East Hampshire District Council is asking its residents and visitors to help shape the future of the district's cycling and walking infrastructure by revealing how often they travel by bike or on foot, and what would encourage them to do more.

A Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) is being developed to define and prioritise the essential infrastructure developments needed to encourage more active travel and improve connectivity between our communities and the magnificent East Hampshire countryside.

If you live or work in the district, or travel into the area as a visitor, EHDC would like to hear your views and experiences. This will help to understand more about how existing routes are currently used and how the networks can be improved.

To help us on the right path, fill-out a short survey at www.easthants.gov.uk/ontherightpath

The survey will run from Monday 10 February to Sunday 22 March 2020.

Councillor Robert Mocatta Cabinet Lead for Community Development, Placemaking and Infrastructure said: “If we invest in the infrastructure of our pedestrian and cycle routes we can encourage – and make it easier – for more people to leave their cars at home more often. This will enable them to change their lifestyles to a healthier, more enjoyable and more environmentally sustainable alternative.

"We want to work with our residents to get this plan right which will make active travel an easier choice in East Hampshire."

Responses from the survey will inform the priorities of the LCWIP and steer us closer to its ambition “to make walking and cycling the natural choices for shorter journeys or as part of longer journeys”.

For more information, to see a summary and draft version of the plan, or to take the survey, please visit www.easthants.gov.uk/ontherightpath.

The memorial for the two airmen who crashed in Horndean in 1945 was officially dedicated on February 4, exactly 75 years after the crash happened.

Pilot Officers Oswald (Billy) Mountford and Edward Wicky were only 21 and 22 when they died.

A local group, the Horndean Children of the 1940s, remember witnessing the aftermath of the accident and have been campaigning for years to get a memorial installed.

They needed to raise £25,000 for the memorial, most of which came from public donations.

In 2019, they were given a welcome boost in their fundraising when they were granted £10,000 of developers’ contributions by East Hampshire District Council.

Hampshire County Council contractors Skanska cleared the site and laid the base of the memorial later last year.

This meant the memorial could be built in time for the 75th anniversary of the crash, which is when the group wanted the dedication to take place.

It was made even more special as nine of the remaining family members of the two men travelled from Australia to be at the event.

The blessing was given by the Archdeacon of the Meon, the Venerable Gavin Collins.

Other attendees included the Vice-Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Rear Admiral Iain Henderson, a representative from the Australian High Commission and EHDC Chief Executive Gill Kneller.

Cllr Sara Schillemore, District Councillor for Horndean and Catherington, said: “It’s been a long and sometimes difficult road to make this happen.

"We have achieved what we set out to do, which is to create somewhere where we can remember not only these two young men who tragically lost their lives, but the many others who also made that sacrifice.”

Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Jan Aird, niece of Oswald Mountford, said: “They will always be here, part of this small community, and they will always be young.

“I am just once again so thankful that you have honoured them in this way.”

Photo caption: District councillors Cllr Sara Schillemore and Cllr Adam Carew join Horndean Parish Council Chairman, Lynn Evans, the Horndean Children of the 1940s group and some of the family members of Ted Wicky and Oswald Mountford.

Download more photos from the day here.

East Hampshire District Council is considering a two per cent increase in Council Tax to support the most vulnerable people in the district.

The increase, amounting to 5p a week for the average household, would add around £215,000 to the council’s Welfare Fund.

This would be the first time in seven years the council has raised its share of Council Tax and EHDC’s Leader, Cllr Richard Millard, believes residents will be happy to pay a little extra to fund important welfare services.

Cllr Richard Millard, EHDC Leader, said: “I categorically feel this is the right thing to do. We have a responsibility to help the most vulnerable people in society.

“That’s what this job is about – to be there for those residents. I believe it is the right thing to do and I believe that most people will accept a two per cent Council Tax raise to provide support for the people in East Hampshire who need it most.”

EHDC’s Cabinet recommended the rise as part of the council’s budget plans for 2020/2021. The budget will now be put before EHDC’s Full Council on Thursday 27 February.

Alongside the two per cent increase the budget also puts money aside to support other council priorities.

A fund of £50,000 has been earmarked for environmental projects as part of the EHDC’s commitment to fighting the climate emergency. The money will add financial muscle to the council’s two cross-party environmental panels.

Councillors will once again have £4,500 to spend on local initiatives in their own patch. As part of the new budget £1,000 of this allocation must be spent on green initiatives.

Cllr Millard said: “All together this budget gives the council more than £90,000 to spend on reducing our impact on the environment and giving our environmental panels real teeth.”

EHDC is looking to improve key parts of the district through a new strategy, called:

Enhance East Hampshire

which will see it collaborate with local councils and residents. The 2020/2021 budget includes £250,000 for Enhance East Hampshire to prepare business cases for potential projects.

A further £500,000 has been allocated to the council’s property portfolio to cover maintenance or voids. EHDC has turned to property investment to replace income lost from dwindling Government funding over the last decade. The council’s portfolio currently provides 33 per cent of the council’s total income, and this reserve will help protect it.

For the first time, the budget will be reviewed in six months to give the council a chance to assess its progress, respond to changing circumstances and make a corrective steer if required.

Cllr Charles Louisson, EHDC Portfolio Holder for Finance, said: “We are running your council’s budget like a family budget. If we can’t afford it, we won’t do it.

“It’s about supporting the vulnerable and planning for the future, being sensible but also visionary. We want to strive for results that people can see for themselves, results that will make a difference in the air and on the ground.”

Cllr Millard added: “The Council Tax rise is driven purely by our welfare agenda. We have a responsibility to help people throughout the district. We are always looking to work out where we can make the biggest impact.

“This is a budget we can be proud of. Our reserves are strong and our financial position is secure. I think the public will back what I’m attempting to do.”

The owner of a flooring company has been fined for failing to provide documentation to East Hampshire District Council as it investigated a fly-tip in Liss.

John Draper, of Castle Flooring, Portchester, was fined £440 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £44 and costs of £155.

Investigating officers from East Hampshire District Council asked Draper to provide documents in relation to a fly-tip of carpet and flooring materials found in a lay-by on Farnham Road on 26 March 2019.

Cllr Ingrid Thomas, EHDC's Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Quality, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on East Hampshire’s valuable countryside, is a pollutant and is dangerous for our wildlife.

“We take instances of fly-tipping very seriously and will always investigate where possible.

“Residents and businesses must understand that they have a responsibility to ensure their waste is properly disposed and that they have the required paperwork.”

For more information on how to properly dispose of waste go to www.easthants.gov.uk/fly-tipping

The owner of a horse livery yard in Surrey was saddled with a £900 fine after East Hampshire District Council investigated a fly-tip at Whitehill Cemetery.

Emma Wickerson (26), of Horsham Road, Surrey, pleaded guilty at Basingstoke Magistrates Court to failing to ensure her waste was removed by a licensed carrier.

The waste, one ton of bags stuffed with equestrian items and household refuse, was subsequently dumped at Whitehill Cemetery in January 2019.

East Hampshire District Council investigated the tip and officers were able to trace it back to the livery yard.

Wickerson was formally interviewed and accepted she paid a carrier £80 to remove the waste but had not checked to make sure the carrier was licensed. The carrier could not be traced by officers.

She was fined £900 and ordered to pay a £90 victim surcharge, £100 costs and £440 compensation to EHDC.

Sonja Reames, EHDC environmental officer, who conducted the investigation, said: "The law is quite clear on this subject - a person has a clear duty of care to ensure their waste is disposed of properly.

“The only way to ensure this duty is discharged is to use a licensed waste carrier and to demand a written waste transfer note from them before the waste is removed.”

Natalie Meagher, Head of Service for Neighbourhood Support at East Hampshire, said: “The illegal dumping of waste is unfortunately a story that we are all too familiar with. Fly-tipping on all levels is a blight on the landscape in which we live and work.

“In response to this, EHDC’s Neighbourhood Quality team has worked hard over the last couple of years to develop effective, responsive processes to ensure that, wherever possible, investigations into fly-tipping are undertaken and prosecutions brought to court.”