Our Parish And Wider Community, Month By Month

The traffic problems, particularly speeding, within the parish are regularly brought to the council’s attention. We are therefore conducting a survey to gather the views of residents about these issues, with a view to acting where we are able.

Please click the following link to complete the questionnaire – traffic and speeding survey. If you would like a paper copy of the questionnaire, then please call the Clerk on 07884 432964

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council need the opinion of local users of community facilities to enable them to plan the borough’s future approach to open space, sport and recreation which they believe is key to supporting healthy communities across the borough as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey also considers how well community buildings are serving community needs operating now and how this can be improved in the future, accounting for factors such as growth in the borough.

The survey is open until Sunday 7 March.

To take part, follow: https://basingstoke-and-deane-community-buildings-user-survey-luc.hub.arcgis.com/

A public meeting was held on 14th December to assess the reaction from residents to the proposal by Catesby Estates of a 400 home development in Bishops Green.

The strength of feeling against this proposal has been overwhelming. None of the members of the public who spoke at the Zoom meeting was in favour. The consensus of the questionnaire responses so far is almost totally against such a development.

Reasons for the objections are many and varied and include:

• Environmental impact (flooding, pollution, emissions, and carbon neutral
• Traffic management (road layout and safety, access to the heavily trafficked A339, inadequate bridge).
• Education capacity
• Access to medical and dental services
• Infrastructure capacity (water, electricity, sewage, gas, refuse and recycling, telephone, and broadband services)
• Inadequate facilities (shops, pharmacy, pub etc).

The development size caused much concern as it would completely change the character of the area.

If you have any comments please email the clerk on clerk@ecchinswell-pc.gov.uk.

A group of residents in the parish are investigating a scheme to improve broadband speeds for local properties. Although this is not an ES&BG PC endorsed scheme, it has some potential benefits for residents.

If you are interested in looking at other options for improving broadband speeds in the local area then please join the residents of Ecchinswell who are coordinating a ‘community led’ solution to get fast broadband – known as Fibre to the Property (FTTP).

Currently 24 households have signed up or have verbally committed to this.

The advantages include;

• Increasing the value of your property (by up to 16%*). Two fifths of potential purchasers of a property would not consider a property with slow internet speeds.
• Increasing the value and attraction of our community as a place to live and work
• Future proofing – you may feel your broadband is currently “good enough” but future demands on bandwidth will require FTTP.

Fibre to the Property (FTTP) provides;

• Reliability of speeds. It will prevent further deterioration as more houses rely on the existing fibre to the cabinet services.
• FTTP will not see speeds reduce in adverse weather conditions.
• The current plan under consideration buries cables underground which makes it 5 times more reliable than wires on poles (according to BT) and aesthetically more appealing.

The cost to you

• Government Grants will cover the majority, or potentially ALL of the costs. Grants are provided after completion so funding may be required short term

TO MAKE THIS VIABLE WE NEED VILLAGE SUPPORT.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED TO PARTICIPATE PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND HOME POST CODE TO RUPERTELWES@GMAIL.COM.

THERE ARE NO OBLIGATIONS TO PROCEED AT THIS STAGE

*Eutelsat survey, published in the Telegraph