HHRA Update 30 June 2026

Members’ meeting 7pm Monday 6 July Catholic church hall Bells Lane

Our members’ meeting is next Monday at the earlier time of 7pm.  Councillor Steve Forster, Executive Member for Universal Services at Hampshire County Council – which includes responsibility for highways – will attend, with colleagues from HCC.  They will describe the huge and very complex scheme at junction 10 of the M27, which is an essential part of enabling the Welborne development with its 6000 houses to go ahead: you may remember the amazing part of the project which took place six months ago to install the massive tunnel under the motorway – it was that event which prompted us to request the presentation.

Bargate Homes appeal – Old Street fields

At the time of writing we have not heard the outcome of the appeal.

Titchfield Haven Visitor Centre

We have been delighted to see that the new Visitor Centre for the Haven is at last open, near the entrance to Harbourside café.  It will be very good for staff, volunteers and visitors that they no longer have to wend their way to the yard at the back of the site.  Do visit them!

Local concerns many and various

There are several issues we – and many of you – have been raising with our councillors and the two councils, so here is an update with what I can tell you so far:

·       Overgrown steps leading down to Cliff Road promenade: this has become a major problem.  Cllr Mandry advises that the cutting back should finally be done this week.

·       Re-painting of No Cycling signs at either end of Cliff Road promenade: Cllr Dugan advises that the work has been approved and ‘the next step is to get quotes then a date will be set to carry out the work’.  Yes – very tempting to get the white paint out of one’s garage, I know ….  It won’t stop all the cyclists who seem to think it is appropriate to cycle along the narrow and busy promenade, but at least some might notice and one can politely point out to others what they have apparently failed to see.

·       Dangerously cracked promenade Cliff Road promenade near beach hut 102: this has been drawn to the attention of FBC and Cllr Dugan.  There are of course many cracked portions of the prom, but the one by beach hut 102 is a serious trip hazard.

·       Maintenance of pathway between Berry Lane and The Grove: as you may recall, this is a longstanding problem, with neither HCC nor FBC accepting responsibility for keeping the pathway clear for walkers and cyclists.  The result is that one of our members has undertaken clearance himself and organised and paid for tree surgeons to do the more major work once a year.  With huge thanks to another of our members, it is now clear that it is the responsibility of HCC as there is an inescapable Hampshire Countryside Service sign on the path – Cllrs Dugan and Mandry have also noted the sign.  We have asked Cllr Hayre to obtain explicit confirmation that the Countryside Service will now do their duty.

·       Dangerous parking at junction of Seafield Park Road and Salterns Road: both Cllr Hayre and a local resident have received frankly dismissive replies from Hampshire Highways to any suggestion that double yellow lines are needed in order to stop thoughtless motorists parking on the bend at the junction.  We have however noted a recent example of councillors in Lee on the Solent overcoming the negative attitude of Hampshire Highways and succeeding in getting improvements to parking and traffic management and have asked Cllr Hayre to really press the issue about Seafield Park Road, quoting the precedent in Lee.

·       Potholes: we have asked Cllr Hayre for an update about work in Moody Road, Bells Lane and all too many other local roads.

CCTV cameras

You may have noticed CCTV cameras in Salterns and Hove To (HH Sailing Club) car parks.  We have asked what has prompted their installation and how they will be monitored and used.  Cllr Dugan has obtained the following information:

“These cameras were installed specifically in relation to reports of modern-day slavery during the summer periods, however they do have the benefit of being used in relation to crime and disorder.

“As always with our CCTV systems, they’re not live monitored by reactionary to incidents; we receive a report from Hampshire Police we attend/log in to the system and retrieve the footage as needed. They are not live monitored (except on a pre-arranged operation – which on this case is more likely to happen with Immigration, Customs, Police, Hygiene team. They are up for the summer and if needed we can deploy them elsewhere.

“We were cautious to avoid areas where a degree of privacy would be expected such as the beach, or the promenades. These cameras face the low tide parts of the beach and the car parks to co-ordinate intelligence.”

This would appear to relate to one of the concerns about shellfish picking and is therefore very welcome.  However, we have pointed out that they should also be used to monitor and tackle antisocial behaviour which is all too common, particularly in the summer and especially in Salterns car park. Overnight parking is another relevant issue.  It would be worth sending any views you have to Cllr Joanne Burton, who is the Executive Member for Health & Public Protection jburton@fareham.gov.uk copied to sdugan@fareham.gov.uk and kmandry@fareham.gov.uk 

Consultations

FBC has a consultation on Active Travel open until 22 July: https://share.google/UwYHt6O3hbXKY5EX1 

Fraud Issues: Hampshire Alert have circulated a number of warnings:

·       ‘Suspicious activity on your account’: Hampshire police advise that ‘We receive a lot of reports from residents of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight stating that they answered the phone to someone purporting to be their bank advising of “suspicious activity on your account”.    It is highly unlikely to be your bank, it is much more likely to be a criminal trying to get you to hand over or transfer your hard earned cash to them.

If this happens to you, please immediately end the call, wait a few minutes (or use a different phone), phone 159 (or the number on the back of your bank card) and find out if your bank really are trying to get hold of you - or if it is a criminal impersonating your bank.

·       Scam calls using ‘spoofed’ numbers: Criminals use ‘spoofing’ software to intentionally cover up their real caller ID and instead, mirror the phone number of a legitimate organisation. They do this to make it appear that calls or text messages are coming from a trusted organisation like the police, banks or government agencies.

These scam calls may be automated, or from a real person. Their main goal is to trick you into sharing personal information or to transfer money.

This week, the City of London Police launched its courier fraud campaign to raise awareness of this type of fraud as it evolves across the UK, with criminals using increasingly sophisticated and persistent tactics.

Courier fraud typically begins with an unexpected phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer or bank employee. Victims are told their account is at risk or that they are assisting with an investigation, before being instructed to withdraw money, purchase items, or disclose sensitive information. A courier is then sent to collect the items such as jewellery, cash, bank cards and PINs. In reality, this is the work of criminals, and anything handed over is lost.

·       Report a suspicious phone call, email or text message

Members of the public have reported 55.7 million suspicious emails to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS). The free service was created by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in 2020 and since its launch has resulted in the removal of 250,000 scams across 443,000 malicious websites.

Why you should report phishing scams

'Phishing' is when criminals use scam emails, text messages or phone calls to trick their victims. The aim is often to make you visit a website, which may download a virus onto your computer, or steal bank details or other personal information.

The NCSC is a UK government organisation that has the power to investigate and take down scam email addresses and websites. Reporting a scam is free and only takes a minute. By reporting suspicious emails, messages and calls, you can:

  reduce the amount of scam communications you receive

  make yourself a harder target for scammers

  protect others from cyber crime online

How to report suspicious emails and text messages:

If you’ve received an email or text message that doesn’t feel right, STOP!

  break the contact – don’t reply, click on any links, call any phone numbers or make any payments

  check if it’s genuine: contact the organisation directly using an email address or phone number you know is correct, e.g. from your utility bills, via a search engine, on the back of your card or by calling 159 for banks

  Report suspicious emails by forwarding them to: report@phishing.gov.uk

  Report suspicious text messages by forwarding them to: 7726 (it’s free of charge)

How to report suspicious phone calls:

If you’ve received a phone call that doesn’t feel right, STOP!

  hang up

  check if it’s genuine: contact the organisation directly using contact details you know are correct, such as those on a utility bill, official website, the back of your card or by calling 159 for your bank

  don’t trust the Caller ID display on your phone – it’s not proof of ID

  report it by sending a text to 7726 with the word ‘Call’ followed by the scam caller’s number

If you have been a victim of cyber crime or fraud, tell the police at www.reportfraud.police.uk. 

For advice and guidance on what to do if you have been a victim of fraud, please visit: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk/recovery-from-fraud/

I will repeat my oft offered advice to sign up with https://www.hampshirealert.co.uk and do encourage friends and relatives to do so.

That’s quite enough for today.  I shall hope to see you at our meeting on Monday – at 7pm!