What our Councillors said to Residents
My thanks to Wilf Forrow for his notes, taken during Hayling Island Residents' Association's first Public Meeting in 2022 on Thursday February 10th, as follows. Please note: my bold additions & some editing for clarification. Anne Skennerton
Councillor Clare Satchwell on Hayling Seafront Regeneration.
Sea defences are all about money in the end!
Coastal Partners is owned by the local councils and shared between, but each council pays Coastal Partners fully for work done in their area.
Clare has seen draft Hayling Island Coastal Management Strategy.
Stakeholders will see it March? Public consultation June
Q: Is beach replenishment really sustainable? Dutch visitor, referencing The Netherlands, would say no.
Clare: Maybe not especially, but it’s effective and has prevented flooding Southwood Rd, and that funding was available, long term solution funding was not available.
Anne: Sea level rise now inevitable
Clare action. Get costs of shingle management.
HBC partners with Natural England to manage SSSI [Sites of Special Scientific Interest].
Now agreeing on a single SSSI operational manager, accountable to both parties and legal duties.
7 or 9 zones for strategy.
Q: efficiencies of small bulldozer to move shingle? Surely inefficient way to do it?
Q: Have we surveyed visitors? Did they agree with residents’ stated interests?
Common themes, now added to docs, but huge variations!
Q: Concerns over Eastoke Corner, Beachlands. If we want tourists, need facilities and better roads. What about the funfair?
Funfair is private, council does not decide its future, if you want it to stay, use it.
One goal is to spread the timing of attractions to spread traffic.
Not in favour of second bridge.
Q: Mike Owens: pollution records wrong, no warnings, no e-signs. What e-signs planned, noting that Portsmouth is putting some in.
Havant is planning something that even Mike will like.
Mike writes to her most days!
We hear 100% the concerns.
Q: Sewage being pumped in daily.
Yes, but HBC can only do so much.
Q: Signs are not allowed? Rubbish bins overflowing.
Yes, bins not suitable. New bins have auto sensors. Talk to Clare!
Q: Made half a million on car parks in 2021.
Parking charges are used to keep council taxes down.
Residents will get future discounted parking, esp for out of hours.
Q: Climate Central modelling shows Solent flooding by 2050!
Climate change depends on what we do about it., but confident with Coastal Partners.
Q: Dave Parham. Climate Central bases its climate forecasts on United Nations data every year. [Government’s] Environment Agency’s data is every 10 years. Coastal Partners forecast of sea level rises is based on [being able to cap rising global temperature to] 1.5 degrees Celsius, which is best case. UN is predicting a rise of 1.8 to 2.5Celsius.
Clare sees more extreme data.
Q: Housing, is council building enough houses to get sea defences?!!!
Clare: No! And not enough room any more! Housing numbers determined by govt. if land not brought fwd, can’t use.
Q: Can’t we just say no to new houses?
No, if we don’t build enough planning will go to Bristol [i.e. effectively a Government appointed decision]?
Q: Planning inspector many years ago that bridge can’t take any more houses.
Goldring Close was turned down by HBC but won at appeal.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Alex Rennie’s vision for Borough.
Environment, climate, reducing emissions. Number 1
Waste! Coast, rubbish, greener initiatives.
Healthier and more active - getting children more active, obesity problems. Passion.
Leisure Centre.
Youth Clubs.
Thriving economy, with plenty of good, well-paid jobs.
· Solent Freeport [range of tax and customs sites with advantages for associated companies across the area] is massive opportunity.
Need local skills to upskill workforce.
Empty shops & regeneration.
Infrastructure that meets our ambition. Havant, Hayling, Leigh Park, Waterlooville.
Responsive council. Transformation plans, breaking with East Hants. District Council.
Pride in living here. Building for young families, sustainability, using Brownfield sites where possible.
Want stop to B&B 50 miles away. Developing Brent House.
Rough sleeping down to single figures.
Accelerate over 12 months.
Q: Anne: Climate & Environment Strategy. Good targets, but 195 houses on Sinah, 300 on Rooks Farm. Cycle Hayling says no cycle paths down island, member wouldn’t allow kids to cycle to school. How can this work environmentally.
HCC is responsible for transport, they are planning for active travel, don’t know about Hayling.
Transport Assessment being reconsidered, reworked.
Don’t agree with housing numbers, didn’t become councillor to approve Rooks Farm.
Q: Is that a good plan to have traffic alongside childrens playing field. Issues with pavements too crowded and too uneven.
Anne: I am prepared to call/contact council to complain, but many won’t.
Yes, there. Is a team that looks after planning, some on traffic regulations, but it’s Hants. County Council - please report issues!!!
Q: When shared council started, was planned to save money. How much will it cost?
How long is a piece of string? We will continue having partnerships, often sharing services, eg financial.
Q: Anne: Many current staff are East Hants. District Council (EHDC). Many enforcement services are only EHDC.
We will continue to buy in services, but services will continue to be delivered closer to home.
Commitment to timelines in ambitious strategy.
Q: Do we have the powers to enforce all new houses solar panels & greener stds?
No, we can’t force, but hoping that central govt change the law.
Q: Major Incident plan for bridge, could be shut for hours. Is he aware?
Plans do include even scope for temporary bridge.
The water company should have taken responsibility for escalating to police.
Anne: met with council to dry run incident plan, HIRA found plan had not been updated, Response: Local Plan did include better version. But desk check revealed problems. Needs looking at again and retesting.
Audience: Major bridge issue would become a National incident.
Happy for council to come to HIRA and explain.
Q: Dave Parham: Local Plan, inspectors recommended 3 times that plan be withdrawn.
1. What are we doing? Why are we hesitating?
2. What to stop new plan failing? When will we get a new engagement plan?
3. What about windfalls? Transport Assessment such an issue
Response:Pushed for amendment to prevent speculative development.
Inspector has not answered all our questions.
But we’re likely to withdraw and resubmit later in year.
Anne: Why is HBC still using Hampshire Independent which isn’t even available on island, instead of Herald?
Policy is being reviewed, but not every area of borough has its own paper.
Q: Many seafront plans, but no real change, much neglected. Will it require private sector finance, which will want a return?
Clare: Trying to build an overall strategy, but now looking to iterative development, with short term delivery, rather than Big Bang.
Q: 195 new houses in Sinah dev with gas boilers and few electric car charging points?
Alex: revised local plan would give us chance to revise that.
Q: Poor supervision of pavement repairs, utility work poor materials and no attempt to match in.
Q: Do HBC have service level agreements with financial penalties? Will we get money back?
Issues were National, eg driver shortages, so not a Norse specific problem, as joint owners, we would be punishing ourselves.
Q: Residents have been paying for garden waste collection which wasn’t done - surely should get refund?
Please follow up with Alex by email.
Q: Why are we so poor in recycling of more materials?
Kerb side Collection of waste is being standardised nationally over next 2 years, will improve. The HCC contract for waste recycling is being renegotiated. Leigh Park recycling rates are really bad - we do need a major re- education program. Bin men are assaulted if they try to refuse recycling, as they would in Germany for example.
Q: Given housing targets, how many have to be on Hayling?
Alex: We have to build 450 housing needs target per year, somehow. There are no easy locations in Havant.
Q: Anne: Many people feel they don’t get responses from councillors, but we know you’re busy, and you don’t have secretaries, but please communicate!
Do try, it’s a challenge - keep trying.
Q: 30 years ago, Parish Council was in favour, and generally supported, but turned down by the residents. What does Alex think?
Alex: Good idea, but you will have to pay a precept [extra money annually] on your council tax, your choice.
Wilf Forrow February 2022
