Friday 28 February 2014

Chawton flooding

No bell ringing has been taking place in Chawton for the last couple of weeks as the meadow in front of St Nicholas church has been flooded up to a level which has covered the cemetery, blocked the entrance and disabled the electrics.

It looks like this situation will continue for a while so for the moment we're ringing at a variety of other towers.

If you'd like to have a look at bell ringing locally you might consider St Matthew at Blackmoor (Friday), Holy Cross at Binsted (Thursday), St Mary the Virgin at Bramshott (Monday) or any of the towers listed here.

Keep an eye on www.chawtonbellringers.org.uk for more news.

Wednesday 26 February 2014

Kingsley Parish Council Thursday 27th

Kingsley Parish Council will meet on Thursday, 27th February 2014 in the Kingsley Centre at 7.30pm.

AGENDA

1. Chairman’s Opening Remarks
2. Apologies for Absence
Cllr L. McCorkindale

3. Declarations of Personal/Prejudicial Interest
4. Public Question Time: Public Questions
Consideration of agenda items which will be open to public participation

5. Approval of Minutes of the Meeting held on 23rd January 2014
6. Matters Arising
7. Planning Applications
Applications ongoing:
21066/026 Bakers Farm Nursery, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NJ
Removal of occupancy condition imposed under S52 agreement to 21066/001

54941 Land South of Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon
Change of use of land for stationing of a mobile home for residential purposes for a single gypsy pitch with creation of new access off main road, track and associated hard standing, treatment plant and amenity block (FUL)

Enforcement Appeal EC/51617/002 Land West of, Sickles Lane, Kingsley, Alton

Enforcement Appeal EC/37724/011 Land at Dean Farm, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon

38091/008 Birch Cottage, Sandy Lane, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NH
Detached studio and cycle store after demolition of existing garage

30633/024 Grooms Farm, Frith End Road, Frith End, Bordon, GU35 0QR
Ancillary building for events associated with existing hotel, together with landscaping, parking works (including waste water treatment plant) and retention of frith end quarry haul road for access to the site and hotel

20864/010 South View, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9ND
Prior notification for single storey development extending 8 metres beyond the rear wall of the original dwelling, incorporating an eaves height of 2.72 metres and a maximum height of 2.72 metres

20050/022 Dennard Ltd, 4 Park Iron Works, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9LY
Retention of metal security fencing and gates

20136/046 Land South and East of Service Station, Farnham Road, Bordon
Change of use of vacant land to hand car wash facility

49238/004 Land North of Haydons Yard, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9PJ
Variation of condition 1 of 49238/001 to allow use for storage of forestry machinery and materials by Oakhanger Forestry

26242/051 Dean Farm Golf Course, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NG
Change of use of clubhouse to form managers flat at ground floor and bed and breakfast rooms at first floor

27536/011 1 Streamside Cottages, Gibbs Lane, Shortheath Common, Bordon, GU35 9JS
Alterations to roof to provide additional accommodation in roof space with dormer window to rear and Juliet balcony to side elevation (HSE)

55353 6 Ockham Hall, Gibbs Lane, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NE
Fell one poplar opposite numbers 6 & 7 Ockham Hall

22959/005 Unit 4, Kingsley Business Park, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9LY
Change of use from B1 and B8 to B2 use (general industry)

New application:
27107/025 Sleaford Barn, Farnham Road, Bordon, GU35 9LJ
Conversion of main part of barn to residential dwelling

55353/001 6 Ockham Hall, Gibbs Lane, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NE
Loft conversion to bedroom with new roof lights: extension to existing dormer to provide shower room

20136/047 LMC Sleaford Garage, Farnham Road, Bordon, GU35 0QP
Extension to part rear, part side workshop and parts storage building; enabling removal of existing ad hoc detached storage buildings and containers (revised application including Flood Risk Assessment and Highway information further to 20136/045)

52947/002 Land to the East of Kingsley Sports Club, Sickles Lane, Kingsley, Alton
Installation of 5mw photovoltaic (solar) farm with associated equipment

Appeals:
SDNP/13/05516/FUL 2 Orchard Cottages, Oakhanger Road, Bordon, GU35 9JP
Proposed replacement dwelling following demolition of existing

49238/004 Land north of Haydons Yard, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9PJ
Variation of condition 1 of 49238/001 to allow use for storage of forestry machinery and materials by Oakhanger Forestry

8. St Nicholas Cemetery & Cemetery Chapel
To receive an update from Cllr Pearson

9. Transport, Highways and Road Safety
10. Commons, Village Greens and Rights of Way
Upper Green: To receive an update on the grass cutting

11. Community Resilience
12. Environment and Biodiversity
13. Sports, Recreation and Leisure
14. Kingsley Village Forum   
15. Parish Plan 
To receive an update from Cllr Rigden  

16.  Housing, Business & Commerce
Parish representative on Whitehill and Bordon regeneration consultative tier

17. Communications
18. District Councillor
19. Procedures, Finance and Payments
Payments to be made & Accounts to accept

    Date of Next Meeting of Kingsley Parish Council -
       Thursday 27th March 2014 - 7.30 pm at the Kingsley Centre        

Monday 17 February 2014

Bird Life Around the Pond

During the whole of the time I lived in Kingsley the village pond and its surrounding areas were rich in bird life. Of course, there were the regular water birds, Coots, Moorhens and Mallard ducks and most of the time there were Mute Swans. Most years these varieties built nests and produced their off springs in significant numbers. The cygnets, which the swans produced, were always a great attraction and were much photographed. In school we were often tasked with drawing and painting the swans and cygnets as a part of our art lessons.

Each season brought with it differing varieties of bird life and bad weather would sometimes cause passing birds to stop off at the pond. On occasions a particular bird would appear out of the blue with no obvious reason for having done so. In this grouping I remember an occasion when a Bittern turned up. Apart from being very rare, Bitterns are quite strange birds and it took me a few days to identify it. Members of the heron family, Bitterns are brown and beige in colour and blend in extremely well with the rushes and reeds. They have a habit of standing erect with their heads and bills pointing towards the sky and, of course, this makes them even harder to spot. Their eyes are adapted to be able to swivel and look down into the water whilst this strange pose is used. Their call, a deep booming sound, however, gives them away as it is unlike any other bird call. The bird in question just arrived and remained for about two weeks before disappearing. Similarly, Pochards, Widgeon, Teal and Tufted ducks turned up on various occasions staying a few days. These ducks would also turn up in the meadows over the back of Fir Hill, usually when the meadows were in flood after periods of heavy rain.

Over the years the pond attracted the beautiful Great Crested Grebe and these would often arrive in pairs, again remaining for short periods. The Little Grebe or Dabchick was quite common in the are and it could be found on both Kingsley and Shortheath ponds. I think it bred in the area.

Snipe, both Common and Jack varieties were regular visitors to the pond and indeed all of the marsh and boggy areas around and about Kingsley and neighbouring villages. It was not uncommon whilst fishing in the pond to hear the rather weird goat like bleating noise which is made by the Jack snipe. This is not a cry made by its throat but a noise created by the bird as it dives in flight and extends two side tail feathers. These two feathers vibrate rapidly and thus cause the strange sound. I believe I am correct in saying that this practice is confined to the male of the species and is part of the courtship ritual. However, it is a weird sound and one that once heard and recognised stays with one forever and cannot be confused with any other sound. The difficulty is in identifying it in the first place because the birds are not very large and they take a bit of spotting as they dive very steeply and from a great height.

Throughout the summer months the pond was alive with Swallows and House Martins which used the mud on the banks of the pond to build their nest with and the insects on the water surface to feed upon.

Very occasionally the vivid blue flash of a Kingfisher could be seen. I suspect the Kingfishers came over from the river where they could be seen more often. One year, I don’t recall which one it was, a Kingfisher nested in a hole in the sand pit wall at Bakers Corner on the left hand side of the lane which goes up to Binsted. This same wall was used then by Sand Martins and I am sure it was an old Sand Martins nesting hole that the Kingfisher had taken over. In any event, Lewis Batty and I found the nest and quickly discovered that Kingfishers line their nests with fish bones and they stink to high heaven.

Wagtails were common around the water’s edge of the pond and Spotted Fly Catchers would make an occasional appearance in the summer when there was a huge amount of insect life to be found.
Most of the common birds used the pond both to drink and wash in, Pigeons, Rooks,Blackbirds, Thrushes and Sparrows could all be seen bathing in the shallower water where the pond met the track by Ockham Hall.

Herons were, as might be imagined, regular visitors to the pond. There was a healthy Heron population in the area and in the woods beyond Oxney Cottage was a regular nesting site. As will be known, there is a large number of fishing opportunities throughout the region for Herons to take advantage of.

Some winters various geese would arrive and stay for a day or two. Most usual would be Canada but Gray Lag geese did appear also.

The old drum, which stood in the pond for many years before finally giving up the ghost and sinking beneath the surface, provided a very attractive resting and roosting platform for many of the water birds. In fact it was unusual at any time of day not to see some form of bird life reclining on the surface of the old drum. I have no idea why the drum had been placed in the pond or by whom but it remained a feature for many years and, I imagine, rusted out before slipping beneath the surface to be lost forever.
 

Friday 14 February 2014

Parish Plan Wed, 26th February 7:30pm

Kingsley Parish Plan ‘Call to Action’

Wednesday, 26th February 2014 - Kingsley Centre at 7-30pm

The Parish Plan tells us that all Kingsley residents greatly value the local Countryside and Environment. The plan also recommends a number of activities and projects that villagers would like to do to help preserve and improve our local area.

It would be good if we could all (and that includes YOU) get together to see how we can work together to put these recommendations into practice.

Please come and join us for an informal drink on 26th February to discuss how you might like to join in with looking after our beautiful countryside and surroundings.

Kingsley Plan Implementation Team

Special topics:
  • The local Countryside and Environment
  • Traffic & Transport

Wednesday 5 February 2014

What is YOUR child doing online?

There has been much in the news recently about youngsters running up large bills by downloading Apps and accessories for their online games. Whilst it’s easy to think it won’t happen to me, do any of us really understand what our youngsters get up to online?! Even if you’re a computer whizz, it’s still likely that you’ll be playing catch-up with the way your child is using the internet (remember how you had to operate the Betamax video for your parents?!)!

As your child grows and becomes more independent, it is only natural that they take this independence online. In our teenage years we explore, try new things and sometimes push boundaries and take risks; this is an essential part of growing up, even if it does lead to grey hair for parents.

The internet has changed all of our lives, and your child has grown up during this change. Many of the things that confuse, baffle or even alarm us, are part of the everyday for them.

Talk to your child about what they’re up to online. Be a part of their online life; involve the whole family and show an interest. Find out what sites they visit and what they love about them. If they know you understand they are more likely to come to you if they have any problems.

Encourage your child to go online and explore! There is a wealth of age-appropriate sites online for your children. Encourage them to use sites which are fun, educational and that will help them to develop online skills.

Keep up-to-date with your child’s development online. Children grow up fast and they will be growing in confidence and learning new skills daily. It’s important that as your child learns more, so do you.

Set boundaries in the online world just as you would in the real world. Think about what they might see, what they share, who they talk to and how long they spend online. It is important to discuss boundaries at a young age to develop the tools and skills children need to enjoy their time online.

Keep all equipment that connects to the internet in a family space. For children of this age, it is important to keep internet use in family areas so you can see the sites your child is using and be there for them if they stumble across something they don’t want to see.

Know what connects to the internet and how. Nowadays even the TV connects to the internet (you might not realise that it does, but your teenagers certainly will!). Make sure you’re aware of which devices that your child uses connect to the internet, such as their phone or games console. Also, find out how they are accessing the internet – is it your connection, or a neighbour’s wifi? This will affect whether the safety settings you set are being applied.

Use parental controls on devices that link to the internet, such as the TV, laptops, computers, games consoles and mobile phones. Parental controls are not just about locking and blocking, they are a tool to help you set appropriate boundaries as your child grows and develops. They are not as difficult to install as you might think – perhaps get your children to show you how!!

Remember, if you have information about any crime, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or click www.crimestoppers-uk.org where you can also give details anonymously.

For further Crimestoppers updates please follow me on Twitter @HantsCrimestopp

PC 741 Simon Wright