Itchen Valley Division

Including the Wards of Wonston & Micheldever, Kings Worthy, Itchen Valley & The Alresfords

County Coucillor Jackie Porter's Report for July 2007

The Village 30 bid process by Parish Councils to Hampshire County Council went quite well for the Itchen Valley Division- of the eight in Winchester district, three were from this division. The first eight should be achieved in this financial year.

There is a library scrutiny in progress- you can comment by going online at http://www3.hants.gov.uk:80/scrutiny/scrutiny-committees/culture-communities/libraryreview.htm

County Councillors now have a devolved budget of £10,000 p.a. for capital voluntary groups and organisations. If you know of an organisation which could benefit, please contact me by letter or email and I will send you the conditions/deadlines etc.

I am currently on a review of quality of education for children with hearing impairments. Do you have experience of this? If so, it would be really useful to hear how you feel your family is/was served. Please contact me -all replies are treated in confidence of course.

I have requests and support for a cycle path along the A33/34 to Winnall. Are you interested? If so, please contact me as soon as possible.

Finally, the season of the Summer fetes and fairs is upon us! I hope to help/attend as many as possible: it has become a tradition for me to search your bookstalls for a classic to take on my holidays… Has anyone got a copy of Vanity Fair?? Thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who organise, design games and man stalls- but most important-my thanks to those of you who clear up at the end.

Cllr Jackie Porter, Jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk, 07973 696 085

Annual Parish Meetings across the county - Jackie Porter reporting back June 2007

Over the last month or so I have had the pleasure of attending eleven Annual Parish and Town Meetings throughout the Itchen Valley division. This area has a unique character, and Parish Councils deserve our support. Public turn out with varying degrees of success at these events, but not necessarily in proportion to the time and effort taken by the parishes to provide interest and refreshments.

For some Chairmen, this was their last Parish Council Annual Meeting.* As an ex-chairman of a Parish Council, I can vouch for the hard work it takes and heartfelt thanks go to those retiring,those continuing and new volunteers.

But for your Council to be effective it needs to be a true reflection of the community it represents. Many of the Parishes still have vacancies. Yet still some communities ask their councils if they are doing enough.

Why don't you think about standing? If you have lived in your village for a year, you may even be co-opted without election. Then you will have a real say in some of the decisions made at the very local level. If you don't know who to contact, please ask me or look on the winchester.gov.uk website for Parish Councils.

Speed Limits- your views needed again

Itchen Valley Parish Council has requested a 30mph zone to replace the current area covered by the 40 limit on the B3047. There was some controversy at the Parish Meeting about this decision. As there have been so many applications across the districts to reduce speeds, it is likely that the County Council will now allow the reduction of only one speed limit per division. I would prefer to pursue the extension of the 40 zone to include Martyr Worthy and continue to press for a path in the areas without them, but would welcome your views. We are so close to the approval without additional signage- and my decision is based on the survey of 2005 which did not show general support for a lower limit through the valley.

The Lunways Inn

The owners have been given permission to create a secure boundary with planting and are just about to put in an application for a temporary building on the site. The old building seems a distant memory now.

* If you would like a copy of my Annual Report please contact Jackie Porter; email: Jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk; text: 07973 696 085, or write to me at The Down House, Itchen Abbas, Winchester SO21 1AX

Jackie Porter, County Councillor, Reporting back to You

Spring 2007 Jackie Porter, Itchen Valley Division

Main areas of concern:

1. Adult Services care: elderly adults waiting too long a time for assessment. Cost of adult care escalating in Hampshire with no increases in service

2. Bus usage- declining bus services in rural parishes so that it becomes difficult for those without use of a car in villages

3. Speeding in villages-people want their own village speed limit at 30, and for the police to catch offenders.

4. Localised flooding

Particular problems tackled or in progress this year:

· Social care arrangements for adults right across the division

· School accommodation- new provision and changes in Kings Worthy.

· Social care arrangements for older adults with learning difficulties in Old Alresford.

· Damage to Micheldever and Kings Worthy rail bridges on the London mainline >>

· Damage to roads by large heavy lorries in Headbourne Worthy

and Bighton

· Access improvements in London Road for Kings Worthy and Headbourne Worthy

· Access improvements for Alresford under the railway bridge.

· The Alresford Town Partnership tackling 4 issues including parking.

· Large events (music & motorcross) and oil exploration on farmland off A31 in Itchen Valley and Itchen Stoke & Ovington Parishes

· A34 access from service station in Wonston Parish

· Firing range activity and drainage in Chilcomb

· Travellers settling in the north of the division and especially in Northington Parish

· Access to countryside in the Itchen Valley, maintenance of footpaths

· Police cover of the division, ACSO coverage

· Access for the fire service in Wonston Parish.

· Network rail infrastructure at Micheldever.

· Lighting in rural housing in the Itchen Valley

Also to be tackled locally in 2007-8:

· Day centre care provision

· Bus signage for poorly sighted

· A34 litter and noise

· Parish Plans for Micheldever Station, including bus services

· More Youth provision in the division

· Bus services that work for residents in rural parishes

· Cycle lanes on popular work and leisure routes, e.g. A34 at Winnall, A31 at Alresford

County Issues for 2007- 8

· School swimming pools :health & safety, energy costs, healthy lifestyles for children

· Residential care and day care provision for elderly; are there new solutions?

· Education of young people not in full time education

· 30 mph limits in all villages that want it, 20mph outside schools

· Street lighting contract for Hampshire :first HCC P F I contract

· Provision for children who are hearing impaired

· School changing rooms- bringing facilities up to 21st century standards

· Improved provision for mental health, and for residents with alcohol problems

You can contact me by email: Jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk

By post c/o The Down House, Itchen Abbas, Winchester SO21 1AX

or by mobile 07973 696 085

useful numbers………… please keep for reference….

traveline- for all travel queries 0870 608 2 608

adult services emergency line 08457 600 4555

child protection issues 08457 600 4555

to report a street light out of order 0800 50 60 60

to report an incident to police 101

to report a crime being committed 999

flooding queries 0800 11 99 88

carers helpline 08457 600 4555

to report a pot hole 0800 028 0888

other HCC queries 0800 028 0888 or 01962 841 841

WCC queries 01962 840222

Jackie Porter, County Councillor 01962 791054 or text/call 07973 696 085

Local Stoke Charity Liberal Democrat Simon Hobson campaigning with Martin Tod at Micheldever Station

Itchen Valley has Jackie Porter working hard all year round

Jackie Porter has been the County Councillor for the Itchen Valley since May 2005 and during that time she has been very busy working hard for all its residents. As a Lib Dem Jackie is determined to build a strong community that is possitive, inclusive of every individual, forward thinking and helps give local people a voice in the county of Hampshire.

"I'm very pleased to be your Liberal Democrat County Councillor for the Itchen Valley and to have the chance to give so much back to an area that I love living in" says Jackie, who lives no more than a few minutes' drive from any resident in the Itchen Valley division.

About Jackie Porter.

Councillors

Kings Worthy - Robert Johnston, Winchester City Council: 01962 620610 or rjohnston@winchester.gov.uk

The Alresfords - Simon Cook, Winchester City Council: 01962 733870 or scook@winchester.gov.uk

The Itchen Valley - Jackie Porter, Hampshire County Councillor: 01962 791054 or jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk