July 2008 Meeting Report

Report on the Meeting held
Tuesday 1 July 2008, Shawford Parish Hall

Police Report

Acting Sergeant Emma Port, who represented Hampshire Constabulary at the meeting, confirmed that there had been three incidents reported to the police during the month of June:

• ” ‘Do Not Park’ signs at Shawford railway station were being tipped over at night time;
• ” A man was suspected of being drunk near the Bridge Public House; and
• ” Three youths were seen to be loitering around a shed in the area of Shepherds Lane and later got into a silver hatch back vehicle and drove away.

Sgt Port added that the police are continuing to patrol around Shawford Road/Pearson Lane and are issuing tickets to vehicles causing an obstruction. One vehicle, in Pearson Lane, which had been causing a dangerous obstruction, had been towed away.

Captain Barnard

Under the Statement of Community Involvement Framework adopted by the City Council in January 2007, developers are expected to consult with neighbours and the Parish Council before submitting planning applications.

Under this guideline, Nigel Shannon, representing Highwood Residential, outlined plans for the construction of a nursing home and four private dwellings on the site of the Captain Barnard public house and the adjacent property, Calvi.

In response to questions from councillors and members of the public, Mr Shannon stated that, although the number of allocated parking slots may appear small for the size of the development, it met the ‘upper end’ of WCC guidelines. He expected that staff, most of whom would be non-medical staff e.g. cleaners, cooks etc., would be recruited locally and, while there was no age restriction on the residents, most would be quite elderly. The Parish Council chairman, Councillor Campbell-White, was grateful for the comments from members of the public and indicated that the Council would be giving further consideration to the proposed development. This was done in the Planning report; the consensus was that a retirement home was preferable to another public house, but this development as proposed was too large and provided insufficient parking.

District Councillor’s Report

District Councillor Eleanor Bell reported that she had attended a briefing on 25 June on the opportunities for Winchester city and district to contribute to, and benefit from, the Olympic effort, especially with regard to the provision of training facilities for visiting teams. She had also been invited to attend a Winchester Tourism Summit on 9 July, which would include a programme of presentations and workshops designed to prompt lively discussion on promoting tourism in the area. She confirmed that a request from Royal Mail for a relaxation of the current restrictions on night flying to allow the nightly (2am) mail flight from East Midlands Airport to land at Southampton, for a period of six months while the runway at Bournemouth Airport was being relaid, had been refused.

County Councillor’s Report

Speed Flashers

County Councillor Bailey was pleased to report that Hampshire County Council was making rapid progress towards establishing a pilot scheme to install temporary flashing speed lights in the Southern Parishes. HCC will be purchasing a flashing sign for use in 30mph and 40mph limit areas and encouraging parish councils to share its use. This will ensure that its effectiveness will not be diminished by over-frequent use in one place.

Councillor Caffyn agreed to consult her fellow convenors to what could be done to coordinate the efforts of Compton & Shawford with those of Otterbourne and Hursley.

Bushfield Camp Village Green proposal

Councillor Bailey added that the County Council is likely to appoint an external inspector to judge the Bushfield Camp Village Green application. Councillor Martin Bell wondered whether the Parish Council would be consulted on the application, and, after discussion, agreed to give some thought on how the Council could adopt a more proactive policy.

Compton School

Councillor Bailey indicated that the governors, staff and parents of Compton School had been considering ways in which they could improve the procedures for the arrival & departure of pupils to make them as safe as possible and cause the minimum amount of disruption to village residents and other road users. Councillor Stevens wondered whether the school could stagger the release of children to alleviate the number of parents parked outside waiting to collect them.

Finance and Admin Committee

During his report on financial and administrative matters, Councillor Adrian Walmsley proposed that Mr Langford, the retiring Clerk, should receive a gratuity in accordance with local government guidelines, following 7.5 years service. This was agreed unanimously. Councillor Campbell-White thanked Mr Langford for his excellent work in support of parish councillors, both past and present, and wished him well in his new job.

Land Registration

Councillor Campbell-White reported that all of the Council’s previously unregistered land had now been registered with the Land Registry. He confirmed that the Council owns all of the land between the existing returned land, Compton Heights and Cliff Way and would now be responsible for its maintenance. He would be consulting Councillor Millar on plans for improving the general appearance of the area.

Parking in Shawford

Councillor Caffyn also reported that, because parked cars, mainly left by train users for long periods, were causing a hazard to other road users, serious consideration was being giving to painting white & yellow lines on the road in Pearson Lane, up to the junction with Shawford Road. She had noted that police had recently towed away a vehicle from this area, which had been causing a dangerous obstruction. This comment led to a discussion on police priorities within the parish and it was agreed that ‘inconsiderate parking’ and ‘speeding’ should be given the highest consideration.

Phone box in Martins Fields

The Council discussed BT’s plan to remove the telephone box at Martin’s Field and agreed that it provided a community service and should be retained. Councillor Walmsley offered to convey the Council’s view to WCC, which is coordinating the district’s response to BT’s withdrawal programme.

September Meeting

Finally parishioners should note that Shawford Parish Hall will be closed for maintenance during the month of August and that the next Parish Council meeting will take place in the Reeves Scout Hall on Tuesday 2nd September 2008 at 7.15pm.

DAVID DRAKE, CLERK