Welcome to yet more new members – we have been delighted that so many local people have responded to the recruitment flyer put through their letterboxes. We would encourage you to get to know the website www.hhra.org.uk where you will find earlier Updates and much local information.
Shellfish gathering. Many people have been deeply concerned at the obviously commercial gathering of shellfish at low tide and Fareham Borough Council is very aware of our concerns. Please see www.hhra.org.uk About Us Latest News for a detailed explanation of this complex problem and the many different agencies involved. On 8 July, police and other agencies were on the Cliff Road beach in the early morning and engaged with the people gathering large quantities of oysters and other shellfish. Contact has been made with cafes where the shellfish are offered for sale and the police have followed up some individuals who refused to provide their names: they have been identified via their car registrations. That did not stop groups returning on the evening low tide and we have made FBC Environmental Health department aware of that.
Although you may not always receive the most positive response, do report large scale shellfish gathering and, if possible, car registration numbers via:
Fareham Borough Council Environment Health Department on: 01329 236100 (ext 2401) or 07770 227155 or web: https://www.fareham.gov.uk/licensing_and_inspections/shellfish.aspx
You can also report it direct to the police on 101.
It is important that we keep up the pressure, both on those gathering the shellfish and on the agencies who have powers to control them.
Bargate Homes’ application for 70 houses on Old Street. Bargate’s own ‘consultation’ ended on 23 June and they may well soon submit the first part of their application, which is likely to be a request for a ‘Screening Opinion’ under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations. This is the developer checking with FBC whether the surveys they have done of flora and fauna are sufficient and provide satisfactory evidence, or whether further surveys are needed. Bargate have certainly been very active in the fields in recent months and it is quite likely that they will satisfy these requirements.
The next stage would be for Bargate to submit their Outline Application for 70 houses. We can only speculate when that will happen, particularly in the light of the expected new regulations and requirements from the incoming government. This Update is not the place to enter into discussion about green belt vs ‘grey belt’ but we will simply observe that if ‘grey belt’ consists of places such as ‘disused car parks and wasteland’ we hope that no-one sees the Old Street fields as answering to that description. A sub group of the HHRA committee met yesterday to review the evidence we hold from the 2017 – 19 Bargate application and we shall keep in close touch with our councillors and the planning officers as the national context becomes clearer.
Southern Water effluent recycling. Southern Water are running a new public consultation on their plan to recycle final effluent from Budds Farm Sewage Works at a new Water Recycling Plant in Havant, pump it up to Havant Thicket Reservoir for storage, then pump it 40km to their Otterbourne works. The recycled water will be supplied to many Southern Water drinking water customers in Hampshire and Portsmouth Water customers who will be supplied with the mixed water from the reservoir. If you wish to find more detailed information and debate, you may wish to look at both the Southern Water website www.southernwater.co.uk Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling project consultation, and that of the group https://havantmatters.org/water and decide if you wish to make representations. The consultation closes on 23 July.
Animal Matters. We do not usually include pet related information or requests, but we should like to draw your attention to the open day for the RSPCA Ark on 18 August: The Ark is totally dependent upon local support so will be delighted to welcome visitors to the open day.
We have also been asked by Gosport Cats Lost, Found and Rehomed to mention the urgent need for cat foster carers. Do call 07946 678264, email gosportcats@gmail.com or go to https://www.facebook.com/share/pdU7o4rvQjDbqbYS/?mibextid=K35XfP if this is something you might be able to do and if you would like more information.
Scams. Familiar scams continue to do the rounds, including one we flagged a few months ago, with fraudulent QR codes on parking signs: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cv2g4yg4yn5o
Another one appearing alerts you to the fact that you are running out of storage but by clicking in the magic place, you, as a loyal customer, will receive (or, as it puts it ‘recieve’) 50GB of free storage. Oh no you won’t.
Meetings. Our next scheduled members’ meeting is Monday 4 November 7.30pm about the Welborne project.
Prior to that we also hope to hear from Hall and Woodhouse about a meeting to share their plans for the rebuilding of the Osborne View; and a meeting may be arranged, probably of particular interest to those on the more westerly side of the area, to discuss the Bargate Homes planning application once it is submitted to FBC.
All that and more will be included in future Updates.
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