I have taken a short break from General Election campaigning, visiting the Lake District. It’s of special interest to me, being a great supporter of our National Parks.

The original intention was to take a long walk up a hill called The Haystacks, near Keswick. However, after about 45 minutes of a steady climb through cloudy, wet and cold weather, there didn’t seem much point in continuing. All that could be seen was the path ahead with no view at all of the fantastic scenery that Richard Wainwright so famously recommends.

Fortunately, there was a Plan B. This was to visit the nearby slate mine at Honister. (for details visit www.honister.com). It’s the only working commercial slate mine in Britain. The entry fee of about £10 was well worth it. A guide took us down the mine, explaining the history of it, how children as young as 5 years old were required to work up to 14 hours a day, in very dark and dangerous conditions, removing slate from the mine

The slate found here is of the highest quality and likely to last 250-300 years. It has been used on many great buildings in London including those in Regent Street, Buckingham Palace and St.Paul’s Cathedral.

The Mine owner has ambitious plans to improve the place as a tourist attraction with the addition of a cliff face zip-wire and theatre.

I was very pleased to attend a meeting of the Marchwood Transport Strategy Group last night, (Monday 12th April). It was the first one held for some 15 months. Some of the members were getting quite frustrated at the apparent lack of progress. However, it soon became clear that it wasn’t as if things had not been happening. Marchwood has seen some really significant improvements to highway safety in recent months and there is a lot more to happen very shortly.

Mr Kevin Fuller and Mr Barry Armstrong from the local Area Office of Hampshire Highways Department were on hand to detail progress and to answer questions from those that assembled.

Mr Fuller reminded us that a lot of the issues being worked on were identified in the Marchwood Community Plan of 2006.

The volume of HGV traffic continues to be a significant concern. Surveys, carried out by local residents and HCC have confirmed similar numbers, in excess of about 1,200 movements a day, to and from the industrial estate. 90% of the movements are from along the Bury Road / Jacobs Gutter Lane direction, which still leaves about 120 HGV movements a day that travel through the village.

HCC carried out two consultation exercises with local residents, which confirmed strong support for a total ban on HGV traffic travelling through the village centre. This has always been my preferred option. Those present asked why this has not been implemented. The decision rests with County Councillor Mel Kendal, the Executive member for The Environment.

Mr Fuller explained that Officers are recommending that HCC try to implement a partial ban only, more specifically, a ban on HGV traffic travelling south along Hythe Road. He accepts that this would not satisfy many residents and does not reflect the view of myself (as the local County Councillor), or Cllr. Brian Dash (who represents residents in the southern part of Hythe Road.)

The reasoning behind the officers thinking is that the owners and operators of the Marchwood Industrial Estate have indicated strong opposition to a total ban. They think that any attempt at a ban would be met with an expensive legal challenge and an uncertain outcome given the extra distance that HGV’s will be required to travel should the ban be enforced.

I do accept that it is a difficult judgement to be made. However, the residents’ wishes must surely be paramount here. I do hate consultations which deliver a clear verdict and are then apparently ignored. Why give people an option if you know it cannot be delivered? Given the potential for a very serious accident, quite possibly involving a young child, I think it much better to try and enforce a ban now and stand up to any legal challenge. As one Parish Councillor, (Ron Vango-Fisher), put it, the Marchwood By-pass was constructed for the very purpose of bypassing the village and it should be used.

Better news in other areas – the pavement outside St.John’s church is to be widened, (by about a foot). This work and the introduction of some safer crossing points in the area are to be completed by the summer.
It looks as though a solution can be found to the problem of cars causing an obstruction outside the garage on Hythe Road. The owner, “Terry” was present and made the point that he was keen to see a safe means of remedying the problem worked out. Although he owned the land, it does have a right of way attached to it.
The cars that are frequently causing an obstruction on this stretch of pavement are not owned by him. He actively discourages customers from doing so. It was generally agreed that we would like to see some better enforcement carried out in order to avoid the obvious hazards that this anti-social parking behaviour causes.

The low noise road surfacing to Normandy Way is judged to be a success. Some work has also been done to replace iron lids, drainage covers that caused noise nuisance. However, some residents are still wanting further measures to reduce the nuisance from noise and vibration. One possibility is a requirement on Veolia (a major user of the industrial estate), to utilise the main entrance rather than Cracknore Hard Lane, as current rules dictate. This would be of benefit to some residents, but might increase noise nuisance for those living in Old Magazine Close.

The two District Councillors for Marchwood and I seem to agree that it will be necessary for some measures to be put in place, such as screening (opposite the industrial estate entrance), before this can go ahead. Apparently, there are also doubts about how these large HGV’s will be able to manoeuvre safely around the industrial estate , (there is a very tight bend), should the route be changed. I was pleased to hear that the matter is to be discussed at a future meeting of the Parish Council.

In terms of road safety, Mr Fuller reminded us of the excellent work undertaken by the Road Casualty Reduction Partnership across Hampshire. Fatalities in the County are running at the lowest levels ever, largely as a result of targeting resources where statistics show they would be most effective. There has been very significant investment in the A326. Traffic has indeed been slowed down by the measures taken, enabling the installation of a much safer pedestrian crossing, currently under construction at the Twiggs Lane junction.

Mr Armstrong was able to report good progress with highway improvements to Jacobs Gutter Lane / Bury Road (junction with Trotts Lane). There will be some short term disruption to traffic whilst work is being completed, but well worth it.

In response to a question about the hazards involved in the queue to the Household Waste Recycling Centre, it was hoped that the old incinerator would be demolished by the end of June, clearing the way for a new HWRC. The initial designs show a possible capacity for up to 60 cars to queue within the facility itself, hopefully making the queues on Bury Road a thing of the past.

A parent governor from Marchwood Infant School spoke intelligently about the need for the school travel plan to be updated, the problem of parents who drive to the school and act in a reckless manner, opening doors, obstructing pavements, even attempting U-turns on the nearby A326. It was generally agreed that more work was needed to encourage parents to walk children to school, where practical and to provide facility for safe parking, within a reasonable distance, where it is necessary to drive.

The meeting finished after 10pm, which was a little unfair on the two officers, but reflected a lot of keen interest in the room from local people who want to help make the village a safer place to live.

Today, I attended a meeting of the Liaison Panel for Marchwood Energy Recovery Facility (otherwise known as The Dome).

The Panel comprises of representatives from different local authorities, County, District & Parish, the Facility Manager, (employed by Veolia) and Offcers from the New Forest District Council, Hampshire County Council and the Environment Agency.

I proposed that the panel supports proposals that will mean Veolia HGV’s will in future use the main entrance to Marchwood Industrial Estate. This will have a direct benefit to the people living in Cracknore Hard Lane. However, as it might entail a little more noise nuisance for residents at the end of Old Magazine Close, living closest to the main entrance, we also proposed that the various local authorities collaborate with one another to provide better screening / planting in the area.

We learned that an improvement to the process used at the facility will mean slightly less HGV movements as less lime will be used in future. I proposed that details of monthly HGV movements to and from the site should in future be provided, on a 6 monthly basis, so we can track and monitor any increases / decreases in HGV movements. This was also agreed.

Longer term, I want to see most or even all waste materials transported to the facility by barge. Everyone present seemed to agree that this made environmental sense. It would also very likely be the best thing to do from a commercial perspective. The problem seems to be around finding a suitable berthing facility the other side of the water. I said we need to remind Southampton City Council and Associated British Ports of their moral responsibility to assist in this. Talks are, apparently, taking place “behind the scenes”!

The contract for demolition of the very old and very ugly incinerator building has been let. We were told that it is going to disappear in June. Three cheers to that!

I have almost completed my fifth year as County Councillor for Totton South & Marchwood. As this is my first Town report following re-election with a much increased majority, I would like to record my thanks to all who voted in the elections.
The conservative party hold the majority of seats on Hampshire County Council and I am one of a very large number of Liberal Democrat opposition members.

Thanks also to my fellow Totton County Councillor, Alan Weeks. We continue to work in close co-operation in the best interests of the town.

Tax & Expenses

The County Council have set the council tax for the year ahead. No surprises, as anticipated, the increase for this year again is 1.9%. The local press have showed much more interest in expenses and allowances claimed by councillors, (no doubt as a consequence of difficulties experienced by our MP’s). Details of our claims are published on an annual basis for all to see. Mine are lower than most because I often travel to meetings on two wheels. When I do take a car, I try to car-share and claim a lower rate of 40p per mile (against a rate of 53p per mile that I am allowed to claim).

Environmental Issues

I am actively supporting residents in The High Street over issues such as noise and vibration nuisance from HGV traffic. I have also been pressing for more effective action over Air Quality, especially in Junction Road, (designated and still being monitored as an “Air Quality Management Area” by the District Council.

I have lobbied the Minister of State, asking that the necessary funds are found to properly tackle the flood risk in Totton.

I have sought to better control HGV traffic movements, especially in the area of Eling Lane where HGV’s have been known to travel towards the area between the Tide Mill and Heritage Centre, sometimes damaging property as the driver attempts to turn around.

Highway Issues

Much of the focus of HCC expenditure and effort in recent months has been on safety improvements on the A326 Marchwood Bypass. Some further work will be commencing shortly along Jacobs Gutter Lane into Bury Road. In both cases this is the authority responding to road traffic incidents, especially fatalities.

I believe that at least £300,000 was wasted as a result of poor project management on the Rumbridge Street scheme. I have been pressing for a full inquiry in order to establish what exactly went wrong. A review 6 months post completion of the project was promised. I simply don’t know if this was done and have found myself asking the Town Council to press for the results to be published.

My case work involves a lot of more minor highway issues. The County Council have made two attempts at improving the pavements in Rushington Avenue. A lot of my neighbours remain dissatisfied with the standard of work. Generally, I think there is insufficient money available for things like protecting grass verges, especially in places like Sylvia Drive, Shakespeare Avenue and Valley Road. I do keep asking for these places to have protective grids fitted.

I have had some better success with white lines, sometimes re-painting ones that were lost through resurfacing work. A resident also came up wit the idea of a Keep Clear box on the Asda roundabout which I was happy to promote and is proving successful at reducing congestion.

Police Issues

Cllr. Weeks and myself pro-actively sought and were successful in holding a meeting with the Chief Inspector and his assistant. We congratulated them on managing the anti-social behaviour problems that flared up in Osborne Road / Rumbridge Street.

We expressed ongoing concerns about speeding traffic along some roads, highlighting The High Street and the A326 where there is a need for more enforcement work.

Schools & Colleges

I have continued to support schools and colleges in my division during the past year. I continue with my role as a board member on The Harbour SureStart Children’s Centre, located at Eling First school.

I was invited to Totton College to unveil solar panels fitted on to the Cove building, as a result of my role as Chairman of the Marchwood Power Station Liaison Panel and support for the Solar 4 Schools initiative.

I was also immensely privileged to raise the flag at Hounsdown school, which has succeeded in being awarded Eco – School status.

I have been invited to visit my old school, now Testwood Sports College and look forward to seeing how much has changed over the years.

Dibden Bay

The threat of a port development at Dibden Bay raised its head again this last year, with the government requiring ports authorities to draw up plans for future potential development. I’m pleased to say that all local authorities, at least this side of the River Test, have expressed strong opposition.

Fluoride in Tap Water

It is now a little over a year since the decision was made by the Strategic Health Authority that fluoride should be added to the tap water. This will impact on about 8,000 homes in Totton.

I have continued to use just about every opportunity I can to stop this from happening, through my work on the Health Overview Scrutiny Committee on Hampshire County Council, a joint complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman (along with the local MP) and a media campaign. I have in fact publicly demanded that the unelected quango resign unless they submit to the will of the people!

Radio Active Waste

I have lodged objection with the Environment Agency as regards the transportation of radio active waste into the district from Sellafield, Cumbria, for processing in the Waterside. I strongly believe that central government should ensure arrangements are in place to process such waste in Cumbria, not bringing it hundreds of miles into the New Forest.

Waste Movements / Quarry Activity

I have opposed an application to extend the life of quarry activity for a further 12 years on the grounds that the area is already too stressed with HGV movements. Similarly, I opposed a change to conditions relating to importation of waste from outside the County, for processing at the Marchwood Energy Recovery Facility. I am very closely monitoring what is happening regarding the movement of waste materials, including a recent site visit to the Veolia transport depot, attendance at liaison panel meetings at the The Dome and freedom of information requests to HCC, asking to see any reports looking at the possibility of increasing the capacity of waste handling at Marchwood.

Community Rail Partnership

I am pleased to be directly involved in a new development, a partnership looking at the possibility of re-introducing a rail passenger service down the Waterside. Very clearly, it should only proceed if it involves no extra problems to the train gates in Junction Road (already closed for up to 20 minutes in the hour).

HAT Meetings

New Forest County Councillors are again meeting regularly in order to discuss and deal with issues that are of particular significance to the New Forest. Issues that I have flagged up for attention include the threat to the Minstead Study Centre (as a result of the withdrawal of HCC funding) and the poor state of road surfaces and pavements.

Community Engagement

I continue to keep in touch with the views and concerns of the people I represent through the use of surveys, Street Surgeries, attendance at meetings and a very heavy load of case-work. I generally file reports such as this on my personal web-site, always inviting feedback.

I am also of course an active member of the Town Council, The New Forest District Council, Hampshire Fire & Rescue Authority, the New Forest National Park Authority and Eastleigh Community Safety Partnership. All of these help give me a very rounded and up to date handle on what is going on in this area.

Health bosses who want to add fluoride to tap water are to get another stinging rebuke from elected Councillors in Hampshire.

The Strategic Health Authority, (SHA) are fighting a Judicial Review into the decision to add fluoride to the tap water in about 8,000 homes. In a series of blows, the decision by the unelected quango has been undermined by all the local councils who have decided that the measures should not go ahead, at least without public consent.

The result of the consultation undertaken by the SHA showed that nearly three quarters of the people who responded did not want fluoride added to the tap water.

The matter was again reviewed by the Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee of Hampshire County Council today. Councillor David Harrison, a leading critic of the proposals told members “The latest development is that Southampton City Council has changed policy and are now of the view that fluoride should not be added to tap water without clear evidence of public consent, through a referendum. This effectively removes the last fig leaf of democratic accountability that the SHA could hold onto. All local authorities in the area, all MP’s and even the Prime Minister are saying that the plans should be dropped until there is public consent”.

The Committee Chairman is to write to the Strategic Health Authority calling on them to shelve the plans.

On the anniversary of the decision by the Strategic Health Authority to impose the fluoride in the tap water in thousands of Hampshire Homes, a leading County Councillor has called upon them to scrap the proposals for moral reasons.

County Councillor David Harrison, the Liberal Democrat Member for Totton South & Marchwood has been a long-term critic of plans to add fluoride to tap water. About 8,000 homes in Totton will be affected.

Cllr. Harrison has already put in a joint complaint to the Parliamentary & Health Ombusdsman, working with the local Conservative MP, Dr Julian Lewis. However, a decision on the complaint has been put on hold whilst a legal battle takes place. The matter is subject to a Judicial Review, following action taken against the SHA by a resident in Southampton.

Councillor Harrison told a reporter for Radio Solent “It is clear that the Strategic Health Authority has a moral duty to abandon the plans. They actively promoted the alleged benefits of fluoride whilst undertaking the consultation. It was not done in a balanced way. They simply cannot ignore the fact that nearly three quarters of those responding said that they did not want fluoride added to tap water. Whatever the result of the legal action and the Ombudsman complaint, I really hope they will appreciate they have a moral duty to stop what they are doing”.

A leading Totton Councillor has called upon Hampshire County Council to “Own up and admit what went wrong” with a scheme to improve Totton’s Rumbridge Street.

It is widely believed that a series of project management blunders led to very long delays completing the works and additional costs to the taxpayer, in excess of £300,000.

Liberal Democrat Councillor David Harrison, represents the Totton South at Town, District and County level. He says “It is very clear that those running Hampshire County Council are seriously embarrassed about what happened in Rumbridge Street. The list of blunders included a failure to sort out drainage problems before investing in street level enhancements, poor co-ordination with other bodies, the wrong sort of soil brought down from Scotland and damage caused to completed works”.

Councillor Harrison adds “We were promised a full review within 6 months of completion of the scheme and that nothing would be swept under the carpet. It is now over 12 months, with no information released about the review.”

Councillor Harrison this week raised the issue at a meeting of the Town Council’s Policy & Resources Committee. Members agreed that a formal letter should be sent to Hampshire County Council expressing concern about the lack of information and asking when results of the review will be shared.

County Councillor, David Harrison visited the Veolia Transport depot, located next to the Marchwood Energy Recovery Facility in order to find out more about future plans for transporting waste in the area.

Councillor Harrison was accompanied by the Interim Chief Executive of the New Forest National Park Authority, Barrie Foley, who shares similar concerns about increases in HGV movements in and around the New Forest.
The visit was hosted by the Veolia Transport Manager, Paul Stocker along with senior officers from Hampshire County Council.

Councillor Harrison says “We were shown details of a satellite tracking system, which allows the company to monitor where all the vehicles go. I was reassured that there are no plans to purchase and use even bigger HGV’s than the current fleet. They are also utilising some very good driver improvement programmes and promise to respond positively to community concerns.

It seems that press reports that waste might be imported from the Isle of Wight and transported by lorry across the forest are wrong. I was promised that the only way waste from the Island would be permitted to enter the site would be by sea. In this respect, some exciting news – Veolia are purchasing a barge and it is hoped that in future, at least some waste materials can be barged to the ERF, to help reduce HGV movements”.

Cllr. Harrison adds “Veolia are one of the more responsible companies operating in the area. Officers attending our meeting accepted that communication about operations and future plans could be improved. I hope that this will indeed be the case”.