From Farmers Weekly
Dairy farmers have staged a fourth milk protest against plummeting milk prices by targeting the Co-op.
About 120 farmers used tractors to block the entrance to the Co-operative Distribution Centre in Andover, Hampshire.
From 8pm onwards on Tuesday (14 October) farmers prevented lorries from entering the 470,000ft depot, which serves more than 400 stores in southern England. The protest ended at about midnight.
To read the full article and see the video click here
There are four new applications for Monxton. To see each in more detail please click here and type in the reference number below. You can also comment online should you wish.
By www.andoverandvillages.co.uk (words and photo credit)
On Monday, 6 October, renowned artist Chris Brammall helped the Mayor of Test Valley, Councillor Jan Lovell, to unveil his spectacular flight and navigation-inspired sculpture at the entrance to Andover Business Park. The piece pays homage to the site’s history as the former home of RAF Andover and has been beautifully engineered using galvanised steel and aluminium. Councillor Ian Carr was also in attendance at the ceremony in his role as Leader of the Council, but also with a personal interest in the redevelopment of the Airfield. Councillor Carr was a former RAF Aircrew Officer based at Andover as part of 21 squadron flying Devons. It was the last squadron to fly from the site.
Decades have passed since the Lockheed P38 Lightning and the Westland Pterodactyl soared above the town of Andover in Hampshire. This new piece of public art will mean that the aircraft will take to the skies once more.
Standing at 13 metres at its highest point, the stunning work of art has been funded by global integrated property group, Goodman, owner and developer of Andover Business Park. The sculpture project commenced at the end of March and has taken six months to complete.
George Glennie, Development Director at Goodman, said: “We’re pleased to have been involved with bringing such a unique sculpture with historical relevance to the area. At Goodman we are passionate about adding value to all of the regions where we operate. We’re thrilled that this new artwork will call Andover Business Park home and be enjoyed by both employees and local residents.”
Chris Brammall, the artist, said: “Due to the scale of the sculpture and the fascinating context surrounding the theme of the piece, Flight and Navigation has been the type of challenge which we, as a company, always look forward to.
“The opportunity to engage with the public and the various stakeholders has been highly rewarding. We feel that this has enabled us to produce a piece that accurately portrays the aspirations of everyone involved, while at the same time, creates a statement that enables the story of RAF Andover and its local community to continue on into the future.”
Chris also worked with the local community to develop an information panel to accompany the artwork. It includes a fascinating mixture of memories, facts and anecdotes relating to the site. The last flag to fly at RAF Andover has been kept safe for decades by Councillor Ian Carr, and was brought back into service at the ceremony. It was draped over the panel ready for the sculpture’s official unveiling.
Councillor Tony Ward, Portfolio Holder for Community and Leisure, said: “The work of art is simply stunning. It captures beautifully the elegance and physics of flight. You can almost hear the whoosh and thrum of the engines as they score a path through the clouds.
“Future generations would not know about the history of the site without trawling the history books. This sculpture will act as a permanent reminder of the aircraft and military men and women who took to the skies above the town. This is such an exciting day for Andover and I hope residents and visitors will enjoy the piece for decades to come.”
A commissioning panel comprising Test Valley borough councillors, Goodman developers, Council officers and external arts professionals conducted a vigorous shortlisting process to arrive at their final decision. More than 69 artists from around the world submitted initial designs for the installation.
An update on the progress to secure sites for the relocation of Alpine and Penchard from their agent:
Despite a very thorough search, it was not possible to find existing buildings suitable for Alpine’s and Penchard’s businesses and it took an appreciable amount of time to find sites in an acceptable location which could be developed to provide the accommodation needed by both companies, particularly as the provider of those sites also has to be the purchaser of the Manor Farm site, once the companies have been relocated.
The companies are in the final stages of agreeing designs and specifications for the new buildings for Alpine and Penchard and they will then enter into negotiations to agree terms for the acquisition of the buildings and the sale of Manor Farm. Those negotiations should be concluded before Christmas and then the purchaser of Manor Farm will submit a planning application for the redevelopment of Manor Farm. That application should be determined by the middle of 2015 and, providing it is approved, the construction of the buildings for Alpine and Penchard should commence late summer and be completed by May/June 2016.
Application by Nelson Plant Hire Ltd: Variation of condition 3 (operating hours) of planning permission 11/02569/CMAN at Nelson Recycling, Homestead Farm, Weyhill Road, Penton Corner Andover SP11 0QX (application number 14/01527/CMAN)
The Regulatory Committee refused the above application. For any further queries about the case please contact Kristina King on planning@hants.gov.uk
Minutes of the Monxton Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 17th September 2014 in the Monxton Village Hall at 7.30pm.
Present : Cllr Mike Cleugh – Chairman, Cllr Sarah Dowding – Vice Chairman, Cllr Judith Balding, Cllr Adrian Drage, Cllr David Bateman, Richard Waterman – Parish Clerk, Members of the Public – 13, Mr Ray Alborough – TVBC Highways; Mr Mike James, Richard Andrews and Graham Purvis – Southern Water.
Apologies : Borough Councilor Mr B Few-Brown and County Councilor Mrs P West.
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 July meeting as a true record.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC – No slots had been booked to address the Parish Council.
REPORTS
ENVIRONMENT AND FOOTPATHS
SOUTHERN WATER – Cllr Judith Balding was pleased to welcome Southern Water representatives, Mike James – Stakeholder Communications, Richard Andrews – author of the draft IRP and Graham Purvis – Hampshire Area Plan Manager, to discuss their draft Infiltration Reduction Plan (IRP).
SW has been working to survey and repair sources of infiltration in the villages of Fyfield, Kimpton, Mullens Pond and Monxton. These villages have been combined into a single IRP because they are on the same sewage network. The gravity flow from Fyfield and Kimpton villages is pumped via Thruxton, Mullens Pond and Amport to Monxton and on to Fullerton treatment works. The success of the infiltration reduction programme will be dependent on the support of the Environment Agency, Hampshire County Council, Test Valley Borough Council and all of the village’s Parish Councils.
Mr Mike James reported that Southern Water have 24,000 miles of sewers, much of it aging and in need of repair. Last year survey work was carried out in the Monxton catchment area. A repair programme was undertaken costing £1 Million.
POINTS FOR DISCUSSION
1) Can SW explain the design and capacity of the sewage system which passes through Monxton WPS and the design and capacity of the pumping station itself.
Answer: The system is a ‘foul system’. Sewage from Fyfield and Kimpton is pumped to Amport. It is then pumped to Monxton and then over the hill to Abbots Ann before being pumped to Fullerton. Monxton Pumping station has two pumps that are sized for the catchment area, they pump 45ltr a second. When needed the pumping station is supplemented by tankers. There is a back up alarm system that alerts Southern Water of problems. It was reported that the Alarm System was not working – Mr James noted this. The alarm system will be reviewed, along with ensuring the electricity system is resilient to any future flooding.
2) When the flooding occurred, why did it take SW so long to start over pumping
Answer: Southern Water have to apply for permits from the EA before over pumping can begin. There are a lot of conditions to meet before consent is given.
3) What are SW doing to prevent a recurrence of flooding to the sewage system and the pumping station this winter.
Answer: The Monxton Pumping Station has been up-graded and pumping capacity has been increased by 50%. The system is checked along the line and an early warning system has been installed at Mullens Pond (Est Cholderton). Repair work to stop surface water entering the system have been undertaken at a cost of £300,000. The work should be completed by the 1st October 2014.
4) What are SW considering for the medium and longer term, as it appears to us laymen that the plant, being sited in an area of high groundwater, is not in the right place?
Answer: The pumping station at Monxton has been sighted at the lowest point and there were no problems with ground water in the pumping station during the recent floods.
5) How does SW monitor the capacity of the system and are they approached or consulted by TVBC and HCC when new building plans are submitted?
Answer: Southern Water are not one of the statuary consultees, however Southern water are consulted on large scale developments. If the Parish Council have any concerns about any new development in the parish please contact Southern Water.
6) What arrangements do SW have in place for compensation to users when the services you provide are unavailable and how are these communicated to your customers?
Answer: Customers must report their claims direct to Southern Water with dates, times etc. Each case is investigated.
7) Is there a panel in place at SW which seeks out the views of your customers and provides feedback to the heads of the relevant departments?
Answer: Southern Water review their business plan every 5 years and customers are consulted. The last consultation was sent out to 31,000 customers.
8) What were the results of the CCTV surveys carried out by SW in Monxton in June at the river crossings and have those repairs identified been completed yet? If not, when will they be done?
Answer: CCTV was carried out on the system, there was not a lot of ground water infiltration detected. There are no current plans to do any work but this will be reviewed at a later date.
9) What is the timeline for implementing the IRP.
Answer: The IRP is a living document at the moment and should be completed within the next two weeks, it will then be sent to the EA for approval. It could take two to three months for the EA to come back with approval. Once approval is granted it could take up to a minimum of two years to implement the IRP. This was deemed unacceptable by those present at the meeting.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC – The Southern Water Team were asked questions on Over Pumping, Raw Sewage in the fields and the time it took to sort things out during the problems earlier in the year. The Chairman thanked the Southern Water Team for coming.
FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS – Footpaths & Bridleways Boat 11 has been cut back up to the track to Weyhill and most of the footpaths and bridleways have been cleared.
TEST VALLEY ASSOCIATION OF PARISH AND TOWN COUNCILS – Cllr Balding attended a meeting of the TVAPTC on 11th September on behalf of MPC. The Chairman, Charles Milner-Williams welcomed MPC and a very informative presentation was given by the guest speaker, Steve Lees, Head of Planning Policy and Transportation at TVBC.
PLANNING
Subject: Ref 14/01527/CMAN Extension of hours at waste transfer station Homestead Farm, Penton Corner.
Objections had been sent by MPC and several villagers. The main issue for the Monxton is the Lorries transporting material to Georgia Farm. Cllr David Bateman and Cllr Mrs P West attended the Planning Meeting. Cllr Bateman was pleased to report that the application had been refused by the Planning Committee. The Parish Council wished to thank Cllr Mrs Pat West for her support on this matter. A discussion of the dumping of rubble at the Georgia Lane Site followed.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH – Mr David James
Rural Crime
You may have noticed the recent coverage of rural crime in the news media. Livestock rustling, traditionally the stuff of westerns, has resurfaced in Britain. In 2013 the number of sheep stolen from farmers around the country increased by 25%. In our area crime has involved the theft of fuel oil and other chemicals, hand tools, tack and increasingly items such as quad bikes. Larger vehicles such as tractors are also targeted, generally to order by organised gangs, and are then usually shipped out of the country.
Incidents of poaching have also been reported. Three men have been found guilty at court of an offence of daytime trespass in pursuit of game in the Andover area. Each received a fine of £150, surcharge of £50 and costs of £85. If we want to tackle rural crime then we all need to work together by ensuring all incidents are reported, helping to ensure that the Police are able to target their resources efficiently.
Rogue Traders
The Police have had several reports of possible rogue traders touting door to door recently, particularly in relation to gardening and hedge trimming or tree surgery. If you have a caller who is aggressive or persistent please call the Police! Hampshire Trading Standards have a useful web page which lists reputable tradesmen:
http://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/sitepages/bwchome.aspx
Crime Alerts
Since the last meeting an alert was issued on the 14th August which was distributed in Monxton and posted on Monxton Matters. It covered the points summarised above together with advice on warm weather home security.
TRAFFIC
Mr Ray Alborough spoke about the bollards that have been installed at Monxton Manor as there have been comments about parking. The project has yet to be finished a suitable coverage of the parking area needs to be agreed and the addition of a solid white line on the highway will further highlight the area and move traffic further into the centre of the road. Highways are waiting for the County Council’s contractor to complete the work. Traffic Regulation Orders were discussed, Mr Ray Alborough suggested that all changes to the speed limits are applied for on one Traffic Regulation Order.
The Chairman reported that the Alpine Group relocation to a new site is progressing. The Chairman thanked Mr Ray Alborough for coming to the meeting.
WEB SITE
An up-date on the Web Site was given
SUNNYBANK
Cllr David Bateman reported that there is still an ongoing problem with the road drains. The drains are blocked from Silver Birch Farm all the way to the village, these have been reported to Paul Walsh at Hampshire Highways and he has promised that they will be dealt with by the end of the week. Cllr D Bateman will monitor the situation.
MISCELLANEOUS
There have been reported incidents of someone dumping grass cuttings in the Phil Hill Brook. Reports of Japanese Knot Weed being dumped have also been logged. Boat 11 has been cut but not its whole length. It has been reported that Hampshire County Council are 18 months behind with their footpath cutting programme.
FINANCE
EXPENDITURE
Payments August and September 2014.
Mr Clive Hutchinson Grass Cutting £465.00
R.N. Waterman Wages – August (Standing Order) £200.00
R.N. Waterman Wages – September £200.00
£865.00
ACCOUNTS – 1st April 2014 – 17th September 2014
INCOME
Opening Balance BF = £5,574.65
Plus ½ precept = £2,600.00
= £ 8,174.65
EXPENDITURE
Wages = £1200.00
Insurance = £388.45
Notice Boards = £133.30
Play Ground Inspection = £65.40
Village Maintenance = £1171.00
Dog Bins = £152.64
= £ 3,110.79
BALANCE IN BANK = £ 5,063.86
MONEY SET ASIDE – NOT INCLUDED IN ABOVE FIGURES
£1000.00 for Village Hall Refurbishment
£2000.00 for Traffic Calming
£1000.00 for Village Project/Maintenance
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
It was noted that the Agenda for this meeting had not been put on the Web Site, Cllr Sarah Dowding apologised this had been an oversight. The Agenda however was displayed on the three village notice boards. Questions were asked about the way the Parish Council Agenda is distributed around the Parish. This was discussed and it was agreed that those who are not on email will be sent a copy of the agenda through the post by the Clerk.
CLOSE OF THE MEETING
The Chairman thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting.
DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
19th November 2014 in the Monxton Village Hall at 7.30pm
There have been two recent reports of a household dumping their grass clippings in the mill race of Pillhill Brook. These clippings are clogging up the water, rotting and making it difficult for fish and aquatic life to thrive. There have also been lots of crab apples mixed with one lot of clippings.
So please ensure that no garden waste, or waste of any sort, is ever put in the river or any waterways. Please dispose of your waste responsibly. Thanks
Grass cuttings and crab apples littering the mill race.
As you have probably noticed there are some new bollards outside Monxton Manor, adjacent to the church and village hall. Hampshire Highways carried out a number of site visits to assess both the verge and the traffic situation along that stretch of road and the corner between Bec House and Corner Cottage. These bollards have been installed on Highways-owned land, by Hampshire Highways for a number of reasons:
Even when cars are parked along this stretch of verge the cars do not need to protrude more than 12-18” into the road. Many measurements were taken to ensure that the road would still be wide enough even with cars parked along here. Where the bollards are located, even with cars parked along that entire stretch, the road is 5.5 metres at the widest point, and narrowing to 4.5 metres by the church gates. Measurements were taken from the wing mirror of a standard car to the far edge of the tarmac of the wall of Bec House. There is still another 30cm-plus of ‘verge’ between the tarmac and the wall. Yet just around the corner, the road narrows to just 4 metres between the wall of Bec House and the hedge of Corner Cottage.
The vast majority of cars are between 1.6m and 2m wide, including wing mirrors. The maximum width for any tractor, bus or vehicle to use the highways in the UK is 2.55m. That means that at most of the points past Monxton Manor it possible to fit 2 tractors passing within the 5.5m road width, and it’s comfortable with two cars passing each other, even with other cars parked on the verge.
Where a road is narrowed, to help control vehicle speeds, for example, the minimum carriageway width (kerb to kerb) is 3.7 metres. So even the 4 metre road width by Corner Cottage is still 30cm more than the minimum requirements.
On Friday 24th October Monxton & Amport Village Hall will be playing host to a hilarious 90-minute satirical sketch show open to all. “From Here to Absurdity” recalls the spirit of Peter Cook and Beyond the Fringe, comprising about 30 sketches and songs, written and assembled by Richard Kelly –a politics lecturer at Manchester Grammar School and a freelance contributor to Private Eye and the Spectator. The material focuses on the assorted idiocies of modern life, targeting (for example) political correctness, prattish ramblers, rapacious estate agents, irritating telephone salesmen, oily counsellors, brutal gynaecologists, sad round-robin writers, deaf parents, two-faced career women, men who can’t cook, men who can’t speak, birth, marriage, divorce and death.
Following its success at the Edinburgh Fringe, the show has played at the Buxton, Chester and York comedy festivals as well as numerous pubs, clubs and theatres across the country. A series with Radio 4 is currently being negotiated. The show involves three performers, each exhibiting a range of characters and accents, plus a minimalist set and topical soundtrack. None of the sketches last longer than 3 minutes, so if any of them leave you cold you can always wander off (mentally, that is) and contemplate the ‘absurdity’ of your own job, your own relationship, your own family and your own failed ambitions. For sheer comic tragedy, no sketch can ever compete with those…
Tickets are priced at £10 each and can be purchased from Val Taylor. Please telephone 01264 772578.
Minutes of the Monxton Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 23rd July 2014 in the Monxton Village Hall at 7.30pm.
Present : Cllr Mike Cleugh – Chairman, Cllr Judith Balding, Cllr Adrian Drage, Richard Waterman – Parish Clerk; Members of the Public – 4
Apologies : Cllr Sarah Dowding – Vice Chairman, Borough Councillor Mr B Few-Brown and County Councillor Mrs P West
WELCOME – Cllr Mike Cleugh welcomed everyone to the meeting.
DECLARATION OF INTEREST
Cllr Judith Balding declared and interest in the issue of flooding and the Weir.
MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING
The Chairman signed the minutes of the June meeting as a true record.
Cllr David Bateman stated that the minutes recorded that “Cllr Mrs P West stated that whilst at the site meeting she noticed the terrible state of the drains on the Monxton Road and tasked Highways to get them sorted, this was done the same day and they are all now clear”. Cllr David Bateman reported that this was not the case and they have since been reported to Paul Walsh at Highways.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
No slots had been booked to address the Parish Council.
ENVIRONMENT AND FOOTPATHS
THE PILLHILL BROOK
APPLICATION NO: 14/00300/FULLN for the construction of a replacement weir at Upper Mill House, Monxton, Andover.
This application has been decided as follows: PERMISSION subject to conditions & notes
15 Despite many objections to this Planning Application being made to TVBC, permission has been granted. The TVBC Northern Area Planning Committee met on 15th July 2014 to consider this application and concluded that this development is considered to be acceptable because it does not impact adversely on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, flooding or ecology, and in these respects complies with the relevant policies of the Test Valley Borough Local Plan 2006. Therefore permission was granted subject to development beginning within three years and that it is carried out and completed strictly in accordance with the submitted plans. The decision notice and plan may be viewed on the Council’s website at http://www.testvalley.gov.uk/viewapplications.
A report by the Wild Trout Trust for recommended works to the Pillhill Brook at Monxton
Manor is available on the Monxton Matters website.
THE MONXTON FLOOD ADVISORY COMMITTEE
This is a sub-committee of, and reportable to, the Monxton Parish Council.
In an emergency :-
Contacts:
PUMPING STATION
All residents should have received a letter from Southern Water regarding their plans for the area, including their Infiltration Reduction Plan (IRP), which is being put in place for Monxton. An IRP is a strategy and action document to manage groundwater infiltration affecting the sewers in the catchment. One of the first IRPs of its type in the UK, it will be updated by Southern Water on a regular basis to show the latest information regarding the progress of work in the village to reduce infiltration. SW representatives were invited to attend tonight’s Parish Council meeting to discuss this document but it has not yet been completed due to requests for changes to it by the EA. SW have agreed to a meeting with our Flood Advisory Committee when it is available.
Cllr Balding has had three more meetings since the last Parish Council meeting with Southern Water representatives. Confirmation has been received that the works which have been requested by the Flood Advisory Committee, on behalf of MPC are to be done. These include:
It was suggested that Southern Water are invited to the September Parish Council meeting to give a presentation. Cllr Judith Balding will speak to Southern Water.
TREES
The current work on the trees around the Village Hall has been completed and further works will be done at the request of TVBC in the future.
FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS
The footpaths were cut again recently and will be done again in a few months. Please report any problems with either footpaths or bridleways to Cllr Balding.
TRAFFIC
The Parish Council and members of the public present discussed this issue at length including a report on a visit to a parishioner from Sam Francis one of the TVBC Planning Officers. The Chairman stated that residents seem reluctant to report incidents with lorries through the village, without hard evidence it is difficult to put together a credible case against this planning application. The Chairman urged residents to please report every incident they witness, taking photographs if possible.
SUNNYBANK
Cllr David Bateman spoke about the proposed footpath from Sunnybank to Red Post Lane. He suggested that Cllr Mrs P West is invited to the September Parish Council meeting to confirm exactly what is planned, the timescale and how it will be funded. Cllr David Bateman could not see how this will be achieved as highways do not own all the land and it will be reliant on landowners releasing land. The residents parking at Sunnybank bungalows is completely inadequate. There would be plenty of room if the bank was cut away. If we are to get a footpath then this work could be incorporated in with this work. The Parish Council thought this a good idea.
FINANCE
Cheques to be issued in July 2014.
£1,148.04
ACCOUNTS – 1st April 2014 – 23rd July 2014
Opening Balance BF = £5,574.65
Plus ½ precept = £2,600.00
= £7,174.65
Wages = £800.00
Insurance = £388.45
Notice Boards = £133.30
Play Ground Inspection = £65.40
Village Maintenance = £705.00
Dog Bins = £152.64
PCC Grant = £500.00
= £2,744.79
BALANCE IN BANK = £4,429.86
MONEY SET ASIDE – NOT INCLUDED IN ABOVE FIGURES
PLANNING
VILLAGE PROJECTS
VILLAGE GREEN CLEAR UP – Mr Clive Hutchinson quoted £500 to clear up the untidy area on the Village Green. The Parish Council agreed to proceed, although it was noted that Clive is very busy at the moment and it may no be done until the autumn.
VILLAGE POND – this was briefly discussed and there were mixed feelings on what to do with the area, it needs tidying up but reinstating the pond may cause flooding problems for neighbouring properties.
VILLAGE VERGES AND WEED REDUCTION – It was noted that Hampshire County Council are not cutting the verges as often as they have in the past.
COUNCILLORS REPORTS
Cllr Mr David Bateman reported that there have been several incidents of Anti-Social behaviour in the village, unfortunately they have not been reported to the Police.
CORRESPONDENCE
The Chairman reported that the Parish Council have received a request for funding from the Monxton Parochial Church Council towards the upkeep of the Church Yard and maintenance of machinery. This was discussed. The Chairman proposed that a grant of £500 was given towards the upkeep of the Church Yard, this was seconded by Cllr Mr D Bateman. All agreed.
CLOSE OF THE MEETING
The Chairman thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting.
DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
17th September 2014 in the Monxton Village Hall at 7.30pm
Monxton Matters 