East Anton MDA latest

The decision on the outline planning application for land at East Anton was issued today (Wednesday 13 August). The development includes 2,500 dwellings, an area for employment purposes, schools, local centres, playing fields, parkland, public open space, sports hall, community centre, community worker, structural landscaping and associated infrastructure.

Financial contributions from the developers towards off site infrastructure provision, including the highways improvements, exceed £13 million and forty percent of the dwellings will be affordable.

This is probably the largest application for development the Borough has ever dealt with. Discussions with local councillors, including me and county councillor Robin Hughes, and the developers/landowners started in the late 1990s and the process has involved officers from both the County and Borough Councils.

This is just the first stage of permission and development. A further reserved matters application will be submitted before the end of this week as the developers, Taylor Wimpey, hope to make a start on site in November this year.

Although the development is now to go ahead despite strong local opposition there is still opportunity to ensure local people have an input in how the development proceeds, what traffic controls are in place and what planning gain there is for exisiting communities.

I am currently working with officers to ensure the promised landscaping between the new development and Woodhouse is planted this year rather than waiting for a further year before any planting takes place.

Both Robin and I will continue to monitor progress and negotiate for the best possible deals for both new and exisiting residients.

Housing benefit debate

housing-benefit.jpg

Questions have been asked recently concerning Test Valley’s Housing Benefit payments. The matter was discussed at this evening’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee where I am the Economic Portfolio lead member. Debate centred around the report to OSCOM on the economic portfolio review.

Particular points of concern were the level of Housing Benefit overpayment (£773,000), the time taken to process claims (29 days), and a number of cases where large amounts of money had been paid to residents with substantial amounts of cash in the bank. The level of overpayment is worrying but is small compared to the total amount paid out (£17,500,000).

Every effort is being made to reclaim that money. Delays in action are a result of staff shortages. I was assured staffing problems have now been resolved and the problem is being addressed. Staff shortages also meant the time taken in dealing with cases, currently 29 days, is worse than the council’s target of less than 22 days. Again the performance is improving.

Every effort is being made to recover money and take action against fraudsters and money has been recovered in several high profile cases.

I am concerned that where claimants with large amounts of money in the bank defraud the council of thousands of pounds they appear to get away with paying a fine whereas those claimants with no resources face legal action for relatively small over-claims. I have been assured by officers that every case is considered in detail and action taken is the most appropriate and effective in each case.

I and my colleagues will continue to monitor the performance of the revenues service.

Massive response to residents survey

It is now just over a year since the borough council elections and Alamein Liberal Democrats have been surveying local residents to see whether they are satisfied with the pepformance of their local council.

The surveys have been distributed to households in Roman Way, Viking Way and Lilywhite Crescent and dozens of replies have already been received.

Residents have raised concerns about antisocial behaviour, poor maintenance of roads and footpaths, traffic problems and bus services. Thank you to all those who have replied. I will be personally replying to all correspondants over the next few weeks.

Anyone who has still to return their survey please do so. All responses will be answered and forwarded to the appropriate departments for action. Further surveys will be delivered to residents in other parts of Alamein ward over the next month.

If you didn’t receive a survey and would like one please email me on [email protected] and we will deliver one to you.

More houses for Andover?

Andover Liberal Democrats have expressed concern over the government’s revised housing numbers for Andover. Government planning inspectors are seeking a further allocation of 1100 houses in the Andover area. I wonder whether the inspectors were aware of the pressure put on the town by such a large increase in numbers or they have any understanding of the town and its needs.

Andover has already seen an allocation of 3700 homes at East Anton and Picket Twenty. Further plans for building at Picket Piece and on other sites will bring the number of new homes in Alamein and St Mary’s wards to over 5000. If an additional 1100 are now added this would mean a 20% increase in the size of the town over the next 10 to 20 years. This cannot be achieved without a corresponding improvement in the town’s infrastructure – the roads bus and train services, the water and sewage systems, shops, leisure facilities, telephone services and schools. This investment must be made before or during the new building and cannot be funded only by local taxpayers or by the developers.

Liberal Democrat councillors will be seeking talks on improving Andover’s infrastructure before further building takes place and strongly opposing over-development in any one part of the town.

Alamein e-Focus

Your local Liberal Democrat Focus group believe in keeping you informed about what is happening in your area but even more so consulting you on what issues you think are important.

In the past we have consulted you through Focus newsletters and surveys and door to door visits. We are very conscious of the need to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce the amount of paper we push through your letter boxes so we are now investigating the use of email and web blogs to keep in touch with you.
In addition to this and other blogs we have, for the last three months,  also been distributing an e-Focus to Alamein ward residents. If you would like to receive this e-Focus please contact me on [email protected] and we will add you to the email list. Your email address will not be passed on to any third party and will be removed from our list immediately if you wish to unsubscribe.

Smannell Parish Council meeting

This evening I attended, as an observer, the bimonthly meeting of Smannell Parish Council. The agenda and program of activities shows what can be achieved by a local community when given control of their own affairs. Among items discussed were the Little London Playing Fields and the council’s palns to refurbish and upgrade them with developer (section 106) funding, actions to improve local roads and an ambitious Smannell Healthy Living Plan.

All of this can be undertaken by any parish or town council and I look forward to the day when residents of Andover (through their town council) can have the same freedom to control their neighbourhoods as do the residents of the parishes around the town.

Also on the agenda was the co-option of Stephen West of Little London on to the council.  My congratulations to him  on his appointment and to the council for proceding with his co-option despite unecessary objections and calls for a postponement of the decision  from a sole member of the public.

Alamein kids a credit to the community

This morning I attended the graduation ceremony for Knights Enham Junior School at The Lights. I was impressed by the ceremony and the turnout and behaviour of all the children who attended. The school, Mrs Hughes, the head teacher, all the other teachers and staff, and of course their parents should be proud of them. Good luck to all of you graduates for the future.

This afternoon I joined the Amazing Alamein Environment Group with children from Roman Way school to carry out a litter pick around the school. Once again the behaviour was exemplary. Their showed a real pride in their area and a real commitment to cleaning it and keeping it clean. Over the two hour period we collected 38 sacks of rubbish. Well done to all the participants.

Having listened so often to criticism of local children I am pleased to report the criticisms are exaggerated and the future generation are and will be a credit to their community.

Residents condemn green waste charges

Garden Waste bag

Local residents complained angrily this evening at the Andover Forum about charges for green waste collection in the borough. The current bag system was introduced after Test Valley decided the previously used wheely bins were not suitable for green waste.

When the bags were introduced the new system was intended to be self funding and assurances were given to the public that no costs would fall on non-participating residents. However the new system proved to be more expensive than expected and the annual cost for 2006/2007 was £3.99 for every household in the borough. The issue has been debated at the council’s scrutiny committee when I argued strongly that those residents using the green waste scheme should pay the full cost of the scheme. The majority group disagreed but did agree to increase charges by £1 per bag for the following year. It is expected that the scheme will cost £2.75 per household over the coming (2008/2009) year.

Defenders of the scheme argue that it makes a significant contribution of 5% to our overall recycling rate. While I accept that our recycling has improved I would prefer the council to spend money on real recycling and reducing the amount of waste sent to land fill rather than paying residents to collect grass cuttings to artificially massage recycling rates.

I and my Lib Dem colleagues will be raising the matter again next year when budgets are set and pushing strongly for a self financing scheme and a real increase of recycling of household waste.

Sport revolution going round in circles?

A month after the Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s announcement of plans for a ‘Sports Revolution’ in England, Test Valley Tories are raising concerns about how this initiative will be funded.

Councillor Caroline Nokes, says: “Of course any proposals to encourage more children and over 60s to become more active are welcome, but the costs shouldn’t fall on local Council Taxpayers.  The scheme should be wholly funded by central government. It is regrettable that we are still waiting for the details to be released. As soon as we have confirmation that it will be fully funded, the Council will be taking it forward with enthusiasm.”

While I applaud Mrs Noakes concern not to spend TVBC money unecessarily her response seems more concerned with toe-ing party lines to not implement government policies than with seeking the best for local children.

It would help if she were tell us what the likely cost to us would be, after all the swimming pools are open and heated whether they are being used or not. It would also be appropriate if this sort of decision were discussed by the council as a whole before she issues a press release stating Test Valley councillors are concerned about the costs when she hasn’t actually consulted us.

Environmental meetings

Climate change affects us all

Interest in Environmnetal issues in Andover is increasing. As previously reported here the next meeting of the Amazing Alamein group takes place this evening at 6:00pm at King Arthur’s Hall. Come along you will be amazed at what the local community can achieve.

Amazing Alamein also have a litter pick planned for next Tuesday (15th) at 3:00 – 5:30, meet outside Roman Way school. Further details tonight or contact me.

This coming Friday (11th July) the Andover Area Christian Ecology Link are holding an evening of information entitled “Climate Change – why we should care and what we can do”. 

The meeting, introduced by Rev Jill Bentall is at St Thomas’ Community Hall, Charlton and starts at 7:30pm. Speakers include Anton Page of Test Valley Friends of the Earth and Rebecca Windwood of the Envirnment Centre.

I’m not sure I can make this one myself but having attended previous talks by Anton I can recommend what I am sure will be an entertaining and informtive meeting.