Category Archives: Parish Council

Brave the Shave for Monxton resident

by Monxton Matters
"BRAVE the SHAVE"

“BRAVE the SHAVE”

David Bateman, a resident of Sunnybank and member of Monxton Parish Council, is participating in Macmillan Cancer’s Brave the Shave and will be getting his head and beard shaved in August for the Macmillan appeal. David would like to raise as much as he can as Macmillan have been so supportive of him and Dot, his wife, during his recent treatment for throat cancer.

David says, “I am raising money on behalf of Macmillan cancer charity as I have had such great support during my treatment for throat cancer. It has been such a life changer finding out that you have a potential death sentence hanging over you, but the support that both I and my wife Dorothy received helped tremendously during these dark months. I am getting my head shaved over the August bank holiday weekend at the Wolversdene Club, together with a couple of friends, to raise substantial funds for this worthwhile cause it is called Brave The Shave.”

David’s Just Giving page says, “I am David Bateman, aged 64, and I am recovering from throat cancer. I have spent most of my adult life in the forces, starting, after leaving school at 15, with the Royal Navy as a Marine Engineer. I was then in the Fire Service at Middle Wallop with the Army Fire Service. Later on in the 1980s I joined the Royal Auxiliary Air Force as a ‘Mover’ with 4624 Movements Sqn at RAF Brize Norton. I joined 4626 Aeromedical Evacuation Sqn at RAF Hullavington & then RAF Lyneham, where I spent 15 years serving in Bosnia/Gulf War II & Afghanistan. In 2006 in Afghanistan unfortunately I was ‘Damaged’ and in 2008 was discharged due to health problems. I am married to Dot since 1972 and we have two wonderful daughters and four lovely grandchildren who have been absolutely superb in supporting me after Afghanistan and during my treatment, and consequent recovery, from throat cancer.”

unnamedYou can donate to David’s Just Giving page here – https://www.justgiving.com/David-Bateman5/

Please do sponsor generously and support David in his extremely worthwhile cause.

Verges in Monxton

by Monxton Matters

There’s recently been an article on the BBC website about roadside verges being the “last refuge for wild flowers”. (6 June 2015). Read the full article below or click the link.

Would you like to see more wild flowers on the verges in Monxton, or would you prefer them to be cut? If cut, then the grass cuttings should be removed. Or should the verges be cut once the cow parsley has finished flowering? Or should we just keep control of the nettles? We live in a Conservation Area – surely this should also be for conserving our environment? Your thoughts would be appreciated?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-33029385

More than 700 species of wild plants – almost half of the native flora of the British Isles – are found on road verges, according to a study. 

Many plants once found in meadows now only thrive beside roads, where they provide essential habitat for insects, says charity Plantlife.

But it says one in 10 of the plants is at risk of extinction, in part because councils cut verges too early.

Local authorities say shorter verges are safer for drivers and pedestrians.

Dr Trevor Dines, botanical specialist for the charity, said more than 97% of meadows had been destroyed in England since the 1930s, with road verges becoming the last stretches of natural habitat for wildlife such as bees and other insects.

Cow parsley
Road verges can be a haven for wild plants like cow parsley

“Most of our farmland is now hostile to many of our wild plants and other wildlife due to the loss of wild flower meadows and the use of herbicides and fertilisers,” he told BBC News.

“The roadside verges are often the last refuge for wild flowers and the wildlife there depends on them.

“It’s almost as if plants have been squeezed out of farmland and now they’re being squeezed out of road verges from bad management.”

The Local Government Association has said keeping road verges well-maintained means motorists have a good line of sight and allows pedestrians to walk more safely alongside busy roads.

Full flower

Bluebells
Around one in ten of these wild plants is threatened with extinction

Plantlife International says road verges are of particular importance to rare plants such as Deptford pink, tower mustard and spiked rampion.

They also act as wildlife corridors and provide pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies and moths.

The wild plant conservation charity says many of Britain’s road verges are being cut down in full flower threatening the wildflowers and the wildlife that depends on them.

It is calling on members of the public to sign a petition urging councils to do more to enhance the wildlife value of road verges.

Its management principles for road verges include:

  • Allowing plants to complete their full life cycle, ie to grow, flower and set seed
  • Removing grass cuttings
  • Allowing flowers to return over time as they spread naturally.

Dr Dines added: “If we just give them a chance, wildflowers can return.”

And the Election results are…

by Monxton Matters

Election Results 2015

Parliamentary Elections – North West Hampshire

Kit Malthouse (Conservative): 32,052 votes (58.1%)
See full results here

County Council Elections – Andover West

Zilliah Brooks (Conservative): 5,208 votes (57.5%)
See full results here

Borough Council Elections – Amport Ward

Ben Few Brown (Independent): 851 votes (64.2%)
See full results here

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    

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.

Langley Appeal – dimissed

by Monxton Matters

The Planning Inspector came to visit Langley, Green Lane, Monxton on 3 February 2015 in response to the appeal for a new dwelling on the site.  The TVBC Planning Portal now shows that the appeal was dismissed. There have been five planning applications and the appeal over nearly four years.

See the Langley Decision Letter from The Planning Inspectorate.