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.
2.
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.
3.
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.
4.
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 may be 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
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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 meetings but 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 future and 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.
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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.
5.
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 portabuilding, 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 from Hound 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
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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.
6.
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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