Coronavirus. Latest weekly infection figures: Hill Head 6, a substantial increase although well below national average; Stubbington 17, a very substantial increase and at the average; Fareham overall 168, again a substantial increase although still below average. Fareham deaths sadly 1 but thankfully down. Portsmouth area hospital admissions substantially up. Fareham vaccination figures still slightly ahead of national average.
Recycling. Further to our recent note on what can be placed in the recycling bins, just to add that almost all waste that cannot presently be recycled is incinerated to generate energy. Moreover HCC is currently looking at the feasibility of building a new recycling facility that would widen to range of items that we can put in our blue bins. You may be interested in the attached further details on plastic waste. Additionally, Superdrug in Fareham has a collection facility for empty plastic/silver type medication pill/capsule foils. This is part of the TerraCycle scheme: https://www.terracycle.com/en-GB/brigades/medicine-packet-uk
Promenade below Cliff Road. Those of you who walk on the promenade below Cliff Road will know that the "old" section in front of the beach huts is deteriorating badly. We have drawn this to the attention of our councillors, who visited last week and have raised the matter with officers of FBC. Some repairs will be carried out in the short term and it is at least now "on the radar screen" in terms of the need for further work in future.
Sewage Discharge. You may have heard in the media that Southern Water has been prosecuted for the deliberate discharging of raw sewage into Southampton Water on scores of occasions between 2010 and 2015. Hill Head, Lee on the Solent and Stokes Bay beaches would have been affected. For this appalling behaviour the company has been fined £90m. In our response to the previous Local Plan we emphasised among other matters our view that Southern Water's sewage infrastructure was already inadequate; that proper provision should be explicitly acknowledged in the Plan and incorporated into all future planning conditions. That view will be carried forward to the current consultation.
Scams. Not actually a scam but an unnecessary expense. There are websites offering to provide vehicle registration certificates or renewal of driving licences (similar to those who offer to arrange passport renewal). It is just as easy and much cheaper or even free to go through the official government websites, e.g. DVLA for motoring.
Next Full HHRA Members' Meeting. As you may recall, we had very tentatively planned to return to full members' meetings starting on Monday 20 September and to review the situation about now. Notwithstanding the anticipated further relaxation in social distancing from mid-July, the church is understandably being ultra cautious about gatherings in the hall for at least the next few months and are also using it more frequently to satisfy their own social distancing needs; they are therefore not taking bookings at the moment. With that situation, together with our own concerns about members' safety, we have reluctantly decided to postpone the September meeting. Following a further review in a month or so we may try to set a date towards the end of October. We hope that our next full meeting, whenever it is held, will be a question and answer evening with our councillors - Kay Mandry and Steve Dugan of FBC and Pal Hayre of HCC. The session that we held a couple of years ago was very popular and they have kindly agreed to do it again. Meanwhile, naturally we will continue with our Updates as we have since March last year; it is good to know from your responses that they are valued.
9 June
Coronavirus. Latest weekly infection figures: Hill Head under 2, stable; Stubbington under 2, stable; Fareham 18, up. Fareham deaths 1, stable. Local hospital admissions up. UK overall infections rising again. Vaccination rollout locally for both first and second doses is even higher than the UK average.
Former Stubbington Snooker Club. After protracted controversy, planning permission has finally been granted for the first floor over The Rowans and other shops to be converted to nine flats.
Coastal Car Parks. The Council Executive's meeting on Monday 7 June agreed the new regulations for our three Hill Head coastal car parks and Meon Shore. In essence they accepted our submissions about the problems caused by overnighting campervans and will prohibit overnight parking for sleeping. They are also now confident that they will have the legal powers to enforce those regulations. The new regulations are expected to be operative shortly, when we will see the replacement regulation signs. Parking charges (£1 per hour up to a maximum of £6) are expected to commence as soon as the parking ticket machines arrive, now expected mid-July when it will also be possible to purchase annual permits. Permit holders will be able to park without further charges at any time but again will not be permitted to sleep there overnight; there will be one exception - Hove To (by HH Sailing Club) car park - where they will be permitted to park for up to 14 days to allow sailors to take a trip and leave their vehicles. More details about all of this will follow as soon as they are clarified.
The Local Plan. Changes for the latest iteration of the Local Plan were considered at that Executive meeting. You will recall that the Plan has had to be reworked following a revision upwards of the future housing requirements. Further consideration will now be given by the full Council on Thursday 10 June. It is expected that the revised Plan will be published for public consultation during the summer. Meanwhile we will give you any more details as they become clarified.
E-Scooters. Some while ago we reported that a young man was driving an e-scooter in Hill Head and jeopardising the safety of pedestrians and vehicles. A similar incident occurred a day or so ago. You may have heard in the news that official trials are to begin in four London boroughs, Bournemouth and Southampton. We repeat that the only e-scooters that are allowed on public roads are those rented under Government - backed trials. Elsewhere they are illegal to use on public roads - and of course pavements - only legal on private land. Any dangerous incidents should be reported to the Police on 101.
Hampshire County Council consultation on budget setting People can take part in the consultation via the online response form on the Balancing the Budget webpage. There is also a full information pack about the proposals in the consultation on this webpage.
Scams. Census - text from 44 7399298102 - you are fined £1,000 for failing to return your Census form; ONS would never contact you by text. Several scams inviting you to track a parcel and asking for personal details, or claimed failure to deliver a parcel / need to pay a redelivery fee. Recorded telephone call - "Thank you for your order from Amazon - you have been charged ..... ; if this was not you then press 1". Recorded telephone call - "This is HMRC; a fraud case has been initiated against you; If you do not press 1 you will get arrested"! A fake post-Coronavirus survey is also doing the rounds.
25 MayCoronavirus Latest weekly figures: Hill Head new cases less than 2, well below national average; Stubbington also less than 2; Fareham overall 4, down, well below national average. Fareham deaths none, really good news. Local hospital admissions also down.
Local Plan Fareham Borough Council expect to publish a revised version for consultation in June and CAT meetings are being planned for July.
Electrical Interconnector IFA2 Trial operation up to full capacity will shortly conclude when the station will be in full commercial operation. Most flow (about 80%) is expected to be from France to England to provide backup when wind and/or solar power capacity fades; power flows to France occasionally in early morning or early evening. Noise level trials show that at residential areas there is none discernible above ambient levels; monitoring will continue until at least the end of this year. Electromagnetic fields from the cables as they pass under the taxiway have been screened to extremely low levels not previously thought possible, so there is no appreciable effect on aircraft magnetic compasses. Radio Frequency emissions within the converter building are suppressed so that there is no discernible interference to any known signal sources - TV, radio, radar, mobile telephones and several other systems. All trials were conducted and results verified by independent experts. The open space (alongside Gosport Road) water level is still being addressed and following new expert advice National Grid is introducing new measures during the summer to reduce the level so as to allow public access and minimise additional bird visiting adjacent to the flight path. When that work is complete the car park will be tidied. This week's meeting of the Community Liaison Group, on which Peter Wason has been the HHRA representative, was its last, although occasional updates are expected to continue. All community representatives on the Group strongly concur that the National Grid team has been exemplary in taking every possible step to mitigate the impact of the installation and to be good neighbours.
Rowdy Youths Some of our members have reported some late night disturbances - beer bottle thrown at the front window of one house, doorbell ringing at another and urinating in a front garden of another. Don't hesitate to call the police if you experience or see such behaviour.
Car Catalytic Converter Theft Catalytic converters have been stolen from a number of cars in the Fareham area in recent days. The Police advise that, if a car is left out at night, ideally it should be parked with the end of the car where the catalytic converter is fitted (in most cars next to the engine) close to a wall or to your garage door.
"Nextdoor Hill Head" A number of members have received a communication inviting them to download an App entitled Nextdoor. The letter suggests that it is a "neighbourhood hub" for useful information. People have been puzzled that it has come via Royal Mail in an envelope marked "Marketing materials inside&qquot;. HHRA knows nothing about this App. If any member is, or knows who is, the instigator, do get in touch via the HHRA email and give us more information.
A number of members have let us know that they use this social media App. As with all social media, it is very much for individuals' personal choice whether they wish to do so.
Census We have received thanks from the Office of National Statistics for encouraging our local community to complete the census. They are extremely pleased with the volume of response. ONS plans to release the first set of census outputs to the public in spring 2022. More detailed outputs will be published over the following year. All of the information and analysis will be made available on a specially designed website. Click this link to learn more about the progress and development of the Census 2021 outputs.
Some members have received a text message from a mobile phone number saying that they must pay a £1000 fine for not completing the census. That is of course rubbish. The ONS would either visit or write a letter if they believed a fine should be levied.
Stubbington & Hill Head Voluntary Care Group This group provides drivers to take people to medical, dental, optical etc appointments. You need to be physically mobile as the driver may not accompany you into reception areas. To book a journey, ring the Co-ordinator on 07832 330308, leave a message and you will be rung back. There is increasing demand, so do book your journey in good time.
Scams The consumer organisation Which now provides a scam alert service which is recommended by those of our members who have used "it. Just google "Which scam alerts" and you will be able to register. It is free and you do not have to have a subscription to Which in order to register.
A new scam is "Click and Win - Nespresso". Text from a bank - "Access has been made from a new device". More fake supermarket and Argos vouchers. More "missed deliveries", redelivery charge etc.
Latest advice from Action Fraud:
Suspicious text messages ("smishing"). Forward it to Action Fraud free by sending to 7726. This enables your provider to identify the origin of the text and take action. If you have been a victim then report to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 (Mon-Fri 8.00am-8.00pm) or go to the Action Fraud website and using their online form.
Suspicious email ("phishing"). If you are not sure about an email then forward to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) at report@phishing.gov.uk ; it will go to the National Cyber Security Centre. Also report if you think you have been a victim of phishing.
Call the police on 101 immediately if: the fraudster is still in the area; you need help as a result of fraud; a fraud is being committed or has occurred within the past 24 hours; the victim is in a vulnerable category; the police can secure evidence, eg CCTV, or recover large amounts of money transferred from a bank account before the criminal can remove it.
Reminder of Other Useful Telephone Numbers.Non-immediate police matters - eg if a burglary has been committed but no longer in process; rowdy behaviour, misuse of drugs/nitrous oxide sniffing; very inconsiderate parking (eg substantially blocking a driveway or such that it would prevent emergency vehicle passage) - 101. Anecdotally 101 is often said to be unresponsive and you may find it best to go direct to the police website and report it there: www.hampshire.police.uk You may be told on 101 that it is some other authority's business: if so, do call that authority and if they say it is a police matter then get back on to 101. Eventually someone will take notice.
Shellfish gathering gangs - yes, they are back at some low tides, particularly early morning and at night. Please alert Fareham BC on 01329 624394 or 236100 x 2401 or 07770 227161 or 07770 227155. Do provide vehicle details if possible.
Daedalus - Flying Complaints. In essence, the flight path is stipulated to be parallel to and just off the coast over the sea to/from the west of the far side of The Haven and should NOT be at low level over the residential part of Hill Head or The Haven. (Some military flights can legitimately choose a different flightpath, as of course can the rescue helicopter.) Any blatant infringements - for instance a small black helicopter has been pushing that restriction lately - should be referred to the Airport Manager, but do please copy it to HHRA also so that our Daedalus committee member Peter Turner can pursue through his direct contact route. Complaints Form is attached. Address is: ops@solentairport.co.uk or Airport Manager, Solent airport, Control Tower, Lee on the Solent, Hampshire PO13 9FZ, telephone 01329 824748.
Our HHRA rep on the Airport Committee, Peter Turner, has let us know that the latest Newsletter from Solent Airport (aka Daedalus) includes a reference to an investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) finding that there had been no breaches of air navigation rules, despite 'persistent claims from neighbouring areas'. Peter has asked any HHRA member to reply to this email address, please, if in the last year you have made complaints which have not been satisfactorily resolved. Needless to say, if you have a record of any such complaint, or at least the date, that would be immensely helpful.
8 MayCoronavirus. Latest weekly figures: new cases in Hill Head less than 2, below national average; Stubbington less than 2, down, now also below average; Fareham overall 9, down, below average. Fareham deaths, sadly 1 but thankfully down. Overall admissions to QA also down.
Crime. The police have told us that a man with a white van has been knocking on doors locally saying that he is from Amazon and asking where you prefer to have parcels left. If you experience such a call, or any other suspicious call, then ring the police on 101 immediately.
Police. Some 220 new recruits have joined Hampshire Constabulary in the past year.
Car Parks. New regulations are scheduled to apply from 1 June for Monks Hill, Salterns, HH Sailing Club and Meon Shore car parks. They will be similar to those applying currently but an essential difference is that from that date they will be legally enforceable. Also of particular interest, we expect that overnight camping will not be permitted. FBC intends to enforce those regulations as effectively as possible within manpower limitations. Parking charges will apply as soon as the machinery can be installed; date not yet known. In response to the recent consultation, many people, including HHRA, have made the point that regulation enforcement and new charges are likely to result in an increase in adjacent on-road parking, so that a joined-up approach by both FBC and the County Council will be absolutely essential.
Recycling. We have had some queries about what can go in our blue-topped bins. In Fareham, the following can go out for recycling: clean paper and cardboard, plastic bottles (if it is not shaped like a bottle it should not be recycled, so tubs and cartons including those of plasticised cardboard cannot be taken), tins/cans and aerosols. Polystyrene cannot be taken. The full details are on the website - Fareham Borough Council - Recycling - What Can I Recycle? Glass can be deposited in the appropriate bins; as most will know, our local collection point is in the Crofton Community Centre car park by the Library.
Other Scams. Fake notifications from "Royal Mail" and others continue - failure to deliver a parcel, please pay £2.99 for redelivery (probably rather more then £2.99 when they obtain your account details!) "You have won an Amazon reward." Fake awards from supermarkets etc too.
Local Election Results. For those who have not yet seen them - County Council: Crofton Division - Pal Hayre re-elected. Fareham Borough Council: Hill Head - Kay Mandry re-elected; Stubbington - Pal Hayre elected.
Subscriptions Just 34 still owing: if you are not sure if you have paid since January 2021, please email hillheadra@gmail.com and Pamela will check and let you know. The subscription is £3 per household, cash or cheque payable to Hill Head Residents' Association which can be delivered to either 41 Knights Bank Road PO14 3HZ or 6 Monks Way PO14 3LU. Pamela and Lynne our Treasurer would love to get this completed for the year, so if you are in any doubt about whether you have paid, please do check via the email above. If you haven't, we shall be delighted to receive your £3!
2 May
Coronavirus. Latest weekly figures. Hill Head new cases less than 2, below national average; Stubbington 4, up and above national average; Fareham overall 21, up but below national average. Fareham deaths, sadly up, at 3. There has also been a rise in local hospital admissions. Although this is only a snapshot in time and the general trend is still level or down, it shows that there is absolutely no room for complacency as we ease out of lockdown.
Crime. At least three local residents have just had their cars broken into and some items stolen. Do ensure that cars are always kept locked, even on your driveways, and very importantly, any valuables out of sight.
Shellfish pickers are back! First of all, many thanks to one of our members who advises that what are being gathered are believed to be Manila clams. A reminder that the numbers to ring are FBC Environmental Health on 01329 236100 ext 2401 or 07770 227155 and/or Police on 101 - the FBC numbers are more likely to produce a response. If it is possible for you to note car details (make, model, colour and registration) without putting yourself at any risk, please do so and pass that on.
Phaeocystis It is that time of year when the seawater tends to take on a rather unappealing orange or brown hue, possibly with foam and suspicious looking bits floating in it. You could be forgiven for fearing the worst, but no - it is nothing to do with Southern Water and Peel Common.Yours Sincerely David Dawson Taylor It is phaeocystis, which is a widespread marine plankton: it tends to be visible in these waters during early summer, but is not harmful. If that proves to be wrong, you will be informed by Pamela and our other swimming canaries.
Scams. Fake iPad and Dyson wins are now joined by Samsung mobile phones. Bitcoin scams seem to be in vogue again, also scam awards purporting to be from supermarkets, Argos and others. Fake re-delivery fees requests from postal/courier services is another. Authentic-looking notification that seems likely to be a scam - that your Amazon Prime payment cannot be taken, need to update payment details.
Finally on a more cheerful note - many will have seen the nice drawing by mystery graffiti artist Hen Dog on the east wall of The Shack.