Green Fly Tipping

B&DBC staff have located the source of at least some of the material and the residents concerned will shortly be reminded that fly tipping is not acceptable.

For the 3rd time this year and 2nd time in 2 weeks green waste has been dumped in the copse just outside the Longmeadow Sports Centre. It's very cost effective for the household(s) that do the tipping as there is no effort in building a compost heap, no cost in taking it to the recycling centre or payment to B&DBC to remove it once a fortnight.

The rest of us pick up the bill as B&DBC send a crew again to tidy it up!

Bingo to Stay in Parish Hall

Regular attendees at the fortnightly bingo sessions in the Parish Hall have asked for the sessions to continue through the summer. This means there will continue to be sessions on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. The snowball for a full house in 45 numbers has now risen to £45.

Carnival day Success

Led by the police, fire brigade and ambulance services the carnival procession successfully entertained hundreds and led many of them to the Millennium Meadow. A record number of children took part in the parade and their floats won most of the prizes, the biggest winners were all those who took part and watched.

Particular thanks must go to those mums and dads who spent ages preparing their kids for the procession and, in many cases, accompanying them. Thanks to the businesses who provided vehicles and hair dressing for the Queen and her team. Thanks to the marshals, police and Community Wardens who made sure the event went off smoothly. Finally thanks to all who turned out to watch and contribute financially and the team that counted all those pennies!

The pennies totally up to £453!, additionally 3 of the floats were collecting for their own charities.

The floats judged to be best in their categories were:

More Carnival Entries Needed

The carnival procession is at the end of this week and there's space for more entries. Some entrants have complained that there is a lack of information on the Festival website so here it is:

The procession, led by Whitchurch's Fire Brigade, Ambulance crews and the Carnival Queen and her retinue, will leave Ardglen Industrial Estate at 1pm on Saturday 20th June.

As last year it will travel down Evingar and Lower Evingar Roads, turn left into Bell Street and on to the Square where it will turn right down Winchester Street and Road to the Millennium Meadow.

There are just as many floats as last year but there's still space for more. The entry form can be downloaded here or collected from the foyer of 1 Winchester Street. If you have any queries please call Phil on 07825 112677.

Boxing Event a Major Success

Saturday's boxing event at the Sports and Social Club attracted a large crowd.

The indoor bowling green was transformed into fight arena and visitors filled the Club - their cars more than filled the car park, as local residents spotted.

Wide Load At Last

The wide load, which was expected last month eventually arrived. It could have been confused with an early entrant in the Carnival - coming on 20th June!!!   Thanks to Keith Watts for the photos

Future of the Parish Hall

The hard work being put in to revitalise the Hall, see below, for the benefit of all, may be wasted if a plan to buy it for use by the Youth Project comes to fruition.

The Hall's landlord informed the committee that he had been approached about the Town Council's buying the hall for use by the Youth Project. As neither the Council's representative nor those Hall trustees associated with the Youth Project had mentioned this at Hall Committee meetings, the Town Council were asked about the matter last night.

The Mayor, Vince Bradbury, would only say that a decision had not been made and a bid had not been put in.

The Council has now sent a press release to 3 local newspapers saying that:

"The Council wishes it to be known that some Councillors have been looking at the future of the Parish Hall in the knowledge that the current lease expires in 4 years time and the Vicar of Whitchurch has indicated he wishes to sell.

Informal discussions have been held with the Vicar in this regard. One of the potential ideas was to make the Parish Hall into a Youth Centre.

The Town Council have historically been motivated by the continued viability of the Parish Hall. "

The release was not copied to the Committee, but over a day later, the Mayor stated in an email to thewhitchurchweb that "This (the fact that the Town Council had been talking to the landlord) was not mentioned at your meetings as it was not deemed appropriate".

Several members of the Hall Committee are very upset by the way they see it has been kept in the dark, especially as a Town Councillor sits on the Hall Committee specifically to ensure close liaison between the two bodies.

The matter will be high on the agenda of the AGM which will be held in the Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday 12th June.

County Council Election Result

The Conservative Party candidate, Tom Thacker, from St Mary Bourne has retained the Whitchurch and Clere seat on Hampshire County Council for his party.

On a very much reduced turnout, the Conservative's majority has risen to 24% from just 4% in 2005 and the smallest of margins for the Lib Dems in 2001.