HHRA Update 18 January 2026

Subscriptions

Many thanks to the 40% of our members who have paid their subscription for this year. For the remaining 60%, you may be certain you have a standing order in place for the coming weeks, which is good….. but for anyone who does not have a standing order in place and has not yet paid, please may I encourage you to do so.  Our membership secretary would dearly like to get this done and dusted before the end of the month.  A reminder of how to pay:

Membership cost is £3 per household. Subscriptions may be paid by online transfer to: Sort code 30-98-97 Account No : 74507262 Account  Name: Hill Head Residents’ Association Reference Info: Name of Member   Alternatively, subscriptions may be paid (cash or cheque payable to Hill Head Residents’ Association) to the Membership Secretary, 53 Knights Bank Road, Hill Head, PO14 3HZ 

Osborne View update

I attended the monthly meeting with the project management team for the Osborne View rebuild on 13 January.  There was the usual ‘construction industry shutdown’ for a couple of weeks over Christmas and new year but they are now back in action, although somewhat hampered by the freezing then wet weather.  About two-thirds of the concrete has been poured, with the remaining 200 cubic metres still needed to provide the base for the massive crane.

If you are reading this before Monday 19^th, please be aware that another 35 ton machine will be delivered down Giblet Ore and along the beach on Monday. Never a dull moment in Hill Head…

The planned closure of the road to allow delivery of the crane will now take place in early March, not February.   Installation of the steel frame can then proceed.

A complex process is needed to finalise the retaining wall against and below the road.  They have received planning consent to move the terrace 500mm further forward to accommodate the stronger – and therefore thicker – piles which are part of that process.  They have curved the ‘wings’ further round the terrace so that they remain more or less in the original position.

Just as an aside – we know that the contractor will resurface Giblet Ore, the slope leading down to the beach, as the construction work is completed.  I mentioned to Pal Hayre the very wet conditions that arise whenever there is rain, with water pouring down Giblet Ore from Hill Head Road and pooling on the footpath to the right of the bollards.  This has always been a problem and is nothing to do with the construction, but it would seem sensible if the council could carry out any necessary work to manage drainage at the same time as Turvey Construction are addressing the road surface.  We looked at it together and agreed that the footpath is almost certainly the responsibility of Fareham Borough Council (with the road at Giblet Ore being Hampshire County Council).  Councillor Hayre undertook to liaise as appropriate so that conversations and planning could take place.

 Closure of Meon Road

In my last Update I mentioned the planned closure for two days of Meon Road on 19 and 20 January (re-opening overnight).  I see the current signs refer to the closure being two days from 20 January, ie one days later.  As advised, please keep an eye open for signs nearer the date.

Overnight parking of camper vans Cliff Road

Councillor Pal Hayre has told me she has again discussed this with both Hampshire County Council and Fareham Borough Council.  Regrettably, the only suggestion that can be offered is to be sure to photograph any obvious environmental nuisance (eg dumping of waste), with details of the van in question and report it to FBC.

Incidentally, if you should see vans camping overnight in any of the car parks – including Meon Shore – that is explicitly against the rules and FBC should be notified as they need to enforce those rules.  Sadly, no such rules exist for Cliff Road, where parking is the responsibility of HCC (I hope you are following me….).

Members’ meeting and AGM

A reminder that our next meeting is on Monday 2 March 7.30pm at the catholic church hall Bells Lane, when we shall have our brief AGM and then hear from GAFIRS – Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service.  Papers for the AGM will be circulated in early February.

With all good wishes

HHRA Update 6 January 2026

Stubbington 10k run morning Sunday 11 January

As you will have seen from the signs, this coming Sunday will be the annual Stubbington 10k run, with many participants running in support of charities.  YMCA Fairthorne Group and Chestnut Tree House Hospice are the two main charities being supported.

Water main work Plymouth Drive

You may have seen the notice warning of the work to be undertaken on the water main in Plymouth Drive, starting 6 January and due to run for 33 weeks.  Given how congested Plymouth Drive can already be, this is clearly going to add to the difficulties and you may wish to consider alternative routes if you can.

Road closure Meon Road 19 - 20 January

With thanks to our Titchfield contacts, we have picked up the following additional road closure:

HCC are planning 'pre-surface treatment works' (no, I don't know what they are) to Meon Road from Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve to the Brownwich estate.  The current intention is that the road will be closed from 07.30 to 19.00 Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 January (re-opening overnight).  Adverse weather conditions could cause the plans to be changed, so do keep watch for signs confirming or changing those dates.

M27 Junction 10

You will have doubtless seen reports of the progress on the work to install the new underpass at junction 10, which was completed 24 hours ahead of schedule.  I have written to HCC congratulating them on the successful delivery of this key stage of the project and have invited them to come and talk to us about it.  Speaking of which….

HHRA meeting 5 October

I am delighted that Paul Edwards, project manager for the Osborne View rebuild, has accepted our invitation to come and speak to HHRA about the project on 5 October.  He has wide experience of such schemes and will in fact be retiring after the Os View is completed – hopefully going out very much on a high!  Building completion is due in October so by then he should be breathing easier than he has been in recent months.  Those of us who have met Paul at the monthly briefing meetings have very much valued the liaison we have had with him and I can guarantee a fascinating evening.

Items on the ‘to do’ list with FBC

There are two issues which we shall be following up this month.  One is the review of the Public  Sector Protection Order concerning access to the beach for dogs.  The second is the conversation with environmental health officer Wendy Shakespeare about shellfish pickers.

Tree planting

Those of you who follow the Stubbington Matters Facebook site may have seen the following:

Wild Capital are thrilled to be bringing forward a new nature reserve on the edge of Stubbington next to Meoncross School. We would like to invite anyone and everyone from the local community and beyond to join us at our new nature reserve, Wild Stubbington, to get your hands dirty with a morning of planting tree and scrub plants on Sunday 1 February 10 till 1pm

If you have any queries, please contact Wild Capital via info@wild-capital.co.uk.  

HCC Consultation on waste reuse

https://hampshirecc.welcomesyourfeedback.net/s/2025-waste-reuse

Membership Subscriptions 2026

Membership subscriptions for 2026 are now due. Before making your payment, please check:

• if you already have a standing order in place,

• if you have received an email from HHRA Membership Secretary advising you that you have already paid for 2026 when you made payment for 2025 membership

If yes to either of the above, please do not pay again!

 Membership is £3 per household.

Subscriptions may be paid by online transfer to:

 Sort code 30-98-97

 Account No : 74507262

 Account  Name: Hill Head Residents’ Association

 Reference Info: Name of Member

 Alternatively, subscriptions may be paid (cash or cheque payable to Hill Head Residents’ Association) to the Membership Secretary, 53 Knights Bank Road, Hill Head, PO14 3HZ 

Next members’ meeting and AGM

Monday 2 March 7.30pm at the catholic church hall Bells Lane, when we shall have our brief AGM and then hear from GAFIRS – Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service.

With all good wishes

HHRA Update 11 December 2025

Osborne View

Following several weeks of managing awful conditions on the site, it is finally time to start pouring concrete.  Starting today, there will be 50 cubic metres of concrete installed by a concrete pump at beach level.  It will be delivered by lorry and there will be a great many lorries going down the Giblet Ore slope between now and the Christmas break.  You have been warned....

M27 closure

Speaking of Christmas breaks: do not forget the M27 closure between junctions 9 and 11 from the evening of 24 December to morning of 4 January.  The A 27 will be very full and very slow.

Missing parcels and Christmas safety

There has been a lot of publicity about poor parcel deliveries and I am grateful to one of our members who provided the following article from Saga: https://www.saga.co.uk/money-news/lost-or-stolen-parcels 

There is also an excellent article on Hampshire Alert about remaining safe over Christmas.  A further reminder of the website, where you can join very easily and receive emails direct: www.hampshirealert.co.uk 

If you are accustomed to reporting fraud via Action Fraud, please note that it has now changed to Report Fraud: https://s-url.co/6bAoAA

Strategic Mayoral Authorities and related matters

You may have picked up that the introduction of elected mayors for Strategic Authorities has been delayed from 2026 to 2028.  HHRA is not privy to the thinking of government about this, but we assume it is the obvious logic that it makes sense to introduce any changes to local authority structures (ie moving to larger unitary authorities) at the same time as electing mayors and setting up Strategic Authorities consisting of the new local authorities: on the previous timescale, the Strategic Authorities would have pre-dated local government re-structuring by two years. 

Should you find yourselves in need of a little light reading, the following may be useful:   https://www.gov.uk/government/news/more-homes-and-improved-high-streets-for-new-mayoral-areas-through-30-year-funding-package

Next members' meeting and AGM

Do make sure it is in your 2026 diaries or calendars: 7.30pm Monday 2 March AGM and GAFIRS.