Liberal Democrat Campaigners, Councillor David Harrison and Prospective MP, Terry Scriven are calling upon Hampshire County Council to provide more resources to protect grass verges on housing estates.

Cllr. David Harrison has identified the issue for priority action at a meeting of the New Forest Hampshire Action Team, this week. The group comprises of all New Forest County Councillors and includes the Leader of the Council, Cllr. Ken Thornber and Executive Member for the Environment, Cllr. Mel Kendal.

Councillor Harrison told the meeting “The very poor state of grass verges on many housing estates is a real issue. The muddy ruts not only look ugly, but fill up with water and can turn out to be a slip or trip hazard. The County should invest in more grids to prevent the damage and save the cost of endless temporary repair work”.

“European Union law should continue to protect Dibden Bay in the New Forest for generations to come”. This is the view of Councillor David Harrison, Leader of the Liberal Democrats on New Forest District Council.

The Cabinet of New Forest District Council is to respond to a consultation on a draft National Policy Statement for ports. Local members fear that changes to the way decisions about port developments are made may make it more likely permission will be given to develop Dibden Bay for port use in the future.

Councillor Harrison has been an active campaigner against port development for many years. He told fellow council members “We saw off this threat successfully in 2004, working cross-party and putting forward a compelling environmental case against port development. The case has only strengthened since, especially with designation of the New Forest as a National Park.
Here, we see an attempt not only to move the goal posts but the possibility of re-playing the match with goalposts set wider apart. The council should robustly resist such attempts. Dibden Bay should never ever be developed for port use”.

The members of The Royal British Legion at Totton have been given a major boost with funds to help refurbish the RBL Headquarters in Commercial Road.

The premises has served the organisation very well over the years but has slowly deteriorated and is badly in need of repair and redecoration.

The two County Councillors for Totton, Cllr. Alan Weeks and Cllr. David
Harrison, have combined their grant giving powers, providing funds of £2,000, so
that the Royal British Legion can set to work, restoring the building so that it
is fit for purpose.

Cllr. Harrison says "The Royal British Legion in Totton is a worthy organisation
with an increasing membership. I'm very pleased to support it through the use of my community engagement grant".

Cllr Weeks says "Councillors don't often pool grant giving powers, but this is
an exceptionally good and much needed project"

I spent three days in Dartmoor this week, participating in a Members Induction for the New Forest National Park Authority. There were eight other delegates, from different National Parks of the United Kingdom. I think we all found it a very rewarding experience. We benefited from some excellent presentations, exercises and a field trip. As always, it was particularly useful to meet other people and share experiences.

On day one, we were briefed about the history of National Parks and how our own National Park fitted into the bigger picture, not just nationally but as part of a family of protected areas around the world.

We were given some good advice about management plans, how important it is to engage with others and to constantly monitor, review and plan again. A former NPA member joined us for a chat to share his experiences of some of the challenges faced in becoming an effective member.

The morning of day two was dominated with discussions about the big issues for National Parks, such as climate change, protection of sensitive sites, coping with tourism, the duty to seek to foster the social and economic well being of the people living in the parks. We heard contributions from representatives of many partner organisations, including Defra, English Nature and The Campaign for National Parks.

The afternoon was all about getting out into Dartmoor on a filed trip and learning about various projects supported by Dartmoor National Park Authority through Sustainable Development grants. We met a very enlightened farmer at Brimpts farm who was making a real success of his business through diversification and taking on green initiatives. With the help of a £10,000 grant, he had installed a 120 KW Binder boiler that feeds on woodchips. It replaced an oil boiler, resulting in annual savings of £6,000.

We visited the River Dart Adventure Park and looked at an Archimedean screw. This was a great example of combining a very old idea with modern technology. A £15,000 grant has enabled the park to save over £30,000 a year in electricity costs. We also looked at a woodpellet boiler installed at the Pengelley Caves Education Centre and a heat recovery system installed at the Ashburton Cookery school.

That evening, over dinner, we had an informative debate over land ownership and legal issues.

The final day, we had a session over planning and ethics and a particularly interesting and thought provoking presentation about design, what works, what doesn’t.

As I picked up my certificate and returned home, I felt a growing sense of confidence that I can make a significant difference, even as just one member of the New Forest National Park Authority. I would highly recommend attendance to my colleagues who have not yet taken advantage of the opportunity.

Conservatives on a New Forest Council have cost the local taxpayer over £50,000 in another bungled legal case, similar to the famous Slippery Floor Fiasco.

Red Faced Tories have been hugely embarrassed by the result of a County Court decision that requires New Milton Town Council to pay 80% of the legal costs, following a failure to settle a minor dispute over a small strip of land that allowed a home owner access to a garage.

The council had previously granted a planning permission for the garage, but had not anticipated that the owner would want to access it via a small strip of land in council ownership.

The Judge is reported to have been highly critical of Tory District Councillor Goff Beck, a Cabinet Member on New Forest District Council who was recently found guilty of bullying a fellow Councillor. The Judge found that Cllr Beck had made a speech that was “peppered with half-truths and direct misrepresentations”.

Councillor David Harrison, Leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, plans to question the conservative administration at the next full meeting of the authority. He says “The Tories told us that there was no need for a public inquiry and that lessons had been learnt following the loss of over £300,000 on the disastrous slippery sports hall floor case. However, we now have yet another example where they have gambled with and lost another large chunk of taxpayer’s money. These Tory Councillors stumble from one financial disaster to another and we, the tax paying public, are picking up the bill”.

Report for Marchwood Parish Council Meeting, 25th January 2010

Weather Problems

The authority has been very stretched coping with the unusually high volumes of snow and ice in Hampshire this winter. The problems have been more severe north of the county but did impact everywhere. Gritters were out frequently and there was good co-operation between the County, Districts and Parishes, trying to clear and grit pavements. It did bring about a sudden demand for grit and salt bins everywhere. HCC will be reviewing its resources in the light of the experience.

Bus Services

I have organised the next meeting of the Marchwood Bus Services Focus Group for 7pm on Friday, 12th February. Mr Alex Hornby from Solent Blue line has been invited and confirmed he will attend. I would welcome any Parish Councillors who would like to come along.

Power Station

I chaired the final meeting of the liaison group, held on the 14th January. The power station is now fully operational and the handover from the contractors to Marchwood Power has taken place. There is to be a private official opening in February, but an Open Day, BBQ & displays in the summer, especially for Marchwood residents.

Marchwood Power are to shortly organise a tour of the new facility for the members of Marchwood Parish Council and the Liaison Group.

Highways Matters

The Traffic Commissioners have formally advised me that they are not prepared to hold a public inquiry into the growth of HGV traffic at Marchwood Industrial Estate.

There is no decision yet on whether HCC will try to enforce a two way restriction, or a one-way restriction on HGV traffic using Hythe Road.
I have been interviewed by solicitors acting for one of the parties involved in the fatal road traffic accident at the Twiggs Lane Junction in 2008, in particular about concerns I had highlighted in e-mails to the authority.

Waste Matters

I have had a meeting with Cllr Mel Kendal and Mr Paul Archer, Deputy Director of the Environment regarding my concerns about future proposals for waste handling in the Marchwood area and what it might mean in terms of additional and heavier HGV movements.

Barrie Foley, Chief Executive of the New Forest National Park Authority, expressed a keen interest in what I was trying to achieve and accompanied me to the meeting.

I have detailed the content of the meeting on my web-site. I’m not being permitted to see various reports and documents. My Freedom of Information request to see these has been declined. Intend to pursue matters further as I believe it is in the public interest, particularly the interests of Marchwood residents that information about future plans is shared openly.

Marchwood Quarry

Despite support from Marchwood Parish Council and two residents that attended the Regulatory Committee and spoke out against the proposals, the committee voted by a fairly narrow majority to allow quarry activity continue off Bury Road for a further 12 years and, worse still, for excavation to be undertaken within 10 metres of woodland (Sparrows Copse).

I’m trying to establish whether it might be possible to raise a further block to the plans, on the basis that the work will undoubtedly cause harm to the environment, including the trees, the nesting sites for herons and the possibility of it being a home for dormice.

It’s the fourth time I have attended the Regulatory Committee in about a year and each time spoken at length against plans that will increase or prolong HGV movements. On each occasion, the Regulatory Committee have decided that the wishes of the commercial interests concerned must over-ride the wishes of local people. I’m truly sorry!


Any other issues / Contact
As always, I’m very happy to assist with any County Council related items.
County Councillor David Harrison
Address; 25 Rushington Avenue, Totton, Hants S040 9DD
Telephone 02380 864500
E-Mail dharrison100@aol.com
Web Site : www.dharrison.org.uk

Nearly five years ago, very soon after I was elected onto Hampshire County Council, I was invited to a meeting at Marchwood village hall about proposals to build a new power station.

I had expected to meet a group of protesters. Instead, the group who met with me were engineers, designers and executives from the company behind the scheme. They explained that they had already been given the necessary planning consents to proceed with the construction of a new £40 million gas-fired power station. However, they wanted to engage with the local community, during the construction process and asked whether I would be prepared to chair a liaison panel, comprising of other representatives from the local community and management of Marchwood Power.

I agreed to do so, on the basis that the panel would meet regularly and deal with any issues at all raised by the public, connected to construction of the power station. We had our final meeting last week. The power station is fully operational and due to have an official opening next month, with a special open day, especially for local residents, in the summer.

It has been a fascinating and very worthwhile experience. Our first meetings were held in site huts before any construction went ahead. As the months rolled by, we saw the building taking shape. It is truly a vast, awe inspiring structure, especially when you are standing nearby. We had a number of tours around the site during the construction phase, learning about how gas, pumped here from the north, is used to generate electricity.

Gas fired power stations, I was told, don’t attract protesters because it is a very clean technology. They are also far more efficient than the coal fired versions, further down the Waterside. This proved to be the case. We had no problems at all from objectors.

Of course, there were concerns from local people about things like what might happen to water pressure in their homes, the possible health impacts of new overhead power cables, the potential for disturbance with increased HGV traffic during the construction phase, foamy discharge into the water.

In each case, Marchwood Power responded to the concerns in a very professional and effective way. They sought the best technical advice, where appropriate and my panel saw to it that communications with the local community were of a very high standard, using web-sites, letter drops, the press and information in the local village news sheets.

Beyond that, Marchwood Power have been doing some excellent work, supporting the community, with things like the Solar 4 Schools initiative, providing solar panels for local schools and colleges along with other educational tools. They have also grant- aided one or two valuable community projects.

I am very grateful to everyone who took part in the meetings and activities of the panel. I think it was a shining example of how big business and community representatives can partner up to actively manage any potential problems that a large scale facility like this might attract.

This week, I had an important meeting with Cllr. Mel Kendal, the Executive Member for the Environment on Hampshire County Council, Mr Paul Archer, Assistant Director for Environmental Services and Barrie Foley, Chief Executive of the New Forest National Park Authority.

Both Barrie and I are very concerned about the potential for increases in HGV movements in the New Forest, particularly in the Marchwood area which has a number of facilities all of which generate the type of traffic that prompt complaints about noise and vibration nuisance, as well as safety concerns.

Prior to the meeting, I had been tipped off that Hampshire County Council were secretly commissioning reports which are looking at the possibility of increasing the capacity of the Marchwood ERF (The Dome) and also the possibility of transforming the facility into a combined heat and power plant (with the idea of providing hot water to homes in Southampton).

I also know that the authority has changed the conditions attaching to the three Hampshire ERF’s, so that they can now handle waste materials brought in from outside Hampshire.

Furthermore, there is a strong possibility that Hampshire County Council will move into the business of processing commercial waste, even though it is not a statutory responsibility.

Clearly, all these things have the potential to increase HGV movements in Marchwood. For this reason, I have ruffled a few feathers by submitting a Freedom of Information Request, asking to see any of the Consultants reports. The request has been formally turned down. I’m still considering some sort of legal action, but agreed to discuss with Cllr. Kendal and Mr Archer, if only to hear what they had to say.

We were told that the reports are being kept under wraps because the work isn’t yet finished and involves commercially sensitive material, such as possible land acquisitions. To my surprise, Cllr. Kendal told me that neither he or Mr Archer have seen the reports.

When I asked why the reports were being commissioned, the reason offered was that there is a strong possibility that new waste disposal facilities are likely to be constructed elsewhere in Hampshire. Of course, there is likely going to be opposition to this and a matter that an Inspector will have to decide upon. The Inspector will want to see that alternative methods of dealing with waste have been considered, (such as increasing the capacity of the Marchwood facility) and at this point, the reports will be disclosed.

We were assured that the problem of existing heavy concentrations of HGV traffic in Marchwood are fully appreciated and that there is no intention to worsen the situation.
The possibility of barging waste into Marchwood is being looked at, although requires co-operation from Southampton City Council.

The recent changes in conditions to the Marchwood ERF, allowing it to handle waste from outside the county will, we were told, mean no extra HGV movements in the area. I asked how robust the figures were and was assured that they are constantly monitored, both by Veolia through their own monitoring and tracking systems, also annually independently monitored. The number of HGV movements will be supplied to the Marchwood ERF Liaison meetings (that I attend).

Cllr. Kendal told us that he thought it unlikely that the Marchwood ERF would ever be converted so that it could incorporate a third line (increasing its’ capacity), simply because of the technical difficulties and cost. As to the possibility of it being converted into a combined heat and plant (CHP) facility, it is being considered but by no means certain as the business case hasn’t yet been made.

Similarly, there isn’t yet a business case for the County Council to get involved in the processing of commercial waste. Cllr. Kendal mentioned that he had recently dined with the Secretary of State, Hilary Benn MP who was very keen that local authorities get involved in this business. He added that some other local authorities had already successfully started such initiatives.

I made the point that I have been consistently opposing any proposals that might lead to an increase in HGV movements on Marchwood (indeed that very day I was making a deputation to the Regulatory Committee against continued quarry activity). I wanted to know, as soon as possible of any plans that might lead to the possibility. I also said that was keen for Marchwood to receive some compensation, by way of facilities, to reflect the fact that it suffers the consequences of so much HGV traffic. I referred particularly the possibility of safe a footway and cycle route.

Mr Archer thought it likely that a cycle route might be constructed as part of the quarry restoration works. I replied that I would be very pleased if this was so. We all acknowledged that there are a number to hurdles to be overcome, such as issues of land ownership.

I brought up my wish that the Household Waste Recycling Facility be converted into a split level facility (thus avoiding the need for people to climb up and down metal steps to deposit their waste). Mr Archer confirmed that this was still a possibility, that work on this is still underway and I would be informed.

Barrie and I were offered the chance to visit the Veolia Transport depot, to look at and learn about the fleet. We are likely to take up the opportunity shortly.