Category Archives: Parish Council

Parish Council Minutes – 23 July 2014

by Monxton Matters

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 :-

  • If flooding occurs from the pumping station, please report it immediately to Southern Water on 0800 820999 or 0800 0276152
  • If flooding occurs from the Pillhill Brook, report it immediately to the Environment Agency on their incident hotline 0800 807060.
  • If it is not an emergency and you have been affected by flooding or have an issue with either the Pumping Station or the Pillhill Brook, please contact the committee member for your area who will liaise on your behalf with Southern Water and the Environment Agency.

Contacts:

  • Sunnybank & Andover Road – David Bateman. Email: davebateman@btinternet.com
  • Chalkpit Lane & Broad Road — Judith Balding. Email: jbalding@talktalk.net
  • High Street & Green Lane (South side) & Abbotts Ann Road— Adrian Drage. Email: Adrian.drage@btinternet.com
  • High Street & Green Lane (North side) & Amport Road — Paul Richards. Email: Epjhrichards(aol.com

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:

  • Removing the chain link fencing and erecting a concrete bund with a close board panel fence on top of it around the perimeter of the pumping station.
  • Planting additional hawthorn around the perimeter to help screen the pumping station from neighbouring properties.
  • Repairing all damaged road surfaces and verges along Chalkpit Lane and the main road up to the bridge.
  • Doing all works necessary to rectify the damage to the field and surrounding area adjacent to the pumping station.

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

  • Subject: Ref 14/01527/OMAN Extension of hours at waste transfer station Homestead Farm Penton Corner. Objections need to go to HCC not TVBC kristina.kinghants.gov.uk
  • Fighting the lorries. Tactics: Residents to obtain photos & videos; Reporting accidents; Press; Re-designation of Monxton Road; Speed detectors

 

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.

  • Mr B Pearce                          Fit Second Notice Board                     £25.00
  • Mr Clive Hutchinson        Grass Cutting                                            £705.00
  • TVBC                                       Dog Bin Emptying                                 £152.64
  • Mr N.W. Adams                  Play Ground Inspection                      £65.40
  • R.N. Waterman                   Wages – July (Standing Order)          £200.00

£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

  • £1000.00 for Village Hall Refurbishment
  • £2000.00 for Traffic Calming
  • £1000.00 for Village Project/Maintenance

 

PLANNING

  • Application for retrospective planning for the bridge at Upper Mill House, Ref 13/01556/FULLN — permission granted
  • Application for a new weir at the junction of the old river and the mill race from Lord Tan law – permission granted
  • Langley erection of 3 storey 4 bed dwelling – 14/00154/FULLN —Appeal lodged by Mr King
  • 14/01292 /FULLN —Aviary Shoetree Cottage — No Objection
  • 14/1396 /TREEN Abbotts Mead, Tree felling – No Objection

 

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

Community Speedwatch – Volunteers Needed

by Monxton Matters

We are now in a position to be able to get the Community Speedwatch Scheme running and active in Monxton. So we now need volunteers – a minimum of 6 people and there is no maximum.

So if you would like to help ensure the speed limits within our parish are adhered to then please download the  Volunteer Application Form for Speed Watch and then email it to Marcus Tebbutt-Ford, who is coordinating the volunteers at this stage.

What is Speed Watch?
Speeding continues to be a concern of many local communities in both rural and urban areas and the local community have an important role to play in educating drivers about this issue.

Community Speed Watch (CSW) is a locally driven initiative allowing members of the community to monitor speeds of vehicles using speed detection devices. CSW schemes are supported by local policing teams with the aim of educating drivers to reduce their speeds.

The scheme aims to cater for the problem of real or perceived speed related offending, and through partnership with the community it is to be used in circumstances that are necessary, justifiable and proportionate in order to:

  • Reduce death and injury on the roads
  • Improve the quality of life for local communities
  • Reduce the speed of vehicles to the speed limit
  • Increase public awareness of inappropriate speed

How does it work?
Speed Watch is a community scheme that can only take place in 20mph, 30mph and some 40 mph limits or zones.

The scheme will be managed by the local police Safer Neighbourhood Teams but run by volunteers. Volunteers will use equipment that can monitor the speed of passing traffic and record the details, later adding them to a database. Vehicle checks will be undertaken by the police and letters will then be sent to the registered keepers of those vehicles exceeding the speed limit.

Recruiting volunteers
Members of the community need to be registered with Hampshire Constabulary to join a scheme. This entails completing an application form (see download above) which contains questions to determine their suitability.

Volunteers may be given access to private information and police databases; therefore we need to ensure that we and other members of the public are protected. We can only measure this by vetting applicants.

MPC AGM Minutes – 4 June 2014

by Monxton Matters

Minutes of the Annual Monxton Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 4th June 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, Richard Waterman – Parish Clerk; Members of the Public – 9; County Councillor Mrs Pat West; Borough Councillor Mr Ben Few-Brown. Apologies : Cllr David Bateman.

WELCOME – Cllr Mike Cleugh welcomed everyone to the meeting.

PARISH COUNCIL VACANCY
The Parish Clerk reported that TVBC have confirmed that the Parish Council Vacancy can be filled by co-option. Mr Adrian Drage has expressed an interest in becoming a Parish Councillor. Cllr Mike Cleugh proposed the Mr Adrian Drage be co-opted on to the Parish Council to fill the vacancy, this was seconded by Cllr Sarah Dowding. All agreed.

Mr Adrian Drage signed the Declaration of Office. The Clerk gave Mr Adrian Drage the Declaration of Financial Interest Form to fill in and a copy of the Monxton Parish Council Standing Orders. Cllr Mike Cleugh welcomed Cllr Adrian Drage onto the Parish Council.

DECLARATION OF INTEREST
Cllr Judith Balding declared and interest in the issue of flooding and the Weir.

ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN AND VICE CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN – Cllr Sarah Dowding proposed Cllr Mike Cleugh as Chairman, this was seconded by Cllr Judith Balding. There were no other nominations. All agreed. Cllr Mike Cleugh was elected Chairman.

VICE CHAIRMAN – Cllr Mike Cleugh proposed Cllr Sarah Dowding as Vice Chairman, this was seconded by Cllr Judith Balding. There were no other nominations. All agreed. Cllr Sarah Dowding was elected Vice Chairman.

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

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

PLANNING – Current applications
14/01252/FULLN & 14/01253/LBWN – Repair and raising height of boundary brick wall – Monxton Manor.
The Parish Council SUPPORTED this planning application.

EXPENDITURE
Cheques to be issued in June 2014.

  • Penton Grafton Parish Council         2 x Notice Boards                           £83.30
  • Mr B Pearce                                               Fit Notice Boards                            £25.00
  • Aon Ltd                                                        Parish Council Insurance            £388.45
  • R.N. Waterman                                        Wages – April, May and June     £600.00

£1,096.75

INCOME
TVBC ½ Precept    £2,600.00

ACCOUNTS – 1st April 2014 – 4th June 2014

Opening Balance BF      = £5,574.65
Plus ½ precept             = £2,600.0

=  £7,174.65

Wages                         =    £600.00
Insurance                    =    £388.45
Notice Boards              =    £108.30

= £1.096.75

BALANCE IN BANK       =  £6,077.90

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

CLLR MRS P WEST’S REPORT
Cllr Mrs P West reported that a site meeting had been held with HCC Highways Officers and Cllr Judith Balding to discuss the possibility of putting a footpath from Sunnybank to the Red Post Bridge. With the land available is will not be possible for a footpath the whole length of the road, the Highways Officers have been tasked to produce a scheme and to report back to the Parish Council.

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 Mrs P West was sorry to report that Highways have lost Steve Spender who has been given promotion and has moved to another area.

CLOSE OF THE MEETING
The Chairman closed the meeting at 7.25pm and a short break was held before the start of the AGM.

DATE OF THE NEXT MEETING
To be confirmed.

MONXTON PARISH COUNCIL AGM HELD AT 7.30PM

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
The Chairman spoke about the Parish Council’s busy year and highlighted the following points :

  • Election of Judith Balding and David Bateman on the Parish Council.
  • Resignation of David Eaglesham our Finance Officer.
  • Co-option of Adrian Drage – Adrian will now oversee the Finances.
  • The Alpine Group have repaired various properties in the village
  • The Alpine Group are progressing with their move to the Walworth Industrial Estate
  • Village projects failed to find enough volunteers – we will try again this year.
  • Flooding of land and gardens in December – April
  • Problems with the Pumping station
  • Flood Committee formation
  • Progress with Traffic
  • There has been no resolution of the Nelson lorry issue to date.
  • Progress at Manor Farm

TRAFFIC 2013/2014
Cllr Sarah Dowding spoke about the traffic issues in the last year and highlighted the following points :

NEW SIGN AND BOLLARDS

  • New HGVs signs for Monxton road
  • Horse and Rider (Broad Rd & Abbotts Ann Rd)
  • Junction (Abbotts Ann Rd for Chalkpit Lane)
  • Road Narrows (by Lilac Cottage)
  • Bend Ahead (Broad Rd)
  • Bollards on the village green
  • Bollards on the small green and Monxton Manor (2014)

NELSON LORRIES

  • Request to nelson lorries and the Langdowns for one-way system. Despite weekly reminders, nearly always ignored.

ALPINE GROUP LORRIES

  • Planning policy has been altered to allow small housing scheme on the Alpine Group site. Move to Walworth Industrial Estate should happen by the end of 2104.

CO-OP LORRIES

  • Meeting with TVBC and Co-op in December 2013 – Co-op to give better directions and include photographs to the depot for the Foreign drivers.

SPEEDING

  • Community Speedwatch Scheme – £2500 needed form Monxton parish Council and 6 minimum volunteers
  • Extending speed limit zones – Broad Road & Green Lane (2016 and beyond)
  • Rural pilot scheme for 20mph zones – Monxton short listed but unsuccessful.

WEB SITE
Cllr Sarah Dowding spoke about the success of the Monxton Web Site.

  • Hits January 2013 – December 2013 = 20,667
  • Hits January 2014 – June 6th 2014 = 21,554 – 11,317 due to a lost dog!
  • Averaging 142 hits a day.

PLANNING

  • Upper Mill House – the decision on the weir application is pending as Emma the Case Officer has not had replies from some of the consultees and is chasing this up. She hopes that the documentation will be in place for the next meeting on the 7 July, if not it won’t be heard until the 31 July.
  • Langley – refusal due to the impact on the Conservation Area – letter to applicant is going out this week.
  • Alpine Group – New Site agreed in the Walworth Estate and the same developer will then develop the Manor Farm Site subject to getting planning permission. Meeting with MPC will be held in June with all parties.

ENVIRONMENT REPORT – Cllr Judith Balding

THE PILL HILL BROOK
The current status of the Pillhill Brook is officially classed as, “being in ‘moderate’ ecological condition” under the EU Water Framework Directive, meaning it is failing WFD targets.  A Monxton Riparian owner has recently commissioned an expert report on the section of Pillhill Brook which runs through his property, which he has kindly made available to us.  It also states that, “The Environment Agency is tasked with bringing all natural rivers in England up to ‘Good’ condition and presently the river is predicted to achieve this target by 2015.”  A survey of the Pillhill Brook and the surrounding area has been commissioned by the Environment Agency, which is in now in progress.

There have been a number of issues with the brook, some due to two unauthorised obstructions in the brook.  There have been two planning applications made in relation to these two obstructions, one a retrospective planning application for a bridge in the brook, to which there were numerous objections, but despite this, permission was granted by the TVBC Northern Area Planning Committee.  There have also been a large number of objections to the planning application for the construction of a replacement weir on top of the old weir.  This application is still pending and is waiting to be scheduled to be called to committee at TVBC. The proposed replacement weir, which in its current form will be raised, will continue to have an adverse effect on flooding upstream and the condition of the natural river channel of this unique chalk stream.  The removal of the dam from the original weir would return the brook to its original status quo.  The lack of wild brown trout in the brook is a concern, and we continue to try and rectify the issues which adversely affect the trout’s habitat.

PUMPING STATION
There are no issues with the Pumping Station, although ground water levels remain high.  As part of Southern Water’s efforts to alleviate groundwater flooding affecting our sewers, they used tankers and pumps to over pump to remove excess water from our sewer network.  Two brand new biological treatment tanks were installed, which are designed to treat the heavily-diluted wastewater prior to it being discharged in to the Pillhill Brook.  Over pumping is more effective than using tankers in keeping our sewers flowing and is an emergency measure, which is agreed to by the Environment Agency. Our MP, Sir George Young, was instrumental in obtaining the go ahead for the over pumping after his intervention on our behalf.  Cllr Balding is due to meet a Southern Water representative in the next few weeks to discuss cleaning up the site and surrounding area, and repairing the damage done to the verges.

MONXTON FLOOD ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Monxton Flood Advisory Committee is a sub-committee of, and reportable to, the Monxton Parish Council.  The committee comprises Judith Balding, Adrian Drage, Pamela Fisk and Paul Richards.  This committee was formed this year, to liaise with villagers and the four agencies involved in dealing with the issues which have arisen from the pumping station flooding. A meeting is planned with all the parties concerned, to discuss what action can be taken to avoid this happening again in the future.

TREES
There have been a number of tree applications in the village with no objections.  Work is in progress to cut back the trees and tidy up the area around the Village Hall.  There are several trees on the Village Green which need attention and any proposed works will be done later in the year.

FOOTPATHS AND BRIDLEWAYS
There have been the very few issues with the footpaths and bridleways, but with the wet and mild weather in recent months, the footpaths around Monxton quickly become very overgrown.  The footpaths have now been cleared, and in the future we plan to cut and strim them three times a year, instead of twice a year, in an effort to keep them well maintained.

FRACKING
There has been widespread publicity on Fracking in the last year and it remains a contentious issue.  The Department for Energy and Climate Change has issued drilling licences for possible Fracking underneath an area a few miles from Andover, Stockbridge and many historic villages, including Monxton.  Based on information available from DECC, the existing licences are located at the following locations: North of Winchester, from Kings Worthy stretching west almost to Stockbridge, and further north, reaching from Chilbolton west to Amport.  Fracking companies will need planning permission from the Hampshire County Council, as the minerals authority, if they wish to extract any oil or gas.

SUNNYBANK
Cllr D Bateman provided the following report. There have been quite a few things that needed attention and  most have had a positive outcome.

  1. The ditch opposite Silver Birch Fm and drains along Monxton Road. The ditch needed to be dug out and the drains needed to be emptied as they were full of silt. The ditch was dug out by contractors just before Christmas which was done quite quickly after my first request, however to date nothing has been done about the drains, even though I have contacted HCC Roads on numerous occasions. The comment continuously shows “Further investigation required” I have added comments and added more photographs but still this has not been resolved (21059090) is the tracking number.
  1. The salt bin in Sunnybank needed refilling I was sent on a wild goose chase trying to get someone to say that they would get this done, except when I spoke to the person concerned, he informed me that we had the wrong colour! The bin should be blue not yellow. So I asked for a new blue bin and a refill. After many weeks and several phone calls our new blue bin was delivered and filled and the yellow one taken away. Needless to say we did not need to use the bin through this wet but mild winter.
  1. The entrance to Sunnybank was badly broken up so this was duly reported with photographs. Many months went by and again with repeated comments and e-mails nothing was done until I checked online one day and it said “item resolved” I went and checked and all that had been done was the white lines had been painted over the broken surface. I contacted those concerned and with a new tracking number in place I watched and waited and one day Sunnybank was filled with contractors vehicles (just in time for the morning school run). The job was done very quickly.
  1. A resident spoke to me about hedge overgrowth along Red Post Lane coming from Weyhill. This overgrowth encroached over the road and when a vehicle came towards you it meant driving into the overgrowth causing damage to vehicles. This was done after much posting on the web site. The council said it was not their responsibility it was a third party! I even informed them when I first made the complaint that it was Goodmans site. This was resolved eventually.
  1. A report was received about a hedge that had overgrown the footpath. I contacted the resident concerned, but to have the hedge cut back professionally would have been quite a prohibitive cost. I managed to get the help of several residents who volunteered to cut the hedge for the resident and this was successfully completed and the footpath is now back in
  1. The Bridleway. Monxton track/Boat 11 behind Sunnybank had not been cut for several years and was becoming impassable. I reported this often with added comments. Apparently it was the responsibility of the farmer but he was reluctant to cut the hedgerow back so HCC made a good job of cutting this back and making it passable again. Hopefully the farmer will keep this up from now on!
  1. The grass either side to the entrance of Sunnybank always looked unsightly as does the patch of grass with the Monxton sign on it. The contractor who cuts Monxton Green has been contacted and this is going to be cut once a fortnight so this area should not look so

Items that need attention

1. I have requested that a footpath be laid from Red Post Bridge to Manor Farm grain store entrance. I asked for this quite a few meetings ago. I was informed that it had been agreed that a footpath would be laid from Red Post Bridge but only as far as Sunnybank. I would like a date when this is likely to happen.

2. The residents parking at Sunnybank bungalows is completely inadequate as per the photograph.  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. I therefore request that this be carried out with a sense of urgency. The amount of joggers we get from Army headquarters surely warrants safe passage for these joggers and walkers alike.

MONXTON END OF YEAR ACCOUNTS
Copies of the End of Year Accounts were given to those present. The Parish Council agreed to adopt the Accounts for the year 1st April 2013 to 31st March 2014 including Section 1 Accounting Statement and Section 2 Annual Governance Statement as a true record. Proposed by the Chairman, seconded by the Vice Chairman. All agreed. The Chairman and the Clerk signed off the accounts.

CLOSE OF THE MEETING
The Chairman thanked everyone for coming and closed the meeting.

Nelsons Lorries – working hours extensions

by Monxton Matters

Nelson Plant Hire Application No: 14/01527/CMAN

VARIATION OF CONDITION 3 (operating hours) of planning permission 11/02569/CMAN for an increase in hours to start from 6am to 6pm to include Saturdays and between 6am to 1pm on Bank Holidays.

The deadline for comments is now 1st August 2014 to Hampshire County Council (not TVBC).

This planning application has been deferred from the 16th July 2014 Regulatory Committee and it will now be considered at the 17th September 2014 Regulatory Committee.

If you wish to comment details are on www.hants.gov.uk/county-planning.  You can do so by email to planning@hants.gov.uk  and copy to the case officer, Kristina King at kristina.king@hants.gov.uk or in writing to her at:

County Planning
Economy, Transport and Environment
Hampshire County Council
Elizabeth II Court West
Winchester
Hampshire SO23 8UD

Do also copy in Cllr Pat West (patricia.west90@gmail.com) and Cllr Ben Few-Brown (bfewbrown@googlemail.com), if you wish.

We have compiled a template letter for everyone to use. Please download the Letter of Objection Nelsons Operating hours and add you own comments if you wish. Don’t forget to add your own name and address to the letter too!

PLEASE ENSURE YOU SEND YOUR EMAIL BEFORE FRIDAY 1ST AUGUST 2014

Children’s Disco – 12 July

by Monxton Matters

Dust off your kids’ party frocks and dancing boots….

There is a disco for the children of Monxton & Amport to kick off the start of summer. It will be held in Monxton & Amport Village Hall on Saturday 12th July from 3-5.30pm. Tickets will be £3 per child and refreshments will be available for small change.

Tickets from Karin Staines (712061) or Penny Kitson ( 771227) and put the date in your diaries!

Environment Report from MPC AGM 4 June

by Monxton Matters

The Pillhill Brook

The current status of the Pillhill Brook is officially classed as, “being in ‘moderate’ ecological condition” under the EU Water Framework Directive, meaning it is failing WFD targets.  A Monxton Riparian owner has recently commissioned an expert report on the section of Pillhill Brook which runs through his property, which he has kindly made available to us.  It also states that, “The Environment Agency is tasked with bringing all natural rivers in England up to ‘Good’ condition and presently the river is predicted to achieve this target by 2015.”  A survey of the Pillhill Brook and the surrounding area has been commissioned by the Environment Agency, which is in now in progress.

There have been a number of issues with the brook, some due to two unauthorised obstructions in the brook.  There have been two planning applications made in relation to these two obstructions, one a retrospective planning application for a bridge in the brook, to which there were numerous objections, but despite this, permission was granted by the TVBC Northern Area Planning Committee.  There have also been a large number of objections to the planning application for the construction of a replacement weir on top of the old weir.  This application is still pending and is waiting to be scheduled to be called to committee at TVBC. The proposed replacement weir, which in its current form will be raised, will continue to have an adverse effect on flooding upstream and the condition of the natural river channel of this unique chalk stream.  The removal of the dam from the original weir would return the brook to its original status quo.  The lack of wild brown trout in the brook is a concern, and we continue to try and rectify the issues which adversely affect the trout’s habitat.

Pumping Station

There are no issues with the Pumping Station, although ground water levels remain high.  As part of Southern Water’s efforts to alleviate groundwater flooding affecting our sewers, they used tankers and pumps to over pump to remove excess water from our sewer network.  Two brand new biological treatment tanks were installed, which are designed to treat the heavily-diluted wastewater prior to it being discharged in to the Pillhill Brook.  Over pumping is more effective than using tankers in keeping our sewers flowing and is an emergency measure, which is agreed to by the Environment Agency. Our MP, Sir George Young, was instrumental in obtaining the go ahead for the over pumping after his intervention on our behalf.  Cllr Balding is due to meet a Southern Water representative in the next few weeks to discuss cleaning up the site and surrounding area, and repairing the damage done to the verges.

Monxton Flood Advisory Committee

The Monxton Flood Advisory Committee is a sub-committee of, and reportable to, the Monxton Parish Council.  The committee comprises Judith Balding, Adrian Drage, Pamela Fisk and Paul Richards.  This committee was formed this year, to liaise with villagers and the four agencies involved in dealing with the issues which have arisen from the pumping station flooding. A meeting is planned with all the parties concerned, to discuss what action can be taken to avoid this happening again in the future.

Trees

There have been a number of tree applications in the village with no objections.  Work is in progress to cut back the trees and tidy up the area around the Village Hall.  There are several trees on the Village Green which need attention and any proposed works will be done later in the year.

Footpaths & Bridleways

There have been the very few issues with the footpaths and bridleways, but with the wet and mild weather in recent months, the footpaths around Monxton quickly become very overgrown.  The footpaths have now been cleared, and in the future we plan to cut and strim them three times a year, instead of twice a year, in an effort to keep them well maintained.

Fracking

There has been widespread publicity on fracking in the last year and it remains a contentious issue.  The Department for Energy and Climate Change has issued drilling licences for possible fracking underneath an area a few miles from Andover, Stockbridge and many historic villages, including Monxton.  Based on information available from DECC, the existing licences are located at the following locations: North of Winchester, from Kings Worthy stretching west almost to Stockbridge, and further north, reaching from Chilbolton west to Amport.  Fracking companies will need planning permission from the Hampshire County Council, as the minerals authority, if they wish to extract any oil or gas.

Access Bridge at Upper Mill House

by Monxton Matters

Retrospective Planning Application for the construction of an access bridge across the Pillhill Brook at Upper Mill House.  Application No: 13/01556/FULLN

The TVBC Northern Area Planning Committee met on 15th April 2014 to consider this application and concluded that this development 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.

Therefore permission was granted.  The decision notice and plan may be viewed on the Council’s website at www.testvalley.gov.uk/view-applications.

 

Parish Councillor Vacancy

by Monxton Matters

MONXTON PARISH COUNCIL

CASUAL VACANCY FOR A COUNCILLOR

Notice given under Rule 5 of the of the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) (England and Wales) Rules 2006

1        There is a vacancy on the Parish Council caused by the resignation of David Eaglesham  (Finance Officer)

2        A by-election to fill the vacancy will be held if, not later than 20th May, 2014 (14 days from date of this Notice), ten electors for the parish give notice in writing, claiming such an election be held, to the Returning Officer.  If no such notice is given the Parish Council will fill the vacancy by co-option

3        The address of the Returning Officer is:
Test Valley Borough Council
Council Offices
Beech Hurst
Weyhill Road
Andover
SP10 3AJ

Notice given this 29th day of April, 2014

Richard Waterman, Clerk of the Parish Council