2024 AGM Minutes

These minutes are of course in draft form and will be ratified at the next AGM in 2025.

You can download a .pdf file here.

Minutes of Burridge and Swanwick Residents' Association

59^th Annual General Meeting Tuesday, 10^th April 2024 commencing at 7.30 pm

The meeting was held at Burridge Village Hall

(Circa 62 residents attended the meeting)

Viv Holt gave a warm welcome to our guests:

Susan Day from SGN
Our local councillors, Seán Woodward and Joanne Burton
And to all residents in attendance.

Apologies have been received from:

Chris Morton
Vaughan & Mary Tudor-Williams
Richard & Debbie Colson
Jim & Jenny Wood

SGN presentation by Susan Day (Stakeholder and Community manager)

Susan gave a video presentation about SGN who are responsible for delivery of gas to our homes.

This short presentation covered maintenance works in the area, future of gas (hydrogen), and current planned works in our area.

video presentation on hydrogen and how in the future hydrogen will be injected to current network (some public transport vehicles already using hydrogen as main fuel)
video presentation on how gas is transported via different pressures starting from the North Sea and storage reaching our homes in the end
an accident video (gas explosion on low pressure network)

Q&A Session

Who owns SGN
Brookfields Infrastructure Partners 37.5%, Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan Board 37.5%, Global Infrastructure Partners 25%
Net zero and the government approach to boiler changes question
Susan said that 40% of supply is currently natural gas and 40% of electricity is also generated by gas, Susan reaffirmed if hydrogen is the main source of fuel in the future no changes of boilers will be required.
security of supply and what is the long solution?
Susan didn’t know the answer, she said SGN never had an issue but current events in the world could potentially have an impact in the future.
Heat pumps vs gas-
Susan said they are different sources of energy and heat pumps are not good enough to replace gas for heating at the moment, gas was going to be with us for a long time.

No further questions

Viv thanked Susan for her informative presentation.

Minutes of the previous AGM in 2023

Minutes of the previous AGM in 2023 were confirmed and approved.

Matters Arising from the Minutes

No matters arising

Chairman’s Report – Vivian Holt

The Chairman explained he was presenting only a summary of the full report that is published on the website.

We have tried over the past year to stay in communication with you all through Emails, Facebook and our website with information about issues in and around our area.

If you have not been receiving updates, please ensure we have your correct email address. It is the best way to keep you in touch.

The Eyersdown Farm development is the most significant in our area.

The approval for building up to 38 houses was with All Matters Reserved.

The layout` proposed by Cala Homes was considered by local residents to be better than the Outline Plan.

Cala Homes and FBC have worked hard to accommodate the concerns that both we and council experts expressed. These are listed in my full report.

If the works cause issues locally please contact me using the email address on the AGM notice.

We have a line of contact with the developers who will do their best to ameliorate the impact of the construction on the neighbourhood.

Moving on from this development there is a list of the other applications that the Committee has discussed (at our meetings and when appropriate reported to you by email) on the website on the Planning page.

Two sites on the land to the South of Rookery Avenue adjacent to the Motorway. have been proposed. That to the East has been approved, though a change has just been requested. The smaller application is still under consideration.

We asked for your opinions on the application for 12 houses on the Bursledon Brickworks land off Swanwick Lane. The motorway noise and loss of countryside woodland is of concern. We appreciate that there was considerable sympathy for the need to raise capital to preserve the listed buildings of the Brickworks. The application was approved.

Four houses were proposed behind 35 Burridge Road. We made certain that residents were aware of this because many of the properties in the vicinity have large gardens and it would set a precedent for further loss of countryside.

The majority of comments to FBC supported our view as did the Planning Officer with the result that it was refused.

An application for a new school building in New Road was opposed by us and residents and was also refused.

It is the number and quality of objections to applications that influences FBC’s decisions.

Please continue to give your opinions direct to the Planners as well as letting the Committee know as this will give us the best chance of protecting our neighbourhood from intrusive developments.

The application for a house on a very small plot behind 274 Botley Road had already been allowed on appeal despite access being along a Public Right of Way.

We were able to encourage the developers to re-site the EV charging point so that the on-site turning area would enable vehicles to leave without reversing into pedestrians using the path.

We hope that the path will be improved when the house is complete as it is frequently flooded.

Winchester City Council’s Local Plan includes some small additions to the North Whiteley Development in the area between the School in Bluebell Way and Cherry Tree Farm.

We have requested that they ensure the separation zone and wildlife corridor between North Whiteley and Burridge properties is retained.

Hampshire County Councils’ Minerals and Waste Plan, still has the Raymond Brown site reserved as a Minerals Recycling Site.

Fareham Borough Council have not allocated it for development in the Local Plan.

At last year’s AGM an appeal was made for volunteers to litter pick in our area.

A small group have been tidying the Burridge/Botley Road area including the Recreation Ground at regular intervals but please do continue to support them by checking your own frontage.

Swanwick Lane doesn’t seem to suffer so badly but we would welcome some volunteers to cover this area.

The opening of Whiteley Way has been a disappointment.

Despite its shallow humps, curves and roundabouts the road has been built to accommodate buses and large vehicles with carefully swept curves, wide bridges and properties facing it generally have rear parking. It has also been double yellow lined.

We will be discussing this and the results of the survey later in this meeting.

Throughout the year I have had the support and advice of the Committee and without them my first year as Chairman would have been much more difficult.

Some have been serving you for many years and it is only natural that they would like a rest. Our Treasurer, George, has given warning that he wishes to retire in 2025.

If you live in our area, this is your Association so please consider spending some time on the Committee to help protect Burridge & Swanwick for current and future residents. It is important that the committee has representation from across the area and with a variety of experience.

Does anyone have any questions on my report? There were no questions on the report.

Chairman report proposers Paul Wayman and seconder Carl Freeman

Election of Committee Members

Committee members are elected for three years. Keith Miller, Margaret Holt, Viv Holt, & Tanya Langenhorst retire this year but are willing to continue. I would like to re-elect them together. Does anyone object to proceeding in this manner? There were no objections and all were re-elected (update that Keith Miller has retired straight after AGM).

I mentioned in my report that we need new members on the committee and it is traditional to ask for volunteers from the floor - No new committee members elected during AGM.

Treasurer's Report Burridge & Swanwick Residents Association

Annual Accounts 2023-2024

Income		£.p	£.p
Subscriptions (59 households)		178.00
Total Income		178.00	178.00
Expenditure
AGM 2023		(35.76)
Society memberships		(45.00)
Website		(5.94)
Total expenditure		(86.70)	(86.70)
Surplus/(Deficit)			91.30
	AGM 2023	AGM 2024	Difference
Cash	25.61	5.00	(20.61)
Bank (Inc Speedwatch)	1462.10	1574.01	111.91
Speedwatch**	(101.60)	(101.60)	0.00
Total (ex Speedwatch)	1386.11	1477.41	91.30

** As nominee i.e. not BSRA money

George Metcalfe, Hon. Treasurer. 11th March 2024

The Financial summary had been circulated before the meeting and was shown on the screen.

Question on the Treasurer report from the floor.

I understand subscriptions are paid by 59 households. What does the committee do to encourage more as that is not very great proportion of the concerned area.
We have approx. 400 households, there are few online subscriptions.

The long-term average is 70 excluding three covid years during the first two of which we didn’t call for subscriptions)

What you do to invite the remaining 340? –
What we do every year is to deliver a hardcopy notification of the AGM and invitation to subscribe to each house, circulate the notice and minutes to our email list (more than 150 residents) and also publish them on the website.

Even though the number of subscriptions this year and last is fairly typical (and only 15% of the number of the houses in our catchment) the number is made up of a core of regulars and there is much larger number who contribute only occasionally. A total of 200 households subscribed at one time or another.

Why won’t people join? Is any intention to find out?
We are not actively trying to find out why more people do not join, but we are always open to comments and suggestions.

There were no other comments or questions about the treasurer’s report, and no objections.

Any other Business advised before the meeting.

Questions have been received to put to our Councillors, otherwise no formal business has been submitted.

General Discussion-concerning the traffic survey.

A short presentation was made by the Chairman summarising the survey results so far using power point. (this will be shared on the BSRA website).

Q&A from the floor.
How effective is speed watch?
We get feedback on how effective the technology/speed watch is, there is a ripple effect as the drivers slow down.
There should be some diversions via Whiteley as on Botley Road there is way too much traffic “I can’t get out of my own driveway”

The Chairman asked the Councillors for their help in answering this question.

Sean Woodward - Whiteley Way should be an A road. The wish is it to be adopted as A3051, Sean hoped this will happen at some point though could take a couple of years. Botley Road would be downgraded to C road. The Dual carriageway from the motorway is being extended from the Solent Hotel to Tesco Roundabouts. There was a sign at junction 9 M27 showing A3051 as the main road. For now, Botley Road remains as the main HGV route.
There are some plots of land for sale off Botley Road where the garage place is. Is there a chance there will be further development.
By Sean Woodward - there are always people selling bits of land. We have a local adopted plan that runs till 2037. Applications now submitted for development on sites that are not identified in the Local Plan are usually refused.
Lorries damaging Botley Road and Swanwick Lane causing potholes
By Sean Woodward - Please report any potholes and they will be looked into and repaired. A stretch from Yew tree Roundabout to Yew Tree pub was recently repaired and road completely resurfaced.

All potholes can be reported on FBC website and where reference number can be obtained

No public transport on Botley Road, will buses be reinstated?
By Sean Woodward - there is no money to reinstate bus network on Botley Road
Cala Homes tried to built 19 homes and this was granted but development in back gardens is not
By Sean Woodward- Cala Homes won the case because we didn’t have an adopted local plan in time (he said FBC only lost 2 cases).
Why is FBC not achieving housing targets.
By Sean Woodward-housing delivery is an issue in all South Hampshire.
Safety when crossing roads and exiting roads, a pole with mirror on exit from Burridge Road
By Viv Holt/ Sean Woodward - no mirrors as they would have to be installed on private land and cannot be installed on public highways. Sean commented – pedestrian refuges would narrow the pavements, which cannot be widened - private gardens would have to be shortened.

General discussion on road safety and solutions like traffic calming as many animals dying crossing the roads. Also if public transport will be reinstated.

Noted: Cala homes donated 10 k to Burridge Hall to be refurbished, they will continue to contribute during the building of Eyersdown Farm.

Q&A session with local Councillors
Rumours of Sainsbury’s being built next to new school in new Whiteley.
By Sean Woodward – yes, some shops will be build next to new school.
No bus stop close to Burridge Road
By Sean Woodward-bus service was not sustainable. It ceased because people were not using it enough to justify continuing to subsidise it.
Double yellow lines on Whiteley Roads and why Whiteley Way has not been handed over, it should be by now.
By Sean Woodward- all Whiteley Roads are still private roads for the time being and the council and highways authority cannot make any changes until they are adopted (handed over to the council) which is taking longer than hoped.
Can speed cameras be installed on Botley Road?
By Sean Woodward – Hampshire CC will not install average speed cameras. The cost of speed cameras is considerable.
Blocked drainage on Botley Road causing floods and traffic
By Sean Woodward- it is not the blockage, it’s the mains leaking.
Chris Morton & Graham Dorrington- What progress is being made towards downgrading Botley Road to a ‘B’ road, which I understood Sean Woodward was progressing, once Whiteley Way was open? - This was answered earlier by Sean in the discussion.
Why no appointments available in Whiteley Surgery?
By Joanne Burton/ Sean Woodward - Sean does not understand why Whiteley cannot be the same as Brook Lane. Joanne said - e consult is now opened again (ANIMA), people have good and bad experiences.
Carl Freeman - Pedestrian Refuge Island and Bus Shelter possibly with help from Cala Homes whose representative John Richards publicly made a Burridge Community Pledge (this was answered by Sean earlier in the discussion). Viv Holt acknowledged he had not pursued this suggestion and suggested Carl might like to join the committee. Sean also thanked the Freemans for pursuing the issue of the poor condition of the footpath from Botley Road to Carrol Close and reassured them that work was planned shortly to make this serviceable.

Joanne Burton updates

Police station reopened in Park Gate (as per in touch magazine). Pleas use this facility to report local issues.
Speed watch progress - an update on speeding numbers - Speedwatch are looking for volunteers, they report speeding vehicles to the police for action.
ASBO funding (operation chromium-speeding watch - more information can be found on the website)
Cala Home donated 10 k to Burridge Hall -a lifeline (Burridge Hall re decorated), Cala Homes will continue to donate to Burridge Hall
Joanne also asked for residents to consider volunteering to join the Village Hall committee.

Closing statement from Chairman

Thank you all for your questions and opinions on the perennial problem of traffic in our area. The survey will be closed this Sunday 14^th April to give residents who have not already done so a chance to complete it.

We will publish a full report in due course on our website.

The Committee will then discuss what action to take based on the consensus of opinion and practicality of the changes necessary to make the roads and paths in Burridge and Swanwick safer.

We will need residents’ support in asking the relevant authorities for action. Even as a recognised community association we are only one voice, many voices shout louder!

Please don’t expect quick results it will need persistence to get changes made.

A vote of thanks was proposed from the floor to thanking Sean Woodward, who has now retired, for his many years of service.

Close of Meeting.

Final words from the BSRA Chairman

It just remains for me to thank you all for coming and your contributions to our AGM tonight.

In particular I know we would all like to thank our speaker Susan Day and our Councillors Sean Woodward and Joanne Burton for giving up their time to join us and for the work they carry out on our behalf.

Meeting closed at 21.15

Viv Holt (Chairman)

George Metcalfe – Treasurer

Gill Osmond

Keith Miller-(now retired)

Margaret Holt

Tanya Langenhorst

Eve Burden

Burridge and Swanwick Residents Association