Jubilee Hall playground remodelling and improvement begins!

We’re really pleased to announce that the weeks of hard work to ensure a valuable and exciting play and recreation facility is upgraded and improved, following its closure due to safety concerns last year, is coming to fruition.

We have worked extremely hard to deliver this for the summer holidays. I know it has felt like a while to some of our regular users, but we wanted to provide a playground that was not only of the greatest "play" value, but offered excellence for our community. It was better to take time to get it right and have something that will offer great value for money, not only now, but for years to come.

Works on the main site around the mound, will begin on Monday 24^th June and continue for approximately 4 weeks. The work will require some disruption to the parking bays (probably only 2 or 3 Spaces), as access will be needed to the site between 08:00 and 16:00 for the works, but we will try to keep the disruption to a minimum.

We’re all really excited and can’t wait to welcome our entire community to the repaired and improved Jubilee Hall Park. We hope to be announcing the “official” opening of the new facilities shortly.

Horndean “Green Trail and Heritage Network” Progresses its Strategy

This project initially set out to discover whether a green loop as delivered at Whitehill & Bordon in the north of the district, could be similarly recreated at Horndean.

The drivers for both projects were slightly different, with active travel (cycling, walking and ‘wheeling’) the main focus of the work at Bordon, whereas we set the following aims and ambitions for Horndean:

• Opportunities for fitness and recreation

• Lifelong learning, through information boards and QR codes to educational websites

• Encourage residents to stay local

• Promote walking or cycling instead of driving

• Reduce Carbon Emissions and the use of vehicles for short journeys

• Bringing existing Public Rights of Way back to a good, accessible standard

• Make Horndean’s natural and heritage assets including the Nature Reserves and SINCs available to all.

The project has developed away from the early idea of a ‘loop’, to instead, using existing features to promote the countryside assets and urban routes as a network. This approach will add layers of

‘discoverability’ of local history, countryside access and wider information for residents and visitors. It will also enable opportunities for interpretation and patronage of part of the network by local businesses. It is felt this approach will better achieve the objectives of:

· promoting active travel, enhancing placemaking and

· celebrating local stories.

The new approach will enable a more rewarding and pleasant walk around the village incorporating the dividing element of the A3(M) that dissects the village.

 The next steps are probably the most important.

The “Green Trail and Heritage Network”

Working Party has set up an “Advisory Group” made up of:

• Parish Councillors nominated by the Parish Council.

• District Councillors, Residents/Local Interest Groups

• Representatives from local Schools, representatives of Partners contributing funding, or in kind.

The first meeting of the Advisory Group will take place on Monday 5th August at 16:00 in Jubilee Hall, invitations have been sent out and if you would like to attend please contact Andrew Redding or Simon Freeman  

Andrew.Redding@horndeanpc-hants.gov.uk

Simon.Freeman@horndeanpc-hants.gov.uk

General Election - Changes to postal vote handling and absent vote secrecy

These provisions came into effect for polls taking place from 2 May 2024 and are in force for the upcoming General Election in July.

The provisions restrict who can handle postal votes, how many postal votes can be handed in at polling stations and other venues and set out a process for handing in postal votes.

Political campaigners will be banned from handling postal votes, except where the postal vote is their own or that of a close family member or someone, they provide care for.

People handing in postal votes will now be limited to handing in no more than five postal votes for other electors, plus their own postal vote per election.

A postal vote return form, which includes some personal information (name and address) will need to be completed together with the completion of a declaration.

What should postal voters do then?

The best advice is to post postal votes through Royal Mail as soon as possible. If a person must hand in a postal vote in person, they should make sure to hand it in somewhere where a postal vote handing-in form is available, such as at a polling station on polling day, or into any council building specified as accepting postal votes.

Further details can be found at: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/resources/democratic-engagement-resources/postal-and-proxy-voting-changes

The youngest D Day Veteran

Councillor John Hodgson is one of our newer Councillors to join the team here at Horndean. He is very well known in the area and is often on duty at our Remembrance and Christmas Events as he is also a prominent member of the St John Ambulance. Amongst his other volunteering activities, he is a case worker with the Soldiers', Sailors' & Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA).

SSAFA helps the armed forces community in a number of ways, though its focus is on providing direct support to individuals in need of physical or emotional care.

Addiction, relationship breakdown, debt, homelessness, post-traumatic stress, depression and disability are all issues that can affect the members of our Armed Forces community. Many of these problems only become apparent when an individual has to leave their life in the Forces and join ‘Civvy Street’. SSAFA is committed to helping our brave men and women overcome these problems and rebuild their lives.

There are also many opportunities for the volunteers to engage with ex services personnel, as was demonstrated when John was on duty over the D Day commemorations.

Mr Don Turrell 9^th Batt. The Cameronians (John’s photograph, with consent)

John and his team were approached by a “young” gentleman in a wheelchair who

advised that: “if anybody told us they were the youngest Brit on the beach on 6^th June 1944, they would be lying as he was!”

They had a lovely chat with this great gentleman (some of the language was un-gentlemanly ??)

The young man behind Don is his companion Callum Reid, (Cameronian) who has befriended Don several years ago and checks in on him regularly and accompanies him to many events. They had just got back that morning from the Normandy celebrations.

He was delighted to let John take this photo of him at our stall.

If you would like to know more about SSAFA and the work they do, as well as volunteering opportunities, please contact:

John.Hodgson@horndeanpc-hants.gov.uk

Next Council Meetings

THE PARISH COUNCIL OF HORNDEAN HAS VACANCIES FOR COUNCILLORS IN:-

These vacancies will be filled by co-option at a meeting of the Council.

Please contact the office for an information pack.

HORNDEAN PARISH COUNCIL IS URGING RESIDENTS TO BECOME A COUNCILLOR

People from all backgrounds and experiences who are passionate about their local area can put themselves forward.

HORNDEAN PARISH COUNCIL is urging enthusiastic and engaged members of the community who want to make a long-lasting change, have innovative ideas or have concerns about a specific issue to stand as councillors for the opportunity to make a real difference.

The work is exciting and rewarding. An integral part of a councillor's role is engaging with local people, groups, and businesses to determine their needs, making decisions on the services and projects the council should take forward, and getting involved to ensure services meet the community's needs.

Find out more about and how to become a councillor:

contact@horndeanpc-hants.gov.uk