March 201 4 Editor: Holly Foat ON&V is published monthly by Overton Parish Council (OPC) and is distributed Publication date: 20 February by volunteers to every property in Overton, Ashe, & . [email protected] See also www.OvertonVillage.com

Visit us Contact us for problems/comments about Parish Council matters: Overton Parish Council (OPC) Tom Ridler (OPC Chairman & Highways representative) 773108 Information Office is open to the [email protected] public from 9am to 12noon each Lucy Sloane Williams (Vice-Chairman) [email protected] 770607 Wednesday & Thursday in St Ian Tilbury (also Borough Councillor) Byways/Rights of Way Representative 771429 Mary’s Hall, with OPC Parish Brian Langer Public Transport/Street Lighting Representative 770848 Clerk: Laura Harley. Paula Baker (also Borough Councillor) 771219

Colin Fowles 771090 Contact Laura: 771919 or [email protected] or Oak Mark Attwell 770472 Peter Baker 770007 Tree Lodge, Roundwood, Peter Hutchinson 771000 Adam Trickett 772133 Micheldever, Winchester, SO21 Jacky Lessware 773043 3BA.

Overton Parish Council (OPC) notes by Laura Harley (Parish Clerk)

Overton now in the Flood Warning Zone Parish Council: March diary Overton Parish Council has been notified that Overton is in the flood Overton Parish Council Monthly warning zone. Sandbags have been ordered and hopefully more will be Meeting: Wednesday 12 March, available if required. For further information on flooding matters please go 7pm in the Community Centre. to www.environment-agency.gov.uk or telephone the floodline on )0845 (Public Time 7pm - 7.30pm) 988 1188. and Deane Borough Council also has a floodline, call )844844 and ask to be put through. At present, although the River Laverstoke & Freefolk Parish Test is high, it is travelling fast but there may be more of a problem with Council Meeting: Tuesday 11 ground water and springs in the coming weeks because Overton sits on a March, 8pm in the Community chalk aquifer. Centre, Laverstoke Lane.

Allotment Holders Meeting: Goodbye Richard Baldwin Tuesday 25 March, 6.30pm in As many of you will already know, Richard Baldwin is no longer the beat Community Centre. Annual rent officer for Overton and he has made the following statement: ‘It is with will be due at this meeting. sadness that I have to inform you that I have been moved from the Overton beat to cover the Highclere and beat as the officer in OPC Monthly Planning Meeting: that post is currently seconded to another part of the organisation. I will Tuesday 25 March, 7.30pm in still remain based at Whitchurch Police Station and take a keen interest in Community Centre. Agendas and Overton and its community. It is also extremely likely that I will continue to planning applications are displayed work at times within the Overton area. The organisation is currently on the Parish Noticeboard. The undergoing a review and there is every possibility that I will, again in the public is welcome to attend and future, have some responsibility for Overton. I am privileged to have may discuss any planning matters served as the 50th ‘Overton Village Bobby’ and I am proud to have before each meeting starts. overseen a 50% reduction in reported crime since I first started back in July 2005. I leave the beat in the knowledge that the area is now one of Precept the safest places to live in the entire Basingstoke & Deane District.’ The The OPC precept for the year 1st Parish Council will be pressing for an explanation about Richard’s hurried April 2014 - 31st March 2015 will transfer and news of his replacement with the Chief Constable. In the be £66,570. This represents a 2% meantime, PCSO Paul Harrison is remaining as the local point of contact, increase over the 2013/14 precept although part of his time will be spent in Oakley. Paul will continue to write and it is intended to use this to a police report for Overton News & Views (see page 4) and run a monthly provide an ongoing contribution surgery. There will still be 24-hour cover from both Whitchurch and towards the running of the Overton Basingstoke Police Stations. The Parish Council would very much like to School swimming pool. thank Richard for all his efforts. He went above and beyond the call of duty on many occasions and really became involved in the Overton community. Nappies and dog poo We wish him well in his new role and hope that at some future point he A request from our litter picker, may be able to return to the village to resume his duties. Stuart: Please can you ensure that dirty nappies and dog poo are Road closure placed in the bins in tied bags? According to the report from Network Rail about the ongoing bridge works/road closure on Kingsclere Road, everything is going according to The deadline for April’s ON&V plan. is 5th March. OPC notes continued by Laura Harley (Parish Clerk) Village Diary - Regular events

Parish Council Grants Babies & Breastfeeding, Information, Does your club or society require a grant towards the cost of equipment or a Encouragement & Support: Every 2 nd , one-off project? Overton Parish Council is now inviting applications from 4th (& 5 th ) Mondays: 10-11.30am in clubs within the village for 2014/15. An application form is available from Overton Library. Mindy )07769 040509 the clerk or can be downloaded from the website. Applications must be accompanied by the latest set of accounts and a bank statement – failure to Tea and Tots: Mondays 1.15-2.45pm in provide these will result in your grant not being considered. Please return rear hall of Methodist Church. £1. applications to the clerk by 31st May 2014 for consideration at the June St Luke’s Short Mat Bowls Club: Parish Council meeting. Monday & Thursday: 7.30-9.30pm & Wednesday: 2-4pm. Jim )770402 New Parish Councillor required [email protected] We have a vacancy for a Parish Councillor for Overton. If you are interested in what is happening in the village and can give some time to NCT Coffee Group: Tuesdays 10am- attend meetings and plus a little extra to assist with other actions, then 12pm, contact Kate for venue )771767 please contact the Parish Council chairman Tom Ridler (contact details [email protected] above). Overton Lunch Club: Tuesdays 12noon Flooding on C29 under A303 in Community Centre. Val )770275 Following a meeting with officers and councillors from County Council, it was agreed to pump flood water from the site and clear the Overton Art Group: Tuesdays 2-4pm in roadside gullies. This provided a temporary solution, however the the ORC Bridge Street Hall. )770723 underpass has now flooded again and it is hoped that the problem can be [email protected] rectified on a long-term basis in 2014. Age Concern Activity Centre: Tuesday SMH celebrations afternoons 2-4pm at Harveys Field, ) The St Mary’s Hall Committee is celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Mark Weston 423871. hall at the beginning of May. Initial plans include showing a film set in 1914 Ladies United: 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, on the evening of Friday 2nd May, a 1914 music hall with murder mystery 2.30pm at Methodist Church. Guest incorporated on Saturday 3rd May and an afternoon tea with dancing (and speakers & refreshments. Men welcome cake of course) on the afternoon of 4th May. Further details and ticket too! Mary )770164. information will be available soon and it is hoped that you can join us for one or all of the events. Wednesday & Friday Toddlers: 8.50- 11.30am in St Mary’s Church Rooms. Dog mess Once again I have received reports of dog mess. This seems to be Overton’s Home Producers’ Market: particularly prevalent in the roads around the Bridge Street Recreation Thursdays 10-12noon in St Mary’s Hall. Ground which are all used by children walking to school. Please pick up after your dog because you could receive a hefty fine for not doing so and it Charity Coffee Morning: Thursdays 10- is pretty revolting to step in it unawares. 12 in front hall of Methodist Church.

Whitchurch Community Orchestra Overton Darby and Joan: First and third We are looking for a conductor for our small group of orchestral players who Thursday of month in The Community meet at Testbourne School on Tuesday evenings 7.30 - 9.30pm. We are a Centre 1.45-3.45. (Jan, Feb & August friendly group of players of fair ability who have been left without a only 3rd Thurs) Jackie )770258 conductor - he has moved to York. If you think you could help us please contact Diana Goodwin on [email protected] or )771855. We Overton Photographic Club: Fridays would also welcome any player of Grade V and above, any age, on any 7.30pm, Bridge Street Pavilion. Raynor ) instruments, especially violinists. 780853 www.overtonphotographicclub.co.uk

Meeting Point: First Friday of month, St Litter pick Mary’s Church Rooms. For those with The Overton litter pick will take place on Sunday 22nd March 2014. Please concessionary passes. )771155 wear sensible clothes, stout boots/shoes and gloves and bring a litter picker if you have one. We will meet at the Community Centre at 10.00am. Well baby clinic: 3rd Friday of month: 9.30-11am in the Community Centre.

Letters to the editor Who let the dads out? 1st Saturday of the month: 9.30-11.30am in St Mary’s News from Testbourne Church Rooms. )770207 This term we welcome two new members of staff, Matthew Adams in the Science Department and Tarrant Robbins who replaces Mrs Starke as Saturday Stories: 2nd Saturday of the Dance Teacher whilst she is on maternity leave. I would like to highlight that month: 10.30am in the library. we do currently have a vacancy for a temporary ICT Technician and Exam Traidcraft Sales: 2nd & 4th Saturday Invigilators. Please refer to our website for details or contact Sue Blackall ) mornings of month in Methodist Church. my P.A at the school 892061. Ruth Beasley, Headteacher Continued... Police News by PCSO Paul Harrison, Safer Neighbourhoods Team for the Town Meadow Golf Club: 3rd Sunday of parishes of Overton, Freefolk & Laverstoke. Emergency )999 the month: 9am in Scout Hut. £3. [email protected] Follow @OvertonPolice www.townmeadowgolf.co.uk [email protected] Police Enquiry Centre & non-emergencies )101 Crimestoppers charity )0800 555 111 Messy Church: 2nd Sunday of month: 4pm in St Mary’s Church. Sue )770207 Introduction As many of you are aware, PC Baldwin was moved from the Overton beat in Parish Walks: 2nd Sunday of the month: January, he will now be covering the Highclere and Burghclere areas for the 2pm start from the Community Centre. foreseeable future. The parishes of Overton, Freefolk and Laverstoke will Brian )771895 or Adrian )770053 now be covered by myself, Paul Harrison, and another PCSO Ben Howard. Our role will be similar to that of PC Baldwin, we will patrol the area and be a Village Diary - March 2014 visible point of contact for any issues that arise within the community. I will Tuesday 4 March: Overton WI monthly still hold beat surgeries at St Mary’s Hall every month so feel free to pop meeting 7.15pm in the Community down and I will answer any questions you may have. I will also offer advice Centre. Speaker Richard Tanner “Living on crime prevention and help with any issues you wish to bring to my with Jane Austen”. All welcome. attention. Our next beat surgery is Monday 17th March, 12-2pm. )770681 www.hampshirewi.org.uk [email protected] January 2014 In January, there were 34 incidents reported to police in the Overton area. Wednesday 5 March: Overton Folk Of these incidents, 10 were in relation to crime. These incidents included Club. This month is a singer’s night. criminal damage, fly-tipping, theft from and theft of a vehicle. During the 8pm in the Community Centre. same period last year, there were 9 criminal acts reported to police in Everybody welcome. More info from Overton. Ben and I will endeavour to keep levels of crime and anti-social Tom [email protected] behaviour as low as possible in the village, following on from the excellent )770384 work PC Baldwin has done over the years. Saturday 8 March: Overton Saturday Letters to the editor Market in St Mary’s Hall, 10am - 12pm.

CarFest South - The Future Thursday 13 March: Overton Garden CarFest South is widely seen to be a positive family-based festival which is Society 8pm in the Community Centre. attracting increasing local support and attendance, with over 2,500 local Speaker Patricia Elkington with a talk residents having tickets for this year. In 2013, CarFest North and CarFest entitled "Natural but not Wild". Plants South combined raised in excess of £1.1 million for charity. BBC Children in for sale. Visitors welcome. Sue Sait ) Need, together with organisers Brand Events, have identified that there is 773080 potential to raise more money for the charity, by making greater use of the existing festival site and festival infrastructure. This is important as, being a Monday 17 March: 12-2pm PC Paul family event, a significant number of free tickets are allocated to children Harrison’s Police Surgery in the Parish under 6 who enjoy CarFest. At a Neighbour Liaison Group attended by Council Office at St Mary’s Hall. some of the closest neighbours to the event site, the following options were discussed: Wednesday 19 March: Overton & District U3A monthly meeting. A talk by 1. Operate a 4th day (August Bank Holiday Monday) and sell another 7000 Peter Redmond “The wrong side of the ) day tickets. blanket”. Visitors £3. June 895828 8 2. Stick to three days and sell an additional 1000 camping tickets and 2000 [email protected] day tickets for Saturday and 2000 day tickets for Sunday. www.overtonu3a.org.uk 3. Keep the event as it is, but once over, leave the music stage and some other key infrastructure in place and then on the following weekend stage a Thursday 27 March: Overton smaller event with up to 10,000 people per day for 2 days attending a BBC Biodiversity Society 7.30pm in the Children in Need supported concert (most probably classical or opera). Community Centre. AGM followed by a talk on “Wildlife in North Hampshire” by Option 1 would require a variation to the licence to allow for a fourth Andrew Cleave. Entrance £2 for consecutive day. Option 2 would require a variation to the licence to members, £2.50 for non-members ) increase the licence capacity from 19,999 to 23,000. Option 3 would require including refreshments. Ken 771121 no variation to the licence. The attendees at the meeting indicated that Option 3 would be their least favourite and possibly Option 2 being the least Letters to the editor impactful. Concerns were raised and discussed that there needs to be an agreement in place to provide reassurance that further variations to the Eco-schools at Overton Primary licence will not be requested for the foreseeable future. Any potential Pupils on the Eco-council chose looking variation would relate to changes to one larger event per calendar year only. after the birds for this month’s Eco- message. Providing a source of food A summary of all recommendations will be circulated by Laverstoke Park and water for birds, out of the reach of and Brand Events to both the immediate neighbours and the OPC and then cats, can make a real difference to their discussions on recommendations will be held with Basingstoke & Deane survival. Also, consider putting up nest Council prior to any application being submitted or notices being erected. boxes in a safe place, at least 2m off the Clare Scheckter. ground and away from full-sun. Margaret Rainford Transport News by Brian Langer (OPC Transport & Lighting) Letters to the editor

Trains Lordsfield Solar Farm Engineering works: During weekend of 15/16 March, Waterloo station will be We would like to thank everyone who undergoing major upheaval. Services to and from Overton will start and attended the exhibition on 3rd February. finish at Basingstoke with onward connections to Waterloo. Sunday services It was a good turnout with active may be less disrupted than those on Saturday. There are major works being discussion over the issues presented by carried out in the Southampton area most weekends in March with bus the proposed Solar Farm. The planning substitution. From the evening 1 March to mid-morning 2 March engineering application is expected to be submitted works between Salisbury and Andover will mean bus substitution during that by the developer late February or early period affecting trains to and from Overton. March. You can check the status at OvertonSolarFarm.org where you can Buses also comment on the proposal and Service 74 Basingstoke Community Transport – service around the village: register your details for further updates BCT fully intend to continue with the service by quoting 'There are no plans if you wish. If you love the character of to cancel services at this time' in an email reply relating to a number of Overton Village and its surrounding issues. However, the service only operates with the financial support of HCC areas then please get involved and and BDBC and retendering of the contract will soon take place. A make your views known to the Parish suggestion has been submitted to slightly alter the schedule to avoid both and Borough Council. Our concerns the 74 and Stagecoach's 76/86 arriving at St. Mary's Hall remain that the size, depth, and simultaneously and a parishioner has asked if the route could go along placement of the scheme can not be Poulton's Road rather than Charledown Road. Would that change adversely sufficiently shielded from view and will affect anyone? Ever since this service began back in the late 1980s, it has inevitably harm the character of the operated on a hail and ride system through most of the village. However, village by turning a lovely field into a with the increase in traffic over 25 years and taking account of safety issues light industrial site for the next 25 years it is being suggested that NO pick ups/drop offs will take place along the or longer. Chris Chessell, High Street west to Woodlands and vice versa, between St Mary's Hall and [email protected] Riverside Close (for Town Mill passengers) and between the Overton

Memorial Institute and the Community Centre. Fundraising Quiz Street lighting Come and test your knowledge while Lamp column 19a at Southington has been reported as not working and having fun and raising some money for several day burners (Lordsfield Gardens, Southington Lane) have also been charity: 21st March, 7.30pm for 8pm reported. Despite street lights supposedly operating on a light/darkness start, St Mary’s Hall, £10 per person sensitive basis, there are some around the village, but not affected by includes curry supper from 7.30pm vegetation, which stay on long after it has become light but do go off later in provided by The Redfort. Cash bar with the day. This is being investigated by SEC, the HCC agents. Please call wine from Caviste, barrel of beer and )0845 603 5633 (HCC Call centre) or me )770848 to report faults. soft drinks. This event is for Mel, Mindy, Noelle and Tania who are walking the Letters to the editor 100 km Action Challenge London to Brighton walk over one day / night in Statement Following Overton Solar Farm Public Consultation May – that’s 62 miles in the one go! We were delighted with the turnout for the consultation, which around 95 Help us to raise money for the three people attended. The feedback we received on the proposed solar farm was charities we are supporting: MIND, The overwhelmingly positive. Of the 46 feedback forms completed on the MS society and The Royal Marsden evening, the vast majority of people indicated their support for the project Cancer Charity. Teams 8 people max. with only 6 people opposed to it. The consultation was a useful exercise in You can phone or email us to buy terms of meeting members of the community and answering their questions. tickets or alternatively tickets are People acknowledged that solar farms are a relatively unobtrusive way of available at Eden Forest. Please generating renewable energy and were happy to learn about the biodiversity indicate team size so we can plan benefits the project will also bring, such as the introduction of species rich tables. Any questions or if you would native grasses and wildflower mixes in some areas, and also by installing like to donate a raffle prize contact 8 beehives on the site. Mindy on [email protected] ) 773337 or Tania [email protected] It was helpful to hear locals' ideas about how the proposed community ) benefit fund for the project could be used, with most people suggesting it 770392 or sponsor us Noelle Moysi could be contributed towards the costs of operating the outdoor swimming (to donate to MIND) 8 pool at Overton Primary School. The main concern raised by residents was [email protected] or via to do with the potential visual impact of the solar farm. Whilst the site is justgiving For the MS Society generally well screened by existing hedgerows and trees, we intend to plant www.justgiving.com/owner- new hedgerows around some of the margins of the solar farm and also bulk email/pleasesponsor/melandmindy up gaps in existing hedgerows. We hope to submit a planning application For The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity towards the end of this month. Contact Jolyon Orchard )0333 5770190 www.justgiving.com/Tania-Bridge [email protected]

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Contact: [email protected] or 773377