Category Archives: News

TVBC Revised Local Plan 2014 – Important for Monxton!

by Monxton Matters

TVBC have to produce a Revised Development Plan which will identify new development areas and make the planning process simpler. Their proposals are shown below and the MPC will be commenting on them on behalf of the village. However we would encourage individuals to comment as well.

Comments can be either critical or supportive as both are reviewed by the Government Inspectors who will review the Plan later in the year. For instance, the development/strategic gaps around Andover proposed by TVBC are important to us, but land owners and developers are pushing for the area between Abbotts Ann and the A303 to be developed (Little Park Farm): this it seems would be about 2500 dwellings.

Test Valley Borough Revised Local Plan Development Plan Document (DPD)
The draft Revised Test Valley Borough Local Plan DPD contains proposed policies for determining planning applications and identifying strategic allocations for housing, employment and other uses.

Latest update on the Revised Local Plan
The Revised Local Plan (pre-submission) was considered at Cabinet on 18th December 2013 and full Council on the 8th January 2014 where it was agreed to undertake 6 weeks public consultation.  The consultation will run from 9.00am Friday, 24th January to 4.30pm Friday, 7th March 2014.

The document is available by clicking here on the Council’s website.  Please be advised that they are large documents and may take time to download.  The documents are also available for reference at the Council Offices in both Andover and Romsey and at local libraries.

Any comments made should focus on whether it is considered that the document complies with the legal requirements and whether the document is ‘sound’ i.e. is it:-

  • Positively prepared- based on a strategy to meet objectively assessed development and infrastructure needs.
  • Justified- based on a robust and credible evidence base.
  • Effective- should be deliverable over the plan period
  • Consistent with national policy- enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Only comments received during that period will be taken into account. Comments can be made online by clicking here or can be emailed to ldf@testvalley.gov.uk or sent by post using the paper response form to the Council’s Beech Hurst offices.

Planning Applications

by Monxton Matters

There are currently three planning applications in Monxton. Please add your comments (positive or negative) to the Test Valley Borough Council as soon as possible. The consultations dates close on 7 March 2014.

14/00116/FULLN: Application for a replacement garage – Beechurst, Green Lane, Monxton

14/00154/FULLN: Application for erection of dwelling and detached double garage with new highways access for existing dwelling – Langley, Green Lane, Monxton

14/00300/FULLN: The construction of a replacement weir – Upper Mill House, Monxton

Use the reference numbers above and have a look at each application online here

Southern Water

by Monxton Matters

The Monxton Pumping Station on Chalkpit Lane continues to flood, but Southern Water have assured us that they treat all incidents of foul flooding from the public sewerage system seriously. .

If you feel that the current continuous untreated sewage overflows onto the public highways from the pumping station constitutes a health hazard to either humans or animals, or you have been adversely affected in any way, please complain in writing to Southern Water.

Their complaints procedures and contact details are as follows:

Complaints about water or sewerage – please call 0845 278 0845. Southern Water will try and resolve your complaint as soon as possible. If they cannot and you are unhappy, please ask to refer your complaint to a manager and they will make arrangements to call you back. If you still remain unsatisfied then your case can be reviewed by the Customer Relations Team. If that doesn’t work ask your case to be referred to the Director of Customer Services and Revenue.

  • Technical & 24 hour emergency helpline: 0845 278 2845
  • Billing helpline: 0845 272 0845
  • Report a leak: 0800 820 99
  • Automated Services (Notify change of address, pay bills etc): 0845 270 1508
  • www.southernwater.co.uk
  • Southern Water, PO Box 41, Worthing, West Susses, BN13 3NZ

Click here to see the full Southern Water Complaints procedure.

Temporary Road Closures in Test Valley

by Monxton Matters

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN under Section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 that The Borough Council of Test Valley, as agent for Hampshire County Council (being the Traffic Authority), to prevent the likelihood of danger to the public or serious damage to the roads considers that the closure to the roads as specified below should come into force without delay:

ROADS TO BE CLOSED:

Name Town/Village Length Affected
Biddesden Bottom Road Appleshaw For its entire length
Cocum Road Barton Stacey For its entire length
Village Street Chilbolton For its entire length
Winchester Road King’s Somborne For its entire length
New Lane King’s Somborne For its entire length
Vicarage Lane King’s Somborne For its entire length
Budds Lane Romsey For its entire length
Greatbridge Road Romsey For its entire length
Fishlake Meadows Romsey For its entire length
Watery Lane Upper Clatford For its entire length

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES: As signed on site.
PERIOD OF CLOSURE: From Friday 14th February 2014 for a maximum period of twenty-one days. Reasonable facilities will be provided to allow access to adjacent premises where possible.

Details may be viewed at: www.hants.gov.uk/publicnotices.  If you have any queries regarding the above please contact Hampshire County Council Highways Department on 0845 603 5633.

Dated  14th February 2014
Signed  W. Lynds
Head of Legal & Democratic Services
Test Valley Borough Council, Beech Hurst, Weyhill Road, Andover, Hampshire  SP10 3AJ

Moviola: Le Weekend – 26 February

by Monxton Matters

Wednesday 26 February 2014 in Monxton & Amport Village Hall at 7.30pm (Doors open 7pm)

Le Weekend (15)
As their 30th anniversary approaches, Nick & Meg Burrows, (Jim Broadbent & Lindsay Duncan) decide to head off to Paris, where they run into Morgan (Jeff Goldblum), a successful former student of Nick’s. Morgan invites them to a dinner party that ultimately opens up a new vista of life and love for the ageing couple.

Tickets £5
Available from: Caroline Unwin (772375), Veronica Bacon (771285), Karin Staines (712061), or Jennifer Richards (710308)

Refreshments available in the interval

Visit the Moviola website

The Amport & Monxton Community Charity

by Monxton Matters

What would you like to see in our community?

The Amport & Monxton Community Charity has been established, with the following broad aims:
– To improve the parishes of Amport and Monxton for the benefit of the inhabitants of the areas
– To encourage the goodwill and involvement of the wider community
– To foster community spirit
– To support local community groups and projects

We hope to be able to act as a central group to coordinate fund raising and grant applications. We have already run a successful first-aid course for parents, which was entirely funded by a councillor’s grant. The charity is also the lucky recipient of the proceeds from the recent Burns Night – many thanks to Gillian and Mike Bird for a wonderful evening and for the donation.

The trustees would like to hear from residents of Amport and Monxton with suggestions for projects. What would you like to see in our community? Please come and talk to us. In Amport we are represented by Kate Cavalier, Neil Warren, and Emma Jones. In Monxton we are represented by Sarah Dowding, Gemma Pearce and Nick Simon. Speak to one of us in person, email us on kate.cavalier@gmail.com or drop a note through the door of The Old Farm, The Green, Amport.

We have a number of things in the pipeline so keep an eye out in this magazine and on the village websites.

 

Amport Fete – Saturday 19 July 2014

by Monxton Matters

Save the date! The Amport Fete will be held on Saturday 19th July 2014.  We shall have all of our usual traditional English fete stalls, as well as some new additions, entertainment in the arena and a supper on the green in the evening.  Plans are well under way and we will be keeping our Facebook events page and website up to date in the coming months as more fete fun is confirmed.  The fete raises much needed funds for the church and school and other Amport and Monxton community projects.  We are always looking for willing volunteers, and will be having a fete planning meeting in The Hawk in the coming month – all offers of help gratefully received.  Why not get involved?…. get in touch with Kate Cavalier on kate.cavalier@gmail.com

Limit your water use please

by Monxton Matters

The flooding in Monxton  is having a terribly adverse effect on residents who live closest to the pumping station. They are very close to having their drains back up and flood their houses. Gardens and cellars are already flooded for some. The sewers are beyond critical and this is fast becoming a public health issue

 

Please be aware that every time you have a bath, leave the tap running when brushing your teeth, use the dishwasher or washing machine, or flush the loo- i.e. discharge large volumes of water – you are adding to the problem. So please limit your water use, as a consideration for other residents in the village.

(This is good practice for when we have a drought too and should become everyday habit!)

St Mary’s Church, Monxton

by Monxton Matters

Monxton Parochial Church Council would like to thank all those who responded to our village-wide letter and questionnaire and in particular for the valuable suggestions and recommendations received. These will now be carefully analysed and followed up where possible. Unfortunately in the conflicting interests of preserving confidentiality and identifying individual responses we are unable to reply to all responders individually.

The result of the survey showed that of the 120 households contacted exactly half responded and of those 98% felt the church in Monxton is a valuable part of the village community, while only one respondent felt the church to be of no value.

Cold Statistics

Households: 120

Responses: 60

Positive answers to questionnaire Question One: 59

Negative (though two respondents felt we could do better): 1

From St Mary’s Monxton therefore a heartfelt “thank you” to you all. It has certainly raised our morale on the PCC.

Monxton PCC members: David Baugh, Valerie Whitewick (Wardens), Richard Balding, Bridget Busk , Eleanor Court,  Judy Crick, Brenda Gower,  Charmian Howarth,  Diana Jones , Oliver Sutton,  Jean Wood.

Flooding in Monxton

by Monxton Matters

Pictures taken today (Saturday 8th February 2014) by a villager showing the extensive flooding in Monxton around the area of the pumping station, surrounding paddocks and gardens, adjacent to the Pillhill Brook. Despite the best efforts of Southern Water pumping out the ‘black water’ 24 hours a day since the beginning of January, the situation is worsening and the contaminated water is now flowing into Pillhill Brook. There has also been more than double the usual amount of rainfall which has added to these problems as well. Unfortunately the situation is exacerbated by the dam created by the previous owner of Upper Mill House, which is preventing the water from flowing away as quickly as possible, due to the constricted channel, as can be seen from the pictures below.

Mr Hayward's paddock adjoining Monxton Road and the pumping station and bordering Pillhill Brook

Mr Hayward’s paddock adjoining Monxton Road and the pumping station and bordering Pillhill Brook

Channel dug from paddock to river to allow floodwater to escape

Channel dug from paddock to river to allow floodwater to escape

Pillhill Brook looking towards the Fisks' property and the river splits into two channels just after the bridge

Pillhill Brook looking towards the Fisks’ property and the river splits into two channels just after the bridge

The junction of the mill race and the main river where a dam was created by the previous owner of Upper Mill House to channel water down the mill race and prevent water from running down the main river. This now needs to be removed to allow the high levels of water to flow away from the properties at the eastern end of Monxton, which are now beginning to flood

The junction of the mill race and the main river where a dam was created by the previous owner of Upper Mill House to channel water down the mill race and prevent water from running down the main river. This now needs to be removed to allow the high levels of water to flow away from the properties at the eastern end of Monxton, which are now beginning to flood

Pillhill Brook flowing down the main river channel. This has recovered significantly due to the high levels of water and is nearly back to the condition of previous years

Pillhill Brook flowing down the main river channel. This has recovered significantly due to the high levels of water and is nearly back to the condition of previous years

This tree is clearly planted in the main river bed which was undertaken by the previous owner, Simon Burgess

This tree is clearly planted in the main river bed which was undertaken by the previous owner, Simon Burgess

Sandbags around Monxton pumping station which has suffered a failure and the contaminated water is now bubbling up through the pumping station and onto the road and into Mr Hayward's paddock

Sandbags around Monxton pumping station which has suffered a failure and the contaminated water is now bubbling up through the pumping station and onto the road and into Mr Hayward’s paddock

The flooded pumping station at the junction of the High Street and Chalkpit Lane

The flooded pumping station at the junction of the High Street and Chalkpit Lane

Flooding up through the man hole cover

Flooding up through the man hole cover

The garden of Monxton Mill is now flooded

The garden of Monxton Mill is now flooded

More flooding at Monxton Mill

More flooding at Monxton Mill

Flooding at Monxton Mill

Flooding at Monxton Mill

Flooding at Monxton Mill

Flooding at Monxton Mill