Public Meetings
Public Meetings remain of real importance for our community to see and hear our political candidates. It is vital that we don’t just attend our own, special interest groups nor rely on leaflets through our doors or social media. HIRA’s hosted 2017 County Hustings gave real vote changing insights into every candidate as each stood and answered audience questions. Havant Parliamentary Hustings are nearly over now – don’t miss them next time!
Our regional Primary Health Authority, known as South Eastern Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), recently affirmed that they want to maintain Hayling’s Medical Centre. This is important to remember. Our 18,000 population is insufficient for the experimental 30-50,000 needed for a nurse-led ‘Hub’ with visiting GP; but Hayling’s approximately 2,000 ‘temporary’ residents annually, without known medical histories, put considerable strain on our Medical Practices who have repeatedly made clear that they are already at full stretch with our current resident population. The CCG confirmed that the national GP shortage means Hayling cannot rely on recruiting new GPs, so the CCG hopes to support our health care with other medically trained staff. Furthermore, to support those without cars, we have requested a Hayling bus service to Havant’s Oak Park Medical Diagnostics Centre to which patients are often referred.
The Hayling Ferry Timetable is on its website https://www.haylingferry.net/timetable and now we need a regular bus service connecting it with the rest of Hayling as well as a Portsmouth connection. This is essential to promote and preserve a vital service that takes the pressure off the A3023 Bridge. We hope our Councillors will do all that they can to get these bus services working for our local community. Complaint has also arisen that Havant bus fares are lower than Hayling’s so let’s hope that Councillors can provide a cheaper rate for Islanders too.
There is real concern for small business traders in West Town, Mengeham & Eastoke. Small businesses often employ locally based people, bring in local produce that in turn benefits our region. This also reduces the carbon footprint of long journeys – so we all benefit. Large stores may suit the bigger conurbations but are often the death knell for small traders especially for food and daily goods.
We have a number of very useful local supermarkets in south Hayling as well as specialst butchers, bakers, but only a few grocers remaining. Lidl’s – or any other – disproportionately large superstore, placed at the only junction into south Hayling, couldn’t fail to capture drivers who then wouldn’t need to use so many of our local businesses. It could even encourage north Hayling and Langstone residents to make more use of the central A3023. It is ridiculous however to believe that it will stop supermarket shopping on the mainland. As a strategy for closing more Hayling household shops, it would be masterly.
HIRA’s next free Public Meeting speaker is for Hampshire & IOW Air Ambulance on 15th June 7:30 pm The Royal British Legion Hall, Regency Room. Refreshments purchased at the Bar.
Contact HIRA: drop boxes at Library, Elm Grove; Morris Dibben, Mengeham; HI Community Centre, West Town; The Terracotta Pot & Gift Shop, Eastoke; mailto:hello@haylingresidentsassociation.co.uk
