More Countryside Lost to Lib Dem Housing Plans

Trees will have to give way to Traffic 

Council Capitulates

Major developers have convinced local Lib Dems that even more green fields to the south of Hedge End should disappear under concrete according to amendments to the Draft Local Plan approved for "consultation" by cabinet last week.

The original draft plan had just 40 houses planned around the proposed "Sundays Hill Bypass" .  But self-confessed "Master Planners" John Thompson and Partners produced their own plan for 250 houses.  These plans were presented to sceptical local residents at St Johns Church in February.

New bypass junction will be on this bend 

It comes as no surprise that the Lib Dems have capitulated before the developers.  They are now proposing to change the Draft Plan to show a new route for the bypass which allows them to  increase the amount of housing to the south of Heath House Lane.  Accommodating the developers' target of 250 houses, the area of the new housing estate is quadrupled from five hectares to 21.

Green Gap Threatened

Fields and Woods Between Hedge End and Bursledon

The proposed area for new development creates a very narrow corridor of green fields between the new houses and Heath House Lane, which will be very difficult to defend against future development.  It also moves the "urban edge" - the official boundary between countryside and town - to include the Piland's Copse designated site of interest for nature conservation (SINC)  in the "town" rather then "countryside".  All this despite the Council having a policy to maintain the green gaps between settlements such as Hedge End and Bursledon.

More Green Fields Go in Botley

In a further amendment to the Local Plan, Lib Dems have belatedly realised that they cannot squeeze 1,400 houses into the Boorley Green golf course.  In order to preserve the total number of houses, they are proposing to take a further five hectares of green fields to the south east of the golf course for development.  That's the equivalent of  another five full size rugby pitches which will disappear under concrete.

It's yet another example of local Lib Dems failing to keep their election promises to say no to more building and traffic in our area.

The new consultation period on the Draft Local Plan starts on 1st June.

Link to Planners' Document for Pylands Lane
Link to Eastleigh Borough Council Report (pages 22-4 for Sundays Hill Bypass and pages 18-19 for Boorley Green)

The 2011 Promise

Lib Dems vote for more building south of Hedge End

Council to Call in Consultants

Do Councillors Read All the Reports They Commission? 

The bill for the increasingly acrimonious dispute between the leaders of our Borough and County councils (which will  fall on Hedge End council tax payers) is due to get larger according to a report to be presented to Eastleigh's cabinet this week.

Readers of this blog will need no reminding that Eastleigh Lib Dems are planning to build over 3,500 houses in Hedge End and Botley, many of them on green fields - despite their repeated election promise to "stand up against more building and traffic".  The Draft Local Plan - which went out to consultation last year - attracted massive opposition from local residents and also from Hampshire County Council who, as the Highway Authority, are refusing to endorse the Borough's plan for a Botley by-pass which is shown following the route of Woodhouse Lane through the Maypole roundabout to the M27 - although planners say that the map is not definitive and the route might change.

The Highway Authority also estimates that the by-pass will cost £30 million and that even with the large-scale development threatened on Hedge End and Botley's green fields it will not be possible to raise enough contributions to pay for it. 

Eastleigh Lib Dems, led by Hedge End Town Councillor Keith House, are refusing to accept the judgement of the highway experts at Hampshire and are planning to engage their own consultants to generate evidence in favour of their own policies.

Incredibly it is only two years since PUSH (the Partnership for Urban South Hampshire) published a consultant's study which concluded that the planned development at that time (which was for even more houses - 6,000 to the north and north east of Hedge End) did not justify a Botley by-pass (see below).  Has Cllr House forgotten this already?  Will he keep paying for consultants and studies until he gets the answer he wants?

Financially it is a lose-lose for Hedge End council tax payers who already pay for one set of highway experts at the County, have payed for one study only two years ago, and now will be paying for yet another set of experts to be employed by the Borough.

Build Houses First and Upgrade Roads Later

The same cabinet paper proposes amendments to the Draft Local Plan which would remove the requirement for the road improvements to be completed before the houses are built.  In theory there could be thousands of new houses on our green fields with all the new residents trying to get to the motorway on our existing roads - which are already overcrowded.

The Lib Dems' cherished plans are rapidly degenerating into a shambles.

The Cost of Party Politics

With County Council elections less than a year away, this is not the only example of party politics costing you more.  Hampshire Conservatives want to include the disused airfield in Hamble in their plans for gravel extraction.  Eastleigh Lib Dems don't want that to happen and are going to spend over £8,000 on even more consultants to justify their position.

Footnote:  Extract from July 2010 PUSH report

4.8.19 Provision of a Botley bypass has mixed support locally but has a
safeguarded route to the north of the village. TfSH conclude that a bypass
cannot be justified by forecast development traffic alone and although there
may be other justifications for a bypass, it is not included in the preferred
access strategy. Local noise and air quality in Botley could however be
improved, and a bypass offers scope for environmental improvements to
the village and conservation area. Costs would be significant. If a bypass
is proposed in any future transport strategy, any route would require some
third party land and safeguarding as part of masterplanning for the SDA.

Photo credit: Pizarros

Equus at The Berry

Proper professional theatre walking distance from where I live - I still find it amazing.  Hedge End's very own Berry Theatre was at its best last Friday with London Classic Theatre's touring production of Sir Peter Schaffer's "Equus".

It was an engrossing, intense evening with thoroughly convincing performances - especially by those actors who represented horses using not much more than stylised masks and body posture and movement.  The stark design with echoes of Greek drama seemed to fit the Berry perfectly, and the scale of the place contributed to the evocation of claustrophobic settings such as the psychiatrist's consulting room, the stables and Alan Strang's bedroom.

It's good to see The Berry's success with stand-up comedy and children's productions, but this was serious theatre for grown-ups and a major milestone in The Berry's development, just what Samuel West was talking about in his speech on the opening night a year ago.

With "Hamlet" a week ago, and "Love on the Tracks" to come on June 2nd, it's good news for Hedge End theatre-goers this spring.

Lib Dem Bulldozer - Bad News for Countryside

More Building and Traffic at Dowd's Farm   

As yet more of Hedge End's ancient countryside disappears under concrete at Dowd's Farm Urban Park, the party that claims to "stand up against more building and traffic" votes to support plans to build thousands of houses on green fields in Hedge End and Botley.

Honourable Exceptions

At last week's Town Council meeting, the Lib Dems had an opportunity to keep their repeated election campaign promises to oppose further development, but with a few honourable exceptions the majority felt unable to stand up to their leadership and fell in line to support the Borough's draft local plan.

My motion, urging the Borough Council to revisit its plans for massive housing developments on our local green fields was defeated by 14 votes to two, with four abstentions.

Broken Promises

Lost Countryside

The Woodhouse Lane site, where 1,000 new houses are planned (opposite Hilliers) is the last area of land within the historic boundaries of Hedge End where you can walk without being only a few yards from housing or roads.  It is also the last area of land dedicated to agriculture in what was once a farming village, our last living link with Hedge End's heritage.

One of the arguments put forward in favour of the draft local plan is that "it is not just about houses" but includes provision for sports fields - probably alongside the railway.  That's  fine for youngsters who want to play football, but what about other people who just like the chance for a walk along ancient rights of way in relative tranquillity, whose hobby might be bird-watching, or who are just excited by the occasional glimpse of a deer, or buzzard, or kestrel?  Kestrels used to hover over Dowd's Farm, but no longer.

There should be a place for informal exercise and recreation in unspoiled countryside.  We don't need every green space to be managed, mown and exploited for council revenue.

Two of These Lib Dems Say No but Vote Yes

Broken Lib Dem Promises

The disease that has affected the Lib Dems nationally has spread to the local party.  The party that promised prior to the 2010 general election to vote against any increase in tuition fees has twice in Hedge End promised to oppose more building and traffic in our area, while behind the scenes it has been planning to allow nearly 4,000 new houses.

The leadership's justification is that as long as people keep voting Lib Dem, they must be happy
with what the council is doing.  If that is the case, why did they go through an expensive consultation exercise? 

The 1000 Hedge End people who voted Lib Dem on May 3rd are being used to justify a policy which affects all 21,000 people who live in Hedge End.

Links to others' opinions:
Eastleigh News
Hedge End Independent

Town Council To Debate Local Plan?

Will Lib Dems Keep Their 2012 Election Promise? 

Having avoided the issue four times in 2011, local Lib Dems have a fifth chance to keep their repeated election promise to say NO to more building and traffic in our area.

At next Wednesday's town council meeting I will be proposing the motion:

"In light of the Draft Local Plan summary consultation representations published by the Borough Council, and the overwhelming public opposition expressed therein, Hedge End Town Council urges Eastleigh Borough Council Cabinet to reconsider the large scale development proposed for Hedge End and Botley in favour of a plan for smaller-scale, sustainable, organic growth evenly spread across all the Borough's settlements."

In an agenda consisting otherwise only of rubber stamping committee decisions and receiving routine reports it has again fallen on the lone independent councillor to propose a motion of any substance.

It is still not certain that the debate will happen as history shows the Lib Dems to be reluctant to address the Local Plan in the most local forum , the Town Council.

In July when I first proposed a motion they decided they had not had time to read the plan and postponed any decision to September.

In September the Lib Dem leadership amended my motion to further delay any discussion until December.

In December the Chair of the Highways and Planning Committee decided that full council had been wrong to devolve the debate to her committee and passed the buck back to full council.

At December's full council meeting, the item was not on the agenda - it was never really explained why not.
I was able to raise the point in response to the "Chairman's Remarks", but without a Lib Dem seconder it was not possible to have a debate, despite it being the clear wish of the Council itself in September that it should "make a full response to the Borough Council."All that happened was that individual councillors were invited to respond to the Borough consultation as private citizens - and then there were only three of us who did so.

Consequently the voters of Hedge End do not know what the majority of their Town Councillors think about the most significant document to affect the future of our community for the next twenty years.

Lib Dem Election Promise 2011

Floodlights and Poppies

Floodlights on the Norman Rodaway playing field are the subject of a presentation to be given by Hedge End Rangers FC to the Recreation and Amenities Committee of Hedge End Town Council this week. 

No decision on floodlights is required at this stage, and I expect there will be many more discussions about this, but those of us who are members of the committee are being asked to:

• Approve the location of a textiles recycling bin for the Hampshire and IOW Air Ambulance
• Determine the colour of poppies on the new gate for the War Memorial Garden
• Approve a charity football match on Greta Park on 3rd June
• Approve the use of Greta Park for next season by Hedge End Club FC.

There has already been some discussion about the poppies at Eastleigh News. 

You can let me know what you think about any of the agenda topics, either as a comment on this blog, or by email at hedgeendblogger@gmail.com  Alternatively, the committee meeting is open to the public and starts at 7:00pm on Wednesday 9th May at the 2000 Centre.

For the second month running, the Finance and Administration Committee is having to be rescheduled.  This time to avoid clashing with the Borough Council Mayor Making.




Picture credit: "Floodlight at Kennington Oval" by The Evil IP Address

Jerry Frustrated by UKIP

Conservative Vote Split  Aids Lib Dems 

Hedge End Town Council's Lib Dems bulldozed their way back to full strength of 20 councillors at Thursday's by-election in St Helen's ward on the strength of promises to say 'NO' to more building and traffic in our area .  But would they have done it without UKIP's help?

"Local Campaigner" Paul Carnell was declared elected with 438 votes, and Conservative Jerry Hall came second with 314.  But add Michale O'Donoghue's 162 to Jerry's and you get a winning total of 476.  The chances are that had UKIP not been there Jerry would be taking his seat in the council chamber instead of Paul.

A Labour or even Independent candidate might have balanced the outcome, but that's all part of the rough and tumble of democratic politics in a first past the post world.  Paul won according to the rules, and we congratulate him and welcome his campaigning spirit to the Town Council.  I particularly look forward to his assistance in opposing plans for more building and traffic in Hedge End and Botley.