New Milton Advertiser 29th Jan 2021

Friday 29th January 2021 · 9 News

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Council to hike rents ‘at the wrong time’

Developer’s £30k in 12 months of fundraising

Driver banned after crash Runway decision lands in March community order including a three-month curfew between 6pm and 7am until 13th March. He was also told to pay £180 court costs. A FINAL decision on expanding the runway at Southampton Airport could be made by March. The proposals to extend the strip by 164 metres to allow bigger planes were expected to be discussed in December, writes Maria Zac- caro of the Local Democracy Reporting Service . Parts of the flight paths go over the New Forest. But a final judgement was pushed back as airport bosses asked to add further information to the plans. Eastleigh Borough Council will make the final decision. Man stole £130 worth of meat A SHOPLIFTER serving a suspended sentence was spared prison after stealing nearly £130 of meat. Daniel Marczylo (34), of Hedley Close, Fawley, plead- ed guilty to the theft from a Co-op branch in Totton in June 2020, as well as breach- ing a suspended prison term for harassment and assault. Instead of activating the 10-week jail term Southamp- ton magistrates extended its suspension period with supervision from 18 to 24 months. They also ordered Marczylo to reimburse Co-op and pay £50 in court costs. A MOTORIST who drove off after crashing a car and caus- ing injuries to three women has been disqualified from the roads for a year. Vincent Murray (20), of Knellers Lane, admitted he failed to stop after an incident involving a BMW on 6th July last year. He also pleaded guilty to not having any insurance. Southampton magistrates gave Murray a 12-month

A NEW Forest-based retire- ment developer has donated £30,000 to a cancer charity from a year of fundraising. Churchill Retirement Living, which has complexes in Lym- ington, Highcliffe and Hythe, chose Macmillan Cancer Sup- port to benefit during 2020. The money was raised by apartment owners and Church- ill employees who held events including raffles, baking compe- titions and the charity’s coffee morning campaign, which was adapted to Covid-19 restric- tions. During September and Oc- tober the company also donat- ed £5 for every customer who made an appointment to visit its sales offices at new develop- ments across the country. Spencer McCarthy, chair and chief executive of Churchill Re- tirement Living, said: “It was great to be involved once again in Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning campaign. “The campaign took on a very different look in 2020, but for many of our lodges it still pro- vided an opportunity for the community to come together safely, while raising money for a very worthy cause. “I’d like to thank everyone POLICE are hunting the owner of a dog which knocked a wom- an to the ground in woodland. The victim, who was in her 50s, was in Mudeford woods when she suffered bruising and a cut hand after an American bulldog, which was tied to a fence on an extendable lead, rushed towards her. Police said the woman had parked her car on a slip road to take her own dogs for a walk when she saw a man and a boy nearby with a Staffordshire bull terrier and the bulldog. The bulldog broke free and ran towards the woman and her dogs, wrapping its lead around her legs and causing her to fall. The man was described as white, around 40 years old, about 5ft 5in tall, of large build with dark-coloured receding hair. He was wearing dark jog- ging bottoms and a jacket.

£80 annual increase planned following four-year freeze

involved for helping us to raise such an impressive total yet again in 2020.” Lisa Sainsbury, fundraising manager for Macmillan Cancer Support, added: “Sadly, the number of people being diag- nosed with cancer is increas- ing every year and that means Macmillan’s support for people living with cancer is in more de- mand than ever. “We can’t do it without the amazing people who fundraise for us, such as everyone at Churchill Retirement Living. “The money they have raised will help Macmillan do what- ever it takes to make sure our vital support continues to be available.” Apartment owners and staff joined in the Macmillan coffee morning campaign The bulldog was mainly white with tan-coloured patches and pink underneath. The bull terri- er had greying black fur and is believed to be called Lola. The incident took place on Wednesday 6th January but was only reported to officers this Tuesday. Police are now hoping to trace the man and animals involved. PC Jennie Sykes-Martin said: “I appreciate this incident took place at the beginning of Janu- ary, but I am appealing to any- one who recognises the man or his dogs from the descriptions given to please get in touch. “I am also keen to hear from anyone who may have any infor- mation to assist my enquiries.” Contact Dorset officers on 101, quoting crime reference number 55210012968, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

BY JON WALLER

A NEAR £80 annual rent hike for New Forest District Council tenants has been criticised by opposition councillors for com- ing at the “wrong time” amid the pandemic. The proposal, which will go to the Conservative-ruling cabi- net next month, would increase social housing rents by £1.51 a week from April, which equates to an extra £78.52 over a year. It was backed by NFDC’s housing overview and scrutiny panel at a meeting last week, despite arguments against by opposition Liberal Democrat councillors Caroline Rackham and Jack Davies. If signed off, it means average weekly rents for social tenants will stand at £102.8. Councillors said future annual rent rises of around 1%, on top of the Con- sumer Price Index, were on the cards for the next three years. Cllr Davies, Lib Dem housing spokesman, called for a freeze in rents with a review next year as he said many tenants had been affected by the pandem- ic, and even those on furlough were struggling to afford to live. He said: “I just feel we should be doing whatever we can to help people during the pan- demic. “And raising social rents on people who are generally the most vulnerable that we have in the district is the wrong move at the wrong time.” Cllr Rackham said she knew of people who were “facing re- ally bad poverty” and she could not see why NFDC was “ham- mering people at a time when we should be helping them”. NFDC’s cabinet member for housing, Cllr Jill Cleary, pointed out the authority had not been allowed to increase rents for

The planned rent rise by NFDC sparked debate between (insets) councillors Jill Cleary and Jack Davies

four years by the government, and over that period the coun- cil’s housing budget had been affected “detrimentally”. The panel heard government guidelines suggested the 1.5% figure. Cllr Cleary stressed the rise will help pay for a programme surveying the state of the coun- cil’s social housing stock, many

of which have old kitchens and bathrooms that need updating. She was supported by fellow Tory Cllr Christine Ward who said: “Not everybody in so- cial housing is in the situation where they cannot afford the raise. “We have a lot of people that are having difficulties at the moment and those in difficulty increase to the average “for- mula” of £87.65 but this will not apply to existing ten- ants, who will pay an average £86.12. Cllr Robert Lawton, BCP Council’s cabinet member for homes, said: “The budget and rent costs have been set out in line with national guidance in order to reflect the impacts of inflation. “Although council house residents will see a small rent increase, most will still be paying below the national for- mula rent.”

do get extra help. But there are a lot of people in social housing who can well afford this modest increase.” Cllr Anne Sevier agreed a small rise was “not unreason- able”, adding: “As a council we need to look after our proper- ties as well as our tenants.” In addition, Cllr Cleary said, £200,000 has been allocated to replace ICT systems in the housing department and pay three surveyors £150,000 to as- sess the housing stock. The council’s housing cap- ital budget is just over £20m for the coming year, with £13m is set to be invested in new housing and just over £6m for planned improvement and maintenance work to existing properties. A report outlined the coun- cil’s housing strategy intends the delivery of at least 600 new homes by 2026, which may re- quire “limited borrowing” of up to £9m over the next two years. The panel also backed in- creasing service charges by 0.5% but froze garage rents.

Hunt for dog owner after woman is knocked down

BCP also preparing for increase BCP Council is also preparing to raise social housing rents by 1.5% from 5th April.

Like NFDC, it said the in- crease was in line with the Ministry of Housing, Commu- nities and Local Government policy which sets out an an- nual rent increase of the con- sumer price index, plus 1%. Currently, the average weekly rent in general needs housing is £84.85, which BCP Council said was below charg- es under a national rent for- mula. Rents for new tenants will

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