next fifteen years at a cost of just under £1,000 per column. We are taking the opportunity to join Hampshire County Council and a number of other Parishes in a private finance initiative which will replace all our lights over the next five years, remove the risk of a large number of lights needing replacement at once and spread the cost of replacing them and their maintenance over thirty years.

The design of the new Outdoor Gym was finalised in May and we had expected to install the ten pieces of equipment in Harletts Park, opposite the Community Centre in the school holidays. However each piece of equipment requires steel foundations that temporarily protrude through the safety surface during construction so for safety reasons installation was rescheduled and will now start on 7th September. Equipment from three different companies was considered and visits were made to two existing sites. Independent advice is that the chosen equipment provides an excellent range of exercises with capability for a thorough workout for an enthusiast. The cost of the equipment and installation is being met from money provided by Taylor Wimpey as part of the Planning Agreement in respect of Holt Park.

As previously reported Hampshire County Council has been studying the traffic flows using the route from Holt Lane to Griffin Way via Pantile Drive and Four Acre Coppice. Their findings and proposals for the way forward are written up elsewhere in Focus. Comments to the Parish Council are welcome, either now or when their Access Only proposals are published assuming the change is supported by the Police.

Well over a year ago Sentinel Housing displayed proposals to build a replacement for Gregory House on land off Newnham Road at Owen's Farm. We expressed strong opposition to this idea of building on agricultural land. Not only would it have expanded Hook but it would have stranded elderly people in a remote location and a long way from any shops or medical facilities. Following a change in their management we have had a further meeting with Sentinel and are delighted that they have confirmed that they have now abandoned the idea.

Roads and street lights at Holt Park are still owned by Taylor Wimpey because they have not completed all the work that is needed before Hampshire Highways adopt them. Phase 1, which is the area off Great Marlow and as far as Sedges is probably about 90% to specification but there is a lot of work still to be done on Phase 2. We are working with Highways to try to push along completion of the roads and lighting. Street lights will become increasingly important over the next couple of months. Lighting faults can be reported to our office and we will take them up with Taylor Wimpey. When reporting a fault please help by quoting the column number, if there is one, or the number of the nearest house if there is no column number.

Antony Hunter

July / August 2009

The poll to fill the two vacant Parish Council seats will be held at the Elizabeth Hall on Thursday 2nd July. The polling hours are 7am to 10pm. As there are two vacant seats Electors can vote for up to two of the four candidates. Focus has invited all the candidates to submit a personal biography for the July issue of the magazine and a photograph if they wish to do so. This is the first contested Parish Council Election for ten years as on this occasion there are more candidates than available seats. Do please go along and use your vote!

The exhibition of outdoor gym equipment by three manufacturers at the Annual Village Meeting proved to be very helpful. All those who commented expressed a preference for the same manufacturer who was also the choice of those of our working group members who made site visits. The chosen company specialises in outdoor gym equipment and offers best value for money. An order has now been placed and we expect the equipment to be installed in Hartletts Park, close to the Community Centre, within the next two months.

In mid June we were warned by the Police that "travellers" were in the area so we closed and locked the gate to the Parish Council Car Park outside the Community Centre.Some dozen caravans arrived at about 9.30pm the same evening and the "travellers" proceeded to cut off the padlock and install themselves in Hartletts Park. We took immediate steps to obtain an appropriate Court Order and they were escorted off by bailiffs under Police supervision at 2pm the following day. Fortunately there was no significant damage to the football pitches. Naturally there is a cost involved in evicting trespassers including court fees, the employment of bailiffs, police time, staff time, hire of tow trucks, repairs and cleaning up of all the material they leave behind. Up until 2008 we had never had a problem but it is clear that there are now more groups of people driving around looking for somewhere to camp and that they generally know that Hartletts Park exists, so we have decided that we need to improve security. We are therefore in the process of installing bollards along the footpath between the Community Centre and the teen shelter so that unauthorised people are confined to the car park. This will largely remove the need to close the car park barrier so restoring normality to both car park users and residents of Ravenscroft whose private spaces have often been used by non residents in recent weeks.

The yellow lines in the Parish Council owned Car Park in Hartletts Park are being repainted along with some changes in emphasis as to use! The hatched areas are designed to be kept permanently clear for emergency use and the disabled bays are reserved for blue badge holders only. Please respect these areas and leave them be used as intended. In the past there have been five disabled spaces but it has been rare for more than two to be in use by badge holders so the disabled spaces will be reduced to three. The "traveller" invasion last year was made possible because they parked a vehicle in two disabled spaces so to to prevent the barrier being closed. These spaces will now be designated for permit holders only so as to leave them more under the control of the Parish Council and Community Centre.

Regular Community Centre users will have noticed the new front doors and entrance that were installed during half term. The new entrance replaces the old frontage and doors which were beyond their useful life and will help improve security for the building and its users.

Antony Hunter

June 2009

Our May meeting marked the start of a new Parish Council year. Martin Whittaker was elected as Chairman of the Council and Tony Taylor as Vice Chairman. Antony Hunter was elected to Chair the Amenities Committee whilst Jane Bonnin and Nigel Carpenter will continue to Chair the Planning Committee and Development Strategy Committee respectively.

Councillor Matthew Campbell has found it necessary to resign his seat due to the demands of his day job. Our thanks go to Matthew for his work whilst on the Council, particularly in the Youth area. European and County Elections are to be held on Thursday 4th June from 7am to 10pm at the Elizabeth Hall. We had expected any Parish Council poll to be on the same day but unfortunately this is not possible for administrative reasons. There will be a Parish Council election for our two vacant seats and, if contested, the poll will now be held on Thursday 2nd July.

One hundred and fifteen residents and twelve exhibitors came to the Annual Village Meeting which was a better attendance than ever. Almost all the questions related to Highway issues including concerns over parking outside the schools, particularly in the afternoons. The Car Park in Reading Road is significantly underused yet surrounding residential streets are littered with parked cars. It is clear that people resent the cost of parking in this car park which is owned and operated by Hart. In some cases the prices are higher than for the same length of car parking in Basingstoke. We have started discussions with Hart about the idea of the Parish Council taking over this car park. If we are able to come to an acceptable arrangement we would probably allow free parking for cars for a limited period of time and provide a number of spaces for locally employed season ticket holders. This idea received a spontaneous round of applause at the Annual Village Meeting so we are working hard in order to find a way forward.

Highways expect to resurface the section of the A30 near the Crooked Billet in mid June. It seems likely that the work will take place at night and when final plans are available we will post them on Hook Announcements. If you are not currently receiving messages from Hook Announcements do go to the announcements list page and sign up.

Hook's first two Community Awards were presented at the Annual Village Meeting. Terry Rawlings founded Rawlings Transport almost 40 years ago and continues as Managing Director to this day. The business which started with just one vehicle and a contract delivering nails for a firm based in Basingstoke diversified in the mid nineties with the addition of Rawlings Fuels which now supplies heating oil to over twelve thousand customers within a 25 mile radius of Hook. The business continues to be family managed and employs 90 people, many of them local. Support for the Community over the years includes a vehicle for the Christmas cracker, sponsorship of the local football team and numerous prizes for local events. The second award was presented to Ann Jacob who, along with a number of helpers, has been running a monthly lunch for senior citizens at the Scout HQ for ten years. These very popular home cooked meals attract a packed house of up to fifty people every month. The lunches are provided at a modest cost and profits donated to the Scouts for improvements to their facilities.

The three tennis courts next to the Community Centre have now been resurfaced. Bookings are not required and there is no charge for their use so just turn up with your rackets and tennis balls and play!

Antony Hunter

May 2009

When Nigel Carpenter was elected as our current Chairman he made it clear he would serve as Chairman for a single year so will not be seeking re-election in May. Fortunately he will remain on the Council itself and is prepared to continue as Chairman of the Development Strategy Committee. A new Chairman of the Council will therefore be elected. Regrettably, because of other commitments, Amanda Foot has found it necessary to resign her Parish Council seat. Our thanks go to Amanda for her contribution to the work of the Council since she was elected in 2007.

Although H.V.H.C.A. moved into the new Elizabeth Hall last summer the Parish Council has not yet been able to complete the under-lease of the land and buildings to this charity. Almost all the defects in the building have been resolved but two significant problems remain namely the environmental control system and the controls for the lights in the main hall neither of which are working correctly. The main contractor, who is naturally keen to be paid for the final stage of the building work, has undertaken to resolve these problems within the next few weeks.

The number of Household Planning Appeals has grown dramatically in recent years and the length of time taken by the Planning Inspectorate to resolve them has increased as a result. Even appeals against refusal on the smallest of proposals have been taking up to a year for a decision to be made. The process has therefore been changed and the Inspector will now make a decision solely on the basis of the case file and a site visit so there will be no scope for additional representations when the application goes to appeal. It is therefore crucial that both applicants and objectors carefully submit their entire case at the outset. Hopefully the change will speed up the entire appeal process.

The domestic battery recycling scheme we launched at the beginning of November is proving very popular. So far you have collected 160 litres of batteries which is roughly the same volume as two old style dustbins. The bulk of them have been collected through the tub at the customer service desk at Tesco but Londis and the schools have also proved to be popular collection points. The number collected continues to grow which is excellent news!

The vast majority of dog owners are very careful to clean up after their dogs but some are less careful. Bio-degradable dog litter bags continue to be available, without charge, from the Parish Council Office.

A number of residents in Four Acre Coppice have expressed continuing concerns about through traffic. One of the ideas that has been suggested is to block off the junction between Holt Way and Pantile Drive. This would eliminate all through traffic between Holt Lane and Griffin Way South. Residents in Holt Way and adjoining roads would only be able to access their homes via Griffin Way South whilst residents in Pantile Drive would only have access via Holt Lane. Opinions from residents of that area would be welcome to clerk@hook.gov.uk.

The Annual Village Meeting will have taken place just a couple of days before the May issue of Focus is published so I will report on the meeting in June Focus. A high proportion of the questions we have received ahead of the meeting relate to Highway topics.

Salaries and expenses of Members of Parliament along with allowances to the Chairman of Hart have been much in the news recently and this would seem a good moment to clarify the situation as regards the Parish Council. Parish Councillors are all volunteers, like so many in our community. None of us receive any salary or personal allowances but we are entitled to claim mileage for car journeys outside Hook for essential council business.

Antony Hunter

April 2009

The Annual Village Meeting will take place on Wednesday 22nd April at the Elizabeth Hall from 8pm. Between 8pm and the start of the formal meeting at 8.45pm there will be the opportunity to walk round and talk to some of the many organisations with which we work so closely during the year. These will include Highways, Hart District Council, Hampshire Wildlife Trust, the Police and Neighbourhood Watch, The Base Youth Club and, for the first time, The Hook Allotment Association, Hook Local History Group and O.C.H.R.E.(Odiham Cottage Hospital). During the evening we will be presenting the first Hook Community Awards. Numbers attending the meeting continue to grow and we hope to welcome even more people this April. So as to be sure that we do any necessary research ahead of the meeting and arrange for the most appropriate person to provide an answer we ask that questions for the meeting be submitted in advance to clerk@hook.gov.uk or by letter to our office by Tuesday 14th April. Questions submitted after that date or on the evening itself will be answered if time allows.

At the 2008 Annual Village Meeting we showed a few pieces of equipment that might be included in an Outdoor Gym. Work has progressed so we will be exhibiting photographs of equipment from three different manufacturers at this year's A.V.M. and asking those attending to express their preference. So do come along and help us by providing your comments.

Following earlier announcements in Focus we have received some excellent suggestions for winners of our new Community Award and our assessment panel is in the process of making decisions. We look forward to congratulating the first award winners at the Annual Village Meeting.

Last month we mentioned that Hart planned to close the public toilets by the car park and provide alternative facilities by making annual payments to a range of pubs to open their facilities to the public. We have been investigating the feasibility of taking over the management of the toilets to save them from closure but the operating costs at around £10,000 to £15,000 a year look prohibitive. Even worse news is Hart's forecast that almost £100,000 would need to be spent on them in the next few years to bring them up to modern standards. We are trying to establish what Hart would do with the building if the toilets were to close. We have only received a very small number of objections to their closure.

Many of the softer type of plants between Casa Flora and the bus stop have been trampled on and as a result the area has been looking a bit bleak. The prickly type of plant has been holding up well so we have filled in the empty spaces with more of these tougher plants.

In the run up to Easter the tennis courts next to the Community Centre will be jet washed to remove several years of accumulated dirt. After Easter the tennis courts and multi-court will be closed for about a week for repainting and renewal of the white lines. Although we will remove the tennis nets it will help the courts and the paint to dry out if people respect the fact that they are temporarily closed for maintenance!

The Anne Pitcher play area at Holt Park next to the railway and at the southern end of the estate is very low lying and suffers from drainage problems. Work is currently under way to install additional drainage of surface water.

Some five years ago the Government relaxed the regulations for licensing of the sale of alcohol. This has made it much easier for new premises to gain a licence for the sale of drink for consumption "off the premises." The Texaco Garage on London Road has recently applied for a licence. The Parish Council, Schools, the Rector, our District Councillors and the Police, along with a number of residents, have expressed concern particularly as to the potential sale to underage drinkers. The licensing rules are slanted towards the applicant and towards granting applications but with scope for a review if significant problems occur, so it seems likely that the licence will be granted.

Antony Hunter

March 2009

The Annual Village Meeting with be on Wednesday 22nd April at the Elizabeth Hall from 8pm and will start with an informal exhibition and a chance to walk round and talk with those organisations with which we work closely all year. This year we will be joined for the first time by Odiham Cottage Hospital, the Royal Air Force and the Hook History Group. The time at the formal meeting, which will start around 8.45, will be spent on answering your questions. Further details will be in the April edition of Focus. The Parish Council Annual Report will be distributed to every household in the weeks before the meeting.

Due to pressure on budgets Hart District Council are looking to reduce their costs by passing some responsibilities to Parish Councils. We would only take over a service from them if we could provide it at a higher standard at a lower cost and if the asset involved was transferred to the Parish Council. For example they currently send a crew out from Fleet to maintain Mitchell's Field, next to the tennis courts, yet local maintenance by us would be cheaper and easier to manage given that it is close to our office and that our landscape contractor is regularly on site. Ownership of this field and two small parcels of land near the Bowling Club will be transferred to us in April. We are in the very early stage of discussion with Hart about the possibility of our taking over the Car Park and the Public Toilets. If we are able to take these over, without significant cost to Hook tax payers, we would run the Car Park with the aim of encouraging people to use it rather than park in surrounding residential roads and it seems certain that if we do not take over the toilets Hart will close them.

Hart will be sending Council Tax bills out in mid March including the Parish Council's share of the tax which we set and they collect on our behalf. In the current economic climate we believe that residents would welcome a reduction in our tax, however small, so we have set our precept at £299,000 for 2009/10 compared to £312,000 in 2008/9. This may well mean that some work will have to be postponed to 2010/11 but we will not defer any expenditure which could have an impact on safety.

Permission has been granted for the electricity generating wind turbine application at Tesco. There were no objections to the application which will be lower than the existing mast in Osborne Way. The permission is limited to 15 years and by the end of that time no doubt technology will have moved on a long way yet again!

An application was submitted some months ago to redevelop the site currently occupied by the Hook Barbers and Dry Cleaners. There can be no doubt that the current building is worn out and that a replacement building is needed, however the original application was refused for a range of reasons and a new one has now been submitted. After considerable thought we have objected to the new application as have a number of residents. We feel that the proposal for six flats on the site, in addition to the shops, is a massive overdevelopment of the site and that the proposal is detrimental to neighbours and to the street scene. The parking proposals assume that occupants of the six flats and their visitors will be prepared and able to park offsite which seems to us to be totally unrealistic.

Antony Hunter

February 2009

The domestic battery recycling scheme which we introduced in late 2008 has proved to be very popular and the coming weeks will doubtless produce yet more batteries as the initial supplies bought with Christmas presents expire. Tesco, Londis and the three schools are proving to be the most popular collection points. The U.K is obliged by the E. U. to increase domestic battery recycling from its current level of 2.8% to25% by 2012. Used batteries are taken to a recycling plant where the mineral content is stripped out and incorporated into new products. Do keep bringing your batteries along!

In the past rising house prices and the cost of moving house tended to produce an increase in the number of people deciding not to move but to extend their current home instead. The current situation with static or even falling house prices has also reduced the number of people aiming to extend their home due to overall lack of confidence. Hart's Planning Committee is now meeting only monthly instead of twice a month but the drop in the number of planning applications we receive has been even deeper. Our survey in 2008 showed a significant number of hidden households in Hook, couples living with a parent for example, yet few of those involved have registered on Hart's Housing list. It .is important to register such a need, not just for personal reasons, but so as to ensure the local housing authorities have an accurate picture of the situation.

The government has changed the rules governing Planning Applications for domestic extensions. The stated aim is to "simplify" Planning Regulations and reduce the number of minor proposals requiring Planning Permission. In some ways the changes add complexity to the process rather than reduce it so it is very important not to just assume that Planning Permission will not be required for what may seem to be a small change to a private home but to take professional advice.

Tesco have applied for permission to put a wind powered electricity generating mast in their car park. The mast would be 14m high compared with the 18m high phone mast of the Rawlings tower and we advised those registered to receive Hook Announcements as the timing of our receipt of the application did not fit with the deadline for Hook Focus. Reaction from residents is broadly favourable although there are some concerns that the mast might not be placed at the specific point that would catch the maximum amount of wind. Although the proposal is for quite a tall mast that may not generate sufficient electricity to power all Tesco's needs we have not objected to the proposal which surely marks an important step towards greener production of electricity.

The number of residents signed up for Hook Announcements continues to grow. We are sparing in the number of announcements we send out which are averaging two a month. The aim is to provide information on time critical items that cannot wait for the next issue of Hook Focus. To sign up just go to the Parish Council home page at www.hook.gov.uk.

A number of Parish Councils within Hart have been providing a subsidy towards the costs of the Call and Go transport scheme. We have declined to contribute in the past as the number of Hook residents who use the service is very low indeed and alternatives are available such as trains, buses and the service provided by the Care Group. We also have concerns as to the running costs of the scheme. We would welcome feed back from those who use the service. Does it meet your needs and, if not, how could it be improved? If you have registered but do not use it what are the reasons?

Antony Hunter

January 2009

Thursday November 27th saw the formal opening of the Elizabeth Hall by H.R.H.The Earl of Wessex. As he had three appointments in North Hampshire on the day his visit lasted around an hour. The hall was packed to capacity for the event. Invitations were primarily sent to those who had been involved in the running of both old and new halls and in the complex process of funding and managing the building of the new hall. Regular Hook based hall users were also invited and the Junior School sent along one pupil from each class with instructions to report back on the opening to their classmates. H. R. H. was keen to see normal activities within the Hall and visited the preschool play group and U3A at the other end of the age range. He watched Scottish Dancing and a brief extract from Hook Players' autumn production Tiptoe Through The Tombstones. It was a very successful opening made all the more fun by H.R.H.'s keen sense of humour. Photographs are available via the Parish Council Web Site.

A number of Parish Councils in the country have introduced a Community Award Scheme. There are many in our Community who put in much effort as volunteers and deserve more recognition than they receive so this is to ask residents to nominate unsung or inadequately sung heroes for a Community Award. The only criteria are that anyone nominated must be a Hook resident and have served the Community on a voluntary basis. Please let us have nominations by 31st January to clerk@hook.gov.uk or by post. We would then form an assessment panel made up of Parish Councillors and other residents. Any awards the panel decides to make would be presented at the Annual Village meeting in April 2009. The actual nature of any awards has still to be considered but our initial thought is that they are likely to be items that winners would be happy to display in their own homes.

Hart are now preparing their budget for 2009/10 and we know that, because their finances are massively under pressure, one idea they are considering is closure of the Hook Public Toilets. As an alternative they would pay a local business, a pub for example, to allow anyone to use their loos between 9am and 9pm. We would welcome feedback on this idea. For example, would parents be happy to take small children into a pub during the school run? Please email your views to clerk@hook.gov.uk or ring the office.

The 30 mph limit in Newnham Road has now been extended past Owens Farm and right through Newnham. This change took some time to achieve because of the need to involve two Parish Councils and two District Councils. We hope that this change will encourage drivers to respect the longstanding 30mph limit in Hook.

Antony Hunter