Campaigns -
NO To A Gravel Pit on Hamble Airfield!

STOP PRESS

Read it here:
Maria’s speech to a packed Hampshire County Council Chamber:

DEPUTATION

“Hamble-Heart of British Yachting

Home to thriving communities, nearly 300 businesses and a flourishing tourism industry.

Historically renowned for shipbuilding yards during World War 2 and the centre of an aircraft industry.

On November 24th last year I held the first public meeting against locating gravel pits in Hamble. It was there that I first met Mark Denton, Chair of RAGE.

RAGE has done a sterling job of representing the views of the overwhelming majority of Hamble people. And I would like to pledge, publically again, my wholehearted support for their campaign.

One could level an accusation of nimbism against those of us AGAINST the pit being located at Hamble Airfield, however that accusation could made against all those passionately fighting against gravel pits across the county.

BUT the decision to retain Hamble Airfield as a preferred site makes no sense whatsoever.

• The site is close to two schools and a medical centre
• Hamble Lane, as the route to the Airfield is non-sensical. Current congestion can only be described as horrendous. Indeed, the Daily Telegraph once sited Hamble Lane as the second busiest A road in the country.
• The Impact of a site at Hamble Airfield could potentially have a disastrous effect on a thriving Tourism industry and local business.
• Air and noise pollution will have a detrimental effect on the most venerable in our community; our children, the elderly and sick.
• In a declining housing market residents are terribly concerned upon the impact on their house prices
• And last but not least the people of Hamble are mortified by the thought of a housing estate at the airfield in the future

Now, I congratulate Hampshire County Council for fighting for a reduction in the amount of gravel designated to county and the resultant elimination of other sites.

But the requirement for gravel and the resultant concern in areas such as Hamble must be seen in a much wider picture.

One where there is a deficit in democracy, one where local people have very little control over their own communities.

• The good people of Hampshire, indeed Hamble, must hold this top-down labour government to account, for the imposition of grossly over-inflated housing figures in our County.
• It is a travesty that voters cannot hold to account the unelected regional bodies such as PUSH for a relentless programme of housing in South Hampshire.
• And finally at the borough council level there are serious questions to be asked:

Gravel pits, for environmental and transport reasons must be sited in close proximity to proposed builds. I propose that one of the reasons Hamble Airfield is still a preferred site is because it is close to a range of building projects in the pipeline in the Eastleigh constituency.

I urge The leader of Liberal Democrat controlled Eastleigh Borough Council Keith House, THE COUNTY COUNCILLOR for Hamble and Chairman of PUSH members’ Housing panel and his councillors to consider the following:

• STOP the proposed building of 6,000+ dwellings N/NE of Hedge End and the resultant infrastructure: The potential industrial estates, schools and roads. The people of BOTLEY DO NOT WANT IT.
• Rethink other major developments in the pipeline
• And the subsequent road and motorway developments this will necessitate.

Then we would not need a gravel pit at Hamble Airfield.

As a resident of Eastleigh and the prospective Conservative MP for Eastleigh, I would urge that politicians listen to the people; the people of Hamble, the people of Botley and the people of Eastleigh. Not to do so, you do at your own peril.

When the Conservative party win government we will scrap the regional spatial strategies and the regional assemblies. We will take away from the Regional Development Agencies their newly acquired powers over housing and planning.

We do not believe in top-down government. We want to see local authorities, whether acting singly or together where appropriate, take the decisions that affect local people. They are the ones ELECTED to represent local people.

WE will return to local authorities their decision-making powers over housing and planning BUT, AND HERE’S THE CRUX, in return we expect them to WORK CLOSELY with their communities to decide on future development, TO ENSURE THAT THOSE COMMUNITIES THRIVE AND PROSPER.

IN SUMMING UP:-
With the current down-turn in the economy and particularly the housing market. With construction companies such as Persimmon, Redrow and Bovis sadly laying off staff on an extensive scale, I ask WHO is going to buy the houses we are extracting the gravel for?

I urge Hamble County Councillor Keith House and the Lib Dem controlled Eastleigh Borough Council to scrap the proposal for the development at N/NE Hedge End. And thus the need for more locally extracted gravel.

And I call upon Hampshire County Councillors to immediately review their decision on Hamble Airfield.

RAGE, the good people of Hamble and I say NO to a gravel pit at Hamble airfield.

AND we will fight it all the way.

THANK YOU.”

Campaigns - NO To A Gravel Pit on Hamble Airfield!

Campaigns -
NO To A Gravel Pit on Hamble Airfield!