Planning
Old Street planning application P/24/1553/OA
Many thanks to all of you who wrote objecting. You will find HHRA’s comments below. We can only await the planning officer’s report and recommendations to the Planning Committee.
Osborne View planning application P/24/1544/FP
Although the closing date for comments was 19 December, this is not ready to go to the January Planning Committee. We have been told that some people had comments but, in the rush towards Christmas, had missed the closing date. If there are points about which you feel strongly, you could send comments to the planning officer identified in the application, perhaps with a charming note asking her to accept them even though they are late.
Solent Cliffs planning application P/24/1672/FP.
This application, for an extension to create five more bedrooms, has only just been published: we will provide further comments when we have had a chance to look at it.
Jane Robertson
Many members will know Jane Robertson, nee Michaelis and I believe you would wish to know that, sadly, she died at home on 5 January. I have attached below a short biography written by her sister in law Sarah. Many of us will have seen her beautiful art work and will remember her as the great character described there: as Sarah has said to me ‘Farewell, our dear, unconventional Hill Head lady’.
Stubbington 10k Sunday 12 January
I’m sure you will have seen the signs warning of road closures this coming Sunday morning when the Stubbington 10k road race happens. A summary is below. Do please make sure that you have planned your journeys accordingly.
English Devolution
We alerted you to the local authority meetings scheduled for this week to consider Hampshire’s proposal for a ‘Strategic Authority’ including all of the county, the two cities and the Isle of Wight, together with an elected mayor. The purpose of such a move is to secure considerable devolution from central government of funds and decision making. Following meetings of all the councils, the bid to be in the first tranche has gained support and has been submitted: it should be clear by the end of the month whether it has been approved, and if so the county council elections scheduled for May 2025 will be delayed, probably until the following year; the bid will also be the subject of consultation later in the year.
If the bid to be in the priority group is not accepted, devolution will still happen but at a slower pace
The further proposals for the move away from ‘two tier authorities’ (District and County) will also be pursued later in the year. All areas are expected to submit proposals for these changes by autumn.
Subscriptions
2025 HHRA membership subs are now due please. The amount payable is unchanged at £3 per household. If possible, we would prefer payment by bank transfer:
Account Name: Hill Head Residents’ Association
Account No : 74507262Sort code 30-98-97 Reference Info: Name of Member
However we can accept cash and cheques (made payable to Hill Head Residents' Association) and sent or delivered to Membership Secretary, 53 Knights Bank Road, Hill Head, PO14 3HZ.
A number of early birds have already paid and we thank them for that.
Before making a one off bank payment, you may wish to check that you have not already set up a Standing Order as we would not wish you to pay twice!
Scams
Of course we are still hearing of scams.
Talk Talk (from superbrain…) Your Device Protection has lapsed. Hm. Doubtful
From MARIA <root@xmsuncent.com> mariaelisabethschaeffler924@gmail.com Your email account has been selected for a donation of Euro4,800,000.00. Contact us for more information. Again – almost certainly not.
Dates of members’ meetings
We are very glad to report that Councillor Simon Martin, Leader of Fareham District Council, has agreed to come and speak to us about a range of very topical issues on Monday 24 February 7.30pm at the church hall in Bells Lane. We expect planning and housing numbers, Fareham town centre development and the aforementioned local government changes to be on the agenda. We shall also hold our (hopefully) customarily brisk AGM that evening.
As mentioned in our previous Update, we shall hear from Piers Rochford of the Hampshire Police Cyber Crime Unit about how to stay electronically safe on Monday 7 July, at 7.30 pm at the church hall in Bells Lane.
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