http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php Copyright 2010, David Harrison David Harrison en-US SPHPBLOG 0.5.1 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100225-173142

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”.
]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100225-173142 David Harrison Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:31:42 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100225-173142 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100225-165023
County Councillor David Harrison had organised the meeting so that interested parties could hear directly from Officers what plans they had in mind to improve safety, especially in the area of the junction with Twiggs Lane, (the scene of a fatal accident involving a cyclist in October 2009).

Officers distributed a report that included detailed measures planned for Bury Road. The papers also included survey data relating to speed statistics and use of the junction by cyclists.

It is hoped that the safety enhancements could be implemented before the end of this financial year, probably March. These included improvements to the road surface and new signage.

There was general agreement that the measures would likely improve safety. It was generally agreed by those present that attempts at restricting the speed of traffic along Bury Road from the present 40mph to 30mph would not likely prove successful.

District Councillor Alison Hoare expressed concerns that existing signage was often not cleaned and was sometimes overgrown with vegetation. Assurances were given that this would be attended to.

Dave Taylor, for Hampshire Constabulary, confirmed that the statistics on traffic speed meets the criteria for mobile speed enforcement. It will be a matter for the Safer Roads Partnership to decide if speed enforcement is carried out in the area.

It was agreed that attempts should be made to educate HGV drivers that use this route regularly to understand the safety concerns, possibly through liaison meetings with the operators of the industrial estate.

Officers explained that the effectiveness of the new measures would be monitored for a 5 year period after implementation.
]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100225-165023 David Harrison Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:50:23 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100225-165023 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100223-171713









The wasted money spent on Rumbridge Street, Totton has been well and truly swept under the carpet by the Conservative controlled Hampshire County Council.

It is widely believed that the environmental improvements to Rumbridge Street ended up costing taxpayers at least £300,000 more than expected, largely due to a series of blunders including laying paving stones and tarmac before fixing broken drains underneath, contractors ruining recently seeded areas and importing the wrong quality soil from Scotland.

Local traders and shoppers were angry as completed work was dug up more than once, causing delays, frustration and cost over-runs.

Conservatives repeatedly turned down Liberal Democrat calls for an independent inquiry into the bungled scheme, promising that a full review would take place within 6 months of completion of the project which was finished in February 2009. One local Tory Councillor said “This must not be swept under the carpet”.

Liberal Democrat Hampshire County Councillor, David Harrison says “It is now one year since this bungled and costly scheme was completed and it does seem to have been well and truly swept under the carpet. The public, who are picking up the bill do have a right to know what went wrong and the reasons why. I am calling upon the County Council to open up and tell us precisely what went wrong and the reasons why. It might be embarrassing to the conservative party, but lessons must be learnt”.
]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100223-171713 David Harrison Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:17:13 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100223-171713 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100223-170725 In a budget that promised that the New Forest would be a greener, fairer and safer place, the Liberal Democrats tried to stop the ruling conservative group from imposing a 2% increase, matching a similar increase on Hampshire County Council.

Councillor David Harrison, Liberal Democrat Leader of the opposition group on New Forest District Council, told fellow councillors that there was no need to increase council tax once again. He was critical of the way the ruling group had wasted over £300,000 on the “slippery floor” legal case, equal to about £5 for every taxpayer in the district.

Cllr. Harrison said “There are many people who struggle to meet increases in council tax every year. It is high time we said enough is enough”. Liberal Democrat plans included disposal of unwanted assets and delaying expenditure. However, the bid was defeated by the ruling conservative group, keen to hold onto reserves, at least until the district elections in 2011.
]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100223-170725 David Harrison Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:07:25 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100223-170725 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100215-172711





















I was delivering leaflets this afternoon in Eling Hill when I was alarmed by police, ambulance and fire tender sirens, all the vehicles congregating at the staggered junction of Bury Road, Eling Hill and Trotts Lane. Sadly, there had been yet another serious road traffic accident. I arrived at the scene minutes after the accident had happened.

The emergency services had matters well in hand. A police officer asked if I had witnessed what happened, I had not. I could see that at least three cars had been involved, all very badly damaged. An Air ambulance flew overhead, but did not land. Hopefully, this means that any injuries were not life threatening.

As most readers will know, this is the scene of a fatal accident last year and is something of an accident black-spot. I have already asked officers at Hampshire County Council to consider what might be done to improve safety at this junction. I do think that the speed limit should be reduced.

I will make sure that officers at the local highways office are made aware of this latest incident.]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100215-172711 David Harrison Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:27:11 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100215-172711 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100215-145154
We met at a small holding located at Bolderwood before moving off to Queens House in Lyndhurst. Our host was Lindsey Stride, a young commoner who had married into a family with a very long history of commoning in the New Forest.

A school teacher, Lindsey reminded us that most commoners are not “full-timers”, many of them have jobs and fit their commoning activities around their normal working lives.

Commoning is an ancient right that still exists today to turn out any horses, cattle or pigs that you own into the open Forest. It isn’t widely understood by many visitors to the area but the New Forest exists as it does today because of the way vegetation is grazed by animals owned by commoners.

Lindsey is a great ambassador for Commoners through her direct day to day involvement in all aspects of communing. She has been active with an organisation called “The Commoners Defence Association” (like me, she doesn’t much like the name but has great respect for the organisation founded in 1909 and has fought many battles to protect their way of life). Lindsey has also been instrumental in setting up a Young Colts organisation, especially for children who she reminds us are the commoners of the future.

I suppose that the main messages I took away from all that was said and presented to me in the 3 hours of talk and dialogue was that commoning can be and should be a very rewarding way of life for those willing to commit to it. Many, many people living in the New Forest have commoning rights, but relatively few people exercise them.

There are about 7,000 animals turned out by commoners onto the Forest which is probably as much as can be sustained by the land currently available. However, it is important that the animals are properly cared for and not just abandoned. Equally, she accepted that some commoners did not always manage the land in a responsible way.

It seems that there is much to be gained by educating all commoners as to the benefits of quality animal husbandry and land use. However, it was important too to educate the public that the New Forest is a working environment. Visitors really need to understand why commoners have to do some of the things they do, including the rounding up of ponies by way of “a drift”, or the turning out of pigs to eat up all the acorns. It is only through greater understanding that some of the conflicts can be resolved.

It would seem that some of the older commoners have been very resistant to any change in the past. However, things have changed drastically in recent years. Notably, some £5 million funding from Europe, “Life” projects, which have helped restore wetland habitats. It seems different groups within the New Forest often fail to agree on how certain areas should be managed. However, through discussions and compromise, positive actions have been undertaken which have caused people to re-think their views.

A very real concern, well expressed by Lindsey, relates to the way in which commoning can be sustained in the longer term. It is essential that new young commoners are encouraged into the way of life, to replace those that die. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult for people to buy or rent the necessary back-up grazing land with necessary facilities like fencing and water.

It was also considered that government schemes for providing grant aid can be extremely complicated and not always addressing the issues.

I believe that my colleagues and I, on the New Forest National Park Authority, have benefited from a clearer understanding of some of the key issues and challenges faced by commoners in the area. We won’t be able to solve all of the problems on our own but we can continue to work in partnership with others to improve the environment for the practice of commoning to thrive.

For those wishing to learn a bit more about commoning in the New Forest, there is a web-site : www.newforestcommoners.co.uk


]]> • Annual Reports http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100215-145154 David Harrison Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:51:54 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100215-145154 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100211-212157
The organisation is celebrating success, having recently won the official status of an Air Cadet Squadron. From having only three cadets in June 2006, it now enjoys a complement of 40 cadets and three additional staff.

Councillor Harrison says “I’m overjoyed that the Air Cadets in Totton are really taking off. Flying Officer Gary Harding and his team are doing a fantastic job. Hopefully, the grant money will enable more young people to enjoy the range of activities on offer”. ]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100211-212157 David Harrison Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:21:57 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100211-212157 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100211-183548









County Councillor for Totton South, David Harrison, is asking that the High Street in Totton could be declared a “Statutory Noise Nuisance”. The move follows complaints from residents that are woken by HGV movements at night time.

New Forest District Council has no statutory control over traffic noise once on the highway and that following exhaustive discussions with the Traffic Commissioner, the opportunities for any control through the Operators License route are remote.

At Councillor Harrison’s request, Officers from New Forest District Council undertook unattended noise monitoring from a first floor bedroom of a home overlooking the High Street and recorded the noise within that room from the 22nd to 29th October 2009. The results for the 7 day period were then analysed against the entries made on diary sheets kept by the householder.

According to the measurement data there are numerous peaks which could be attributed to lorry movements accessing and egressing the Eling Wharf Industrial Site; however, in order to differentiate between lorry movements and just passing traffic not associated with the Wharf, the analysis has focussed on those entries noted by the householders as lorry movements.

There is one period between 07:00 and 08:00 hours on 27 Oct 2009 that
appeared to have 51 vehicle movements and this coincides with a note
from the complainant stating that lorry's were constant throughout this period. The lowest 5 min LAeq (the LAeq roughly equates to an average noise level for the stated period) during this period was 27dB(A) and the highest level for a corresponding period was 63dB(A) with maximum levels consistently in the mid to upper 50dB(A) and on one occasion reached a maximum of 66 dB(A). A difference of 36 dB(A) is therefore considerable.

Not surprisingly most of the entries on the diary sheets related to the daytime period but of those at night there were occasions when the maximum noise level attributed to lorry movements was higher than
desirable for a reasonable standard in a bedroom at night i.e British
Standard 8233:1999 states that noise from an individual noise event
should not normally exceed a maximum of 45 dB(A). The World Health
Organisation publication 'Guidelines for Community Noise' also refers to a similar maximum level in a bedroom and for a good sleep this level should not be exceeded for more than 10-15 times/night.

Planning permission has recently been granted for alterations to the access. Once in place, they will enable the freer movements in and
out of the site which might minimise the amount of manoeuvring that
currently occurs.

Councillor Harrison says “I don’t think that we can ignore the serious impact that frequent noise nuisance has on the quality of life for many people living in the town. Declaring the High Street as a “Noise Nuisance Area” might be the first step in forcing the authorities to take action to improve the situation”.


]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100211-183548 David Harrison Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:35:48 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100211-183548 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100211-172328
The meeting was Chaired by Cllr. Mel Kendal and included Councillors from Totton, Hythe & Fawley, officers from different authorities, including Southampton City Council, Marchwood Parish & Totton & Eling and Mr Phil Dominey from South West Trains.

Initially, the discussions centred around the possibility of opening up a passenger line, linking Southampton to Hythe. However, I suggested and it was subsequently agreed that we look at the possibility of a passenger service all the way to Fawley.

Officers explained that a feasibility study would cost about £15,000. The New Forest National Park Authority, New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council have already agreed to contribute towards this cost. Parish Councils are also being asked to contribute, along with ATOC (The Association of Train Operating Companies).

It was agreed that the feasibility study would look at the business case for a passenger service, as well as the wider economic benefits and critically, the environmental benefits. We all felt that there was likely to be popular support for the proposals and that it would be relatively easy to engage with the public and get local people behind us.

Both Cllr. Weeks and I expressed reservations about what it might mean in terms of the Totton train gates. Already, the gates are closed at Junction Road for 20 minutes in every hour during the daytime. We are not supportive of anything that will worsen the situation. The addition of an hourly passenger service will likely mean another two train movements through the Junction Road gates per hour.

An officer said that at peak times there was likely to be strong demand for a half hourly service. Clearly, it is inconceivable this could happen without some sort of bridge option, or perhaps transfer of other freight services to night-time only use. This might, in turn, have undesirable noise nuisance consequences for residents living near the line, such as in Marchwood.

There was some discussion about what type of train might be employed. It definitely won’t be Steam, because of the cost and because Steam trains are not environmentally friendly. However, consideration will be given to electrifying the line, use of diesel trains and even a light rail train system. The project might proceed with its’ own trains and carriages or might simply be an extension of existing services.

I have agreed to join a small working group, a sub-committee of the new Waterside Community Rail Partnership. We will be scoping the feasibility study in advance of employing a consultant to undertake the work.

It was agreed that Officers from Hampshire County Council would issue a formal press release. In the meantime, my comment is “This is a very exciting development, with great potential benefit for thousands of people living in Totton and the Waterside. However, we will have to proceed with caution and make sure that the project does not go ahead in a way that causes more congestion in Totton or more noise nuisance elsewhere”.
]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100211-172328 David Harrison Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:23:28 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100211-172328 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100210-192043








Totton & Eling Twinning Association have been given a grant of £250 to help extend their activities, particularly with young people.

Totton Councillor, David Harrison, has supported the group by using a grants budget given to him by New Forest District Council. He presented the cheque at the Annual General Meeting of the Association which has about 70 members and a very full list of activities planned for the next 12 months.

Councillor Harrison was told that the money will be used to help host young French people in the Totton this month, to include participation in a range of sporting activities at the Calshot Activities Centre. He said “I’m really pleased to provide a little help to this very active and successful twinning group”.
]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100210-192043 David Harrison Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:20:43 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100210-192043 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100210-184529
I was prompted to do so by a request for a grant to help towards the cost of construction of a deer fence. As a Hampshire County Councillor, I have an annual budget of £10,000 to award to community engagement projects that benefit the residents in my division.

I knew a little about the existence of the study centre because schoolchildren from Totton and Marchwood sometimes make use of the facility, but have never visited before. I was accompanied by Terry Scriven, prospective MP for New Forest East. The visit was hosted by the long-standing and very enthusiastic Centre Manager, Jane Pownall.

I was immensely impressed by the Centre. In the main, it caters for groups of young schoolchildren, providing them with accommodation in an attractive wooden building with lots of clever design features. On site, there are a whole range of different facilities, connected with learning about the environment. We saw areas where vegetables are grown, classes packed with educational materials, a maze, rivers and ponds, a clay oven, a hut with a thatched roof and cob wall, woodland walks, lots of artwork, an planted with exotic species including a banana tree, a field with sheep. It is an absolute paradise for young children to explore and learn about nature.

Chatting to Jane over a cuppa at the end of our tour, I was shocked to find out that the future of the Centre is under severe threat. It was previously funded by Hampshire County Council. However, this is no longer the case and as a result, the Centre is now running at a loss, which is set to continue.

It is a relatively small Centre and it has only very limited capacity to increase income. It charges for each child attending the centre but if it increases charges then many children’s parents will not be able to afford the costs. Already, some schools have cancelled planned visits because of increasingly difficult financial circumstances.

Both Terry and I are utterly convinced that the Minstead Study Centre should not be allowed to collapse. Terry is going to write to the Chief Executives of local major authorities asking that they co-operate to lend assistance to the Centre. For my part, I’m going to raise awareness amongst my fellow Councillors so that they too can appreciate the value of it. Hopefully, I can persuade them to pay a visit in the near future!

For more information about the centre, visit the web-site at www.minstead.hampshire.org.uk
]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100210-184529 David Harrison Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:45:29 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100210-184529 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100204-161436 HGV Traffic is threatening the very heritage of the New Forest town of Totton.

A very large lorry, exiting from the wharf at Eling was driven down Eling Lane and got stuck in the narrow area between the ancient tide mill and heritage centre. In trying to manoeuvre out of the area, the lorry took out a chunk of the corner of the heritage centre.

Previously, other HGV’s have damaged fencing and parked cars, including one owned by the nearby toll keeper.

County Councillor for Totton South, David Harrison, is calling upon Hampshire County Council to improve signage to help prevent further accidents. He says “Local people are very concerned about this problem. It is now happening on an almost weekly basis. Drivers are using satellite navigation systems and finding that there is nowhere to go. I would like to see some large red flashing lights warning HGV drivers not to proceed down Eling Lane”.
]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100204-161436 David Harrison Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:14:36 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100204-161436 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100204-133409 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”.
]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100204-133409 David Harrison Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:34:09 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100204-133409 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100202-220905
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”.
]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100202-220905 David Harrison Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:09:05 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=02&entry=entry100202-220905 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100130-124237 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"]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100130-124237 David Harrison Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:42:37 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=01&entry=entry100130-124237 http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100129-164122

























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.]]> • News http://www.dharrison.org.uk/index.php?entry=entry100129-164122 David Harrison Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:41:22 GMT http://www.dharrison.org.uk/comments.php?y=10&m=01&entry=entry100129-164122