LATEST CHINEHAM NEWS

Chineham Business Park Shows the Way
The owners of the Chineham Business Park, MEPC, are amongst the more enlightened of the commercial property landlords. “Perhaps their initials stand for Motoring and Energy Pollution Control”? Of particular interest to Chineham residents is their ongoing campaign to reduce the volume of cars travelling in and out of the business park, all of which can only help to reduce the excessive volume of rat-running through Chineham.
They have long provided a mini bus service from the business parks to Basingstoke railway station and have now developed a very welcoming website to encourage staff to engage in car sharing. Spotlight wishes them every success and will endeavour to find how well the system works in practice. [17.6.08]

Chineham Park Car Share Website

Binfields Leisure
As previously reported, the Chineham Annual Parish Assembly (APA) on Monday 19 May will include further discussion about possible leisure provision on the former "Sports Barn" site.  Discussions will benefit from the presence of the Basingstoke and Deane lead officer on this topic.  HOWEVER, there will after all now be NO new formal proposal or plan to put before the meeting.  (We apologise for the misleading information given in good faith in the earlier news posting).
The intention is merely to sweep up all the still outstanding thoughts in advance of preparing a revised plan which will be the one available for consultation at drop-in sessions in early June; (watch this space).  It is hoped that thereafter the required modifications will be modest so that final architectural drawings can be prepared with the intention of moving forward to a formal planning application at the tail end of June.
Officers have already concluded that the boundary to the site must be significantly strengthened with three (or possibly two) formal access points only.  The siting of the previous indicated access near Elvetham Rise would be moved further south.  The potential noise arising from the skate area is cited by Environmental Health as likely to be unsatisfactory and this could be addressed by one of three approaches, namely a mechanical acoustic barrier, removal to the southern perimeter of the site, or location elsewhere altogether, such as Tollhouse Meadow.
The i-play zone is perhaps rather different from what has been previously understood and does not provide any on site direct access to the internet and is more of a physical "exercise" facility with home-based website monitoring and overview capabilities.

The 9 meter high Richter pyramid tower probably looks something like this illustration found on the web by the Spotlight team. More explicit information is anticipated at the APA meeting. It is not too late for you to come forward with further suggestions for enhancement or alternatives, so please share your ideas whilst there is still a chance to influence the outcome! [17.05.08]

!!! Youth Zone !!!
There has been much discussion about both the location and equipping of the Binfields Leisure Area.  That a leisure facility of some nature would be located in the area at the end of Binfields Farm Lane has been established since the time that the county council first submitted a outline planning application for the Binfields Development Area at large. Read More

View Proposed Youth Zone Layout

As notified previously in this column, a borough officer will be bringing a revised plan to the Annual Parish Assembly which will be held in Christ Church on Monday 19 May, commencing at 2000.   Additionally, the borough council has arranged for a further two drop-in sessions to take place at Christ Church between the hours of 1800 and 2100 on both 10th and 11th of June.  Furthermore, an electronic consultation opportunity will exist on the borough council's website.  
Hopefully, with all this further public engagement, it will be possible to reach a compromise to the satisfaction of most – if not all – residents, both close to the facility and further afield.   [12.05.08] !!!

Leisure Facilities in Chineham – What do you think?
The next issue of the Chineham Chat should contain a questionnaire to all Chineham residents concerning how leisure provision might be enhanced within the parish.  A list of possible projects is presented, but a write-in box is also provided for additional ideas.  This box is at least as important as the list created by the parish council since the "brain storming" session held by councillors in drawing up the list might well have overlooked or not even contemplated other good ideas.
Do please take part in this survey as the parish will shortly be in serious discussion with the borough council concerning how existing funds might well be allocated in the months and years ahead.  It is important to have your say. [24.4.08]

Link Set to Improve
The much-discussed proposal for a proper footpath link between Taylor's Farm and Chineham is now much closer.  A planning application (number BDB/68499) has been submitted and details an unlit route through Petty's Copse and linking with the footpath to the north of the Petty's Copse play area in Chineham.
 A debate is ongoing as to whether the semi-constructed footpath through the conifer woodland to the north of Petty's Copse should be lit.  Either way, some landscaping improvements are intended on either side of this stretch of path.   The details of the applications should shortly appear on the borough's website. [22.4.08]

Eco Development Update
After creating generally favourable murmurs in many quarters, the application for 24 low and zero carbon dwellings on Taylor's Farm has promoted in excess of 10 objections.  As a result, the application now automatically goes to the borough's Development Control Committee.  This takes place on Wednesday 7 May 2008.
 Despite the aforementioned favorable comments, so far no member of the public has written to the borough, supporting the application.  It would seem that the majority of the objections are to the appearance of the proposed dwellings. It might reasonably argued that if we are to achieve radical improvement to the sustainability of new dwellings, a measure of change in appearance is almost inevitable. Hopefully it will be possible to achieve a positive way forward for this project. [20.04.08]
VIEW APPLICATION

 

Safer Chineham Panel
Any member of the panel would welcome to hear from you regarding any input or comments you would like to make and we also have a discussion thread here on the forum.

More Travellers at Great Binfields Farm Lane
Yet another group of travellers have encamped on Great Binfields Farm Lane. This is a sensitive site as it is so close to Great Binfields Primary School and despite several unauthorised encampments over the past year there seems to have been no adequate deterrents put in place to discourage travellers from returning, indeed some chalk mounds in the area were actually removed allowing easier entry.
A height restriction was placed across Great Binfields Farm Lane but this did nothing to hinder access via the path/cycle ways and the very recent placement of two concrete bollards again proved no problem for the travellers who just drive pass them.
Parents pass the encampment with their children on school days with both walking and parking made more difficult. There are also the enevitable clean ups that follow.
If you have any thoughts on this topic then take a look at this traveller thread on our forum or you can view our previous Binfield Travellers Article.

*Update* - concrete bollards have now been installed in number across footpaths on both sides of the lane!

Chineham News Archive