You can read the report below or download it here.

BURRIDGE & SWANWICK RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

Chairman’s Report 2024/5
Planning Applications to FBC (Fareham Borough Council)
Eyersdown Farm site:

Neighbours who requested inclusion on an email group have been kept advised on progress.

Cala Homes made appropriate efforts to allay our concerns about clearing the site of broken concrete asbestos roofing and residual dust and also essential pruning of bordering trees and hedges.

Several houses have already been completed and they hope to be finished by the end of the year.

310b Botley Road:

An application for a house in the back garden was approved as an alternative to the enlargement of an old cattery that was previously approved on appeal. Permitted Development was not allowed, any changes would need a further Planning Application.

77 Burridge Road Gypsy & Traveller Site.

FBC refused an application for additional mobile homes due to the applicants’ failure to agree adjacent plot that is a SINC (Site of Importance for Nature Conservation) to be used to achieve BNG (Biological Net Gain). This was a condition in FBC’s 2037 Local Plan. This is now awaiting result of an appeal.

New Road

The redesign of the house called Columbo Nursery and a change of use to a Residential Children’s Home was approved.

A new enlarged building on the Fairways School site was approved despite concerns about the lack of parking.

Land South of Rookery Avenue.

 A second development with 19 houses was approved next to the already approved 32 House site.

Other extensions and minor applications that were not objected to by immediate neighbours were not subject to comments from us.

Revisions to approved Applications

Land South of Rookery Avenue, 32 houses site:

Application to reduce height and length of noise barrier by the M27. We objected to this as the site is very noisy 24/7. Noise has been shown to be deleterious to health and the houses will barely comply with recommended levels indoors with doors and windows closed, therefore special ventilation would be required. Outdoor spaces would not meet WHO specifications. Refused by FBC, now awaiting appeal.

We have noticed a worrying trend to make a Planning Application for infill with a small dwelling and if approved make a second application for a slightly larger house that is difficult to refuse. This can result in neighbouring properties being overshadowed.

HEP (Hamble Estuary Partnership)

The HEP is a discussion forum including many diverse interests from business to boating, Crown Estate to environmental. We have been invited to join their meetings once or twice a year.

Current topics discussed include:

Loss of intertidal habitat on the River Hamble and the Solent in general a study had been carried out to investigate creating a new Intertidal Zone at the mouth of the River on the Warsash side. Nature has beaten us to this by breaching the sea wall! Now the question is how to keep a road bridge from flooding.

Oysters used to be plentiful in the Solent efforts are now being made to reintroduce them in the Hamble River and Langstone Harbour.

Seagrass is being replanted in areas of the Solent where fishing techniques have scoured it from the bottom.

For more information click on the links on the website report.

Independent efforts of residents

Public Footpath 21a Botley Road to Carroll Close. This has been resurfaced by HCC’s Countryside team as a result of pressure from a local resident. Entirely thanks to Jan with support from our Councillor (now Alderman Sean Woodward).

Following the recent road closures as a result of leaks, a local resident with professional knowledge of the issue sent a letter to Southern Water about repeated failure of main supply pipe running along the Botley Road and asking what action they are taking to improve reliability of supply. We sent a letter in support. They have replied that they are looking at ways to relieve the pressure on the pipe. Thank you Ian.

Litter Picking. A small team, co-ordinated by Margaret, walk safely accessible areas at intervals. Volunteers would be welcome in order to spread the load.

Survey report and response from HCC (Hampshire County Council).

You should have received the interim report about the reply from HCC’s Road Safer Roads-Traffic South team. Your favoured option of Speed Cameras to deter the 1 in 20 vehicles ignoring the 30mph limit will only be considered after several serious injuries or deaths occur. For prevention we have to rely on Speedwatch and a Police visit to follow up offenders and re-educate them. Following trials with a device on loan from the Police, Speedwatch are improving their monitoring by purchasing a handheld speed gun to detect vehicles that speed up after passing the SID (Speed Indicating Device).

Curdridge Parish Council have invested in ‘Smiley Face’ type SIDs on the A334 but FBC only approve SLRs (Speed Limit Reminders). Unlike Parish Councils we do not have access to funds for purchase a SID and the licencing, positioning and maintenance would have to be carried out by FBC with Hampshire Highways approval. Crowd funding might be considered.

We changed tactics and followed up the suggestion that a Pedestrian Refuge could be constructed on the Botley Road North of Burridge Road where there is a wide verge that is publicly owned. As well as making crossing easier these have been shown to have a traffic calming effect. We produced sketches to show that it was possible to widen the road to enable this to be achieved and had a long Teams meeting on the internet with Andy Smith (Team Leader for Traffic South). Whilst accepting that this was feasible, he judged that moving existing services, underground power cables, drainage and a telephone pole would make this a very expensive project (£10-20K) and that there was no money in HCC’s budget for this type of project.

As a result, he would not even agree to a survey and advised that we should not fund a survey ourselves (we offered) as it would be a wasted investment.  Some small changes to signage and repainting of SLOW signs is under consideration.

After all the time and effort made by your Committee this is a very frustrating situation. Maybe we have to accept there are worse roads in the Country than ours and there will always be some drivers willing to risk theirs and others lives and property.

Viv Holt

Chairman B&SRA