HIRA - April Meeting to Discuss Local Charities

- Mon 27th Feb 2006

Our meeting on Thursday, 20th April, will discuss the Island Charities; how they raise money and distribute it. Together these organisations raise £100Ks each year and thus are an important part of the Island's social structure. Please come to our meeting and any organisations wishing to take part should contact Paul Fisher.

'Call and Go' Service (C & G)

 This, revamped and improved bus service provides transport for those who 'are far away from bus services', 'have difficulty using public services, having push chairs or mobility impairment ' etc. It can be used to visit friends, shops, health services and hospitals and goes to Commercial Road three times a day. It operates 6 days per week during the daytime. For further information or to book a trip, call 0845602 4135.

This service is provided by the local authorities and is intended to make life easier for those who need it. Please try it if you feel the need.

As I have noted previously, the same authorities need feedback on the effectiveness of the subsidised services and 'if you do not use it, you will lose it',

As part of the Market Town Initiative, also recently discussed, a review of other aspects of transport in the area is being carried out and anyone with points to make should contact me on 9246 4723.

Planning Issues

As you will know, HIRA takes a keen interest in these matters and now has an effective planning team in the form of Bruce Bennett, supported by Dale Norman. They are currently addressing issues such as the congestion implications for Islanders relating to the latest plans for the Business park around the old IBM site. Also we are always getting involved in issues such as infilling and the replacement of one, older, house, with several new ones. A comment was made pointing out the different approaches being taken when this happens in Eastoke, as opposed to, say, a more leafy part of West Town. Some comments might be of interest.

Higworth Farm is being redeveloped as a leisure complex and the HIRA Committee generally felt this would be beneficial to the community. However it turns out that the changes to the entrance may involve some excessively obtrusive signage. HIRA is objecting to this aspect of the proposals.

As part of public participation in the planning process, HBC is organising some Planning Training Events to inform people of the various aspects of this. For more information, ring 92446616. A number of Islanders are already booked to attend.

Radar Tower

Readers of the Hayling Islander will have noticed the article on this last month. As usual, Portsmouth is trying to pass off facilities it does not want to other local authorities (e.g. Budd's Farm for Portsmouth sewage, rather then Eastney. Perhaps it was just as well in the end as we did not get the Langstone Pong!)

This tower is likely to go in the vicinity of the Harbour Master's Office by the ferry, rather than near its current site in Eastney. There seems to be no justification for this move, it apparently being done to maximise the price obtained for some land at Eastney, under pressure from the purchaser.

Whilst a radar tower is not the end of the world, it would have a major impact on the appearance of that corner of Hayling and should therefore be resisted strongly. From the safety point of view, radar emissions would be similar to that of a mobile phone base station for those in the beam.

Funding Initiatives

As people will be well aware, the Community Board has operated now for 18 months and has been responsible for selecting items of work to be done on Hayling.  (e.g. Eastoke Corner etc. within the Liveability umbrella and now the small car park this side of the bridge.) Further the Market Town Initiative is looking at issues of transport, social matters, environment, economy etc.  As has already been mentioned there are a host of other schemes, usually funded by the lottery, that are potentially available to fund items such as those that have already been addressed. One of these relates to funding for Open Spaces. Over the years, HIRA has looked at a number of sites that might be appropriate to this funding umbrella. We hope to do so again. Any schemes that people might have to improve life of the Island that might come under these sorts of bounds should be suggested for consideration.

Tony Higham.

Main contacts:

Chairman: Paul Fisher 92461412

Membership: Shirley Adams 9246 2881

Notice Board: Lois Neale 9246 9339

Reporter: Tony Higham 9246 4723.

By forum user, PaulFisher