Office Hours Revised to Limit Council Tax Increase
Rather than being funded by your Council Tax, much of the Parish Council’s project spending is funded by successful grant applications. Examples include the new play equipment installed at Five Heads Road and at Jubilee Park in the last 12 months, largely funded by developer contributions via East Hants District Council and the imminent work on Catherington Lith, mentioned earlier in this newsletter and funded by DEFRA.
However, pressures continue to build on our running costs, including Ash Dieback impacting significantly on the work of our Countryside Team and increases in Minimum Wage and National Insurance contributions, combined with the general need to pay our staff at the appropriate level.
In order to continue delivering our plans to maintain and improve services to the community, Parish Councillors, and officers, have been poring over our 2025/2026 numbers. This is an essential exercise for all Councils as we look to balance budgets. You will almost certainly have noticed significant service reductions being announced in the past, and more being planned, at District and County level.
One of the ways that the Parish Council can offset increasing costs is by closing the Office one day per week. All of our office staff work part time, and we are very grateful to them for agreeing to amend their working days, allowing us to continue to offer an unchanged level of service, from hall bookings to the organisation of Remembrance and Christmas events, whilst achieving a significant cost saving.
Friday has been chosen as the closing day, as this is when we rarely have visitors to the office, nor resident phone calls.
There is already the facility to leave voicemails, and any that are left on a Friday will be dealt with from 08:30 the next working day. Emails left over the extended weekend will also be answered as a priority.
Fly-tipper fined after waste dumped at Chalton beauty spot
A Havant man has been ordered to pay more than £2,000 in fines and costs after admitting to fly-tipping suspected asbestos-type material in the South Downs.
Owen Fletcher, of Tarrant Gardens, pleaded guilty to his part in dumping hazardous waste in a picturesque lane near Chalton. He was given a fine of £293 plus ordered to pay £117 victims’ surcharge and full compensation costs for clearing the hazardous waste of £1,850. He was also disqualified from being a company director for three years.
Next Council Meetings
Please Note: All meetings start at 7.00pm.
Residents are always very welcome to come along, observe and ask questions during the 20-minute period allocated for that purpose at any of our meetings.
Full Parish Council Meeting
09/12/2024
13/01/2025
10/02/2025
Finance and General Purposes Committee
02/12/2024
Grounds Committee
25/11/2025
27/01/2025
31/03/2025
Planning and Public Services Committee 16/12/2024
20/01/2025
03/02/2025
Carols in the Square (6:30pm)
10/12/2024