New Milton Advertiser 1st Jan 2021

Friday 1st January 2021 · 7 News

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Town council slams ‘eyesore’ bins plan

Year’s ban for drug-driver

Food drive takes place of party THE forced cancellation of a fundraising Christmas party led a Bransgore care home to launch a successful festive food drive. Staff, relatives and the local community helped Woodside Lodge in Burley Road gather a horde of donations for Bournemouth Food Bank and the Ware- ham-based Margaret Green Animal Rescue’s Shoebox initiative. The care home usually hosts a Christmas party for relatives and the community, collecting donations for a chosen cause, but this could not take place due to the pandemic. Escaped horses reined in on A36 FIREFIGHTERS rescued two escaped horses alongside the A36 at Ower, one of which was stuck upside down in a ditch. Called out shortly before 2am on bank holiday Mon- day, Lyndhurst and Romsey crews were assisted by a vet who sedated the trapped an- imal before they freed it with strops and ropes. The other horse was safely recovered from the road and both were assessed after the four-hour incident. A TEENAGER twice caught driving under the influence of cannabis has been banned from the roads for 12 months. Finley Cook (19), of Ham - monds Lane in Totton, was stopped by police in South- ampton on 13th May and in Ashurst on 26th June. On both occasions he tested positive for traces of canna- bis, and the first time was also in possession of the class B drug. At Southampton Magis- trates’ Court, Cook pleaded guilty to all three charges. He was fined £368 and ordered to pay costs of £122.

Members want to keep plastic sacks and boost recycling options

BY LIZ HENDRIE

An attempt was made to repair the tree

MOVES to introduce wheel- ie bins in the New Forest have been opposed by Fordingbridge Town Council after members labelled them an “eyesore” and said elderly residents would have difficulties. New Forest District Council has unveiled plans for a rubbish and recycling collection oper- ating on alternate weeks and a weekly, separate food waste pickup. Responding to a consultation over the proposed changes, Fordingbridge councillors said that while they welcomed food waste collection and efforts to drive up recycling rates, wheelie bins were a bad idea. “They are not an attractive addition in any area,” said its response to NFDC. “In fact, they are an eyesore. “People who use a walking aid would not manage the bins, and so they would permanently be left in the front garden. This is not a good look and may also highlight that a vulnerable per- son lives there.” Currently, residents use black and clear plastic sacks for their rubbish and recycling, which is picked up weekly, and a box for a four-week glass collection. Presently, there is no service for food waste.

‘Disgusting’ act of vandalism as tree attacked

‘disappointed’,” he continued. “I’m disappointed that some - one could do this when we have all had such a difficult year and the purpose of the tree is to try and bring some festive spirit to the community of Barton.” A local Good Samaritan seemed to have attempted to fix the tree later to keep it up - right with supports Images of the cut-down tree were initially posted on Face- book by a man who said he had put it back up. Speaking to the A&T, he said: “It’s just such a shame that somebody has attempted to steal a tree. “I can understand if they were stealing food to feed them- selves, this is worse, spoiling Christmas for those in Barton and those that sponsored and took the time to put the tree up.” Cllr Samber added: “I hav - en’t been back to see it, but it seemed to be re-erected when I left so it seems someone has done a very good job with that.” Residents took to the com- ments on the Facebook post to share their anger that it had been damaged on Christmas Eve. One wrote: “That’s so sad. Why would anyone do that? It’s hard this year as it is... why go out of your way to saw a Christ- mas tree down?”

“IT’S disgusting” – that was the reaction of a frustrated town councillor after vandals were suspected of hacking down a Christmas tree he helped fund on Barton clifftop. The £400 spruce was discov - ered lying on the green off Ma- rine Drive on Christmas Eve morning having been sawn through about a quarter of the way up. Cllr Dean Samber paid for the tree through his new Raise the Roots greengrocers in New Mil- ton, after fellow councillors on the town’s amenities commit- tee approved its installation. It was also funded by Shamrock Care Services. Cllr Samber initially thought it had been blown over by strong winds during the night, but he later saw pictures on Facebook which seemed to show it had been deliberately targeted. “I think it’s just disgusting that anyone could think to do such a thing in such difficult cir - cumstances,” he told the A&T. “It was my idea to have the tree there to try and breathe some spirit into the community in difficult times. It was agreed by the amenities committee and funded by my business.” Cllr Samber said he intended to report the matter to police as suspected criminal damage. “I think the word is probably

Wheelie bins have been suggested in New Forest District Council’s proposed overhaul of its waste scheme

The town council added: “Many properties, especially in the town centre, have insuffi - cient storage space for wheeled bins, and others have no side access meaning residents may struggle to get the bin to the front of the property. “Pavements in some parts of the town are not even wide enough for day-to-day use, without adding bins into the mix. “If wheelie bins are used, even where they can be put away they will often be on the street for 24 hours. For instance, resi - dents who are out at work can- not retrieve them until the end of the day.” Councillors did concede that

wheelie bins had some benefits, including keeping rodent num- bers down, particularly near food outlets. But these did not outweigh the negatives and councillors are pushing for households to retain plastic sacks. The range of materials that can be recycled should be ex- tended, argued the council, and greater clarity over what can and cannot be recycled was needed. About 90% of homes are forecast to get a wheelie bin if introduced. Cllr Alison Hoare, NFDC cabinet member for en- vironment, has insisted wheelie bins are not a “done deal” but change is required to improve

local recycling rates which are among the lowest in the coun- try. A spokesperson for NFDC thanked Fordingbridge for its response, saying: “We’ve been pleased to see so much useful discussion in our public en- gagement around our draft waste strategy. “All the responses are being analysed by an independent re- search company and we will re- port back on the findings in the new year. “The feedback we’ve received will help us assess whether our proposals can be taken forward and help shape a waste strate- gy that works for the local area and our environment.”

Christmas tree collections for charity

HOUSEHOLDS are being of - fered a Christmas tree collec- tion service in New Milton and Christchurch in return for do- nations to local charities. Christchurch Round Table is running the operation to raise funds after a year in which the pandemic axed a number of its usual events for good causes. Trees will be collected tomor-

row (Saturday) and also 9th January, with the group sug- gesting people pledge £10. Food banks are to be among the main beneficiaries. Round Table chair Nigel Jar- vis said: “We had been strug- gling all year to think of a fund- raising event which we could continue with and still socially distance.

“We came up with the idea of Christmas tree recycling as we can continue in socially distanced small teams with- out coming into contact with individual home owners. All trees we can chip and recycle.” During the year, the Round Table has made and distributed PPE created on a

3D printer. In total 1,300 piec - es were delivered to hospitals, care homes and dental surger- ies. The group’s annual aim of raising £10,000 for local causes was disrupted with the cancel- lation of events during which it usually takes collections. Visit www.christchurchroundtable. co.uk