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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

ADD UPDATE, 18 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, Jan Warwick, Conservative candidate for Badger Farm and Oliver’s Battery on Winchester City Council, has sent us this message:

“Many thanks indeed for giving me this opportunity. I have been writing about my fears concerning EBC’s Local Plan to my residents in Otterbourne, Compton and Shawford since 2016. It is a truly terrible plan.

Of particular concern to me – not least because I am the Environment and Transport Portfolio Holder for Winchester City Council as well as the Hampshire County Councillor for the Winchester Downlands Division – is the soundness of the draft Transport Plan. The proposed new road in option B crosses my divide along Highbridge Road into the Winchester City Council District. There are real concerns around the phased delivery of the houses in relation to provision of this road, i.e., from a transport perspective this is an isolated site in a non-sustainable location. Significant investment would be needed upfront for highways and other sustainable transport before the homes are built out. Any delay in delivery or construction would have a severe traffic impact on the already busy surrounding road network and villages. In my area this includes the bordering villages of Otterbourne, Compton and Shawford.

For this reason, and many others, I believe Eastleigh’s Local Plan to be unsound and will oppose it all the way.”

Jan Warwick, Conservative candidate for Badger Farm and Oliver’s Battery on Winchester City Council

ADD UPDATE, 18 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, Steven Broomfield, Conservative candidate for Fair Oak and Horton Heath on Eastleigh Borough Council, has sent us this message:

“Since being elected last May, I have worked to help residents of Fair Oak and Horton Heath by improving things around the village: new waste bins, repairs to play areas, promoting shops and businesses through my Facebook page and generally being part of village life. I was asked by Lou Parker-Jones to serve as Deputy Chair on the Local Area Committee and I have worked well with Lou, Gin Tidridge and Ray Dean [all Independent councillors in Bishopstoke] in mitigating the effects of the Lib Dems’ cavalier attitude to over-development. As a trustee of the Twynam’s Charity I have also helped a small, local, housing association provide accommodation for families in need.

Supporting local residents who have been failed by Eastleigh’s planning policies has also been a priority. Staff cuts (despite assurances to the contrary by the Leader Keith House) have affected residents very negatively, and I have spoken with many who feel let down. In several cases I have involved our MP who is asking questions at a much higher level.

Looking ahead, we face huge challenges – not just the fall-out from Eastleigh’s flawed ‘Plan’ (and already EBC is blaming others, such as Winchester City Council, for problems the inspector is noting) – but also the expansion of the West Horton Plan. With Eastleigh effectively marking their own homework on this since developers pulled out, residents need someone to speak up for them and work with the Burnetts Lane Residents Association.

I have had only twelve months to start work (most importantly, plans to revamp Fair Oak village centre and make Fair Oak Road safer and more inviting to shoppers) and find my feet. If elected on 2 May I promise to continue helping residents, assisting ADD in their campaign and working with the Independents and fellow Conservatives to try and bring some sense into the future of our local area. Having lived in Fair Oak for 18 years and seen my daughters go through local schools and grow up here, I think I can say I want what other residents want – a future where traffic congestion, air quality, school spaces, GP services and lifestyle are balanced in favour of people rather than rapacious development.”

Steven Broomfield, Conservative candidate for Fair Oak and Horton Heath on Eastleigh Borough Council

ADD UPDATE, 18 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 a planning inspector later this year.

As part of our virtual hustings, Tony Bronk, Liberal Democrat candidate for Colden Common and Twyford on Winchester City Council, has sent us this message:

“I am opposed to the proposed Eastleigh Borough Council Local Plan.

Before I had even contemplated becoming a Liberal Democrat candidate for the Colden Common and Twyford ward I submitted a personal objection; which can be found on the EBC website under reference 827090277.

When I was interviewed as part of the Lib Dem Candidate selection process I made known my opposition to the Plan.

I remain opposed to the Plan and the vast majority of replies to my Safer Streets Survey confirm that Colden Common and Twyford residents are also concerned about and do not support the Plan.

Since being selected as the Colden Common and Twyford Lib Dem candidate I have met with Keith House [Lib Dem leader of Eastleigh Borough Council]. I conveyed my concerns and resident’s responses to my survey. In particular, those about the impact of the Plan on the countryside and its wildlife; and the inadequacy of the road  infrastructure. It cannot cope with existing levels of traffic. The proposed relief road may mitigate some of the impact but it needs to be built at an early stage of any permitted further development and Allbrook Bridge must be able to accommodate large vehicles. Both Colden Common and Twyford already suffer from too much traffic. It creates congestion, pollution and prolonged journeys at peak times. It increases safety risks from speeding traffic at accident blackspots like the Highbridge Road junction with Main Road. It also increases the risks on the narrow Twyford High Street.

If I am elected as City Councillor I shall continue to challenge the current Plan and mitigate its impact. I accept the need for more housing but I am not satisfied that the EBC meets that need in an appropriate manner. If it is approved by the inspector much must be done to mitigate its impact to protect the local environment and it’s residents. I intend to work hard to do so.”

Tony Bronk, Liberal Democrat candidate for Colden Common and Twyford on Winchester City Council

 

ADD UPDATE, 18 April 2019: Ahead of the local elections on 2 May, Action against Destructive Development (ADD) is inviting 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 is extended to candidates in the parish/town council elections in our area.

The ADD campaign has always been, and remains, politically neutral, working with anyone who shares the view that EBC’s draft Local Plan would be destructive if implemented. As in previous elections, we are therefore not endorsing any candidate. Instead, we hope to provide the electorate with a means by which they can compare candidates’ statements – a kind of virtual hustings.

We will publish each statement received, unedited, on our website, Facebook page and Twitter feed. We are happy to include a photograph (if the candidate wishes to supply one) and candidates’ contact details.

We have received support from many local politicians across the political spectrum, as well as from independent bodies concerned by EBC’s draft Local Plan. By providing this virtual hustings, we aim to enable the electorate to decide which candidate will best represent their views on this critical local issue.

If candidates would like to accept this invitation, we ask them to please email their statement to [email protected].

To view who is standing in your area in EBC elections, click here.

To view who is standing in your area in WCC elections, click here.

Thank you.

ADD UPDATE, 5 April 2019: Many thanks to a sharp-eyed ADD supporter for drawing attention to an important letter from the planning inspector appointed to consider Eastleigh’s Local Plan, which he found buried on the council’s website. The letter, sent by Christa Masters to Eastleigh Borough Council (EBC) on 20 March, highlights a long list of gaps in the evidence supporting the Local Plan.

Her comments resonate with the views of opponents of the Plan who have long argued that EBC’s decision to adopt it was taken without the necessary evidence. The inspector’s letter to EBC identifies five broad areas where the council needs to do more work:

1) Duty to Co-operate with neighbouring authorities. In particular, it mentions the need to develop common ground with Winchester City Council (which has found the Plan ‘unsound’) on the question of the proposed link road.

2) Environmental impact. The letter asks how EBC proposes to address concerns expressed by the Environment Agency relating to the effect on the River Itchen, including impacts of “a strategic nature, noise and vibration, hydrological impacts, otter dispersal corridors, non-native species, water abstraction and water pollution”.

3) Highways. The letter identifies six pieces of essential work still to be carried out and says that, depending on their outcome, there may have to be modifications to the Plan.

4) Viability work and the Strategic Growth Option. The inspector says that further work may be required on the viability of the proposed options. For example, she says: “The evidence notes that in the context of ecology/habitats and buffers this is an area ‘under consideration, with no information available to inform any particular assumptions at this stage’.”

5) Other matters. The letter points out that EBC failed to publish all the necessary notices at sites allocated under the Plan, as it is required to do.

She concludes: “Until the evidence base is complete I am unable to progress the Plan. As a result I am unable to develop my main matters and issues for examination and fully plan the hearing sessions.”

Click here to read the inspector’s letter to EBC in full.

Eastleigh Borough Council’s response, 29 March 2019

In its reply to the inspector on 29 March, EBC promises to address all the inspector’s points by June – 18 months after the council meeting that first adopted the Plan.

The several hundred people who attended that council meeting on 11 December 2017 may recall EBC leader Keith House assuring us they already had 98-99% of the necessary evidence. The remaining 1-2% is taking an awful long time.

Click here to read EBC’s response to the inspector.

Planning inspector’s reply, 2 April 2019

In an email response to EBC on 2 April, the inspector notes that the council is still “yet to identify an anticipated completion  date for is the SGO background paper” and reiterates she will not be able proceed with the examination until all the evidence is available.

Click here to read the inspector’s reply.

Further delays

In light of the inspector’s comments and the timescale set out by EBC, it looks increasingly likely that the inspector’s examination will be delayed at least until September. Meanwhile, the ADD team continues its painstaking preparation for the examination, when it finally comes.