Stubbington Study Centre
The Select Committee at Hampshire County Council will meet tomorrow morning at 10.00 and have before them a 250 page report dismissing all the comments made during the consultation and recommending that they support the proposal to close the Study Centre and build the secure home for young people on the site. I shall be attending and will make a deputation on behalf of HHRA as will a number of others who have been involved in the campaign to save the Study Centre. If the Select Committee does support the proposal, it will go to the HCC Cabinet on 18 March reflecting that support. The draft of my deputation is on our website www.hhra.org.uk Latest News.
By way of contrast, Fareham Borough Council Executive Committee has on its agenda for 11 March our application for the Study Centre to be listed as an asset of community value, with a recommendation that they approve the application. Lynne Murray – author of our ACV application – and I will attend. As we have observed before, listing as an asset of community value will not stop HCC doing what it wants, but it is another means of making public opinion clear and it must be taken into consideration when any planning application is considered.
Osborne View rebuild P/24/1544/FP
The application to rebuild the Osborne View public house is on the planning committee agenda for 12 March with a recommendation from the planning officer that it be approved. We welcome the prospect of the Osborne View re-opening though we are aware that a number of our members have concerns about disturbance from the pub: these are largely dismissed in the report. We are advising our members that it will be important to make any concerns known to the Licensing Committee when, nearer the time of completion, it considers Hall & Woodhouse’s application for licensing hours and conditions.
At the meeting we held with Hall & Woodhouse in September, when asked when they might open, they said ‘With a following wind, maybe summer 2026’. I would say it has taken rather longer getting to this stage than they might have hoped, so it’s possible it might be rather later.
Assuming it is approved next week, we will renew our request to Hall & Woodhouse to set up a ‘neighbourhood forum’ through which they can brief and consult with neighbours as the construction phase emerges.
Devolution
Don’t forget that the proposals for the Mayoral Combined Authority incorporating Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the IoW are open for consultation until 13 April: https://consult.communities.gov.uk/lggc/hampshire-and-the-solent-devolution-consultation/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIjGopleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHatUYQ5NZEs6eW5wtCxOKcEGporyT0YCZCYe7aN1IjTkuCZB2k6E2tbsnw_aem_26pCpRSDMJjlknmEd-43JA
All local authorities have also been asked to submit by 21 March their proposals for replacing the ‘two tier’ authorities which exist in councils such as Hampshire with unitary authorities which are expected to cover populations around 500,000. Watch this space….
Country Market
As an enthusiastic supporter of country markets myself, I thought you might wish to know that markets will now be held at Stubbington library on the second and fourth Friday of each month from 9.30 – 11.30. Do go and sample the excellent baked items and crafts available at the market and support local producers and creators.
AGM and Leader of FBC 7.30pm Monday 24 March Catholic church hall Bells Lane
The reports for our AGM were sent out last week: please remember that we shall not have paper copies at the meeting, though ‘headlines’ will be shown on the screen.
There are a number of topics we have flagged to the leader of FBC, Councillor Simon Martin, for his meeting with us following the AGM. They are
· Planning issues, including new housing targets likely to be set for Fareham. Please note that Cllr Martin will not be able to discuss in any detail ‘live’ planning applications such as Old Street houses as he cannot pre-empt what a future planning committee might decide.
· Devolution – see above.
· Fareham town centre redevelopment.
· New arrangements for recyclable waste disposal.
If there are other issues you would like to add to the list, please reply to this email and let me know: it is always helpful to give notice of topics so that the speaker can be sure to have up to date information from officers and other colleagues.
Please remember that Fareham Borough Council is not responsible for highways, buses, paths and pavements, street parking, countryside, adult social care, children’s services and libraries: these are all managed by Hampshire County Council.
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