The developers are out for one thing and one thing only, to line their own pockets and the sad thing is that our local planners are letting them get away with it. Taylor Wimpey are threatening to build 220 new homes on a beautiful piece of countryside just a short distance away from an existing development of 275 homes.
Lynn McIver, speaking for Taylor Wimpey, has said
‘We are confident that this scheme will provide an attractive and sustainable development of much-needed housing in the area, as well as delivering affordable housing for local people.’
Decimating our local heritage, our beautiful countryside is never “attractive”. Hampshire is being eroded, one plot, one field, one farm at a time. This is just the latest foray by the developers and if allowed to proceed will be a disaster.
A consultation is scheduled to be held in Clanfield Memorial Hall, South Lane, on March 7, from 2pm to 7.30pm.
Weird cloud formations as seen over Queen Alexandra Hospital yesterday afternoon
Weird cloud formations as seen over Queen Alexandra Hospital yesterday afternoon.
Update: Apparently this kind of formation is known as Mammatus, also known as mammatocumulus (meaning “mammary cloud” or “breast cloud”), is a meteorological term applied to a cellular pattern of pouches hanging underneath the base of a cloud. The name mammatus is derived from the Latin mamma (meaning “udder” or “breast”).
And well there might be serious concerns over Welborne, the new town to be built north of Fareham.
Welborne – An artists impression of the new town to be built north of Fareham
It doesn’t require expensive surveys to be carried out. It doesn’t require the employment of expensive consultants. Anyone with half an ounce of common sense can see what is going to happen, knows what chaos will descend on this area once those new houses are built. One only has to take a look at the Segensworth area, try travelling through it during peak traffic times.
Once complete, the town, to be named Welborne, will have 6,500 homes, roughly the same amount as Petersfield.
So a town the size of Petersfield will be created just over a kilometer from the town of Fareham. The amount of traffic that the new development will generate on the M27 corridor is truly unknown but it can be guessed at. I guarantee that we will see similar log jams on the new, yet to be built, M27 slip roads, similar to those seen at Segensworth.
The traffic levels around Fareham are already high especially with access to the M27 and also on the road down to Gosport and Lee. Welborne will certainly add significantly to that since the local councillors have indicated that future Welborne residents will also be looking to the new jobs being generated at Daedalus.
Fareham Councillor Sean Woodward is being quite disingenuous when he says of opponents to Welborne …..
‘I’d love to know what their alternative is. It’s easy to say do not build anything, anywhere, but councillors are charged with providing new housing and we have 2,000 families on the waiting list which need housing.
Woodward states that the current need is housing for 2000 families is somewhat less than the 6,500 homes proposed for Welborne.
Planning for future demand is all well and good but its the density of the housing being proposed that is the concern.
Woodward certainly knows the chaos to come because, despite all assurances, the infrastructure will not be in place to support the additional load. The roads, the utilities, the available employment, all will be sadly lacking.
According to The News, our local rag, NHS Direct is no more.
But now NHS Direct no longer exists, and people should call the new number if they need health advice, information or if they have a non life-threatening health issue and are not sure where to go for treatment.
So says The News with their headline “NHS Direct switched off as new number kicks in ”
It’s a shame that NHS Direct don’t seem to know, so I’m not on my own in my ignorance. I visited the NHS Direct site earlier today. Not a mention of any different number to call if you happen to live in Hampshire.
Apparently, last month, there was a soft launch of the new NHS number “111”. This new number can be used to call for fast medical help and has “gone live” across Hampshire.
The free number is staffed by a team of advisers, supported by trained paramedics and nurses, who will assess the caller’s symptoms, provide relevant advice and direct them to the right local service at that time. It is hoped pressure will be taken off 999.
I thought that was what NHS Direct was supposed to do. How is this parallel service going to help take the load off the emergency 999 service ?
In trawling the net I have found out that the 111 number has been the subject of debate for some time but am I the only person in the country who is unaware that this change is actually upon us ?
Even The News has only given it minimal prominence.
Coming to the countryside near you….. yes a new village / town. And you too can get involved in the naming of this new community.
The local authority has whittled the list down to just three. I have to say that none of the choices are particularly awe-inspiring. They all have some historical linkage to a bygone era. It’s a shame that they the new construction is unlikely to “visually” hark back to those times.
It’s a shame that the people of the general public weren’t involved in the original list compilation. I for one would love to have seen what Joe P. would have suggested. Anyway, here are the choices put forward by the authorities….
Researchers have gone through Ordnance Survey maps and used the museum’s archives to pick out three names of historic value to the area.
Each of the three names has a close historical connection with the land to the north of Fareham.
The names to choose from are:
Spurlings: Marked on the 1879 Ordnance Survey map. In 1841 it was occupied by Charles Osborn, who developed the Victorian villas along Osborn Road. Today, there is a Spurlings Road north of the M27 at Junction 11.
Swansdell: Also marked on the 1879 Ordnance Survey map, Swans Dell Cottage was occupied in 1841 by the gamekeeper of Roche Court and labourer John Stares.
Welborne: Relating to fields immediately north of Kiln Road and south of Kneller Court, the land named Welborne was occupied by John Budd at the time of the tithe map. The land was owned as part of Fareham Manor by the Gardiner family of Roche Court.
Mind you I think they missed out on a couple of alternatives based on the historical notes for the last one. Here are my thoughts.
According to the Tithe Map the land was occupied by one John Budd. So I thought perhaps Budds Farm would have been appropriate, then I realised that the name was taken …. by the local sewage farm. Another alternative, what with the Gardiner family name linked to the land, would have been Gardiners World !!! Oh well I guess not.
Now we know why Joe P. wasn’t asked to contribute suggested names. There are too many people out there that think like me.
Anyway, if you want to throw in your thee penneth and vote for one of the above options, here’s how.
HOW YOU CAN VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE
There are a number of ways for people to get involved and vote for their favourite name.
Go to fareham.gov.uk or visit the Civic Offices and vote using tokens.
On Friday we will be printing a voting slip in The News, so that you can fill in and send back to make your voice heard.
Voting opens on Friday, February 1 and closes on Sunday, March 31.
The name with the most votes will be announced at the council’s executive meeting on Monday, April 15.
I am gobsmacked and enraged by some of the comments that have been left on The News website. There are some morons out there that have commented that they are OK with this litter being left behind, as it keeps someone else employed, that this litter being left by “Joe Public” is down to the incompetence of the people who manage this beauty spot.
I’ve no issue with people dropping litter, keeps someone in a job cleaning it up.
that this litter being left by “Joe Public” is down to the incompetence of the people who manage this beauty spot.
Unfortunately this has occurred due to the abject incompetence of those tasked with taking care of the area.
It is attitudes like those that make me ashamed to be English.
WrAnTz 