Jackie Porter
Hampshire County Councillor for Itchen Valley Division
"I have created this web site for the residents of the Itchen Valley. It will develop and grow over the months and I hope you will come back and find out what is happening on local issues."
Tel/text:07973 696085
e-mail
Bighton
Chilcomb
Headbourne Worthy
Itchen Valley
Itchen Stoke & Ovington
Kings Worthy
Micheldever
Northington
New Alresford
Old Alresford
Wonston
Martin Tod
Alresford Liberal Democrats
Winchester Liberal Democrats
Lit speed signs are popular with residents but most Parish Councils say they can’t afford to buy their own. Jackie and fellow councillor Charlotte Bailey arranged for interested villages to share an ‘SLR’ sign which can be moved every fortnight.
County Councillors Grants provide grants to a wide variety of organisations ‘Volunteers are Golddust for our communities’ says Jackie ‘ and these grants can give a real boost to projects’
County Council Report
Hampshire Transport Plan
As well as a Local Housing Plan (LDF) there is a corresponding Hampshire Transport Plan, (LTP3). The County council has published the draft for consultation. The deadline for comments is on 31st December 2009.
You can go online to: http://hantsweb-staging.hants.gov.uk/ltp-consultation or call John Buckett on 01962 841841 for a copy. It would be interesting to hear if you agree with the order of importance of the five objectives - locally we have asked for Climate Change to be the number one priority.
Hearing Difficulties
Do you struggle to hear others speaking, especially in a busy environment? If you are concerned, it’s worth taking the RNID’s hearing test online at www.rnid.org.uk/123
Potholes
Now that the weather is getting wetter again, holes mysteriously seem to appear in the tarmac. The County acts on reports-but there is no pothole routine maintenance. Often it’s difficult to work out who to call. Please remember that you can report any potholes, drainage problems, lights out or footway faults that you see on www.fixmystreet.com. The website diverts the complaint to the right authority, less fuss for you.
Noise Pollution
I was struck at the noise of the traffic rumbling past on the M3 which punctured the two minutes silence in our community in November.
DEFRA have produced ‘noise maps’: our area is on map 98. The CPRE has identified Tranquility zones The EU Directive of 2002 puts the onus on countries to develop plans to mitigate against harmful road, rail and aircraft noise and the UK has asked the agencies such as the Highways Agency and the County Highways departments to produce a plan to do this.
Cllr Charlotte Bailey and I read the County’s reply to DEFRA and asked them to strengthen the response. I know that traffic and road noise is a real bugbear for many of you, and this was a real opportunity to make our voice heard. We have expressed the view that a smoother road surface is not only quieter, and cycle friendly but greener too- think of all the fuel that is converted to noise energy-what a waste!
10 : 10 Campaign
Road surface is just one way in which the County could commit to the 10:10 campaign. We have managed to secure 10:10 commitment from the City Council and will be asking the County to join it too. Please go online at www.1010uk.org & register your support as a Parish Council, business or an individual. May I wish you a very happy Christmas.Missed a previous monthly report - there here
Thatch fires - catching the problem
Fire and Rescue have seen an increase in thatch fires in the division. I met with the Fire Service to discuss this amongst other issues.
They are doing a research project to find out more so they can advise owners of thatched properties, but one emerging problem is the faulty installation of wood burning stoves, with inadequate insulation at the top of the chimney.
The chimney gets so hot, the thatch combusts internally, and by the time the smoke is seen, the belly of the thatch is well alight. Water isn't effective as the design of a thatch roof repels water (for obvious reasons)-so the only thing to do is remove the thatch piece by piece. This is a long process and in every case, a band of firefighters also remove the contents of the home to save it from further damage. Our thanks must go to the Fire Service- and if you want to be a paid retained firefighter at Alresford, please go on to the Hampshire Fire and rescue website for more details.
I spoke to an officer at the Sutton Scotney Fire Station- they know of 90 homes on their patch with thatched roofs! Insurance companies are playing their part, insisting on proper chimney sweeping every year, but he said it is a very heavy, labour intensive job to remove the thatch and the furniture. There is more information on the website, and leaflets are being sent out to every thatched property.A31 A tragedy which might have been avoided.
We had a meeting in public with residents about the safety issues on the A31 last June 2008.
I don’t know how this accident was caused ‘says Jackie, but unfortunately too many accidents have happened along this short 4.6m stretch of road. The County agreed with us and planned increased safety measures. Some have been carried out, but others haven’t been done yet. ‘HCC must act as fast as they can when they see the risks if we are to keep road deaths low’
Winchester Myplace bid
Jackie is part of the team which has put the together for Winchester. She is really committed to providing more opportunities for young people in this area and this bid is for an innovative centre, offering music, dance, work experience and apprenticeships and arts opportunities. It is planned that buses will go to the centre from the schools and take young people home later. WinACC is interested in becoming a partner too as the building will be of a high environmental standard and a beacon for Green issues for young people. We await the result of our bid, but Cllr. Kirk, Education Exec. Member at HCC is very excited by the plans. .’So many individuals, charities and companies helped us to put together the bid’ says Jackie, ‘and we hope it will be an example of the voluntary sector leading a private, public and 3rd sector partnership.’
Alresford's new Car Park
Car Park meetings have recommenced with ATP and Perins. All meetings in this critical phase will be documented. Peter Pooley and Roy Gentry via the NATC office 732079 will be the point of contact for any queries to the officer at WCC - to avoid mixed messages and thus delays or extra costs, queries will not be discussed direct with contractors. Likely date of starting delayed by the Trust application by Perins - hopefully the new car park and footpath will be in place at the end of the spring.
‘Climate Change – the changes necessary to the built estate’
This is a working party of which I am a member, to look reducing emissions by 80% in 2050 and to work with the implications of the carbon credits scheme. All schools are included in the scheme of estimating what the County’s energy use will be, whatever their status. I hope to elaborate more on this in early 2009.
Community Safety Partnership
At the meeting at Intech on 26th November, there were many Parish Councils but not from the Itchen Valley Division, about the effect of drugs on community safety. The conference had three broad themes, within the structure of partnership working:
- The effects on children whose parents are abusers of alcohol and drugs
- Working with Housing, Probation and Supporting People/ /benefits service to improve the outcomes for people on drugs- leading to management or abstinence
- The catching and prosecution of drug users by the Police: nuisance and the effect of probation/prison/treatment
Green Food Cone
Green Food Cone declared a success says Jackie. She told Kings Worthy WI at their Autumn Question Time that it has been the best way she had ever used to dispose of food waste- even fish and meat etc as the cone allows worms in to eat the scraps. At about £50, these cones are quite expensive to buy but really good. Lib Dems think that Winchester City Council should be promoting these for a very cheap price to take food out of the waste system wherever possible Picture with Green Cone.
Alcohol Scrutiny
‘ Alcohol Scrutiny is fine work but is it making enough progress?’ asks Jackie ‘There is plenty out there to help you quit smoking, lose weight or deal with a night of unprotected sex, but nothing about alcohol. The PCT and HCC have missed a golden opportunity as we all take up our New Year resolutions. Jackie was on the working party scrutinising alcohol abuse and the lack of services and wants to see more action and less talk about the problem in Hampshire.
Volunteer Mileage
Following talks with local volunteers, Jackie put a motion to the County Council that volunteer drivers should receive more money to cover petrol and depreciation in their cars. Part of national legislation, Jackie believes the County could do something, but HCC enquiries to Government brought back a clear No’ It seems ridiculous that employees can claim 53p per mile but volunteers who give their time for free can claim only 40p’ says Jackie.
Lib Dems say Dig Deep to protect our Green spaces
Winchester City Council’s Planning proposals for the Local Development Framework for the district put pressure on Alresford, with 500 new homes by 2026 and revives fears for Barton Farm. Liberal Democrats are saying that the city should dig deep in our city, not getting rid of the car parks, but by using car park land to develop a Knowledge City not a knowledge park outside the city, and consigning cars to underground parks instead. By using this strategy the Lib Dems believe the city will increase footfall, the land bank is fit for at least five years, and we can protect our green fields for longer.
Buses
Rural Services
As Tory subsidies for buses threaten more services, Jackie says the bus service to rural areas has never been so poor for residents. Decline of the evening services is a real problem for bus users with jobs out of office hours. The Bus Back Tonight campaign has revealed many people who use public transport for environmental, and health and cost reasons who are being let down by the poor services. They also say that the cost for users who do not have a free pass is too high.
Jackie leads the traffic and transport working party at the Alresford Town Partnership. She has proposed a Public meeting for residents with Stagecoach in Alresford so that residents can put their views direct to the Bus Operating Company, as a first step to addressing complaints about the service.
‘Dial a ride services are well worth it’ says Jackie. If you are infirm, (even temporarily) or elderly and can’t get to the bus stop, why not try Dial a Ride? It’s not free as it is a door to door service- but it’s much cheaper than a taxi. Call 01962 852602 to ask for details and book a journey. ‘Bus Routes must be kept clear’ says Mervyn. After a windscreen was cracked, Jackie has arranged for the Highways Director to go out with Mervyn to see for himself the problems that overhanging branches can cause for large vehicles. Jackie pressed for action last year and trunk routes were cut back extensively in 2008, but Mervyn is contracted for the smaller rural routes, which, he says, urgently need attention too.
Future Proofing for the Elderly
As the proportion of over 65's rise to over 27% there will need to be changes to our infrastructure to help those who are physically less frail, less able to drive and perhaps needing household and administrative support too. Jackie and Simon Cook agree with residents who are really pleased with the support that the Manager, Eddie Pillinger, gives to residents at Makins Court and would like to see more arrangements like this across the area.
This housing was built during the Lib Dem administration - it's a great shame that nothing like it has been built since, as it gives residents real confidence and allows residents to live as independently as they can.
Children's Centres
Phase 3 is being commissioned and HCC is now looking at sites in Alresford and Kings Worthy following our ATP representations to the County. These will serve neighbouring villages too, so need to be reached by public transport.Travellers, Gypsies and Showmen
On October 21st I made a presentation to Winchester City Council Local Development Framework meeting at their consideration of a Winchester response to the paper regarding accommodation needs in the South East, Hampshire and district of Winchester. The Consultation paper is couched in general terms of pitches in the South East, and then divided down to each district but if we are not to be a victim of the ‘’least worst solution’’ , then I feel it is important to speak out now.
Having spoken to residents and travellers, everyone’s preferred option is for the reinstatement of the Dummer site, near the A30 junction on the M3.
Because of the way Hampshire was carved up for the pre consultation work, the opportunity to discuss this site being re-used as a shared facility for Basingstoke and Winchester has never arisen, but talking to travellers this is exactly what they want and it would suit residents well too.
I have formally asked Winchester City Council to broach the subject again with Basingstoke and the County Council and look forward to hearing the outcome.
Why is a proper site a good idea?
Informal sites which are left in a terrible state across the County give travellers, gypsies and showmen a bad reputation. Children of these groups rarely attend school for the full term and their education is dependent on being near a school. Medical care is also sporadic. I have suggested too, that sites like Dummer are best proactively managed by a Housing Association, rather than by the District or County Council as they have the skills in this field. (no pun intended!)
The ’Dummer’ site was opened partly to deal with the needs of the travelling population as they wend their way across the drove roads.
As happens so often, a few people spoiled it for the majority. It was a well positioned site, away from houses but with good transport links. It’s worth trying again, laying out new facilities there and providing effective management. That way any problem is managed and dealt with quickly, travellers, gypsies and showmen are given the pitches they need and nearby residents feel safe.
For more information the consultation paper considers the housing needs of gypsies, travellers and travelling show people.
Cause for Concern
The A31
Over the months I have become increasingly concerned about the number of accidents on the A31 and it came to a head when a resident said he was really worried about the bikers along there - he feared for their safety, and that of his family.
This week, A31 residents and I had a constructive meeting with the Police and an officer from the Hampshire Safety Engineering Team, describing all of the incidents and problems which they had experienced and going through statistics etc. This included near misses and the problems of poor visibility when the grass is long.
In preparation for the meeting I had met with the same officer, and two others responsible for drainage and maintenance programmes and accident records, driving in and out of every junction to see what the experience felt like, if only once or twice, and in some of the best conditions.
The lie of the land was much better this week after the grass and verges had been cut and strimmed, but there were still places where the greenery obscured the view of oncoming traffic.
So what next?
The Police agreed that there is a problem there, and have agreed to check the volume of traffic and speeds and start enforcement.
Safety engineering are planning sections of road surface improvements which should reduce the number of accidents, and drainage will be tackled, but all agreed that there’s more to do.
As communities change, the use of the junctions has changed and there are official and unofficial crossing points to add to the element of surprise for drivers.
Numerous lay-bys and farm crossings add to the slower traffic crossing the dual carriageway.
The new surfacing should take place during the summer so the lanes will be closed for periods, and more speeding signs will go up- these may be temporary.
In future months, the crossing points will be reviewed with an view to repairing the surfaces, and other measures may be included.
What won’t be automatic is a change of speed limit. But this dual carriageway isn’t the only one with accidents and after the average speeds and volumes have been recorded, I will look at this with the officers again and report back.
As one resident put it so well:
‘You need to educate drivers about what they might encounter’ she said ’ It could be a lorry, a dog or rabbit, a hidden house exit or a farm lorry. It doesn’t look to the through driver that there’s any danger at all. You won’t change the way drivers drive along the road if they don’t know that it has dangers all along it’
The work on the A31 in the next few months should help to do just that-let’s hope it works.
Energy Bill Worries Worried about your energy bills? Don’t panic! Want to insulate your home? Feel your heat is being wasted? Want to make greener changes? Ring the Energy Saving Trust- a charity for impartial advice you can trust - 0800 512 012.If you are having real difficulties with your bill, contact your energy supplier direct. They have home visitors who can come and see you to discuss what you can do about it, help with social tariffs etc. If you feel you can’t manage this go to your Councillor or the CAB
Safer Neighbourhoods Changes to the Safer Neighbourhood Teams has meant that the Police are much more accountable to the community now. There has been much better attendance at Parish Council Meetings and they are more visible day to day. Jackie has regular contact with Police officers, getting an overview at the meetings, and by email etc.
Paths to PartnershipFollowing a strong representation from Micheldever Parish Council in the summer, we walked the paths of East Stratton with a another regular walker, Mrs Carter We were caught in the rain, but points were well made by Mrs Carter - if we in the countryside are to enjoy these paths, and encourage our children to live healthier lifestyles by doing so too, then they must be properly maintained.
Footpath to NowhereThe new hard surfacing on the road out of Alresford is actually a cycle path and now it is finished, in theory, as the road is narrower and there is a new traffic island, the traffic speeds should be lower. Click now for more information.
LorriesI know many of you are concerned at the damage caused to the roads and hedgerows by large lorries travelling though the countryside. A consultation on the strategy for transfer of freight in Hampshire is underway. The draft can be found online at http://www.hants.gov.uk/consultation or contact me for a paper copy. The deadline for responses is the 21st October 2008
Village 30 schemesAll of the Village 30 schemes for the 07- 08 year have now been approved as advertised in Old Alresford, Headbourne Worthy and Itchen Valley, and will take effect from 12th September 2008. You will see an extensive Village 30 publicity campaign to accompany the new signage. The 08-09 schemes in Micheldever Station, East Stratton, Easton and Itchen Stoke are now in progress.
Post BoxesPost Boxes are giving notice of earlier times for last collection. Many are already at 4pm or earlier. If you are affected by this, please let me know.
Phone BoxesPhone Boxes are also under threat but we have made a strong case to retain at least one phone box in every village. The next step is to make sure that all of these phone boxes work for emergency, and 0800, 0845 calls. I am particularly keen that residents can call the Samaritans, Childline and CAB without the use of a credit or phone card.
Post OfficeI am pleased that the Post Office is still committed to a post office service in Micheldever but negotiations remain delicate. As I write the Post Office is still looking for a secure venue.