Community Engagement
*JUNE 2022 NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN UPDATE*
As highlighted in last months report, the examiner identified that the BDBC environmental assessment document within the NP did not cover the specific conditions required to assess the part of the River Test catchment area in the parish. This meant that the BDBC produced document did not meet a legal requirement for the NP.
BDBC have updated the environmental assessment with the appropriate information. This document has now been sent to the relevant environmental agencies for consultation. This consultation period is due for completion at the end of June. However, it does require the agencies to positively respond. BDBC are chasing the agencies for a response.
Once the agencies have approved the environmental assessment, the NP and the Basic Conditions documents will be updated. The Regulation 16 consultation for the NP will then be rerun due to the update of the environmental assessment. This will be a further 6 weeks public consultation. At the end of this period of consultation the NP will have had 18 weeks of public consultation - a significantly longer public review than most NPs.
The commencement of the rerun of Regulation 16 consultation will be communicated by BDBC in the coming weeks.
*MARCH 2022 UPDATE*
Our Speed Awareness Initiative is up and running. The Speed Indicator Device (SID) will be placed at various locations around the Parish on a 2 weekly basis. Latest Data from 24/02/22:
We have covered 9 sites throughout the Parish and are now in Woolton Hill Road opposite to the Woolton Hill Sports Club for the second time until early March. This is due to the fact that we had battery issues on the first occasion when the unit was placed there.
Initial findings:
Using the 85th percentile readings:
“Indicative of the speed that the majority of the road users are travelling at. A speed at or below which 85 percent of the people drive at any given location under good weather and visibility conditions may be considered as the maximum safe speed for that location”
Location: 85 Percentile Speed % over 30 mph Top speed
Church Road: 20/9 -5/10 33.1 mph 26.9% 55 mph
Trade Street: 6 - 19/10 26.3 mph 20.1% 40 mph
Woolton Hill 25/10 -29/10
Road (Tennis Courts) 34.3 mph 34.1% 60 mph
Tile Barn Row 20 – 30/11 29.7 mph 12.6% 50 mph
Ball Hill 30/11 – 15/12 32.1 mph 21.9% 55 mph
Woolton Hill Road
(Blind man’s gate) 16/12 -12/1 33.8 mph 36.4% 55 mph
Broadlayings 12 – 26/1 29.7 mph 12.9% 45 mph
Ball Hill (Nr. Knights Lane)
27/1 – 9/2 29.8 mph 11.2% 55 mph
Woolton Hill Road ( opposite 31.9 mph 20.2% 55 mph
the Junior School)
*JULY 2021*
- We have received the biodiversity report on the Parish Field that was undertaken late in 2020. Next steps are to work on the suggestions received. The report can be found below.
- We are fortunate to have 2 volunteer project managers for the FTTP project. Currently Openreach has initiated its own FTTP project using the Mount Road Exchange; once we know which houses are connected to this, we can separate the other interested houses out and move forward a separate project.
- The Speed indicator device has been purchased. Poles in the specified locations (see below) will be fitted in early September
- There is only a few days left to participate in our Neighbourhood Plan Consultation. If you are keen to see our rural Parish maintained, please do respond via the feedback form here.
*JUNE 2021*
- We are making a Neighbourhood Plan. To find out more information, click here to see our dedicated page.
- Sports Club Statement, June 2021
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EWPC are aware there has been some concern raised by a resident within the Parish with respect to sporting facilities (East Woodhay Cricket Club, Woolton Hill Sports Club, referred to as the Tennis Club and Woolton Hill Argyle, referred to as Woolton Hill Football Club) and the emerging Parish Neighbourhood Plan for East Woodhay.
The recent Annual Parish Meeting was a useful moment to confirm the perspective of EWPC regarding sporting facilities within the Parish. We have read the concerns raised and will do our best to give reassurance as follows:
A sub-committee of EWPC ( “Project Club Together 2020”) considered the possible provision of a new combined sports facility for East Woodhay in 2016-17, to be assisted in funding by the significant potential S106 funds available from the Harwood Paddock development. After consulting with all the sports clubs in the Parish, it transpired that there was no appetite for them to unite and to share a joint facility. As a result, the sub-committee made no recommendations and disbanded itself after only three meetings.
Subsequently, I was asked to manage the Harwood Paddock S106 funds. Working together with Basingstoke and Deane Spend Managers, and after reviewing the work of the sub-committee and following further detailed consultations with the sports clubs, the S106 funds specifically allocated to them (£41,895) were disbursed according to their present locations.This was key to the Spend Managers as there are allocation rules based on site ownership.
Following this S106 investment, a further Local Infrastructure Fund (LIF) grant was invested into the Tennis Club, again based on the club’s desire to remain in its present location. Any further LIF spend on our sports clubs will be based on the present club locations.
Having regard to the level of investment which has now been made into the sports clubs at their current sites and their stated desire to remain where they are, the emerging Neighbourhood Plan endorses the existing mix of sites for sports facilities in East Woodhay. This endorsement is important to the extent that a Neighbourhood Plan can be invoked, by the clubs when seeking to obtain potential funding in the future and when protecting the various club sites from housing development. It is recognised that Woolton Hill Football Club wish to remain in their present sites but are also facing capacity constraints from their continued success. Therefore, if opportunity came up to expand their facilities, additional to their present lease sites, either in or adjacent to the Parish they would look at the opportunity to do so.
EWPC will not support plans to acquire new or existing sports sites, or to develop or expand community facilities within the Parish without the express consent of owners of the land in question and without the support of the users of that site. In such an eventuality then it would be appropriate to undertake consultation with all members of the Parish. I am not aware of any plans for such development.
Cllr Paul Hurst
Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Chair
On behalf of the NP Steering Group and EWPC
*MAY 2021*
26/05/21 EWPC is joining forces with Highclere PC. This could possibly bring the installation costs down. However, we need as many households as possible to commit to the the project to keeps costs as low as possible- the estimate we have received is for 216 houses.
Currently only 63 in EWPC have expressed interest.
A voucher scheme is available to cover £1500 per household or £3000 for a business.
If all 216 houses identified joined the scheme this would mean installation is FREE!
Next Steps: To arrange a zoom call with Openreach to initiate the project. We need some volunteers willing to represent areas of East Woodhay and Highclere, speak to neighbours and ensure communication reaches everyone (especially if they are not on Facebook/internet). Please contact Amy at clerk@eastwoodhay-pc.gov.uk if you would be willing to help drive the project forward.
- We often receive questions about the Parish Field in Woolton Hill. Many of these stem from misinformation about its status and theories about plans for its use. Below is a statement from the Amenities Team on the Field.
- We are looking to identify locations to place a speed indicator device (SID) in and around the Woolton Hill area to capture data on speeding in the Parish. More info is also available in Spectrum, our Minutes and we will also update this page. Identified locations are available to view in the document below.
*MARCH 2021*
EWPC has a working portal with Openreach to gather names and addresses of households interested in getting Fibre to Premises (FTTP). The project is likely to take over a year, but the quicker we can get the addresses to Openreach, the quicker we can get a cost estimate, and work with Hampshire and their voucher scheme.
If you are interested in getting FTTP, please send an email to the Clerk with your address (incl postcode) and landline number.