Author Archives: Monxton Matters

Parish Council Minutes – 8 April 2015

by Monxton Matters

Minutes of the Monxton Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 8th April 2015 in the Monxton Village Hall at 7.30pm.

Present: Cllr Mike Cleugh – Chairman, Cllr Sarah Dowding – Vice Chairman, Cllr Judith Balding, Cllr Adrian Drage, Borough Cllr Mr Ben Few-Brown, Richard Waterman – Parish Clerk, Mrs Z Brooks – Candidate for Hampshire County Councillor, Members of the Public – 3

Apologies : Cllr David Bateman and Mr David James NHW

WELCOME – Cllr Mike Cleugh welcomed everyone to the meeting.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST – There were no declarations of interest recorded

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
The Chairman signed the minutes of the January 2015 meeting as a true record.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
No slots had been booked to address the Parish Council.

PARISH COUNCIL ELECTIONS
The Parish Council are up for election on the 7th May 2015. The current councillors standing are Judith Balding, Sarah Dowding, David Bateman and Mike Cleugh.

PARISH COUNCIL ACTIVITIES
Parish Council activities fall into three main categories:

  • Representing the local community
  • Delivering services to meet local needs
  • Improving quality of life and community well being.

Local councils can provide and maintain a variety of important and visible local services including allotments, bridleways, bus shelters, car parks, commons and open spaces, community transport schemes, community safety and crime reduction measures, events

and festivals, footpaths, leisure and sports facilities, litter bins, planning, street cleaning and lighting, tourism activities, traffic calming measures, village greens and youth projects.

Parish councils receive funding by levying a “precept” on the council tax paid by the residents of the parish. Parish councils comprise unpaid councillors who are elected to serve for four years.

Parish councils must be notified by the district or county council of:

  • All planning applications in their areas
  • Intention to provide a burial ground in the parish
  • Proposals to carry out sewerage works
  • Footpath and bridleway (more generally, ‘rights of way’) surveys
  • Intention to make byelaws in relation to hackney carriages music and dancing, promenades, sea shore and street naming.

PLANNING

  • No new planning applications received since January 21/1/15
  • Update on the Alpine Group at Manor Farm -Agreement in principle with the Keir Group, still awaiting final approval of some details but Planning consultant positive that this is now imminent and will result in a agreed deal.
  • The Alpine Group two new factories on Walworth Industrial Estate in Andover and 10 houses on the current Alpine site will be built in a no profit deal. The Chairman wished to thank the work of Cllr Mrs P West and Cllr Mr Ben Few-Brown who have helped this project to go through.
  • Issues with lorries going to dump rubble at Georgia Lane still plague the village.
  • A recent Village meeting to discuss the Georgia Lane operation was well attended.
  • The Chairman gave up-dates from TVBC, Environment Agency, Hampshire County Council and the Forestry Commission on the issue with Georgia Lane.
  • Cllr Mr Ben Few-Brown reported that TVBC are investigating 4 breeches of the Planning Permission for the site

ENVIRONMENT – CLLR JUDITH BALDING

SOUTHERN WATER
The works to the pumping station have been completed by Southern Water, and hopefully, these improvements and those done to the drainage system, will ensure that we do not have a repeat of the issues we experienced last year.

PILLHILL BROOK
The replacement weir across the Pillhill Brook at Upper Mill House is now in place. It is a great improvement on the dam which had been built over the original weir. Household rubble, bricks, concrete sand bags, grass and soil were removed to enable the construction of the new weir. The Pillhill Brook is an important stretch of unique chalk stream and is not a winterbourne. To maintain the ecological function of the brook and to protect the habitats of the Wild Brown Trout and the varied wildlife, there has to be a regular water flow. It remains to be seen if the new weir will allow sufficient water to flow down the main river channel of the brook, both in the winter months when levels are high and during the drier summer months when the water levels are low.

FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS
No reports of any problems with the footpaths or bridleways.

TRAFFIC – CLLR SARAH DOWDING

  • Scalpings or similar requested for potholes down the road sides along Broad Road and also by the Village Hall by Hampshire County Council Highways.
  • Ground works on the verge alongside Monxton Manor to be started week commencing 11 May 2015.
  • Villager Gateways on TVBC list for 2015/2016, along with 30mph limit extension.
  • Still waiting for the bollard to be repaired by Hampshire County Council Highways – now done.
  • Still waiting for bollards around small green at Abbotts Ann Road/Broad Road.
  • Community Speed Watch due to start very soon – at latest spring 2015. This project is now under new leadership.
  • It was reported that there is a large pothole on the road between Sunnybank and the traffic lights.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
David James will provide an up-date at the May meeting.

FINANCE
Payments February and March 2015.

  • R.N. Waterman                   Wages – February   (Standing Order)  £200.00
  • R.N. Waterman                   Wages – March                                         £200.00
                                                                                                                  £400.00

ACCOUNTS – 1st April 2014 – 31st March 2015

INCOME
Opening Balance BF      = £5,574.65
Plus ½ precept             = £5,200.00

=  £10,774.65

EXPENDITURE
Wages                         =  £2400.00
Insurance                    =    £388.45
Notice Boards              =    £133.30
Play Ground Inspection =     £65.40
Village Maintenance      =  £1816.00
Dog Bins                     =     £152.64
Church Grant               =     £500.00
Village Hall refurbishment  £1000.00

=  £6,455.79

BALANCE IN BANK       =  £4,318.86

MONEY SET ASIDE – NOT INCLUDED IN ABOVE FIGURES

£2000.00 for Traffic Calming
£1000.00 for Village Project/Maintenance

Cllr Mike Cleugh proposed that the Parish Council spend £500 of the Village Project money to restore the Village Pond into a nice area.

Cllr Adrain Dredge was concerned that any work carried out on the pond could cause possible flooding to neighbouring properties and recommended to proceed with extreme caution. This was noted and it was agreed to clear the area and monitor the level of water in the pond before taking any further action.

SUNNYBANK
Cllr David Bateman advised that there is no current issues and gave his apologies as he is still too ill to attend but expects to make a full recovery. The Parish Council wished him a speedy recovery.

MONXTON WEB SITE
Cllr Sarah Dowding reported on the Monxton Web Site. Views to date 65,162 with 193 comments submitted.

A.O.B.
The Parish Council were asked if there was any news on the planning application for the new tracks at the Great Wood? Cllr Mike Cleugh reported that the Environment Agancy are on the case.

CLOSE OF THE MEETING
Cllr Mike Cleugh thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting.

DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
13th May 2015 – AGM    

Amport & Monxton Community Charity

by Monxton Matters

The Amport and Monxton Community Charity was set up in November 2013 as a way to support local community projects.  The Charity is established as a charitable trust, with six trustees all of whom are residents in the villages, and objects as follows:

  • To improve the parishes of Amport and Monxton for the benefit of the inhabitants of the area
  • To encourage the goodwill and involvement of the wider community
  • To foster community spirit
  • To support local community groups and projects

The charity is a beneficiary of the annual Village Fete as well as this year’s Mucky Duck Race (24th May) and last year’s Burns Night.  The Charity also applies for grant funding for specific projects. Our first project was a paediatric first-aid course, for parents and grandparents in the villages.  We also arranged tours of Amport House for locals in spring 2014. We have a number of projects underway including a village map for residents, showing local footpaths and suggested walks, and a local history festival scheduled for November.  We would be delighted to hear your ideas for future projects that you would like to see in our community.

Trustees:

  • Kate Cavalier
  • Rupert Collingwood
  • Sarah Dowding
  • Emma Jones
  • Gemma Pearce
  • Neil Warren

Contact kate.cavalier@gmail.com

 

 

Farm Units Break-in, Monxton Road

by Monxton Matters

Between 17:00 on Tuesday 21st April and 07:00 Wednesday 22nd April, a farm off of Monxton Road, Andover had barns and out buildings broken in to.

 

The offenders entered the location by cutting a large chain to fields on Cattle Lane before driving over further fields and cutting fences of another farm to gain access.

 

Once at the targetted farm, a number of storage units were broken into, with power tools being stolen and several vehicles damaged – some to gain access to the units and others for no apparent reason.

 

This incident has caused several thousand pounds worth of damage in what would appear to be a mindless, malicious attack on property, along with the theft of work items.

 

Please contact Hampshire Police on 101 if you saw anything suspicious or have any information regarding the matter.

Chalke Valley History Festival: June 22-28

by Monxton Matters

logo20151The Chalke Valley History Festival was established to promote the understanding of history to people of all ages. Offering a unique blend of talks, discussions & debates alongside a vast living history through-the-ages encampment and stunning warbird air show, the Chalke Valley History Festival is a celebration of history like no other.

Set in fields in south-west Wiltshire, the festival’s home lies in an idyllic part of the world. Here, chalk downs, etched by ancient droves, overlook lush farmland and, during the week-long festival, a large encampment. It is a stunning spot – where an ancient English landscape meets Hardy’s Wessex. And for one week at the end of every June, this normally sleepy corner of England comes alive to the sound of Merlin engines, cannon-fire, muskets and music.

Whether young or old, there is much on offer at this truly unique festival of history.

Enjoy fascinating, insightful and excellent talks and presentations for a wide range of speakers – all experts in their fields, and also often household names such as Dan Snow, Neil Oliver, Tom & James Holland, Ranulph Fiennes, Charles Spencer, Peter Snow, Ian Hislop, John Sessions, Charlie Higson, Sebastian Faulks, Nicholas Soames and Julian Fellowes.

Enjoy weekend air displays with the UK’s only flying Lancaster, Spitfires, a Hurricane, a P-51 Mustang and a Catalina.

There are also Living History displays with small encampments from Roman times to the Second World War. Each encampment is manned by hugely knowledgeable living historians and re-enactors who will be demonstrating their particular period – living, cooking, eating, making tools and everyday utensils, or preparing for battle. They will give informal talks  and provide all manner of practical activities with anyone of any age can get involved. There will be an Anglo-Saxon settlement with two reconstructed dwellings, and a medieval combat tournament. There is also the Trench experience to better understand life on the Western Front during World War One. Or enjoy Sword School to taste what it was like to clash blades and shields.

Tickets are now available to book at www.cvhf.org.uk

Mucky Duck Race 24 May

by Monxton Matters

The Mucky Duck Race

The Black Swan is delighted to announce the return of The Mucky Duck Race on Sunday 24th May at 11.30.

At the starting line on Monxton village green there will be a bar serving a selection of real ale and cider, and Broughton Water Buffalo will be barbequing. There will be face painting and craft stands for children courtesy of Amport PTA, florist With Wild Abandon will be making and selling beautiful garlands and posies, and Amport & Monxton Community Charity will also be on the green with information about their upcoming projects.

Ducks will race to the finish line at the end of The Black Swan garden.

The Mucky Duck race card

  • 12.00– With Wild Abandon Stakes
  • 12.40 – Picnic & Hamper Co Chase
  • 1.20 – Abbotts Ann Village shop Stakes
  • 2.00 – The Andover & Villages Quacky Races
  • 2.40– The Black Swan Song

1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes for each race are kindly provided be the race sponsor. You can buy ducks in advance at the bar at The Black Swan, or there will be ducks available on the day on the green. Each duck costs £1.50, and all proceeds from the ducks will be split equally between The Hawk Conservancy and Amport & Monxton Community Charity.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Michael & Rosy

Paddington at the Village Hall

by Monxton Matters

Paddington will be shown at Monxton & Amport Village Hall on Thursday 9th April. Doors open at 2.30pm. Light refreshments (probably popcorn, ice-cream and soft drinks) will be available.

Tickets are £6 each, adult or child (we need one adult to every three children as a minimum). Please contact Karin Staines on 712061 or by email karinrups@yahoo.co.uk

 

Planning Application for Abbotts Mead, Chalkpit Lane

by Monxton Matters

15/00180/FULLN |Abbotts Mead, Chalkpit Lane, Monxton, Hampshire, SP11 8AS

Removal of existing boot room and erection of ground and first floor extensions and porch to existing dwelling; internal and external alterations; replacement 3 bay cartshed with external stairs; new access and parking area.

Click here for the full application and type in the reference number above.

The proposal includes a new access onto Abbotts Ann Road. The final date for Neighbour Consultation is Friday 20 February 2015. If you wish to make comment, please do so on the Test Valley website link above.

Monxton v Amport 7 a-side Soccer Match

by Monxton Matters

footie match

To those who already have seen this poster in the pub there have been hearty bellows of support & childlike anticipation.

Now it is time to put proverbial wonga in the vicinity of ones mush, as it were and stand up to be counted, men and women all.

The Monxton v Amport soccer game is to take place on Saturday 28th March. The process of enticement, coercion and general press-ganging of players and supporters alike has started!

We will need to put up a mixed team, so barest minimum requirements are 6 men and 1 dedicated lady.  For those who like to run around for no longer than 5 minutes at a time – best help find a substitute or two, as we will be permitted to go on and off the pitch for as little or as much as desired.

And as is so often the case around the blood-curdling rivalries of amateur local derbies the length and breadth of this fine country, there is the ever-present pernicious threat of ringers, players, semi-pros; with this in mind, only those living in Monxton can play in the team – harsh but fair.

Please let either Marcus Tebbutt-Ford or the Mucky Duck know your availability and eagerness to stick one to the Amportonians; let us not be under any illusion that meanderings are not already afoot within that foreign land – and we certainly wouldn’t want to bring derision and humiliation upon our fair village, turning up on the day with two fine fellows, a dog and a half eaten turnip now would we? The shame.

Monxton will be playing in black, or as close to black as we can all find in our wardrobes.