Minutes of the Annual Parish Assembly held on Monday 13 April 2015 at Abbey Hall, Victoria Road, Netley, Southampton SO31 5FA at 7.00pm

PRESENT: Cllr West in the Chair, Hugh Millar from The Men’s Shed and Paul Keast from Hound Local History Society.

Ms Angela Lush Senior Assistant Clerk, Mrs Bridget Cook Assistant Clerk and 10 members of the public.

  1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Mrs Queen.

  1. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING HELD ON 14 APRIL 2014

The minutes of the previous Annual Parish Assembly held on 14 April 2014 had been ratified at Hound Parish Full Council meeting held on 6th May 2014.

  1. BRIEF STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS FOR THE

YEAR 2013-2014

The Chair advised that at 31 March 2014, Hound Parish Council had £406,875.00 current assets, £71,535.00 current liabilities, with total assets less current liabilities £335,340.00.

  1. CHAIR OF HOUND PARISH COUNCIL’S REPORT

Another year has flown by, but it does give me the chance to review the past 12 months and it’s really only when you stop and reflect what has been achieved and of course not forgetting what still needs to be done.

We finally had the formal opening of our new changing rooms at the King George V playing fields at Old Netley and this building is now known as the Richard Knowlton Pavilion thanks to the research done by our local historian Paul Keast and his suggestion that we may like to name the building after a local hero. If you get a chance to read the story of Richard Knowlton, it’s real Boys Own stuff and there is a plaque in the parish office which covers the events. The project did come in at £8,000 under budget and this maybe something the council will consider putting towards something else on our wish list.

August the 8th was the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War and the council combined with others took the opportunity of adding a further four names of local people who had been omitted from the war memorial at St Mary’s and we are again grateful to Paul for his work on this. Time was tight but the new gravel path in the cemetery was completed only a matter of a few days before the event.Again we are grateful for the contributions received towards this project.

After lots of discussion and planning the parish office was finally moved in December across the road and thanks to the pre-planning by our staff the move went as smoothly as one could hope. There had been a few ongoing problems with the IT system and phone lines but slowly and surely they are being resolved.

We also finally completed during the year the much overdue re-decoration of the changing rooms beneath Abbey Hall and the installation of a goal box to keep the posts etc. out of the changing rooms. Again most of this was funded by contributions.

While on the subject of Abbey Hall I am pleased to say, during the latter part of last year a working party was formed to work towards a long term aim of re-furbishing the inside of the building which is now 25 years old. It’s a great location but now outdated. We will be working with our hirers for suggestions on how this could be achieved.

The extension to the children’s play area has also been agreed and we now just need to explore funding opportunities to enable the work to be carried out.

Our two allotment sites have been busy during the year and they are both full which is good to see. Security has been improved – as far as you can on an allotment site with new metal gates being fitted at both locations.

One of our aims during the past year has been to try and improve our communications with our pitch hirers and this has been achieved by holding a couple of meetings with them over the past year, where ideas and suggestions have been forthcoming. Not all the suggestions have been possible to implement because of the restrictions placed on us under the terms of the land having been given to the parish.

We have also met with our other parish councils on the peninsular again to improve communications and to share skills, services and purchasing where it is practicable to do so.

No annual report can be complete without me thanking all of our staff for their continued commitment and hard work and to take this opportunity to welcome Angie Lush to our team. Angie joined us in the latter part of last year. I must also thank all our parish councillors for their contributions and commitments, not only at our regular monthly meetingsbut also at the various working parties that meet throughout the year.

Two of our councillors will not be standing for re-election, I would like to wish them well for the futureand look forward to working with all the newly elected councillors when we meet again after the general election. I could not finish my report without highlighting just a few of the challenges that we still need to face in the future.

The replacement of the sea wall and the repair to The Hard are two items which will be progressed vigorously in the new council year and, of course, we are all still faced with the continual hostile planning applications along the Hamble Lane corridor and surrounding areas. Not to mention – but I will, the outstanding matter of the possible gravel extraction on the old airfield. These issues sadly will continue to be of great concern to our local residents. As can be seen with these two items that I have mentioned, the challenges certainly are there for next year.

On a personal note I have enjoyed my time as Chair. It has certainly gone quickly and ongoing I would like to wish our new council, which will be meeting for the first time on the 11th May 2015, best wishes and good luck for the future.

  1. LOCAL ORGANISATIONS

Chair Mr Hugh Millar of the Eastleigh Mens Shed advised that the group was formed in the summer of 2014 by four Members, initially meeting at the Grange Public House in Netley Abbey. The Mens Shed offers members the opportunity to share tools and resources they need to work on projects of their own choosing at their own pace and in a safe, friendly place. The shed is a place of skill-sharing and informal learning, for individual pursuits and community projects, for achievement and social interaction. A place of leisure where men come together to work. Hugh advised Members after months of looking they had been offered space in the rear garden at 108 Hamble Lane, Hamble. They had to seek permission from Persimmon Homes for vehicular access to the site and this had been agreed at a peppercorn rent of £1.00 for seven years. Hugh advised the grants from Hound and Bursledon at £250 each and the £500 from Hamble paid for materials for the car parking area. They had obtained a concrete garage from Romsey that now had electrics installed and had been gifted some paving stones from Mrs Veal. The Men’s shed were now looking for a second shed or porta-building, as they currently have 6 members that attend regularly and another 14 on the books that wish to join. The Eastleigh Mens Shed Open Day 2015 will be held on Saturday 9th May 2015 to the rear of 108 Hamble Lane Hamble Le Rice, SO31 4HU. Starting at 1pm this event will be attended by Councillor Tony Noyce, Mayor of Eastleigh. Hugh thanked those present for the grant.

The Chair thanked Hugh for attending.

Paul Keast fromHound Local History Society advised that his intention in writing the book was to remind local people of the suffering and sacrifice of an earlier generation of Hound parishioners and to provide a lasting record of those difficult days.

Paul said he wanted to thank Hound Parish Council for the grant of £500, which was put towards the graphic designers charge. The Borough and County Councils kindly matched HPC’s grant. The grants and steady sales of the book meant they broke even last month.

The print run of the book was 300 copies. Paul has kept 30 books for future sales and has distributed the remainder of the unsold books to local groups to dispose of as they wish to raise funds for their organisations. Paul had suggested perhaps selling them at a discounted price to their members or as a draw prize. By doing this Paul hopes that, importantly, more people will have access to the book but also that funds can be raised for the benefit of the community.

10 copies have been given to the following groups (some still to be collected)

Local Primary and Secondary schools

Friends of St Mary’s Church

Hound Parish Office

Hound Local History Society

R.A.F. Association

Scouts

Guides

Sea Cadets

Also varying numbers to local libraries and History Societies.

Bitterne Local History Society have borrowed many of the boards that were displayed in the Parish Office window and another organisation called Forgotten Wrecks of the First World War have taken many more to aid their research so the story of Hound’s contribution in the Great War is still spreading. Paul advised that the plaque depicting the courageous feat of Richard Knowlton and his colleagues had now been handed over to the Knowlton family which will be kept with his medals. Paul also advised another name was to be added to the memorial and in time he was hoping to produce a 2nd book. Paul thanked those present.

The Chair thanked Paul for attending.

  1. PUBLIC ISSUES

Beacon Lighting Ceremony and Tribute - Mrs Queen had arrange to contact Phil Williams regarding the leaflet and asked if the distribution costs could be obtained as soon as possible.

Hound Road crossing update – The crossing has now added to the 2015/16 Local Transport Plan Capital Programme. The funding has been secured and HCC are doing all that is practically possible to deliver the crossing in time for the start of the new school year in September 2015.

The Chair thanked all present for attending the meeting, which closed at 7.36pm

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