Haven House: sadly, this is an item on which we have no feedback. You may recall the deadline for bids to estate agents Savills was 1 December; THCH trustees wrote to HCC that evening confirming they would be delighted to meet to discuss their bid ‘if it would assist HCC to assess the options available to them’ but no answer has been forthcoming. We expect the formal decision to be made at the Executive Member’s Decision Day on 15 January and meanwhile we can only wait.
In Our Element: at our meeting on 4 December, we were delighted to welcome Hollie Luff and Rachel Lasham who were two of the four person crew of In Our Element who rowed the Atlantic as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge this time last year. You may remember hearing from Hollie last September as they prepared for the challenge. With crew mates Mike Hatch and Elliot Holman, Hollie and Rachel rowed from La Gomera to Antigua in 42 days, rowing two hours on, two hours off, without respite and taking all the Atlantic weather and sea conditions could throw at them. They were supporting the work being done by the University of Portsmouth to find a solution to global plastic pollution: at one point in her talk, Hollie commented ‘Yes, we saw wildlife, but we saw an awful lot more plastic in the ocean’. I believe I can speak for everyone present last Monday when I say we were overwhelmed at the resolution and endurance they had shown: congratulations to team In Our Element.
Peter Wason: as mentioned in our last update, Monday 4 December was also the last appearance of Co Chair Peter Wason before he and Barbara move from Hill Head. We thanked Peter for the immense commitment he had made to HHRA since joining the committee nearly eleven years ago and wished him and Barbara well for the move and their new lives. A presentation was made with which they will be able to toast their old friends in Hill Head and look forward to their future in Kintbury.
Vice Chair HHRA: following Co Chair Peter’s departure, we are delighted to confirm that Colin Hardy has kindly agreed to take on the role of Vice Chair.
Councillors’ updates: Councillor Steve Dugan reported on a meeting councillors had had the previous week to discuss options and contribute ideas for the regeneration of Fareham Town Centre. External consultants have been engaged and a number of exhibitions and events are planned to explore options for business, housing and leisure developments. Further details can be found on the FBC website via the link below, where you can also complete a questionnaire: link https://www.fareham.gov.uk/planning/regeneration/farehamtowncentreregeneration.aspx
The consultants’ web site where there is some information about their other projects is at https://rivingtonhark.com/
At the meeting, the question was raised about timing of the demolition of the Osborn Road multi storey car park: we see from the website that it will be closed from 2 January 2024 and demolition will begin on 8 January.
Councillor Dugan also reported that the planning application for development of a training centre for Bristow's at Daedalus has now been approved by FBC and construction is due to start early in 2024.
The application for two dwellings on part of the Crofton Public House site is to be considered by Members on 13 December. (Comment from Chair of HHRA: the recommendation to approve the application is despite 72 objections, including one from HHRA, being received. You may wish to refer to the very detailed report on the FBC website, which sets out why it is believed that there are no grounds for refusal).
Other planning matters: you may have seen press coverage of the problems being raised by HCC regarding funding for the work to junction 10 of the M27 which is a necessary precursor of the Welborne development going forward. This will be considered, in the context of a wider debate about HCC’s financial difficulties, at a meeting of HCC’s cabinet on 12 December, where it will be recommended that additional financial contributions should be sought from the developers and other stakeholders. There will then be a dedicated meeting of the FBC Planning Committee on 14 December on many detailed planning issues for Welborne: let us hope it is not derailed by the highway funding concerns!
Alabama Rot: we have publicised in previous years the considerable danger for dogs from Alabama Rot, which often proves fatal. There have been recent reports of it occurring in Hampshire and owners are advised that the symptoms of Alabama rot include skin sores, visible swelling, red patch or skin defects and changes in appetite. Owners are advised to wash off all mud following wet and muddy walks, especially through woodland, in order to minimise the risk of your dog catching the disease.
Scams: we shall greatly miss Peter Wason as the source of virtually all scams, but other members have alerted us to the following:
I need to get an Amazon E-Gift Card for a friend of mine who is diagnosed with stage 4 mesothelioma cancer, She lost her only daughter to the disease (COVID-19).it's her birthday but I can't do this now. I tried purchasing it online but unfortunately, I got no luck on that. Wondering if you could help me take care of this through Amazon online? and I'll reimburse you once I get back home. Please let me know so I can provide you with her email.
Dear Heathrow Airport Customer. We’re offering you an extraordinary opportunity to get your hands on Unclaimed Luggage! To make the claim, just do a brief survey about your experience at Heathrow!
You have reached your storage limit. Drear (???) customer, Your Cloud storage is full. Confirm. Cancelling.
Membership matters.
Those Members present on 4 December confirmed Monday evening remained a suitable day for future meetings.
Subscriptions of £3 per household are now due for membership in 2024. It would be very helpful if as many as possible can pay by bank transfer or by standing order. HHRA's bank account details are: Hill Head Residents’ Association; sort code 30-98-97; account number 74507262. For those who prefer to pay by cash, do bring your £3 to the AGM on 4 March, or drop through our new Membership Secretary Julie Taylor’s letterbox at 53 Knights Bank Road PO14 3HZ. Cheques should be made payable to Hill Head Residents’ Association and posted to same address.
Our next meeting will be the AGM on Monday 4 March 2024 at 7.30pm where the main focus will be a Q&A session with local Elected Members followed by Association business and, should there be anything to report, Haven House.