Welcome to the web site of Crookham Village Parish Council, North East Hampshire, UK.

Our aim is to provide information on the activities of the Parish Council
and provide a source of useful general information about the parish.

You can contact the Parish Council by email via
feedback@crookhamvillage-pc.org.uk.

Please email any comments or suggestions about this web site to
webmaster@crookhamvillage-pc.org.uk

CVPC Newsletter June 2009 (775kb)

 Minutes And Reports

Velmead pictorial diary

Next Council Meeting

8pm Monday 6 July 2009
WI Hut, The Street, Crookham Village

LAST MINUTESAGENDA

9 June 2009

HDC SHLAA
CV PARISH HOUSING SITES

Hart Council's Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment has proposed a number of sites in and around the parish for inclusion in the draft Local Development Framework.

See HERE for an overview map of proposed sites around CV Parish, HERE for the June 2009 CVPC Newsletter and HERE for full details from HDC.

Update 17 June: HDC response deadline extended to 6 July.

2 March 2009

VACANCY
PARISH COUNCILLOR
for
NETHERHOUSE MOOR WARD

This post will be filled by co-option.
If you are interested in filling this position, please contact the clerk ASAP.

COUNCIL MEETINGS are held in public on the first non-holiday monday of every month except August.

Start time is 7:45pm and the venue normally alternates between the WI Hut, Crookham Village and Velmead Community Centre, Zebon Copse

but during the refurbishment of Velmead Community Centre from February to August 2009 all meetings will be in the WI Hall.

There is always an opportunity for public participation, limited to 3 minutes per person, at the start of each meeting. If you have something to raise with the Council, please come along and have your say.

The ANNUAL PARISH MEETING is a special meeting, held once a year, devoted to a two-way exchange of views between the Parish Council and Parishioners.

Note that all meetings between mid-February and the end of August 2009 will be held in the WI Hall due to refurbishment of the Velmead Community Centre during that period.

Current Topics

CVPC Traffic Incident Reporting
To assist in making the case for highway improvements in the Parish, parishioners who are concerned by particular traffic incidents are invited to report details to CVPC using a standardised form in WORD format for those who wish to fill it in on the computer, or as PDF for those who wish to handwrite and post. Save a copy on your computer for future use. There is room for three reports per form, or you can send in one form per incident if you wish.

If the incident is significant, you should also report it to the police on 999 (immediate action required) or 101 (for less urgent events),

Completed forms can be sent by post to the Clerk (address below), or as an email attachment to traffic@crookhamvillage-pc.org.uk.

New Play Boulder at Velmead May 2009
In collaboration with HDC and the Big Lottery Fund, the Parish Council is installing a 3m play boulder opposite the swings on the bigger play area at Velmead on Zebon Copse.

The foundations were prepared on 1 May 2009 and the boulder itself is due to be installed on Wednesday 6 May 2009.

14 May 2009: The new pair of play boulders are now in use within an extension to the senior play area and proving very popular with adventurous youngsters.

Review of Potential Sites for Rural Exception Housing April 2009
HDC consulted local residents and established that there was a case for a further 20 affordable dwellings under the Rural Exception Scheme (as Knight's Close) in Crookham Village with occupancy restricted to those with local connections.
The list of sites is purely for consultation and does not imply any intention to proceed with any of them.
A map is HERE and should be read in conjunction with the list of comments HERE.
CVPC welcomes feedback via EMAIL in time for the CVPC meeting on Monday 11 May 2009.

Leaf Blowing December 2008
As in recent years, CVPC has employed a local contractor to blow leaves from main paths in Zebon Copse and along the towpath from Malthouse Bridge to Crookham Wharf. Not only does this make the paths safer to walk during the winter, but it reduces the build up of leaf mould which, over time, would cover all-weather paths in mud. The aim is to avoid a repeat of problems such as those experienced with the Watery Lane track leading up to the Swing Bridge from the Zebon side which required the laying of a complete new surface a few years back.

Farnborough Airport Consultation until 28th February 2009
The much-heralded draft TAG Farnborough Airport Master Plan was posted HERE from 18th December 2008.
The plan sets out TAG's ambitions for the airport in the years up to 2019 and gives an "indicative" view of where they would like to be in 2030.
TAG advise that they will soon be submitting a planning application to increase the number of movements to approximately 50,000 flights a year (an average of 137 per day) - almost double the current limit.
Please submit your views HERE so that the consultation gives a true picture of local opinion.

Footpath 2/14 Boardwalk Completed

October 2008: A new boardwalk is now in place across the boggy crossing on FP2 at its intersection with FP14 on the south side of Hillyburrow. Funding by CVPC with support from Hampshire County Council.
The stream has also been dug out on the upstream side in a bid to reduce the incidence of flooding. However, since this area acts as a water meadow and reduces the risk of flooding downstream, this area will still be liable to flood in the wettest weather.

Hillyburrow Trees Protected
August 2008: a new fence has been erected by CVPC to protect the landmark copse of trees at the top of Hillyburrow against further damage from horses.

Post Office Pay Phone to go ?
June 2008: BT is proposing to remove the pay phone from outside the Post Office in Crookham Village.
See HERE for details and how to make representations to Hart Council Planning Department.
Please copy any submissions to the Clerk so that CVPC may respond to the views of parishioners.
September 2008: CVPC decided that it will not adopt or sponsor the phone box. See para 157/08 in these minutes.
December 2008: After representations from villagers at the CVPC meeting on 1 December, the Council reconsidered its decision to allow the Post Office telephone box to be removed and resolved to request that BT leave the box in place without a working telephone inside. A volunteer offered to help with the subsequent upkeep. Since the deadline has passed, it is not yet clear whether BT will agree.

5 January 2009: BT has agreed to sell the box (minus the phone) to the Parish Council. Handover date has yet to be defined. CVPC will be looking for voluntary help from villagers (especially those who offered to help at the December parish meeting) to keep the box and its surround in good order.

Traffic
Following representations by concerned residents at the 2008 APM, CVPC is investigating ways in which traffic issues on village roads might be addressed more effectively. Watch this space for progress reports in due course.

1 September 2008
A draft scheme to address traffic issues along Crondall Road has been prepared at CVPC request by HCC and will be reviewed at the resumed Parish Council meeting on 15 September.

15 September 2008
A draft scheme for traffic calming measures along Crondall Road and alterations to the speed limits at the southern end was presented to the Parish Council with residents of Crondall Road in attendance. These plans and residents' views will be be discussed at the CVPC meeting on 6 October.

6 October 2008
To give a wider spectrum of parishioners the opportunity to contribute their views, consideration by CVPC of draft plans for addressing traffic issues along Crondall Road has been deferred until after a wider consultation via the next issue of the Parish Newsletter due out shortly.

9 November 2008
The DRAFT traffic management scheme for Crondall Road proposed by HDC/HCC is HERE.
Comments welcome to the clerk.

21 December 2008
As described in the December 2008 Newsletter, there will be a public meeting to discuss traffic issues in the parish in the WI Hall, The Street, at 8pm on Monday 19 January 2009.

19 January 2009
33 parishioners attended a meeting in public on 19 January and presented their views on traffic to the Parish Council. Notes of that meeting are HERE.
CVPC will be considering what detailed proposals to put to HCC Highways at their regular parish council meeting on 2 February 2009 in the WI Hall. Interested parishioners are very welcome to attend.

9 February 2009
At their delayed monthly meeting on 9 February, CVPC decided to seek implementation of most of the proposals from Hampshire County Council with the addition of a 40mph segment southwards from Zephon Common Lane to Two Ponds. Councillors will also discuss other proposals from residents with HCC engineers.
CVPC also decided to purchase a Speed Indicator Device that can be deployed around the parish to flash warnings at motorists depending on their speed and to record actual speeds and numbers of vehicles to assist in putting forward a case for further action if current measures prove inadequate.

Police
Hampshire Constabulary now have web pages giving news about police topics relevant to the Fleet area, including the parish of Crookham Village. The parish lies across three beat areas which roughly align with ward boundaries. See HERE for Crookham Village, HERE for Netherhouse Moor, and HERE for Zebon ward.
The Hart Community Safety web site went live in December 2008 HERE.

Flooding
If you are affected by flooding at your property, contact Thames water on 0845 9200 800 so that they are fully aware of all the problems. A report by ZCRA about the storms of 20 July 2007 is HERE.

Revised Call & Go Bus Service
The arrangements for Call & Go buses in Hart changed on 11 June 2007. New arrangements HERE.

Hart Homes Scheme
Hart Homes allocates housing association property for rent. Their web site is HERE.

Velmead Community Centre

At their full council meeting on 24 April 2008, Hart District Council finally approved the spending of £361,000 of money from developers on enhancements to Velmead Community Centre and adjacent play areas as part of the phased hand over of the facilities to Crookham Village Parish Council by April 2011. Further details will be posted on the CVPC web site in due course.

UPDATE 17 JULY 2008
The planning application for the upgrade to Velmead Community Centre (08/01227/MAJOR) was approved by Hart Council on 10 July 2008.

Once it became apparent that the timetable had slipped to preclude work being done during the Summer holidays, CVPC and ZCRA pressed for an option to be included for split working so that one hall would remain available during most of the period of works. Whether or not this option will be practical or affordable will only be known when tender responses have been processed.

Hart Council, owners of the property until handover to CVPC on 31 March 2011 if negotiations conclude successfully, have sent out invitations to tender for the upgrade work with a return date of 5 August.

A clearer picture of the way ahead should be available by about 8 August if tenders are received at Hart by the due date. Only then will it be possible to determine the financial viability of the whole scheme, the timing and duration of works, and whether it will be possible to retain partial access during the works.

UPDATE 1 SEPTEMBER 2008
The refurbishment project is being re-assessed after all tender responses were over the maximum budget. In the meantime, Velmead Community Centre remains open for business, but will close at short notice once tender issues have been resolved.

UPDATE 3 NOVEMBER 2008
In response to budgetary constraints, CVPC and HDC have now agreed a revised scheme which will go out to tender again shortly. It is anticipated that the tender responses to the revised scheme will be available before Christmas. Start date for works will depend on tender responses, but current estimates are that work will probably not start until Easter 2009. Until then it is business as usual. Both Councils apologise to users for the inconvenience that this project is causing and all regular users are being sent a letter by HDC to explain the situation.

UPDATE 5 JANUARY 2009
The second round of tendering for a scaled-back project to refurbish Velmead Community Centre generated one response that was inside the allocated budget and which satisfied the project manager. Negotiations have now been completed between HDC and CVPC, the legal agreement has been finalised except for a minor matter related to the access road, and the the final contract for refurbishment has yet to be formally reviewed by CVPC. It is hoped that everything will be squared away in the next two weeks so that work can start in mid February with a finish date before the start of the autumn term (ie to re-open by 1 September 2009 at the latest).

UPDATE 14 JANUARY 2008

Carl Westby and Cllr Sarah Kinnell of HDC sign with Cllr Robert Ney and Cllr Philip Ashton of CVPC

The agreement specifies that CVPC will take over an additional 25% of running the facilities each year until final handover on 31 March 2011. In the meantime, Hart Council will use S106 money from developers on Zebon Copse for a major refurbishment of the main part of the building, which means that the Community Centre will be closed between 16 February and the end of August 2009.
The revised centre will offer greatly enhanced facilities for users of all types with a stage, extra storage, a second toilet block to allow other users access during play group occupation of the main hall, plus an enhanced kitchen.
The small-children's play area will also be completely refitted with new a surface and new equipment.

CVPC wishes to recruit active volunteers to help organise functions and activities once the centre re-opens. If you are interested in making a positive contribution, please email velmead@crookhamvillage-pc.org.uk so that preparations can be started in good time.

A photographic diary of the refurbishment work is HERE.

Looking for Local Walks ?
A map showing footpaths in Hampshire, including those around Crookham, is available on line at http://www.hants.gov.uk/maps/paths/. Search using your postcode to see footpaths in your area.

Another source of Hampshire walks is www.walkinginhants.co.uk/

Confused about your rubbish collection day?
See HERE for details of the current allocations from Hart District Council.

Parish Plan
Questionnaires were circulated to all parishioners with a closing date for replies of 31 December 2005. Preliminary results were presented at the Annual Parish Meeting on TUESDAY 4 April 2006.

Key results of the Parish Questionnaire

968 residents responded.  Thank you all!!

Response rate: 32%, by household

Residents take issue with:

Future housing developments that are not supported by adequate investment in infrastructure

Developments that threaten green spaces and 'strategic gaps' between built-up areas

Residents want action on:

Infrastructure to enhance existing developments

Speeding traffic

Dog fouling

Residents care about:

The local environment

Refuse collection, recycling and community composting

Fostering a more vibrant community spirit in the Parish

Grants from Hart District Council and Hampshire County Council
mean that the cost of the survey has been kept down to only 40p per household.

Thanks again to everyone who took time to respond.

Your responses, together with additional comments received at the Annual Parish Meeting,
will be used by Crookham Village Parish Council during the preparation of the Parish Plan
and as supporting evidence when seeking to address residents' concerns.

Youth Facilities
The Parish Council is concerned at the lack of youth facilities in the immediate area of the parish. The Hampshire Youth service is currently helping to find out what may be required. We need feedback so that whatever is provided is what you want, not what the council think you ought to have. Email your comments to: feedback@crookhamvillage-pc.org.uk

5 March 2009 - Volunteers needed for  Youth Work Project on Zebon Copse
Hampshire County Council - Children's services, Hart Youth Team are looking at starting a Detached Youth Work Project on Zebon Copse in the near future and need your help! We are looking for some volunteer youth workers, to support the youth service team in delivering a programme and getting young people involved in their community. All volunteers would be supported and trained and would  need to complete a satisfactory CRB disclosure and health check. If willing, interested or just want to find out more please contact Charlotte Tickner at the Point Youth Centre on 01252 812308 / 07793308934 or email charlotte.tickner@hants.gov.uk.

Injuries to Children
The Parish Council is investigating Safer Routes to School in conjunction with local schools. If you have views, please contact the clerk as given below.

DID YOU KNOW THAT 45% OF INJURIES TO CHILDREN
ARE TO UN-RESTRAINED PASSENGERS IN VEHICLES?
BELT UP!

Clerk:
Daegmarsfield Farm
Church Lane
Dogmersfield
RG27 8SZ

Crookham Village Parish Council has the following councillors:

Crookham Village Ward
Cllr Peter Crawley
Cllr Brian Whyatt (co-opted 2 March 2009)

Netherhouse Ward
vacant

Zebon Ward
Cllr Julia Ambler
Cllr Simon Ambler (Chairman)
Cllr Philip Ashton (co-opted)
Cllr David Jackson (Vice-Chairman)
Cllr Robert Ney

email: firstname.lastname@crookhamvillage-pc.org.uk

Dogmersfield Parish
To find out what is going on down the road in Dogmersfield, take a look at their web site .

The RAF Odiham web site is here .

Hart out of hours noise complaints 0845-6770678

Farnborough Airfield noise complaints 01252-526001

Dogmersfield, Winchfield and Crookham Village Horticultural Society

Crookham Village Twinning Association