FINAL WEEK to give feedback on B&L NDP

The Bramshott & Liphook Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) is in it’s final week of formal consultation.

Why is it important to give your feedback?: Development will happen in B&L with or without an NDP. The NDP is a way for residents to say what is needed and have some control – benefits include ensuring the right housing and tenure, with required community facilities, protecting the environment.

Feedback given by the deadline (22nd September) will be used to adapt the plan before it is handed over to East Hants District Council for the final stages. You can read all the documents, give feedback and find out more info on the NDP website:

Grant funding opportunity

Bramshott & Liphook Parish Council have opened our grant funding window for funding for next year. If you are a local group or organisation that would like some help and support do please have a look at our policy to check the eligibility criteria and then send us your application. The funding window closes on 30th November 2023.

Grant Aid Policy 23-24

Grant Aid Application Form 2023/24

 

Liphook Village Hall Treasurer Position

Liphook Village Hall need a new Treasurer
Our treasurer is standing down shortly and we are looking for
someone to replace her.
This role is a few hours a month and a small payment is paid to
the treasurer every month.
The role includes liaising with the chair and bookings
secretary, bookkeeping, making payments, reporting to the
committee every other month, manage online banking, filing
the annual Charity commission report.
If you would be interested in the role of treasurer for the
committee or even joining the committee, please contact me.
Jo Hall
07530 180276
chair@liphookvillagehall.org.uk

Are you interested in becoming a parish councillor?

We are currently recruiting for one new councillor. Please see the image below for further details and contact us if you are interested in discussing the opportunity.

 

Neighbourhood Plan: Next drop-in 22nd August & Upcoming Dates

There will be another chance to chat to the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group next week, Tuesday 22nd August. Ask any questions you have about the Formal Draft Plan, which is currently undergoing Formal Consultation. Liphook Millennium Centre, 22nd August, 7.30-8.30pm

PLUS SEE BELOW FOR OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE NDP IN PERSON:

NDP Steering Group members will be at our display stand at the LMC during the following events:

  • SATURDAY 9th SEPT – Liphook Village Market (during)
  • FRIDAY 15TH SEPT – Film Screening in afternoon and evening (before film & during intervals)

TUESDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER: Meeting at Liphook Millennium Centre 7.30-8.30PM. The first half of the meeting (7.30-8.15) will be run as a formal Steering Group meeting, the second half (8.15-9) will be an open forum discussion.

TUESDAY 19TH SEPTEMBER: NDP meeting with interested developers. NDP Steering Group will meet with interested developers to discuss Opportunities and Challenges of BLNDP Policies for Future Development in the Parish: Further information to follow. Subject to change. If you are an interested developer and would like to attend please let us know at: admin@bramshottandliphookndp.uk

Pond at Radford Park

We know there has been some concern about the pond at Radford Park and we would like to provide an update and some background information.

The pond at Radford Park was created some years ago and is therefore a man-made pond. This means that there is no natural flow of water and this can lead to silting over time. The pond was dredged over 25 years ago but over the last few years there has been some silt build up which we have been monitoring.

We asked the Environment Agency to visit us earlier this year to give us advice about the best way to manage, not just the pond, but the flow of water through the park. The Environment Agency advised that the pond did not necessarily need to be dredged and we could, instead, plant reeds on the silted areas. We understand that dredging can be carried out every 20 years or so but it can cause considerable disturbance to a pond so the Council will need to seek further advice on this from experts.

The Environment Agency also suggested that we should open the sluice gate in the Park to allow the river to flow naturally. The effect of this would be to ultimately create a much more natural waterway but it would mean that the pond could, and probably would, become defunct or, at the very least, considerably smaller.  At last week’s Recreation Committee meeting, councillors decided to take the advice of the Environment Agency and raise the sluice gate to see what effect this would have on the pond. We are monitoring this over the week with the intention of closing the sluice gate again at the end of the week. The water level should then quickly return to previous levels. Water levels and waterways throughout the park will be monitored over this period.

Please be assured that no decisions about the future of the pond have been made and much more work will need to be undertaken which will include talking to experts and to residents. What is clear, though, is that maintaining any artificial pond is costly and we will need to weigh up the benefits and the costs over time to our residents.

If you would like to share your views with the Council please email clerk@bramshottandliphook-pc.gov.uk

Skate park removal

The parish council are removing the skate park which is currently located in the area known as the “Little Rec”. This piece of land stretches from behind the library to the Haslemere Road car park and was donated to the parish council in trust for the use of young children and their parents resident in Liphook and its environs for ever.
The picture below shows the skate park as it is currently. It has been closed for some time as it requires considerable repairs to bring it up to a safe standard. It is also very outdated compared to modern skate parks.
We will be removing the skate park ramps, fencing, the remains of the shelter and the bike rack.
The council have set up a working group to consider ideas for this area and we have already heard from some residents giving their views on how it could be used.
If you have an idea please do tell us about it by emailing clerk@bramshottandliphook-pc.gov.uk.

Update on Neighbourhood Development Plan July 2023

Update on Neighbourhood Development Plan July 2023

The Parish Council has recently approved the draft plan, and the Neighbourhood Development Plan has moved onto its next stage: a formal open consultation (also called Regulation 14).

This is the LAST CHANCE for residents, businesses and other community groups to have an input into the formal draft NDP.

Pease see the NDP website to read the full documents and fill in the survey: http://bramshottandliphookndp.uk

You can also:

-Attend the residents drop-in meeting on Tuesday 8th August, 7.30-8.30pm at the Liphook Millennium Centre. Hear the story of the NDP so far and ask any questions to the Steering Group.

-Visit the displays at the Millennium Centre and Parish Council Office (Haskell Centre) to read hard copies of all the documents.

The consultation will last for 8 weeks, so you will see plenty of reminders, but why not give your input now!

A4 Reg14 poster

Temporary closure of public toilets at the weekends

Due to ongoing issues with vandalism in the public toilets in the Midhurst Road car park, we have had to take the decision to close them over the weekends on a temporary basis.
This was not an easy decision as we know that these facilities are well used and the majority of residents are not causing any problems.
However, there are a small minority (not yet identified) who are regularly vandalising the toilets, including trying to start fires inside them.
Every time there is damage we have to use taxpayers’ money to fix it and we are now looking at installing CCTV and other means to try and stop this wilful damage.
We have reported this to the police who have promised us increased patrols in this area.
The toilets will remain open Monday to Friday as usual and we will let residents know when they will open again at the weekends.
If you have used the toilets at any time, please could you complete our survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/D5QL7Y7
As ever, please report any problems to the police using the 101 service.

 

Rail Strike Information for 29th July and 31st July to 5th August

South Western Railway confirms services during strike action on 29 July and industrial action between 31 July and 5 August

  • On Saturday 29 July, customers should only travel if absolutely necessary, with a significantly reduced service in operation
  • Between Monday 31 July and Saturday 5 August, customers should check before they travel, with a reduced timetable in operation
  • On the Island Line, a normal service will run on Saturday 29 July, followed by an hourly service between Monday 31 July and Saturday 5 August
  • Services during industrial action from Monday 7 to Saturday 12 August will be confirmed in due course
  • For the latest information please visit www.southwesternrailway.com/strike

SOUTH Western Railway (SWR) has confirmed its services for Saturday 29 July’s strike action and Monday 31 July to Saturday 5 August’s industrial action.

On Saturday 29 July a significantly reduced service will operate on a limited number of lines due to strike action by the RMT union.

Large parts of the SWR network will be closed and trains will only run between the hours of 0700 and 1900. The last trains of the day will depart from around 1700.

Customers should only travel if their journeys are absolutely necessary. If customers intend to travel they should check their entire journey using journey planners, which are now up to date, as other train operators will also be affected.

A full service is expected to operate on the Island Line however customers should check before travelling.

Between Monday 31 July and Saturday 5 August a reduced timetable will operate across the SWR network due to industrial action by the ASLEF union.

Customers should check before they travel. Journey planners will be updated on Friday 28 July and customers are advised to check their entire journey, as other train operators will be affected.

An hourly service will operate on the Island Line.

On Saturday 5 August there will be no trains between Barnes and Feltham via Hounslow due to engineering work in the Staines area.

The last trains of the day will depart earlier than usual and customers are advised to check before travelling. Journey planners will be updated after Friday 28 July.

Full information regarding services on Saturday 29 July and between Monday 31 July and Saturday 5 August is available at www.southwesternrailway.com/strike.

Further industrial action by the ASLEF union has been announced between Monday 7 and Saturday 12 August. Information on SWR services during this period will be confirmed in due course.