REPORT TO HEADLEY PARISH COUNCIL 6th FEBRUARY MEETING
FROM COUNTY COUNCILLOR FERRIS COWPER
1. Highways
Fullers Vale
This was advised in my January report. I have kept the Parish Council up to date on my correspondence with HCC concerning the need for the work and the diversion logistics.
Cradle Lane BOAT 36
I have kept the Parish Council fully in the picture as have County Council officers. A consultation meeting was held in January at which, amongst others, I was present as was Headley PC. The input from the consultees was to progress the TRO prohibiting cars and other vehicles with three or more wheels and I was fully supportive of this approach. The County Council is now moving to implement this TRO. I understand Parish Councillor Clifford will provide a full update at this evening’s meeting.
Arford Road and Long Cross Hill
Speed reduction by 20 mph limit, physical and visual narrowing and edge markings, (2012-13). The project is progressing ahead of schedule.
Matters from Previous Reports Status Unchanged
Hampshire Highways East;
1. B3002 Crabtree Lane, new footway, in the 2012/13 financial year.
Next year’s resurfacing programme isn't yet finalised but I will get a copy of it when it is ready from the Project Resilience team.
Traffic Management;
1. Minor signing and lining; Birch Road, Headley Junction markings - Parish Council request for junction markings at private shop parking area to be investigated further.
2. Minor signing and lining; arrangements are in hand to provide a bend warning sign on the approach to the bend adjacent to the Ivybank properties for vehicles travelling from Arford towards Headley. This "high visibility" signing follows the recent accident at this bend when one of the Ivybank properties was damaged by a vehicle. I anticipate that this signing will be provided within four to six weeks.
3. Grayshott Road; Survey to assess need for pedestrian crossing, (2012-13).
4. Eddey's Lane; Assess problem of fast through traffic flouting "Access Only" signage, (2012-13)
5. In addition, though not committed, is a scheme at Holme School which is on the "potential" list.
Item From January Full Council
I agreed to verify the list of outstanding projects and ensure that the HCC list and the HPC list show the same projects. I will report back on this at the next meeting.
2. 18 ‘Bus Service
I have been pursuing this issue vigorously. Following my close attention to the matter, a County Council manager has been assigned to progress the matter. In the first instance his job is to clarify exactly what is going on. There is a great deal of confusion, poor press coverage and many incorrect statements from the some of the four main protagonists, (Hampshire CC, Surrey CC, Stagecoach and Waverley BC). Last week, the HCC manager provided me with this statement;
“Hampshire County Council has now had a response from Stagecoach who have promised to set out their intentions for the 18 in writing as a matter of urgency. The bus company apologised that they had not kept the County Council informed of the discussions they have been having with Surrey County Council as part of the latter's review of bus services inasmuch as these affected cross boundary services.
Hampshire County Council officers have met with colleagues from Surrey on their plans for the review but these are not firm yet as consultation continues until the end of the month.
The letter from Stagecoach should make their position clear and we should start to gain a clear position from Surrey County Council once the results of their consultation are known. Hampshire County Council will ensure that it is kept fully up to date with developments from all parties from now on and has made arrangements to survey the 18 between Whitehill and Haslemere to understand travel patterns and how well different journeys are being used.
We should now be in a position to provide clear communication to local Hampshire residents to help allay local concerns and the address the uncertainty caused by the review initiated by Surrey”
3. County Councillor Devolved Grant
I am asking for applications for the current grant year which ends on the 29th February. I sent a note about this to Parish and District Councillors on 16th January.
I have received an application from the Headley Down Community Association which I shall approve.
4. Police and Local Crime
There has been a serious spike in Dwelling Burglaries in Headley and Grayshott in the final four months of 2011 and this led me to meet with the District Commander for East Hampshire, Chief Inspector James Fulton. Apart from a thorough and confidential briefing, immediate reassurance activity was commenced in those two parishes.
In the past few weeks, there have been three arrests in connection with these crimes. Since these arrests were made, Dwelling Burglary crime has fallen to zero in the parish.
5. Children’s’ Services
I have taken part in my first meeting of the Education Advisory Panel. There are no issues for schools in my Division.
6. Broadband
I am responsible for the Hampshire Broadband project from the elected members side of the Council. I expect this to be a significant activity. Two weeks ago, Hampshire was declared a successful bidder for £5m of funding from the Government to which it will add £5m of its own capital funds. A further £10m is sought from partners including local authorities and that includes Parish Councils.
The current phase is selecting a partner to deliver the service and the tendering process has commenced. This will take up to six months.
As the Broadband Member Champion I am pushing hard to move this project on as quickly as is possible. I am urging officers to take a fast track approach to the tendering process and have suggested a methodology to achieve this. On a personal basis I aim to have part of the County actually using the new faster service by Spring 2013. Specific objectives are not yet formulated but the County is provisionally targeting a minimum of 2mbps for 93% of the County with speeds up to 24mbps. As we get deeper into the project these objectives will alter and, hopefully, will become more ambitious.
I now have monthly project update meetings so I will be able to offer the very latest information to the Parish Council.
As the local member I will do all I can to ensure the best possible service for my County Council Division.
However the most important input from Parish Councils is to whip up a great deal of support for the roll out as requested by Karen Murray, HCC Corporate Director, in her email to you on 27th January.