31/3/2008

Local News in Fleet

Communities to get their own parish councils

It's official — residents in Fleet, Church Crookham and Elvetham Heath are to get their own parish councils.

Hart District Council has confirmed the move following a ballot in which residents voted heavily in favour of being represented by parish councils.

A total of 24,885 electors were sent a letter and voting pack, with around 8,400 ballot papers being returned.

Nearly 67% of Fleet residents voted in favour of a parish, with 54% preferring a parish for the whole area.

In Church Crookham 77.5% of residents wanted a parish, with the majority preferring a parish just for Church Crookham.

A massive 92% of people living in Elvetham Heath voted for a parish, with the majority wanting a council just for the growing estate, one of the richest in the country.

Parish councils for all three communities were approved at the latest Hart full council meeting on Thursday night.

The only area that councillors could not agree on is the Fleet Courtmoor ward.
Here, a second ballot will be held, offering electors the choice of joining either the Church Crookham or Fleet parish councils.

The future of Courtmoor ward has long-divided councillors.

Community Campaign Hart (CCH) group leader James Radley said: “The current structural and legislative framework indicates that the Courtmoor ward would more naturally fit in with Church Crookham.

“We need to look at what makes a successful parish in terms of community, boundary and size and in my opinion having Courtmoor included with Church Crookham makes the most sense.
“I think it’s up to Courtmoor residents to come to their own conclusions.

“However, I certainly do feel very strongly that given the type of issues that parish councils deal with, the people of Courtmoor should very seriously consider joining with Church Crookham.

“It’s nothing to do with address changing, it’s about maintaining the local infrastructure and the provision of facilities such as allotments and play areas.”

However, Cllr Ken Crookes, leader of the Conservative group on Hart District Council, said: “We have had a lot of correspondence from resid-ents of Courtmoor and it’s by no means certain which way they want to go.”

He pointed out that a Sense of Place Survey conducted by the council showed that Courtmoor residents thought of themselves as living in Fleet, not Church Crookham.

“I welcome this second ballot,” Cllr Crookes added. “Now that the Fleet and Church Crookham vote is certain it now gives the people of Courtmoor their say.

“It’s now up to the residents and they need to consider the options very carefully.
“However, we have made it clear in our literature that there are a lot of advantages in a larger, stronger parish council.”

Other boundary decisions made by the full council include joining Ancells Farm to the Fleet parish, including part of the estate that is currently in Blackwater and Hawley.

The eastern boundary of the Zebon ward of Crookham Village Parish Council has been re-aligned so that homes in the same street will now all be part of the same parish.

A small area of Lea Green will be transferred from Crookham Village to the new Fleet parish.

The changes will affect Crondall where the northern part of Ewshot ward will join Church Crookham.

Crondall Parish Council has been asked to decide by May 31 whether it wants to remain as it is or split into two new parishes of Crondall and Ewshot.

Elections for the new parish councils are earmarked for 2010.

The decision to proceed with the three separate parish councils has upset voters.

David Green of Dinorben Avenue, Fleet, pointed out that the response to the first ballot was very low at around 31% and that of these about two thirds were in favour.

He added: “This means that only 21% of eligible voters wanted change and that 79% were opposed or were indifferent.

“This is not a mandate for change, especially when parishes are not capped in their spending – which is a point that was not mentioned in the information provided to voters.”

One Church Crookham resident who voted against having a parish council, but did not want to be named, warned that people would live to regret the decision.

He said: “If you consider that two-thirds didn’t even send the forms back, that makes an overwhelming majority against having a parish council.

“It’s just a pity that these people didn’t actually vote no.

“My instinct tells me you want less councillors, not more.

“I hope I’m wrong, but I fear just another expensive talking shop that won’t make any of our lives better.”

First printed in: Fleet News and Mail