After a gloomy winter, this old saying may lift your mood!

“No winter lasts forever and no Spring skips its turn”. 

Many of you know that we open our garden under the NGS scheme for the spring bulbs.  Wet weather can make it difficult to accommodate everyone,  so we’re limiting visitors , asking you to book in advance. You can see more about the NGS and book for The Down House on www.ngs.org.uk . This year, our booking days are mid-week, so you can catch the bus if you wish!

Climate resilience will be an increasing part of Local Councils’ agenda and I believe it should be on Parish and Town Council’s agendas to encourage residents and property owners to take this into consideration as they make choices for their own properties, gardens and transport options. Currently, ground water levels are high; rivers are in full flow too, so heavy rain could tip into flooding. Boggy gardens are a problem, but household flooding is much more serious, especially if polluted.

We hear a lot about polluted water spilling out into rivers, but in heavy rain, SW report that up to 96% of the water through the sewage pipes can be clean rainwater, which shouldn’t be there! 

Please check that your rainwater pipes are not connected to your sewage system: this may have happened before you moved in. And please check the ditch and drain outside your home is clear so the water flows away. Use the ‘report it’ tab on hants.gov.uk to report blocked drains and pipes.

Leaflets with further information available online on hants.gov.uk, or contact me for a paper copy.

2025 started with significant changes proposed to the organisation of Local Government.

The start of the process is the decision for creation of a Mayor for the Strategic authority.

On the 10th January, All four HIPS Councils (Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton Councils  submitted a proposal to Government for the  ‘fast track’ creation of a Strategic Mayoralty, called the Devolution Priority Programme. This new mayoralty will have strategic powers (transport, skills, public health, nature recovery etc) rather than ceremonial ones.  

The Cabinet decision following the Council debate  online can be seen at hants.gov.uk -search Cabinet (January 10^th). This process may delay County Council elections, although I disagree with this. 

If the proposal is accepted, all of the district councils and smaller unitary authorities within the HIPS area will then have to decide how they will be organised into Unitary Authorities .  The ‘final’ new government system is unlikely to be in place before 2027.  So-my County Corner will continue!

If you have gas, many of you may be experiencing Southern Gas Network disruption as they work to repair old pipes. This work is disruptive but necessary, but I have found the SGN teams happy accommodate any particular problem that you have with a closure in your area. Please make contact with them using the number on their notification letter or on the yellow signs as soon as you can.

Kings Barton works continue: the Andover Road closure is still not resolved. The ‘trigger’ of 650 homes is nigh, but neither Cala nor HCC are ready to sign off road and junction designs. I’ll keep you posted on updates. Acorn Energy and Instavolt EV charging are poised to open at Three Maids Hill.

I’m making progress on a number of pedestrian and cycle improvements.  Lack of evidence from the public means that I am struggling to stop drivers misusing bridleways. So far, just one person reports this! If you are concerned by this too, please report to the Police and let me know too. 

I’m pleased that despite budget restrictions, I have confirmation that a number of Rights of Way works across the division are continuing: preparation for Nuns Walk improvements have started (by 2027 earliest), the cycle path from Harestock Water Treatment to Wellhouse Lane will be done this Spring, Bishops Sutton to Long Barn path improvements  due in June 2025, and a tarmac cycle link on the Barton path under the mainline railway this year.  We have a date of summer 2026 for long awaited West Street improvements (first requested 2009!) and there is now a costed solution for the Andover Road path in Micheldever Station. By the way- watch out for exciting ‘Railway 200’ Events this year!

Meanwhile the Government has announced a new fund to provide 100% fast broadband: I will be renewing efforts to link all of you into this funding along with our MP, Danny Chambers. I know from your comments that this affects not just rural areas, but pockets of the towns and villages too. 

Cllr Jackie Porter                                                   Tel/text: 07973 696 085, email: Jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk

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