THE PARISH COUNCIL OF NEWLANDS
MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY 18 MARCH 2021 USING A
SCHEDULED ZOOM VIDEO CONFERENCE CALL COMMENCING AT 7.30 pm
Members: Cllr D Crichton (Chair) (P) Cllr O Barneveld (P)
Cllr A Berry (P) Cllr A Carden (P)
Cllr A Kirby (P) Cllr J Parry (P)
Cllr L Price (P) Cllr M Read (P)
Cllr F Tingle (P)
Also on the call were D/Cllrs, A Clear, T Evans, J Clementson and M Read. Also presents were Katie
Bone HBC Community Officer, Jenni Upstill from Grainger PLC and Karen Seear Clerk to the Council.
139/21C Apologies: All Parish Councillors were present.
140/21C Declarations of Interest: Cllr M Read declared an interest as he was the Ward Councillor for
Winchester City Council.
141/21C Minutes
The minutes from the Council Meeting held on 18 February 2021 were received. It was
unanimously RESOLVED that the minutes of the council meeting be accepted as an accurate
record and will be duly signed by the Chairman at a later date.
142/21C Matters arising and outstanding matters from Previous Minutes.
a) Vandalism at Auger Way: There has not been an update from Taylor Wimpey with regards
to the installation of an additional bollard and for obtaining padlocks and keys for the current
bollards. The Chairman asked the Clerk to chase for an update. NOTED.
143/21C Public Participation: There was no requirement for a public session.
144/21C County and District Councillors Reports
a) C/Cllr P Stallard had submitted a written report which had been previously circulated and is
appended to these minutes. The Chairman mentioned Hampshire County Council plans have been
bought forward for the additional primary school in the Parish. The Chairman mentioned when the
planning application is received for the design for this school should allow for adequate parking.
NOTED.
b) D/Cllr A Clear gave a verbal report. She mentioned the local plan, and encouraged everyone to
input their comments as it will help to guide the future of the Parish. Fly-tipping is unfortunately
on the increase, if there is a sticker from WCC in place at a site, then please be assured WCC do
know about the incident and will deal with it. If you see a site, without a sticker, please inform
Winchester City Council, reporting the waste by phone or via the WCC website. NOTED.
The Chairman mentioned a planning enforcement case in the Parish. The Clerk has written to
building control requesting further information, more information is awaited. Further clarification
on the matter is required. NOTED.
D/Cllr M Read gave a verbal update. There is a new leisure centre opening in Winchester. This is
gradually phasing out the old leisure centre, a soft shut down is in progress.
He mentioned that WCC are due to go into Purdah towards the end of March. No decisions will be
made by the Winchester City Council other than those under planning. NOTED.
Cllr L Price raised several points regarding planning permission rights. There are questions over
which rights phases of the development have. The Chairman agreed that this matter needs also
needs clarifying as it has major implications for managing the development. A planning committee
meeting is planned to take place prior to the next meeting of full Council on 8 April 2021. It was
advised to invite the Head of Planning Department from WCC to the meeting to answer queries.
NOTED.
Cllr L Price mentioned brown bin garden waste collections. There have been a few problems with
collections. Some residents are still waiting for their brown bins. Bins are currently taking 2 to 4
weeks for delivery. Residents are asked to continue using garden waste bags while waiting for their
brown bin. If they wish for their garden waste service to continue they must order a bin from WCC.
If residents continue to have problems, you can report this to either D/Cllr M Read or D/Cllr A
Clear. The Clerk will update the Parish Facebook page with this information.
145/21C Parish Matters:
i) Development and adoptions: Jenni Upstill from Grainger had previously circulated a report. She
mentioned that work to the footpath connecting Town Park via Laxton Leaze is now complete.
Rubber matting that was previously installed, has been removed. Some residents are still walking
over the muddy grass, there will be signs up to let people know the footpath is now in use. The
Chairman also wished to thank the residents that assisted in the removal of fallen tree branches over
the Christmas period and pointed out that there is great community spirit in the Parish. He also
mentioned that via the Berewood residents Facebook page, there has been a discussion on various
wildlife in the Parish. Water voles have been spotted. Jenni went on to mention that building works
have been very supportive in such a way as to encourage wildlife in the area, numbers have actually
increased during works. Raptor boxes are due for installation at Newlands Meadow, in the hopes to
encourage more birds of prey, as nesting season is starting. This site will be dedicated in memorial
to Andy Bessy, a resident of the Parish. The Chairman suggested that residents may like to note
what wildlife they spot in the Parish. This topic could be featured in newsletters, hi-lighting the
fact that the development has lots of open space, and is not just a concrete jungle. Cllr F Tingle
asked for an update on the planned work to the pond at the site near the recycling centre. Jenni
reported that they are currently gaining quotes for the work. Once the next phase of house sales is
complete, Grainger will look at carrying out works to the pond in April 2022.
Cllr M Read wished to congratulate Jenni/Grainger as he is very impressed with the boardwalk at
the site near the bridge, pointing out that it really looks the part.
The Chairman gave an update concerning the Taylor Wimpey area of the development. The section
104 Southern Water adoption is almost complete. A condition of the adoption is that Taylor Wimpey
will continue to maintain areas like the pumping station for another 6 months. This does not impede
the signing of the adoption agreement. The spokesman for Taylor Wimpey has reported that he is
confident that the adoption of the Spine Road will happen by the middle of the year. There are a
few items that are due to be finished, once this is complete and the road adopted, the Chairman has
asked whether the yellow lines that Grainger are working on will continue onto the Spine Road area.
Once Highways has adopted the roads, there are questions as to whether restrictions will start to be
enforced. NOTED.
Adoption of the open space in the Havant part of the development is still awaited. A representative
of HBC will be chasing this matter.
Cllr L Price questioned that once Darnel Road is adopted, what will happen with regards to vehicles
being able to access Newlands Walk? The Chairman had previously raised this issue with Taylor
Wimpey, and asked for installation of a drop curb to allow for vehicular access. NOTED.
Closure of Sickle Way is still yet to be determined and work to the road surface completed. This
has been mentioned at the West of Waterlooville forum and the matter will be returned to again for
discussion. NOTED.
ii) Community Plan: Katie Bone gave a verbal update, Two football and skateboarding coaching
events are taking part over Easter at Berewood Town Park. This will be a good opportunity to obtain
views about the development from parents whose children will be attending these events. NOTED.
iii) HBC land: This item was covered previously
iv) Garden waste collections: This item was covered previously.
146/21C Communications
a) Website: The Clerk reported that the Parish website had been running well since Cllr J Parry was
able to remove unwanted malware. The Chairman asked questions regarding when the Parish
Online element could be added to the website. The Clerk will find out more information and bring
this back to the next meeting. NOTED.
b) Newsletter: Katie Bone asked whether any Councillors wanted to add anything to the next
newsletter. Cllr F Tingle suggested that wildlife spotting could be added as an item to the newsletter.
NOTED.
c) CPRE: Correspondence had been sent to the Council concerning whether there were any litter picks
in the Parish. Currently several residents are picking up litter in the area. Due to current lockdown
restrictions it is difficult to organise litter picking events. Katie Bone had tried to arrange two
sessions over Easter as residents had been in touch asking for these to take place. It was decided to
write back to the CPRE and explain the current situation. NOTED.
147/21C Outside Bodies
a)
b)
c)
AQUIND: The Chairman gave a verbal update. The inspectors examination is now complete. WCC
have around 12 redline items that need consideration. AQUIND were asked to consider a cross
country route, but did not respond. The Chairman is extremely disappointed that HBC who were
previously supporting this campaign, now appear to have conceded. Inspectors have 3 months to
prepare their recommendations to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State then has 3 months
to prepare public recommendations. The Chairman outlined the next steps of the proposal and the
complexities around them. He stated that there will not be an answer to the recommendations for
some months. The matter is on hold until more news becomes available. NOTED.
West of Waterlooville: The meeting took place on the 9th March 2021. The structure and future of
both the forum and the Joint planning committee was discussed. It was agreed that there is a need
for the Joint planning Committee to continue in some way. A number of options were considered.
There is a requirement for a continuing body which represents both Havant and Winchester to meet
until the development is finished.
After discussion with Gary Hughes from HBC the proposed idea of having a footpath between the
development and Brambles Farm was dismissed by HBC as the land has been let on 120 year lease.
Mr. Hughes felt that it is highly unlikely that the current leaseholder would agree to the request.
HBC are not keen on the request as it may hinder their ability to use the land for other purposes. It
was suggested to approach the leaseholder with the footpath request, to see if they would support
the suggestion and then go back to HBC. There are currently health and safety issues regarding
access to the Post Office delivery office in Brambles Farm and The Chairman believes the footpath
link is an important part of missing infrastructure for residents of the development. NOTED.
The Chairman mentioned that the Grainger website has been updated. It now shows all phases and
names.
Southern Parishes: The minutes of the meeting were previously circulated. The Chairman gave a
update. D/Cllr Hugh Lumby was the speaker at the meeting. The main item of discussion was
planning. It was a very useful, helpful session. There were a number of items that require more
information. The Chairman stated that if there are any queries with regards to the report from the
last meeting, then to contact him. The next meeting of Southern Parishes is on the 17th May 2021
at 2pm. NOTED.
148/21C Finance
a)
b)
c)
d)
Orders for Payment: It was unanimously RESOLVED that the payments detailed on the Orders
for Payment list 16 should be APPROVED in the sum of £0.00 including VAT and that further
payments of £64.78 including VAT were RAFIFIED and that NIL receipts are noted.
Bank Statements: The February bank statements had been previously circulated. The statements
were reviewed and the balances as at 21 February 2021 were agreed. The statements would be signed
at a later date by the Chairman. NOTED.
Accounts: The accounts for February had been prepared and circulated. NOTED.
Bank account: The Bank Account correspondence address will be changed to that of the Parish
Office at the Community Hall building. Details around the signing for this were agreed. NOTED.
It was unanimously agreed that the internal auditor which kindly assisted the Council last
year will also carry out the this year’s internal audit. The Clerk was asked to contact her.
149/21C Social Media: Strategies around the Parish use of social media were discussed. Cllr A Carden felt
that the Council could engage more with residents via of use social media. He noted that C/Cllr P
Stallard has been very active and engaged residents using social media platforms. Cllr F Tingle
suggested that it would be an idea to post a newsletter via social media, detailing the Council’s
activities, this would be less formal than the minutes of meetings which are already posted. The
newsletter could be circulated every fortnight/monthly. The Chairman thought this sounded
effectively like a news bulletin and thought it was a good idea. D/Cllr A Clear has been inputting
information into the Wickham Parish magazine and the Knowle Post, she offered her assistance.
The Chairman suggested that Councillors speak to the Clerk regarding input and put together a draft,
proposed first edition and circulate it to both Parish Council and Ward members. Councillors are to
agree on a template and who will be responsible for the work, this could potentially be shared on a
rota basis between Councillors. The bulletin would be available on both the Parish Council
Facebook page and the Parish website. The item will be bought back to the next meeting for further
discussion. NOTED.
150/21C Other reports: The Chairman discussed the upcoming Annual Parish Assembly. The meeting is
due to be held on 25th March 2021. Last year there were no electors present. Turnout for this
meeting is not yet known. After discussion, the Clerk was asked to publicize the Annual Parish
Assembly, stating that this is an opportunity for residents to ask any questions to the Council.
NOTED.
The Annual Parish Meeting was discussed as there are currently queries over how this will be held.
Current legislation allowing remote meetings is due to end on the 7th May. The way in which this
meeting will be held will be determined once further information becomes available. NOTED.
151/21C It was RESOLVED that in accordance with the Public Bodies (admission to meetings) Act
1960 to exclude the public and press for discussions regarding personnel matters where
publicity might be prejudicial to the special nature of the business.
The meeting closed at 9.59pm
The next meeting will be held on 22 April 2021
Please note minutes of meetings are published as soon as possible on the website to help residents. However,
they do not become the formal record of the meeting until agreed or otherwise at the next meeting. Therefore,
you should always check to see whether any amendments have been made.
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL report to Newlands Parish Council – 18th March 2021
Children’s Food & Activity Schemes
I have recently awarded grants totalling £384,576 to local organisations that are
providing free activities and a meal to disadvantaged children during the Easter
break [2nd April to 16th April 2021]. The aim of this Holiday and Activity Food
Programme is to make free places available to eligible children for the
equivalent of at least four hours a day, four days a week and for six weeks a
year. This will cover four weeks in the summer and a week’s worth of provision in each of the Easter and
Christmas holidays in 2021. Organisations can also offer additional places to fee paying families. Nurseries,
schools and sports activity providers are among the Easter grant recipients.
The County Council will be seeking applications for the summer holiday (26th July to 1st September 2021)
in the coming months and again, later in the year, for Christmas. Organisations should go to
the connect4communities.org website –
https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/childrenandfamilies/connectforcommunities/for details as
well as application forms and guidance. Parents and carers wishing to find out what is on offer locally
should search the Family Information and Services Hub –
https://fish.hants.gov.uk/kb5/hampshire/directory/home.page
Choice of Secondary School
Almost 98% of parents in Hampshire have been offered a place for their child at one of their preferred
choices for a secondary school in September. The County Council received 14,483 on-time applications
this year – an increase of 66 applications compared with the number received for places in September 2020
(14,417).
The admissions team is now busy processing primary school applications with offers due to go out to
parents on 16th April 2021.
£2.1 billion Spending on Local Services 2021/2022
At the last full Council meeting budget plans for the forthcoming financial year were agreed, which will
see funding focused on the County’s ongoing work in tackling COVID-19, support for vulnerable children
and adults, and key investments in Hampshire’s roads and infrastructure to support economic recovery,
as well as climate change mitigation. We will be investing a total of £13 million to maintain the County’s
5,500 miles of roads and mend potholes. Furthermore, and building on our commitment to become carbon
neutral by 2050, an extra £1.2 million will be invested in carbon reduction measures across the County
Council itself, aligned to the aims of our wider Climate Change Strategy.
We have a capital programme worth £418 million over the next three years to help boost jobs and the
quality of the environment. This provision for Hampshire’s infrastructure brings the County Council’s
four-year total capital investment in Hampshire, to £744 million – one of the largest capital programmes
anywhere in the country.
The annual council tax charge for a Band D property will be £1,350.45 – an increase of £1.23 per week,
equating to 4.99%, of which 3% is ring-fenced for adults’ social care at Government request. For further
information on the capital and revenue budget visit
https://democracy.hants.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=163&MId=6561
Children and Young People with Disabilities
I have recently agreed grants in excess of £1 million for voluntary groups and charitable organisations
across the County, to support them in providing short break activities for children with disabilities and/or
additional needs.
In addition, I have awarded £35,000 funding to the Hampshire Parent Carer Network for their continued
support for parents and carers of children with disabilities and additional needs and enabling parents’
participation in service development and improvement. A further £64,500 has been agreed for The Rose
Road Association to continue provision of the Community Buddy Scheme and support for children and
young people to access mainstream activities for a further six months, after which time a redesigned service
will commence.
Solent Freeport
The County Council has welcomed the news that there is to be a Solent Freeport, which will have the
potential to attract £2 billion investment and create 52,000 jobs. The Solent Freeport is one of eight
announced by the Chanceller of the Exchequer in his recent budget.
The proposal was submitted by the Solent LEP on behalf of a coalition of businesses, local authorities and
other partner organisations in response to a competitive process designed to establish a number of UK
Freeports. Successful areas benefit from tax reliefs, simplified customs procedures and streamlined
planning processes to promote regeneration and innovation. The area will also be able to retain business
rate growth to reinvest locally. The Freeports will begin operations from late 2021.
Retirement of Chief Executive
Hampshire County Council’s Chief Executive, John Coughlan CBE has announced his intention to retire
this summer, so the process of finding a successor will begin shortly. As Head of the Paid Service, the Chief
Executive is responsible for managing the Authority’s overall annual budget of £2.1 billion, a workforce
of around 37,000 (including staff in over 500 Hampshire schools) and for delivering services to 1.4 million
people across the County.
John joined Hampshire in 2005 as its first Director of Children’s Services, to oversee the integration of
Education and Children’s Social Care services into the current Children’s Services Department. In 2008,
he was awarded a CBE in recognition of his work for children’s services, helping to improve outcomes for
children both locally and nationally. John was appointed to the post of Chief Executive in 2015.
Wasting Food Feeds Climate Change
Did you know that across the UK, around one fifth of the food bought ends up in the bin, and the average
family could save £60 a month by their reducing food waste. The top three foods being thrown away
uneaten in British homes are bread, potatoes and milk. In Hampshire, around one quarter of the waste
thrown away is food that could have been eaten, most of which because it was not eaten in time. Wasting
food is a major cause of climate change – it generates more greenhouse gas emissions than all the
commercial flights in the world.
The County Council’s Smart Living Initiative –
https://www.hants.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/smartliving -has been helping Hampshire residents make
the most of their money and time at home by reducing waste through tips and ideas for the past five
years. According to the Waste Research Action Partnership [WRAP], if every person stopped throwing
away food for just one day in the UK, it would do the same for climate change as taking 14,000 cars off the
road for a whole year. Find out more about food waste and climate change
here: https://outofdate.org.uk/facts/
Patricia Stallard
Lead Executive Member for Children’s Services & Young People and Apprenticeships
Hampshire County Council
Divisional Member for Winchester Southern Parishes pgstallard@aol.com / 02392 251484
