Blog

ADD UPDATE, 26 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) has invited each candidate standing for Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and each candidate standing for Winchester City Council, to supply us with up to 350 words on their views on EBC’s draft Local Plan and its progress. The same invitation was extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

As you will be aware, EBC voted to include ‘options B and C’ in its Local Plan, namely proposals for around 5,500 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Allbrook and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham, significantly affecting Boyatt Wood, Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury, Otterbourne, Brambridge, Highbridge, Twyford and Bishop’s Waltham. This draft Plan will be examined by an independent planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, Joshua Constable, Labour candidate for Eastleigh Central on Eastleigh Borough Council, has sent us the following message:

“I’d like to thank ADD for posting these statements once again. The rise of ADD as a local organisation is testament to the growing appetite for change within Eastleigh and the determination of local people to see that change brought about.

Eastleigh Labour has always objected to the soundness and effectiveness of the Liberal Democrats’ Local Plan. It is a plan that fails to deliver for local people, provide for the local community or protect the local environment.

I stood in Eastleigh Central last year, coming in a close second behind the Lib Dems. Since last year’s local elections, I have been campaigning locally and nationally to find out what local people want, and how best to deliver for them the changes that can solve the issues facing Eastleigh.

In October I gave the Labour Party statement to the Borough Council, (you can watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/JConstable4Eastleigh/videos/1031260827054454/) objecting in the strongest terms to the continued disregard to the views of Eastleigh residents. The Local Plan is everyone’s problem, no matter where in the borough they live. The traffic congestion, air pollution, threat to local wildlife, failure to provide affordable housing and strain on public services will affect everyone.

I am committed to protecting our environment first and foremost. But we also need to look at overhauling how we approach local government. It needs to involve people directly and explore new ways of providing for local people. From this, to restoring our policing here in Hampshire to undoing the damaging cuts of the Conservatives, Labour’s manifesto promises to offer much to Eastleigh.

If you would like to find out more I encourage you to get in touch with me. I want to hear from as many people as possible and am more than happy to go though my position in more detail. Contact me on: Email – [email protected]; Facebook – @JConstable4Eastleigh; Twitter – @JoshuaConstabl6; Phone – 02380 613357″

Joshua Constable, Labour candidate for Eastleigh Central on Eastleigh Borough Council

ADD UPDATE, 25 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) has invited each candidate standing for Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and each candidate standing for Winchester City Council, to supply us with up to 350 words on their views on EBC’s draft Local Plan and its progress. The same invitation was extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

As you will be aware, EBC voted to include ‘options B and C’ in its Local Plan, namely proposals for around 5,500 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Allbrook and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham, significantly affecting Boyatt Wood, Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury, Otterbourne, Brambridge, Highbridge, Twyford and Bishop’s Waltham. This draft Plan will be examined by an independent planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, Hannah Williams, Liberal Democrat candidate for Badger Farm and Oliver’s Battery on Winchester City Council, has sent us the following message:

“I am a local campaigner who believes that development needs to be in the right place and work for the people it serves.  As the chair of planning on Otterbourne Parish Council I have worked closely with Save Otterbourne to defend my village against inappropriate development.  

The proposed Eastleigh Local Plan development will impact on all the surrounding villages so I have worked with ADD in my capacity as a parish councillor, attending and organising meetings locally so that local people have a chance to hear about the Eastleigh development first hand.  I have also helped with delivering ADD leaflets and worked on the Parish Council objections with other councillors. I, like many residents locally, objected to the Plan. My main objections concern the impact of the Plan on the countryside, the Itchen and its wildlife; the inadequacy of the road infrastructure and the extra traffic generated through our villages. Existing levels of traffic cause problems through all the villages north of the site at busy times but more so when the M3 has to be diverted. The Plan doesn’t make provision for building the new road before any development or show firm plans for enlarging Allbrook Bridge to accommodate large vehicles.

We need to protect our woodlands particularly ancient ones. I was a founding trustee of SOCCT (Sparrowgrove Oakwood Copse Conservation Trust), am its current chair and worked as a key fundraiser to ensure that we raised the £80,000 needed to protect it forever.

Last year I founded Plastic Free Winchester, working with numerous environmental groups in the city, attending environmental forums and speaking in 14 schools both primary and secondary about the environment and how we as individuals can protected it and work together for the common good.

My record shows that I take action where needed and if I am elected as a Winchester City councillor I will work with the council to put forward local views about the Local Plan and, if it is approved by the inspector, will work hard to mitigate all the impacts.”

Hannah Williams, Liberal Democrat candidate for Badger Farm and Oliver’s Battery on Winchester City Council,

ADD UPDATE, 25 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) has invited each candidate standing for Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and each candidate standing for Winchester City Council, to supply us with up to 350 words on their views on EBC’s draft Local Plan and its progress. The same invitation was extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

As you will be aware, EBC voted to include ‘options B and C’ in its Local Plan, namely proposals for around 5,500 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Allbrook and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham, significantly affecting Boyatt Wood, Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury, Otterbourne, Brambridge, Highbridge, Twyford and Bishop’s Waltham. This draft Plan will be examined by an independent planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, Daniel Newcombe, Conservative candidate for Chander’s Ford on Eastleigh Borough Council, has sent us the following message:

“One of the reasons I got into local politics was to fight the ever-increasing amount of traffic on Chandler’s Ford’s roads. It affects our local communities’ lives in many ways, whether it’s sitting in queues of traffic to get to work each morning, having to cross busy dangerous roads to take our children to school, or simply by breathing in polluted air which is known to cause significant health issues. Due to its proximity to the M3, Chandler’s Ford has felt the brunt of developments to the West in recent years. So, after carefully reading all the evidence supporting Eastleigh’s draft Local Plan, I decided to strongly object to it and try to prevent further traffic chaos within our own borough before it happens.

The proposed development of at least 5,300 homes will actually include around 2,000 more houses than the borough needs, however this number is required by EBC to provide funding for a new link road that will funnel residents across much beautiful countryside and straight to Junction 12 of the M3, next to Chandler’s Ford. This ‘bypass’ is expected to create an extra 26,000 daily traffic movements heading straight towards our community. The Transport Assessment, which was commissioned by EBC, forecasts that the new developments will increase traffic delays by 6 % across the whole borough, however in Chandler’s Ford, due to this link road, traffic delays will increase by 40%! Despite the new developments being several miles away, Chandler’s Ford (including Hiltingbury) is forecast to be the second worst affected community in the entire borough.

The other important reasons I am against the Plan include:

• The SGO will be very close to highly important ecologically sensitive habitats, including the River Itchen, a world renown pristine chalk stream, and squeezed in between several ancient woodlands.
• The consultation process was far from adequate, especially for Chandler’s Ford residents. Key information was not available during the formal consultation. Missing information included a detailed assessment of the traffic impact at the M3 Junction 12 and local Air Quality Assessments.

Thank you for reading this and for the opportunity to share my views. Please vote for me on 2 May!”

Daniel Newcombe, Conservative candidate for Chander’s Ford on Eastleigh Borough Council

ADD UPDATE, 25 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) has invited each candidate standing for Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and each candidate standing for Winchester City Council, to supply us with up to 350 words on their views on EBC’s draft Local Plan and its progress. The same invitation was extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

As you will be aware, EBC voted to include ‘options B and C’ in its Local Plan, namely proposals for around 5,500 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Allbrook and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham, significantly affecting Boyatt Wood, Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury, Otterbourne, Brambridge, Highbridge, Twyford and Bishop’s Waltham. This draft Plan will be examined by an independent planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, Tracy Weeks, Green candidate for West End South on Eastleigh Borough Council has sent us the following message:

“I first became aware of the Local Plan when I attended the public consultation (in July 2017) at King’s Community Church, where I publicly raised my objections after hearing from an amazing collection of experts. This, and the meeting at the Hilton Ageas (in December 2017), left me wanting to vote Green (the only party that honestly and truly understands the importance of our green spaces), but there wasn’t anyone to vote for in my area – yet!

The Local Plan is ‘unsound’ and will create issues for the whole borough. I have lived in the Chartwell Green area of West End for over 14 years and the new housing development on Allington Lane is impacting our connection with the rest of the borough as well as the wildlife that already experiences ecological challenges.

It’s hard to believe that EBC still plans to build near ancient woodland, such pockets of land should be valued. The roads are so heavily congested around most of the borough; a lack of decent public transport means new home owners have no choice but to get in their cars to go anywhere. Adding more roads will only make congestion worse, not better!

There are empty buildings/houses that could be occupied with compulsory purchase orders and brownfield sites are not being used enough (not all sites clash with the airport flight path). Yet, greenfield sites are the prime choice as they are more profitable.

I’m not against the right houses in the right places using sustainable solutions. The Local Plan is a missed opportunity; there are some great, genuinely affordable, zero carbon homes that will harvest water as well as solar energy. We also desperately need a public transport system that is affordable, sustainable and works for everyone.

We mustn’t forget where the ‘demand’ for house building has come from, the current Conservative government who have also stripped local authorities of much-needed funding. Not that the Lib Dem response is right, it’s not – there is still a lack of required evidence! Also, is its Local Plan now out of date leading to the question, do we really need a 5,500-house mega-estate?”

Tracy Weeks, Green candidate for West End South on Eastleigh Borough Council

ADD UPDATE, 25 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) has invited each candidate standing for Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and each candidate standing for Winchester City Council, to supply us with up to 350 words on their views on EBC’s draft Local Plan and its progress. The same invitation was extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

As you will be aware, EBC voted to include ‘options B and C’ in its Local Plan, namely proposals for around 5,500 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Allbrook and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham, significantly affecting Boyatt Wood, Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury, Otterbourne, Brambridge, Highbridge, Twyford and Bishop’s Waltham. This draft Plan will be examined by an independent planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, Andy Lai, Conservative candidate for Colden Common and Twyford on Winchester City Council has sent us the following message:

“I would like to make my opposition to the EBC’s Local Plan clear – it cannot be redeemed. I aim to provide a fresh perspective on this issue. I believe that, having served as a police officer for 33 years in both the urban metropolis of Hong Kong and the quiet countryside of Hampshire, I am uniquely qualified to furnish residents with a standpoint on overdevelopment.

City experience is invaluable in this scenario – one knows of the air pollution, constant background noise and the lack of wildlife within a country mile of the place. Building around 5,500 houses will not turn Eastleigh into a bustling megacity but, as a former resident of one, I can say that similar issues to the ones mentioned above will be introduced if the Plan goes through.

The design process for this Plan has been flawed from the start – major issues identified by expert bodies, such as transport and wildlife considerations, were simply ignored by the Lib Dem council, while problems like noise pollution during and after the construction period, along with the need for extra emergency services support were conspicuously missing from debates leading up to the vote. As a potential councillor for Colden Common and Twyford, I am especially conscious of these matters, as my ward is one of the major areas being affected by this Plan.

Supporters of this Plan may not have been dissuaded by my reasons so far, but what if we draw comparisons to other, similar, development plans in nearby areas? Take the Stoneham Park project for example: it promises 1,100 houses, supported by a nursery and school, as well as local stores. However, recent news suggests this project has been drastically slowed. It seems to me there is little demand or support for EBC’s far larger Plan.

Needless to say the EBC’s Plan will definitely have a negative impact the South Downs National Park nearby.

As a councillor, I will do what is necessary to wholeheartedly oppose the Plan. There is only one word suitable to describe it: preposterous.”

Andy Lai, Conservative candidate for Colden Common and Twyford on Winchester City Council

ADD UPDATE, 24 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) has invited each candidate standing for Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and each candidate standing for Winchester City Council, to supply us with up to 350 words on their views on EBC’s draft Local Plan and its progress. The same invitation was extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

As you will be aware, EBC voted to include ‘options B and C’ in its Local Plan, namely proposals for around 5,500 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Allbrook and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham, significantly affecting Boyatt Wood, Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury, Otterbourne, Brambridge, Highbridge, Twyford and Bishop’s Waltham. This draft Plan will be examined by an independent planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, Paul Openshaw, Green candidate for Chandler’s Ford, and Janice Openshaw, Green candidate for Hiltingbury, on Eastleigh Borough Council have sent us the following message:

“We are very concerned about climate change and resulting environmental damage and believe that a Green voice is needed at all levels of government. Every decision impacts on the environment to a greater or lesser extent and our input is vital.

We appreciate the need for new housing but believe there are adequate supplies of brownfield sites to meet demand. There can be no justification for the destruction of ancient woodland.

We believe enough compromises have been made for motor cars and our priority now must be to improve public transport… and encourage its use by making it cheap, or free, to use.

We would encourage a rapid move away from carbon fuels and encourage renewable energy wherever possible. The technology now exists to allow us to be carbon free in the short to medium term.

We are against any expansion of the airport. Most flights from Southampton are to destinations within the UK and can and should be done on cheaper forms of public transport. There is a place for air travel but no requirement to increase capacity.”

Paul Openshaw, Green candidate for Chandler’s Ford, and Janice Openshaw, Green candidate for Hiltingbury, on Eastleigh Borough Council

To view a picture of Janice, click here.

ADD UPDATE, 23 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) has invited each candidate standing for Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and each candidate standing for Winchester City Council, to supply us with up to 350 words on their views on EBC’s draft Local Plan and its progress. The same invitation was extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

As you will be aware, EBC voted to include ‘options B and C’ in its Local Plan, namely proposals for around 5,500 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Allbrook and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham, significantly affecting Boyatt Wood, Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury, Otterbourne, Brambridge, Highbridge, Twyford and Bishop’s Waltham. This draft Plan will be examined by an independent planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, Ray Dean, Independent candidate for Bishopstoke on Eastleigh Borough Council sent us the following message:

“It was an honour being elected to represent Bishopstoke as a borough councillor last year. Along with Louise Parker-Jones and Gin Tidridge (other Independent councillors), Bishopstoke now has a truly independent voice at the borough and an independent majority on Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Horton Heath Local Area Committee. This allows us the ability to question the reasoning behind the Local Plan and many other policies affecting the way EBC operates. It also affords us the chance of having more of a say in planning and service issues.

We have raised concerns over the apparent lack of evidence to support the Local Plan and not one member of the ruling group challenged us. Instead, they remained silent. I voted against the Local Plan being submitted to the inspector as key evidence was missing and is still missing.

I believe the Local Plan in its present form will be disastrous for our community and surrounding areas. The new road link to the M3 will be inaccessible for many high vehicles due to Allbrook railway bridge. Our roads are already overstretched at peak times and, with the possibility of 10,000 extra vehicles in the area, this can only get worse. Services such as bin collections are already showing signs of buckling under the pressure of recent developments. I have raised this recently and asked that routes be re-thought to address problems of missed bins. This needs to be a proactive measure, not the reactive measure we usually see. The irreplaceable natural environment that used to be all around this area has been whittled away; what we have left needs to be protected, not sacrificed for blanket development.

If re-elected I will continue to listen to your views and support our community in representing the people, not a party-political agenda. And if the inspector passes the Plan, I will strive to ensure the area gets the best possible outcomes from a very bad situation.”

Ray Dean, Independent candidate for Bishopstoke on Eastleigh Borough Council

ADD UPDATE, 22 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) has invited each candidate standing for Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and each candidate standing for Winchester City Council, to supply us with up to 350 words on their views on EBC’s draft Local Plan and its progress. The same invitation was extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

As you will be aware, EBC voted to include ‘options B and C’ in its Local Plan, namely proposals for around 5,500 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Allbrook and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham, significantly affecting Boyatt Wood, Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury, Otterbourne, Brambridge, Highbridge, Twyford and Bishop’s Waltham. This draft Plan will be examined by an independent planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, Phillip Parkinson-Shanley, Conservative candidate for Bishopstoke on Eastleigh Borough Council sent us the following message (he didn’t want to send us a photo of himself so we chose the caption above):

“Housing will happen. Those orders came from above and so it will happen. We must therefore have a local plan, however that plan must be absolutely water tight, it must be in the best interests of the majority of people, NOT just those with financial interests.

It is vital that we have councillors who are not against development, but are instead against exploitative or unsupported development. If housing must be built the infrastructure must accompany it BEFORE a single house is built, we must not allow builders to clog up our roads, we must not allow these new houses to put a burden on already busy schools or doctors surgeries, we must therefore DEMAND of those developers that they build us the services we will need BEFORE those houses may be built. We must work with them to ensure that what we get is what we need, not what the developers want to quickly throw together for a quick buck.

Options B and C could (if correctly moderated and correctly overseen) be of huge benefit economically. It is important that people do not vote for those who they believe will stop the building. They will not. They cannot. Building will happen. We must be certain to pick the councillors who will do that well.

My chances of winning this election are slim, there are many who will not vote for the Conservatives out of anger over what we are perceived to have done (or rather not done) nationally; that anger is not necessarily unwarranted, many conservatives share it in fact. However, we must not let the national effect the local; Theresa May will not help with your bins or local traffic but the local Conservatives will. We are not single issue candidates, we are not simply more cogs in a machine designed to give [EBC Leader] Keith House what he wants, we are a varied group of people all of whom want what is best for our neighbours and our local areas.
On 2 May, vote for honest, simple, local, politics.”

Phillip Parkinson-Shanley, Conservative candidate for Bishopstoke on Eastleigh Borough Council

ADD UPDATE, 21 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) has invited each candidate standing for Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and each candidate standing for Winchester City Council, to supply us with up to 350 words on their views on EBC’s draft Local Plan and its progress. The same invitation was extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

As you will be aware, EBC voted to include ‘options B and C’ in its Local Plan, namely proposals for around 5,500 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Allbrook and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham, significantly affecting Boyatt Wood, Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury, Otterbourne, Brambridge, Highbridge, Twyford and Bishop’s Waltham. This draft Plan will be examined by an independent planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, Chris McKeone, Labour candidate for Bishopstoke on Eastleigh Borough Council sent us this message:

“The Local Plan has now been submitted and is with the a planning inspector for examination. It seems from reading the correspondence on the EBC website that there are still a number of outstanding issues that need to be dealt with by EBC before her examination can begin.

I remain totally opposed to EBC’s Local Plan: to build an extra 5,500 homes north of Bishopstoke, with a new road between Allbrook and the M3, and Upham.

Around 5,500 new homes would double the population of the area. They would impact hugely on the environment. And how on earth would the already overburdened infrastructure cope?

We need affordable homes, homes to rent, social housing in this area, not lots of large expensive houses. But hefty developers’ contributions would be needed to fund the new road, and they will only contribute if they can build enough high-price housing to make it worth their while. They will have to build a small proportion of ‘affordable’ housing, but they won’t build any more than they have to.

The route of the proposed road passes through Winchester City Council [WCC] land, and WCC have expressed strong opposition to it. EBC and WCC have been instructed to take things forward by making a Statement of Common Ground, presumably as a way of moving forward negotiations between the two councils. Way to go with this!

I cannot see how this new road, intended to take lorries and double decker buses, would cross under the railway line near Allbrook. Can’t make it much wider. Lowering the level of the road would necessitate digging down – drastically increasing the risk of flooding. Also, I can’t see a road following this route would substantially  alleviate rush hour congestion on Fair Oak Road.

What if this Local Plan is implemented? We get lots of new houses that don’t meet local need, a road that won’t be able to accommodate the large vehicles it was intended to take, and and the destruction of our village environment.

What an appalling idea!”

Chris McKeone, Labour candidate for Bishopstoke on Eastleigh Borough Council

ADD UPDATE, 21 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) has invited each candidate standing for Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC), and each candidate standing for Winchester City Council, to supply us with up to 350 words on their views on EBC’s draft Local Plan and its progress. The same invitation was extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

As you will be aware, EBC voted to include ‘options B and C’ in its Local Plan, namely proposals for around 5,500 houses and a major new road north of Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Allbrook and south of Colden Common, Owslebury and Upham, significantly affecting Boyatt Wood, Chandler’s Ford, Hiltingbury, Otterbourne, Brambridge, Highbridge, Twyford and Bishop’s Waltham. This draft Plan will be examined by an independent planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, David Betts, Independent candidate for Eastleigh North on Eastleigh Borough Council, has sent us this message:

“I am standing as an Independent candidate in the borough elections as I strongly feel that I must be fully involved in ensuring that the electorate have all the information required to make informed decisions that will help shape the nature of the numerous individual local areas in the borough.

As an Independent candidate I can assist residents without the encumbrance of a political party regime and consequent pressure to toe the party/leadership line that has become a major ingredient in the way the present borough administration has conducted its business.

I have lived in Allbrook since 1988, moving here from Bishopstoke where I was born and raised.

I have been an Independent Allbrook and North Boyatt parish councillor since 2013 and have a great commitment to the success of the Parish Council. I currently serve as Vice-Chair. My main responsibility on the Parish Council is ‘Allotments – Council Representative’.

I have also been actively involved in supporting residents in planning matters, following up applications, and collating planning application evidence for submission at Parish Council meetings so that subjective appraisals may be made by fellow councillors.

My decision to stand again as a borough Independent candidate has been driven almost exclusively by the continuing travesty of the Eastleigh Local Plan process! This has been despite a wealth of expert input warning of the consequences in pursuing the North Bishopstoke options (B&C). The Local Plan submission is now with the appointed inspector who has already identified significant omissions in the evidence forwarded by EBC. The failure to provide required evidence is causing major delays to the approval process and in the meantime the Borough is vulnerable to planning applications by developers that may further degrade the environment and endanger wildlife.

Fellow residents, there are other options that enable the provision of the required homes in the Local Plan period to 2036. Options that are practicable, sustainable and support more adequately the protection of the environment and access to public transport!

There is a better way! If you are in Eastleigh North, vote for your Independent candidate on 2 May.”

David Betts, Independent candidate for Eastleigh North on Eastleigh Borough Council