New Milton Advertiser 29th Jan 2021

Friday 29th January 2021

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Index Obituary Planning Business 17 Christian Comment 18 Letters 18 From Our Files 20 Puzzle Corner 20 Clubs & societies 24 Classifieds 27-30 Motoring 30 Family Announcements back page 9 771353 222036 02 9 771353 222036 03 Wheelie bins – council promises help for the elderly and vulnerable Page 2 Covid deaths soar in the Forest, while new case numbers fall Page 4 Hope to reopen closed village library after £10,000 cash grant Page 5 Work starts on new locals-only car park to boost shopping Page 12 NMA Price Rise 03 9 771353 222036 01 13 16

Continued on page 2 “Even though average speed cameras would cost a signif- icant amount of money, it is certainly a cheaper solution than fencing the length of Rog- er Penny Way which would also change the face of the Forest.” Official verderer Lord Man- ners has promised to write to every candidate standing for election to be Hampshire’s new PCC in May, to mobilise sup- port for the speed cameras. Describing the “appall- ing” spate of accidents which “shocked” the Forest last month, Lord Manners said he first contacted Mr Lane in 2018. Lord Manners told the Ver- derers’ Court: “Unfortunately, the resources needed to sup- port the data collected by av- erage speed cameras was not available at the time.” Support for the campaign has also been pledged by sen- ior councillor Edward Heron, who as well as being deputy leader of NFDC is also a verder- er, Hampshire County Council cabinet member, and national park authority member. He said: “It is a real shame NEW Forest West MP Sir Des- mond Swayne was ordered to apologise by cabinet minister Michael Gove for reportedly claiming NHS pandemic figures are being “manipulated”. Sir Desmond made the claim to a group which has warned against the new vaccines. He also urged them to “persist” with campaigns against Cov- id-19 restrictions, according to Sky News which said it obtained an interview he gave in Novem- ber to Save Our Rights UK. However, Sir Desmond told the A&T yesterday (Thursday)

Speeding set to be election issue after run of animal deaths BY JON WALLER CAMPAIGNERS have renewed calls for speed cameras to be installed along a notorious New Forest road following a spate of horrific accidents. Support is growing for the technology on the B3078 Roger Penny Way, which crosses the national park from Cadnam to Godshill and has been the scene of a series of fatalities involving commoners’ animals including several hit-and-run accidents. Now Gilly Jones, who heads the New Forest Roads Aware- ness Campaign, has launched a petition calling on New Forest District Council to back calls for average speed cameras. Yesterday (Thursday) the pe- tition, which will be on NFDC’s website until 4th April, was ap- proaching the 1,000 mark hav- ing been signed by 980 people. It stated: “In light of the re- cent tragic deaths of three don- keys, two sheep and four ponies on the B3078 Roger Penny Way and the history of animal casu- alties on this route, that the dis- trict council adds its support to calls for the introduction of an average speed camera system on this route.”

New Town Quay toilet plan Beach-goers at Milford were puzzled to find this intruder, blown by Storm Christoph all the way from the entrance to Poole Harbour – full story, page 6 (Photo: Robin Hill)

The issue of average speed cameras along the B3078 was raised in 2017 when a number of Forest organisations pledged to support the plan. However, the campaigners were unable to secure the back- ing of Hampshire’s police and crime commissioner (PCC), Mi- chael Lane, whose office would have been responsible for data and fines. However, he is set to stand down at the local elec- tions in May. Ms Jones told the A&T: “We have been down this road before but technology has advanced a great deal in three years. “We know that average speed cameras are not going to be the complete solution but they would go some way to tackling the issue. The B3078 is a notorious animal accide nt blackspot

FRESH plans have been un- veiled to replace the dilapidat- ed toilet block on Lymington’s Town Quay with a café or wine bar, complete with roof terrace to enjoy views of the river. New Forest District Council has published revised propos- als from those first put to the public in 2019, with the budget shooting up from an original £700,000 to £1.2m after being severely delayed by the pan- demic. Talking exclusively to the A&T, Steve Cook, NFDC’s building and coastal services he was unaware of the organi- sation’s stance on the jab, and said he was an “enthusiastic supporter” of vaccinations. According to Sky News, in the Save Our Rights UK inter- view Sir Desmond said of the pandemic: “It seems to be a manageable risk, particularly as figures have been manipulat- ed... We’re told there is a death- ly, deadly pandemic proceeding at the moment. “That is difficult to reconcile with ICUs (intensive care units) actually operating at typical occupation levels for the time

manager, described the new block as “an exciting building”, adding: “It is replacing one that has been there for 20 years. “We are bringing forward a more modern-looking building that’s going to deliver what people want.” The expense of the project has increased as building costs have gone up, he explained, as well as the addition of a café/ bar along with a lift to give ac- cess to the roof. It has come at the expense of a number of toilet cubicles, re- duced to seven, including one of year and us bouncing round at the typical level of deaths for the time of year.” According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of deaths in the UK around the time of the interview was actu- ally 14.3% above the five-year average. He went on to tell the group to “persist” in their activity: “That’s my advice – persist,” adding: “And I’ll persist too.” Mr Gove later described the Conservative MP’s comments as “completely out of order”.

for disabled users, plus seven shower units. Mr Cook said the increased price of the building will be off- set by revenue to NFDC from payments from the café oper- ator and Lymington Harbour Commissioners, whose sailing customers will use the showers. He said the next stage would be to submit a planning appli- cation in February with build- ing work starting in Septem- ber, and hopefully finishing by spring next year. No parking spaces will be lost as the new building is the same footprint as the old one, but slightly longer. Mr Cook said: “There will be a glazed fronted café kiosk on the ground floor with seating. Internal stairs will lead up to a roof terrace and there will also

04

Swayne: NHS figures ‘manipulated’

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THE district council’s waste chief has promised help will be on hand for older or vulnera- ble residents unable to put out wheelie bins, under plans to im- pose a new waste system on the New Forest. Cllr Alison Hoare, the Con- servative cabinet member for environment and regulatory services, told the A&T the issue had been raised during the re- Feedback on new plan revealed concerns over howmany would cope BY JON WALLER FOREST MINI SKIPS LYMINGTON SKIP HIRE 07787 153873 12 Fairlea Road, Lymington

cent public consultation. She said some respondents believed wheelie bins “might be a problem” for properties with “no, or little, outside space” and had suggested alternative containers and collection meth- ods. Cllr Hoare added: “We will provide assisted collections to elderly and disabled residents where needed, as we do now for those who can’t manage to put out their waste on their bound- ary for collection. “During our public engage- ment we have heard from some residents who have voiced concerns about managing a wheeled bin, but we have also heard from those who have used a wheeled bin in other ar- eas of the country and found it an easier option to dispose of their waste.” Currently most residents are served by a weekly collection of waste divided into bags for either general rubbish or recy- cling. Cllr Hoare stressed no final decisions had been made as the 3,700-plus responses to NFDC’s consultation are being analysed by an independent company. NFDC is sticking to its esti-

how we would provide an alter- native service to these house- holds. “In a district of over 80,000 households, the proportion of those is small. The majority of property types should be able to participate – we estimate around 90% of the district. “To provide the most efficient service we would be aiming to provide the core service to as many properties as possible.” NFDC proposed an overhaul of its waste collection to im- prove recycling rates, which are poor compared with other au- thorities. The government is set to bring in rules demanding changes to the way waste is col- lected and disposed of by local authorities, although this has been delayed by the pandemic. NFDC’s proposals also in- clude a separate weekly food rubbish pickup, plus garden waste could also be stored in wheelie bins and collected fort- nightly for a fee. Before a final decision is made, a consultation report will be presented to NFDC’s cabinet and the impact of the changes will be subject to fur- ther investigation. website devoted to claims that vaccine testing has been rushed and it is of “low benefit”. Sir Desmond’s reported com- ments sparked a call for him to be ejected from the Conservative parliamentary party by Cllr Jack Davies, who stood for the Liberal Democrats against Sir Desmond in the 2019 general election. Cllr Davies said: “These latest comments prove that Desmond Swayne is unfit to represent the people of New Forest West. “Instead of encouraging peo- ple to follow the rules so we might get out of this mess as soon as possible, he peddles conspiracy theories and under- mines the valuable work being done by our healthcare workers on the frontlines. tier local authority, and neigh- bourhood policing teams can request the Safer Roads cam- era van for activity, so concerns can be flagged and the mobile van can then be sent out in the nominated area.” She added: “The PCC does not have any decision-making role or award funding for speed cameras, but we have encour- aged the constabulary’s road safety team to reach out to those New Forest communities seeking support.” The latest animal to be killed on the New Forest’s roads was a white Shetland pony which was in a fatal collision at Nor- leywood crossroads on the B3054 on Saturday. The in- cident was reported to the verderers at around 7.25pm and agister Robert Maton at- tended. Only residents living within NFDC’s area can sign the online petition which is at bit.ly/2Yb M8au “Enough is enough. He has to go. The Conservative party must remove the whip. It is long past time New Forest West had an MP worthy of the title.”

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mate that around 90% of homes would switch to the new con- tainers, if approved. But, due the district’s mix of rural and urban communities, some as- yet unidentified areas would be exempt from the proposed “core service”. Cllr Hoare said: “It is our in- tention to find a core service that will be suitable for most households. However, we recog-

nise it is unlikely we will be able to introduce a ‘one size fits all’ service. “Our district has diverse range of property types, high- ways and landscapes, and if the preferred option is taken forward, extensive surveying would be carried out, talking to residents and our crews to es- tablish which properties would not be suitable, and to look at

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Speed cameras Continued from front page that it has taken these tragic accidents to get the issue back in the spotlight but if any good can come from this it would be getting up enough momentum to get this issue back on the agenda. “I am delighted this petition has been launched. What we do know is that the installation of these cameras is very likely to be technically possible and many of the key partners such as the verderers and the nation- al park authority are already on board.” If successful, the next phase of the proposal would be to undertake a detailed feasibility study which is expected to cost in the region of £40,000. However, Cllr Heron said it would be pointless to proceed further without the support of the police. be a lift to make access possible for all. “The stairs are internal so that when the café is closed there is no access to the roof terrace, which was a concern of local residents.” He said the outlet will com- prise around 12 covers down- stairs and 20 upstairs when Covid-19 restrictions allow. It will be offered as a commercial opportunity to rent once com- pleted. Mr Cook said it could operate as a café or even a wine bar, but added: “It will not have a full kitchen so it will not be a full-on restaurant. “It could be a wine bar but that would then involve plan- ning and licensing. If it was a wine bar, we have already dis- cussed mitigating noise and nuisance through the opening hours. “We believe that having this enhanced facility will draw peo- ple down the town to the quay which will also benefit other Sir Desmond, who was among a small minority of MPs to vote in the Commons against the latest lockdown, has been a persistent critic of the strategy, and last year even called for the sacking of government’s top scientific advisors. Responding, Sir Desmond told the A&T: “I have said noth- ing that I haven’t said on the re- cord in the House of Commons and in the blogs on my website. “My interview with the group concerned was exclusively about my opposition to lock- down. I was unaware of any po- sition they may or may not have on vaccination. “The most cursory examina- tion of my blogs, my speeches in the Commons, and indeed my question to the PM in the Town Quay toilets Continued from front page

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He said: “The last time I met with the police and crime com- missioner in 2017 to discuss the issue I was unable to secure a commitment to proceed with this. “The key issue is the process- ing capacity. The data from the average speed cameras is pro- cessed by the police, and with- out a commitment from them we cannot move forward to the feasibility study.” A spokesperson for the PCC’s office said: “The role of the po- lice and crime commissioner is to bring partners together to address speeding in a collabo- rative way. “The PCC and the office of the PCC work with both our policing colleagues and partner agencies as we strive to keep our communities safer. “Town, parish, district and borough councils have a range of traffic management enhance- ments they can deploy as need- ed by working with their top Commons yesterday, will reveal that I am a most enthusiastic supporter of the vaccination programme.” The group has a section on its

The new Lymington Town Quay toilet designs include a cafe

shops and food outlets in Lym- ington.” Although the plans were “warmly welcomed” by civic group the Lymington Society, it said it was “very concerned” that NFDC had appeared to have focused on the toilet block and shelved original plans to completely revamp the whole quay area. The idea in 2019 had been to cut short-stay parking bays north of the block from 30 to 18 to create more space beside the sea wall. Don Mackenzie, the socie-

ty’s deputy chair, said: “The inclusion of a café and upper viewing area will make this building a really exciting ad- dition to the Town Quay and will be enjoyed by visitors and local people alike in the years ahead.” But he said the society would also like to see plans go ahead to install seating areas and oth- er improvements which were originally suggested, saying it would make “the area feel less like a car park and more like an exciting and welcoming place to go”.

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POLICE are hunting a cold-call- ing rogue trader accused of charged a resident £3,000 after rippingtiles fromthe roof of their home. The suspect called in the Burton area of Christchurch around 10.20am on Tuesday,

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Stella beats Covid to reach her century

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Festive profits for groups Coombe Lane, pleaded guilty to being almost three times the limit while at the wheel of a Ford Fiesta on 22nd July last year. Southampton magistrates also fined Burr £120 and ordered him to pay £74 court costs. THREE Brockenhurst groups are set to receive £1,500 each thanks to the Setley Ridge Garden Centre. It teamed up with villager Bronya Szatkowska to organ- ise Brockenhurst Commu- nity Christmas Trees which split the profits from selling the festive decorations to Brockenhurst Primary School, village hall, and the local football club and youth section. A THREE-YEAR ban from the roads was handed to a Sway motorist caught drink-driving. Christopher Burr (24), of

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banner which they held up at the window. “She was all smiles. Obvious- ly, we would love to have given her a hug but hopefully we will be able to do that soon.” Emma added: “She is a very strong lady, but I think it has helped that she had the vac- cine. Apparently, she has, so far, had no symptoms at all.” Stella was born in Boscombe and moved to Christchurch after marrying husband Geoff at Christchurch Priory in June 1942. Together they founded Pri- ory Glass in Milham Street. It was a huge success and was eventually taken over by Derek. Sadly, Geoff died in 1986. Stel- la has two granddaughters and five great-grandchildren. Emma said: “We are all so for- tunate to have this wonderful lady in our lives. We miss see- ing her face-to-face so much, but she receives wonderful care at the home and loves it there.”

Family members pay a window visit to ‘beaming’ great-gran

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TO be diagnosed with Covid-19 two days before your 100th birthday would leave most peo- ple reeling. It certainly worried the family of great-grandmoth- er Stella Hunt who celebrated the century milestone on Sat- urday. But when they arrived to wave happy birthday through the window of Stella’s bedroom at Colten House care home in Barton, to their astonish- ment they found her “smiling away and taking it all in her stride”. Son Derek said: “It was a real shock to be told on the Thurs- day that mum had tested pos- itive for the virus. It was obvi- ously a huge worry. “But when we saw her, she was literally beaming away and really enjoying her birthday, es- pecially the fact that she got a card from the Queen. “To be honest she is amaz- ing for her age. She can’t move very much but she is still as sharp as a tack.” Stella’s family credit her ro- bust response to having Covid to receiving the coronavirus vaccine just over two weeks ago. Derek was accompanied on the birthday visit by daughter Emma Durrell, her husband and their children. Emma said: “We couldn’t believe it when we were told she had Covid. But as per usual she has remained strong as ever. “It was so lovely to see her, and she was so happy to see us. We gave her a card and a cake, and my children had made her a happy birthday POLICE released this CCTV image of a man they want to trace after a cycling shoplifter snatched around £40 of goods from a New Forest convenience store. The incident took place be- tween 11.20am and 11.30am last Thursday, when a man en- tered the Central shop in Sta- tion Road, Sway, and picked up items, including a bottle of vodka. He left without paying, and it have

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Weekly Forest Covid death toll soars to 22

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BY BEN CRAIG AND ROZ WATERS TWENTY-TWO people died with Covid-19 in the New Forest in one of the highest weekly death tolls of the pan- demic, according to the latest update. The Office for National Sta - tistics said on Tuesday there were 14 fatalities in hospital in the district and seven in care homes. The figures were close to double last week’s report of 13 deaths, and are near the level seen at the height of the first wave of the coronavirus early last year. Woman who received double lung transplant among virus victims “IT beggars belief!” – that was the reaction from police after finding a family had travelled to Mudeford from Newcastle via Wales. The breach of the Covid-19 lockdown was discovered as Christchurch special consta- bles patrolled the quay’s car park on Saturday. As well as admitting he and his family were from Newcastle, the driver of the car revealed they had stopped off on their way back from a camping hol- iday in Wales. They were then planning to head to London. A post on Facebook by a spokesperson for the officers said afterwards: “Christchurch specials out at Mudeford Quay chatting to drivers and enquir- ing where they had travelled from. “One driver reported for breaching regulations as he had travelled from Newcastle 19 Fir Avenue, New Milton • Double glaze your whole house

They were published on the same day as the UK as a whole reached 100,000 deaths. The number of people in the New Forest to have died in total since the start of the pandemic has reached 296. In the BCP Council area, which covers Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole, there were 70 weekly deaths report- ed, including 44 in hospital and 25 in care homes. The latest provisional figures from ONS relate to instanc - es where Covid-19 is men- tioned on the death certificate up to 15th January but were registered up to 23rd Jan- uary. Among those lost this year was Rachel Bruce (46), a for- mer Priestlands School and Brockenhurst College student who underwent a pioneer- via Wales with his family. “He admitted camping in Wales and making his way back to London. It beggars belief!” Facebook users hit out at the rule-breaking family, with calls for public car parks to be shut to ensure only local residents could visit. Some claimed an influx of travellers from further afield prevented them from exercis- ing at their nearby beaches and beauty spots. One wrote: “They should lock all car parks so people stay close to home for exercise.” Another commented: “I have stopped my walks now due to how many people are driving here. It’s too busy to be safe.” In the New Forest the fol- lowing day, local beat officers issued a fixed penalty to a Lon - don resident who breached the lockdown by visiting their sec- ond home in the district. OAKHAVEN has opened four extra beds to take patients from under-pressure NHS hospitals battling the pan - demic. The Pennington charity will be taking in people who have tested negative for Covid-19 and are medically fit for dis - charge but still require sup- port. The initiative is being taken in partnership with the West Hampshire Clinical Commis- sioning Group and follows Lymington hospital opening a second coronavirus ward, as re- ported in the A&T. AndrewRyde, Oakhaven chief executive, said: “It is essential that we support our community and our NHS colleagues during this time and by opening these beds we are helping to relieve some of the pressure currently faced by hospitals.” The four NHS beds are in addition to the 10 spaces the hospice has kept open for end- of-life care, having added to the eight previously in service. The increase has resulted in a need for more staff. Donna Wilkins, director of people services at the hospice, said: “The level of support we have received has been phe- nomenal from our current staff, our wonderful volunteers, our ex-colleagues as well as from qualified nurses who have picked up our plea on social media. “So many people have ex - pressed their desire to help, Hospice

ing double lung transplant 20 years ago. Described by her family as an “inspiration”, she was born with cystic fibrosis and faced many health challenges as she grew up but eventually went on to receive an honours degree at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. Rachel kept her condition to herself but by the time she reached her mid-20s, the only option was to become only the ninth person in the UK to un- dergo a ground-breaking trans- plant operation. Under the care of pioneer- ing surgeon Prof. Sir Magdi Yacoub, at Harefield Hospi - tal near Uxbridge, Rachel had both her lungs removed and replaced with parts of her fa- ther Peregrine’s right lobe, and younger sister Anna’s left lobe.

After weeks of rehabilita- tion and recovery she was able to return to her family home in Sway as only the third person to survive the treat- ment. Rachel died with Covid-19 on 15th January at the Queen Alexander Hospital in Ports- mouth. Her family said: “No respect- er of persons, coronavirus has stolen the life and dreams of a fine and intelligent daugh - ter, sister, friend and inspira- tion.” A funeral service will take place on 12th February. Anyone wishing to donate in Rachel’s memory can give to the Cystic Fibrosis Trust via F.W. House & Sons Funeral Directors, Lym - ington. Although fatalities have risen in the New Forest, the number

council staff on frontline FRONTLINE council work - ers who are keeping essential services running will be tested weekly for coronavirus. In the first phase of the Dor- set Rapid Testing Programme, BCP Council and Dorset Coun- cil will be introducing weekly testing of some critical staff who have face-to-face contact with the most vulnerable. The Lateral Flow Device (LFD) technique will be used, with BCP staff attending a mobile unit at the Civic Cen- tre in Poole. Cllr Nicola Greene, BCP Council cabinet member for Covid-19 resilience and pub- lic health, said: “It is an extra step in protecting our front- line staff and the people they support in our community.” Broadening testing is aimed at identifying those showing no symptoms, thought to be about one in three people. As- ymptomatic rapid testing has already been rolled out na- tionally to groups such as NHS frontline staff, care home staff and residents, and schools. Public Health Dorset is now working with both local au- thorities to identify further community groups to invite to a 12-week asymptomatic test- ing programme. There are similar hopes for Hampshire frontline work- ers as part of an eight-week scheme. If approved, the pro- gramme will be rolled out across the Hampshire County Council patch, but details are yet to be revealed. The plan was confirmed by Simon Bryant, HCC director of public health, at the meet- ing of the Local Outbreak En - gagement Board. Last week he said the authority was working up a bid which could be signed off within days. In Ringwood a new walk- through coronavirus testing site for the public has opened. The facility, which is by ap- pointment only, is at the Fur- long car park. Three men were also fined for breaking lockdown rules after travelling to the New Forest from the Isle of Wight to buy a second-hand car. The trio were in a vehicle stopped by police just before midday last Thurs- day in Ower. The men, aged 22 and 23 from East Cowes and an 18-year-old from Wootton, were reported for summons in relation to a fixed penalty notice for a breach of health protection regulations. A Hampshire police spokes- person said: “Our officers will continue to engage, explain and encourage the public around the current health protection regulations. “We will take enforcement ac- tion where blatant breaches of the legislation are observed.” A Facebook post from New Forest police said: “Stay at home unless your journey is es- sential.” of new weekly cases continued to fall, with 501 reported by the government on Tuesday, com- pared with 628 the same time last week and 754 the week be- fore that. It means the case rate per 100,000 people stands at 278.2 – down from 348.7 last Tuesday and still below the UK average of 374.8. In the BCP Council area, new weekly cases stood at 2,558 – down from 3,320 the week before. The case rate stands at 647.1 per 100,000 peo- ple. By comparison, the highest case rate in the UK is 901.5 in Knowsley, Merseyside. The infection figures are for the numbers of people with at least one lab-confirmed posi - tive Covid-19 test result in the preceding seven days.

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either with extra hours, volun- teering, returning to work, or taking on additional duties to help the hospice throughout this time. “It is only with this support that we have been able to in- crease our bedded care.” The hospice has remained open throughout the coronavi- rus crisis, although with restric- tions on travel many patients

have chosen to remain at home being cared for by their families supported by Oakhaven’s com- munity teams. Oakhaven is also facing fi - nancial difficulties with the lockdown as every month the hospice shops are closed rep- resents a loss of approximately £100,000 in income. To donate, visit www. oakhavenhospice.co.uk

Hospital opens ‘long Covid’ clinic LYMINGTON hospital has a new clinic for people suffering from so-called “long Covid” months after contracting the virus.

The service, which is re- ferral only and cannot offer walk-in appointments, is one of several launched across Hampshire by NHS groups including Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust. Symptoms of long Covid in - clude fatigue, breathlessness, anxiety, depression, palpita- tions, chest, joint or muscle pains and brain fog. Robin Harlow is clinical di- rector for primary care devel- opment at Southern Health, which runs Lymington hos - pital. He said: “While we have learned lots about Covid-19, we are still yet to learn more about its long-term effects that we know can be debili- tating even for young, fit peo - ple or those who did not go to hospital.

Lymington hospital

“These new clinics not only give us an opportunity to sup- port those in need but will also help us learn more about long Covid and find new ways to help people affected by it.” People in the area who are still feeling ill 12 weeks after first contracting the virus are asked to check their symp- toms against a list on NHS website www.yourcovidrecov ery.nhs.uk before calling their GP.

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Hopes for new chapter at closed village library

Residents set to fill out the first digital census

TEAMS in the New Forest and Christchurch are preparing to start the once-in-a-decade na- tional census survey in March, which is being carried out digi - tally for the first time. Paper questionnaires will still be available but this time the operation is “digital first”, with each household receiving a let - ter with a unique access code that allows them to complete it on their computers, phones or tablets. Officials said accurate data will help assess how the coro - navirus pandemic has affected areas such as Christchurch. For example, the last census showed the borough has a high - er proportion of residents over the age of 65 than anywhere else in the UK, at almost 31%. It also has a median age in some parts of 69.8 years old – behind only Eastbourne on 71.1 for the highest age in the UK. Iain Bell, deputy statistician at the Office for National Sta - tistics, said: “A successful cen -

sus will ensure everyone from local government to charities can put services and funding in the places where they are most needed.” The census includes ques- tions about sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. For the first time it asks whether people have served in the armed forces, as well as vol - untary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orienta - tion and gender identity. All contacts with the pub - lic will be socially distanced and census field staff will be equipped with PPE in line with government guidance. The census has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941, and is used to give the most accu - rate estimate of all people and households in England and Wales. Results will be available within 12 months, although per - sonal records are locked away for 100 years.

THEmajority share of the coun- cil tax charged by BCP Council in Christchurch is set to be fro- zen in 2021/22. For the first time since it was formed in 2019, BCP Council will charge the same level of council tax in each of the three towns, writes Josh Wright of the Local Democracy Reporting Service . It means its part of the bill in Christchurch will be unchanged for the coming financial year, with a 0.76% increase in Bourne - mouth and a 2.99% rise in Poole – charging an average Band D home £1,541.57. The move has been welcomed by Christchurch Independ- ent Cllr Lesley Dedman whose group, as a member of the for- mer Unity Alliance administra- tion, began the process of align- ing rates. The rest of the overall council tax is made up of demands from the police and fire services, plus town and parish councils. The current total 2020/21 Band D levy for Christchurch residents without a town or parish coun - cil is £1,858.51. Proposals within BCP Coun - cil’s draft budget include a £50m pandemic recovery fund and £10m to improve education provision for children with ex - tra needs. Cllr Drew Mellor, its leader, said the plan allowed it to “in - vest significantly” without put - ting the burden on ratepayers. Councils can increase council tax by a maximum of 1.99% in any year without the need for approval through a referendum. On top of this they can add a 3% ring-fenced rise for its adult so- cial care work but BCP Council has decided against using it. Cllr Mellor said he believed the average 1.55% increase for its share of the overall council tax was the lowest in the coun - try, with many authorities opt - ing for large increases to cover the cost of the pandemic. “Considering the huge pres - sures on our finances over the last year due to Covid-19, this is a significant achievement and is symbolic of our commitment to treat all those who live in the BCP area equitably, and to keep more of our residents’ hard- earned money in their pockets,” A CELEBRATION of sustaina - ble living will be part of a spe - cial month-long online event focused on tackling the climate emergency. The New Forest Awakening Festival will be run throughout February by the national park authority in collaboration with local organisations. People are being invited to take part to discover more about the New Forest, its place in the planet’s climate and na- ture emergencies, what is be - ing done to protect it, and how they can help. NPA chair Gavin Parker said the authority was committed to championing action with part - ners and communities towards the national park being “net zero with nature” by 2050. “Net zero is achieved when any harmful greenhouse gas emissions are balanced by an HOPES have been raised that Lyndhurst library will be able to reopen as an independent, community-run facility after it secured a £10,000 grant from Hampshire County Council. The branch was among those shut by HCC last year to make £1.76m of savings, which also included closing Blackfield and withdrawal of support for Milford’s existing community library. The one-off grant will go to Lyndhurst Community Centre to help it set up the new, vol - unteer-run service, after the branch closed on 7th Novem - ber. The plan is to reopen lat- er this year once helpers have been trained. Rob Dewing, chair of the cen - tre’s trustees, said: “Our new library will be part of a bigger £10k grant could see site reopened and run by the community BY BEN CRAIG

refresh books and reserve spe - cific titles from the Hampshire library collection, including Ready Reads. HCC officers will also be on hand to give advice for the first year. The grant was signed off by Cllr Stephen Reid, a member of HCC’s ruling Conservative cabinet. He said: “The county council is very pleased to be able to of - fer Lyndhurst Community Cen- tre a one-off grant of £10,000 to help fund the start-up and tran- sition costs for Lyndhurst’s in- dependent community library. “Lyndhurst Community Cen - tre will be providing a valued service to the local community and the county council wishes them the greatest success as their plans for the independent community library move for - ward.” As reported in the A&T, as well as the closures there was also a 20% reduction in opening hours at the remaining libraries. For more information, visit the community centre’s web - site at lyndhurstcomm.org

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Lyndhurst library was closed in November in a county council cost-cutting drive

project that will also create a new high-tech conference room and a permanent office for Lyn - dhurst Parish Council. “Lyndhurst Community Cen - tre is grateful to Hampshire

County Council for its contribu- tion towards the costs of open - ing the new library. “We are also grateful to Lyn - dhurst Parish Council, with whom we are working in close

partnership to deliver these new facilities for the Lyndhurst community.” HCC said it will also grant access to the Library Service Group Membership Scheme to

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Conservative administration. Within this is a five-year £50m “futures fund” focusing on the area’s emergence from the pan- demic with a focus on infra - structure spending. A further £10m is allocated for increasing education provision for children with special educa - tional needs in a bid to tackle a growing multi-million-pound deficit. And there is £7.2m set aside for this year, including £1m to help disadvantaged children catch-up with the lack of in- school teaching and £250,000 towards a range of events to support the pandemic-hit hos- pitality industry. Former council leader Cllr Vikki Slade said: “The prudence with which the council has been managed since its inception and the cautious approach that we took to pausing priorities have paid off, enabling new in - vestment in a range of areas.” The draft budget will be con - sidered by the council’s scru- tiny board on Monday before going through the cabinet the next week, ahead of a final deci - sion by the full council on 23rd February. nature and climate issues, and we’re awakening our action to help protect our precious land- scape. We hope lots of people will get involved.” Highlights of the festival in - clude discovering the RSPB’s “secret forest” in the north of the national park, local record - ed soundscapes, and meeting the commoners. People can join a celebration of the achievements of the £4m Our Past Our Future lottery scheme, which has restored habitats and inspired hundreds of volunteers. Businesses can receive advice on how to move towards ‘net zero’, and there will be a special screening of a film about trav - elling sustainably, followed by a Q&A with the director. The full festival programme is at www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/ awakening

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equivalent amount being ab - sorbed by the atmosphere and landscape,” he explained. “The festival is about increas - ing people’s understanding of the issues in the New Forest and how we can all help respond to the nature and climate crises. “The New Forest is begin - ning to awaken for spring. We’re awakening our awareness of

Christchurch BCP council tax frozen as towns level up

he said. The financial impact of the pandemic on the council has been estimated at about £50m although government grants have covered all but £6m of this. Cllr Mellor said the council was also the second worst-af - fected local authority in terms of the loss of income caused by lockdowns and other measures introduced to tackle the coro - navirus. Despite this, the proposed budget sets aside tens of mil- lions of pounds to fund what he said was the “bold vision” of his BCP will charge the same across all three towns

Police want increase in force share NEW Forest residents in Band D properties will pay £15 more a year for Hampshire police’s share of the council tax, under spending plans revealed by the police and crime commis- sioner (PCC).

Unveiling his proposed budget for 2021/22, Michael Lane (pictured) said the an- nual levy of £226.46 would raise an additional £10m for the force and help to boost the ranks. He said the 7.1% increase will enable the force to recruit a further 146 officers from the nationally funded allocation, as well as seven new officers to the regional organised crime unit. The current combined council tax bill for 2020/21 for the average Band D house - hold in the New Forest is just over £1,836, made up of the police and fire services plus demands from parish,

district and county councils. Mr Lane claimed the pro - posed demand by Hampshire police will mean the force will have the capability to arrest an extra 300 of the most dan- gerous, organised criminals who run country lines drug gangs. The budget was due to be discussed today (Friday) by councillors on the Hampshire police and crime panel, which has the power of veto, before it is formally signed off by the PCC.