Or perhaps more accurately, 'the family landfill'. Nevertheless, despite its inauspicious history, Brockhampton West (see below) is an extremely attractive plot of land strategically positioned at the junction of the A27 and the A3(M). At 10:30 this evening, we received formal notification from Havant Borough Council of their decision to dispose of Brockhampton West. This … Continue reading Brockhampton West – Selling off the family silver again?

To view the detail from the statement of accounts, please take this link and the document will open in a separate browser window. These accounts show the financial affairs of the Society for the year ending 30 June 2020. Receipts were lower than in the previous year, when they had been unusually high due to … Continue reading HCS Treasurer’s Report, Y/E 30 June 2020

Having been running with the sale of the flats across the road at the old Trentham Gallery, Wickham based estate agents Taylor, Hill & Bond have moved into the larger part of the former Grastar Restaurant site on the corner of North Street and Prince George Street. Given the new flats now approved for construction … Continue reading Goodbye ‘Grastar’, hello ‘Taylor, Hill & Bond’

An unashamed plug for one of our wonderfully resilient niche independent retail shops. Forced to close by the lack of space in South Street to operate in a 'Covid-safe' manner, it looks like the folk at MyYarnery have now found a new - and highly individual - retail premise. Tucked away behind the old Clarks … Continue reading Retail secrets – My Yarnery

In another government outbreak of sanity, following on from our piece on Shoebox living, we're pleased to notice in the Times today that the government is now planning to clamp down on this abuse of Permitted Development rules. Interestingly, the new minimum space requirement will be 37 m2 for a one bedroom flat, meaning that … Continue reading Tiny flats to be banned under new planning rules

Wednesday evening's council meeting lived up to expectations. Not a particularly hard challenge since expectations were frankly not high to start with. It was the first time I'd watched a full council meeting via Skype for Business and all I can say is I sincerely hope that the the council's move to Microsoft Teams Live … Continue reading Debating the ‘Shaping’ of ‘our Future’

(Post updated, 23/9/2020) CPRE, 'The countryside charity', has produced a couple of important presentations that are well worth your time to read and understand. The material was shown at a seminar given by Caroline Dibden, Vice-president CPRE, to members of the Havant Borough Residents Alliance yesterday at the Gazebo Garden. While we weren't present at … Continue reading CPRE ‘Call to Action’ on planning reform

Caroline Dibden, CPRE Vice-president and our local contact for the CPRE South Hampshire District Group, met with members of the Havant Borough Residents Alliance yesterday at the Gazebo Garden and ran a 'socially distanced' seminar. CPRE seminar to HBRA contacts at the Gazebo Garden, 21/9/2020. (Photo by Ann Buckley, HBRA) From left to right, Anne … Continue reading CPRE seminar held at the Gazebo Garden

Following on from our recent set of 'tired but lovely' photographs, here's an altogether more disturbing set of images from East Street. Each one shows clear points of danger to pedestrians in what must surely be one of the worst kept Conservation Areas in Hampshire. In order, dangerously loose and broken tiling to the faces … Continue reading Detail from the East Street ‘hard hat’ area