This was my formal response to the Question posed at the Winchester City Council Meeting on Thursday 22nd February 2024 I was speaking in my role as the WCC Cabinet Member for Place and Local Plan   Winchester will be formally objecting to the allocation of Popham for development.   You can see the video of […]

Why we need a Fair Deal for Education … Education is key to unlocking the potential of every child, but it has faced enormous strain in recent years.  The Covid pandemic did huge damage to children’s learning and mental health. Schools are crumbling and pupils’ learning is being disrupted.  The Conservatives have neglected schools. Their reckless […]

The Local Government Association (LGA) has issued a response to a new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, that outlines how hardship and poverty are deepening across the UK. As part of the foundation’s flagship UK Poverty report, it has been discovered that families require thousands of pounds to try and escape poverty. With the […]

See more at www.hants.gov.uk/future-services-consultation Dear All As the first snowflakes fall, you might want to go onto the County Future Services consultation which includes proposals to reduce spending on 13 different areas of the HCC budget, in line with their statements on the challenging budget for 24/25.  These subject areas include reducing the gritting, snow […]

The Hessians of Barton Farm: Uncovering when a German army defended Britain This was originally published in November 1, 2018 You will recognise many of the names- now the names of the roads in Kings Barton! (10 mins read) During the Seven Years War, troops from Hesse, near Frankfurt, were stationed in Hampshire to guard […]

https://www.ted.com/talks/rutger_bregman_poverty_isn_t_a_lack_of_character_it_s_a_lack_of_cash?user_email_address=7613e504df78aa18709054d9e51d242b&lctg=62d1adbf1c794c328cee8d10 As we see yet more money poured into food banks by Government through local councils, and the industry and effort put into Food pantries by local volunteers, surely this TED talk becomes more and more relevant? Thank you to everyone who plays their part in the distribution of charity to those who are hungry […]

New voting rights for millions of Britons abroad are nearly here! The UK Government has published detailed regulations giving back the vote in general elections to Britons living abroad for over 15 years. The new rules come into effect early next year. Take action now to prepare. 1. If you’re a British citizen who’s lived […]

 Happy New Year! Firstly, thank you to all of you who practised for weeks and made costumes to perform at all the local Pantomimes this Christmas!  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get to them all, but particularly enjoyed the three henchmen and their password routine at Old Alresford! Brilliant! I have mentioned the budget problems facing the […]

(this, when agreed will replace the 2013 HMWP) Next steps towards an updated Hampshire Minerals and Waste Plan: This is the next step towards an updated ‘Joint waste plan’. Districts and Single tier authorities collect your domestic waste and the County Council has the responsibility to dispose of it responsibly. This includes incineration, recycling and […]

(other types are available! Plenty on offer if you google this! ) I attended an Emergency Planning briefing this evening. It is very relevant because, as ground water is rising, rain is falling and rivers are filling, the threat of flooding soon seems very real again. The responsibilities are laid out in the Civil Contingencies […]