Cllr Keith Petty, Chairman of Marchwood Parish Council.

Crime and disorder

Your Parish Council has been very pro-active this year on crime and disorder issues. Working in partnership with the Police Authority, Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council, Marchwood now receives a better policing service.

The Parish Council has funded a full time Police Community Support Officer and our local police force particularly PC Andy Smith has been providing a much more locally based service. Anti Social behaviour can have a real negative effect on people’s lives and following work from everyone above, instances of crime have fallen.

Another area of law breaking in the village concerns cars speeding on our village roads. Your Parish Council recently supported the introduction of a speed indicator device (SID) in the village. We share this with several other communities and we plan to locate it at various points in the village on a temporary basis.

It not only warns speeding drivers that are breaking the law but it also collect’s data on the number of vehicles driving over the limit. On its first placement in Hythe Road it showed that a lot of cars break the speed limit and worryingly this even occurs around school times. With these kind of statistics the Police can target their enforcement, so drivers beware!

Flood defence and access to the waterfront

The Admiralty Quay estate has had the threat of flooding lifted as the work on the flood defences near the Marchwood Yacht Club has finally been agreed by the District Council. The work is due to start in May. This is likely to cost in the region of £400,000.

Your Parish Council has secured funding to upgrade the promenade with seating, bins and better access. We hope that this will reduce the amount of litter and discarded fishing tackle in this area and give better access to Police patrols to reduce anti-social behaviour by a small minority on the waterfront.

It will also make this area a much more pleasurable place to visit with views across Southampton Water and a circular walk from one end of Admiralty Quay to another.

Sport and provision of facilities for young people

We were very pleased to open the refurbished under 12’s play park in the Autumn which has proved very popular. Our programme of improvements to our play parks continues and we are now looking at the over 12’s play park in the village. Our County Councillor had provided funding for two small goals to be used by our keen footballers which will enhance the recreational facilities of the centre of the Village.

Providing youth and sports facilities in the village is one step nearer, as agreement has been reached to locate a building on the site of the old Scout Hut on the Lloyds Recreation Ground.

The proposal is for a multi purpose building for Scouts, Guides and other young people as well as a provision for sporting activities. The requirements for each of these groups is being agreed and additional funding is being sought to add to the £200,000 already earmarked. This is a really exciting project and I really hope we will now see this dream become a reality.

Your Parish Council part funds Derek Hawkins the village Youth Worker who not only provides excellent all year round support to young people he has also organised the
football tournament, play in the park, drum and bass and Wednesday nights at CueT’s.

Roads and Pavements

The County Council has finally recognised that lorries are a major problem in our village centre and hopefully soon Villagers will be consulted on a lorry ban. Your Parish Council is looking at ways in which our pathway network can be improved and we are very pleased that the path to the Pilgrim has been completed following the petition presented to the Parish Council.

Public transport

As I am sure you are all aware our village faced a major problem when our bus service was recently drastically cut. This caused a great outcry in the village which was expressed at the two public meetings to discuss the issue.

Over 200 people attended the second meeting where we were able to lobby the County Council. Improvements were achieved following our intervention but we still don’t have an evening service.

The bus service users’ forum will hopefully influence the County Council’s decision making process and we await the retendering of the service in the summer. It is vital our Village is not cut off from the surrounding area and your Parish Council will continue to pursue this.

Other parish issues

It’s now official that Marchwood is a great place to live, as the village came first in the New Forest and third in Hampshire in the Calor Village of the year awards. We received a very smart plaque last Autumn.

Fifty four planning applications were received in the last year along with sixteen tree work applications. Your Parish Council tries to ensure that the essential character of the village is maintained while at the same time understanding that residents wish to make improvements to their properties.

The Parish Council was very disappointed that we were unable to halt the planning application of the Waste Transfer Station on the site of the old incinerator. We are now desperately waiting for the ugly eye sore of a building to be taken down and to see improvements made to the public amenity site but this has been delayed because the surrounding area has been found to be contaminated.

At the start of 2008 the Parish Council moved its offices in the industrial estate. This relocation is not ideal and is only temporary; work is being undertaken to find a more suitable location with better public access.

We also have a new Grounds Maintenance building located on the Lloyds Recreation Ground. Last October we welcomed our new Parish Clerk Melanie Wathen who quickly took up the reins and is now providing Councillors with invaluable support.

With regards to money matters this year, your Parish Council set a below inflation budget increase which, because of increased property numbers in the village, meant an actual decrease in the Council Tax we all pay.

We also awarded grants during the year to the Scouts, the Solid Silver Club, Mulberry Pre-School, Citizen’s Advice, Victim Support, Waterside Heritage, Village Traders, Planet Kids, Marchwood Fete and Salterns. All these groups provide valuable services to the villagers of Marchwood.

2007 was the 25th anniversary of the sinking of the Sir Galahad and this was marked by a remembrance ceremony in the village centre at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary memorial.

Another RFA ship which served in the Falklands was the Sir Bedivere which bowed out of service in February at a ceremony in Marchwood, attended by the Earl of Wessex, His Royal Highness Prince Edward in his capacity as Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Marchwood Parish Council has strong links with the RFA and I was honoured to be invited to the ceremony to represent the village.

I am saddened to report that Fiona Hardy has chosen to stand down from the Parish Council and I would like to express my thanks to her for all of her hard work while serving the village. I started my report by saying that your Parish Council has been very successful and this would not have been possible without the hard work of Council Staff, Parish Councillors our two District Councillors and our County Councillor. Everyone has worked together in the interest of the village and I would like to thank them all for their efforts.

As I have mentioned throughout my report the Parish Council is your Council. All of the Councillors represent everyone in the village and so if you have a problem or query or just want to offer praise on something we have done please feel free to contact any of us.