Annual Report 2008
Chairman’s Report
It is with deep sadness that I start this report with mentioning the sudden death of Brenda Parker on Easter Saturday. She was a major player for Rights of Way and will be sadly missed by a lot of people.
It has been decided to adopt each Easter Saturday as a walk of remembrance for Brenda, and also, progress is being made on sorting out a 5 mile walking route in one of her favourite areas to be named after her.
Stuart Shurlock who took on Brenda’s role when she went to area, has been in hospital recently, but is out now and progressing well, we wish him all the best with his recovery.
Our current membership is 326, with Tuesday walk numbers holding up very well. Saturday and Sunday numbers vary depending on where the walk is and on the weather on the day, but we are getting people coming from other areas like Bournemouth, Southampton and the New Forest.
The Away Trip to Weymouth last May went extremely well, even if we did have some questionable weather at times, but it didn’t manage to spoil anything. Peter Davis did a really good job of setting up the walks and organising the accommodation and he found some really good restaurants for our evening meals, so I would like to thank him for all the hard work he put into this.
We have tried to cover all the walking events as and when they come up, during this year’s Festival of Winter Walks we have 3 walks planned.
I have been to nearly all Area Meetings in the last year, except for two, Stuart Shurlock and Sheila Hindshaw covered these for me, and so my thanks go to both of them for their help.
Before I forget, again, I have been involved with the Borough Council’s Health Walk’s Scheme for the last four years and this has become a great success, it’s for people who need to start taking exercise or have had various health problems. A year ago they began evening walks on a Wednesday from 7 pm to 8 pm and they have really taken off, even in the dark as long as you bring a torch.
Lastly, I’m a bit concerned about which direction our group is heading. We’ve tried a questionnaire, but with no success in responses. We hold social events, but only the same small group ever attend. I know we cover a very large area and it’s not easy to have a central social meeting point, made harder by lack of public transport when you want a drink with your meal. Please if you have any suggestion or ideas that could be brought forward to improve our group, please come forward and tell us.
And finally the ongoing plea, we do need more people as walks leaders and for footpath work so please don’t hesitate to come forward, if you or someone you know can help.
Tony Stoney
Chairman
Countryside
This has been another very busy year for the work of Countryside Secretary. Full details of the many planning applications notified to us have been checked through Basingstoke and Deane Council’s website with written responses on behalf of the group made on 21 planning applications. Of these 9 were either refused or withdrawn, 6 were granted and at the time of writing 6 are still awaiting a decision.
In addition responses have been made on behalf of the group to Basingstoke and Deane’s Draft Landscape and Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document to HCC Draft Countryside Access Plan for the Hampshire Downs Area and to public consultation on the new national planning application forms.
The new national IAPP planning application forms introduced in April have dropped the question ‘is an existing Right of way affected by the development?’ and we suspect that this omission has been the cause of us failing to be notified on a number of local planning applications affecting Rights of Way. This matter has been taken up with RA Head Office who is aware it is an issue across the country and is working to get amendments made.
During the year we have strengthened our working relationship with the Open Spaces Society and in particular their Hampshire correspondent Dave Ramm who has alerted us to some applications and provided useful background information.
It was agreed with Brian Bent and Antony Skinner who deal with the Whitchurch and Candover areas respectively that in order to achieve a consistency of reply from the RA in dealing with Basingstoke and Deane Council this group would provide a ‘one stop shop’ for communicating with the Council on planning matters.
Sheila Hindshaw
Countryside Secretary
Footpaths
Sadly, Brenda Parker’s untimely death has affected the group’s coverage of local paths, as well as the RA Hampshire Area footpath work. She looked after 4 parishes in the fairly remote western part of our area: East Woodhay, Ashmansworth, St Mary Bourne and Ashford Hill with Headley. Any offers of help to assist in covering these parishes would be very useful.
Formal path changes tend to be long-
Hampshire CC seem to love complicating matters with their path numbering and a path diversion proposal at Bulls Bushes Farm, Oakley is no exception (Oakley FPs 18, 728 & 740). We responded to this in early 2008 and still await news as to what the formal proposal is going to be. The outstanding changes to Steventon FP 3 are also still awaiting formal legal confirmation.
There are paths regularly being affected in Basingstoke urban area by development proposals. We try to ensure that in the end there is an attractive path left which makes sense from the legal point of view too. Basingstoke FP 719 and Old Basing FP 6 are two current examples. However, Sherborne St John FPs 20 and 503 through the Marnel Park development are still closed due to house building, a year after agreeing their new routes. Finally, despite much local anger, Basingstoke FP 21 still has house footings built over it 9 months after the event, and the local councils seem totally ineffective in getting anything done to remedy the situation.
Some paths in Bramley and Sherborne St John were closed all through the Winter and Spring of 2007-
During the year we did a ‘Best Value’ survey of Pamber parish paths, as part of a county-
We have been in contact with Baughurst and Tadley parishes with a view to doing some pratical path work. A number of members have expressed interest and have also attended West Berks Group working parties to see what this involves. We hope to take this forward in the coming year.
Stuart Shurlock
Footpaths and Access
Finance
We received funds of £650.00 from Central office but no direct donations into our fund.
There has been an increase of expenditure of £330.00 due primarily to two items:
1. Purchase of display board.
2. Printing of the walks programmes.
Final accounts show:
Income £658.43
Expenditure £735.33
Fund level as at 30th September 2008 £250.54.
2008/2009
A request of £900 funding has been made to Area Office.
Doreen Kimbrey
Treasurer
Membership
The new Customer Relationship Management database system went live at Central Office in January. The transition to a new system did not go as smoothly as had been hoped and there are still some technical issues that are being dealt with on an ongoing basis. Things are improving as problems involving our membership reports are always dealt with efficiently by our Area Membership Secretary David Nichols.
Head Office received a number of enquiries from members with reference to 'reduced rate membership'. Reduced rates are advertised with the following caveat: Reduced rates are intended for people who, through whatever circumstances, feel they cannot afford the standard rates.
Bobbie Davenport
Membership Secretary
Group committee
The committee has met 3 times this year. We have discussed a range of topics including social events, footpath closures and diversions, access, local planning applications and the effect on footpaths, and of course preparation for the Group AGM.
Mike Taylor
Secretary
As a non-
Peter Davis
