Additional Information

Longstock Parish Council by the Clerk, John Musters (November 2011)

Affordable Housing:  The team from Hyde Martlett Housing, Community Action Hampshire and the Borough Council who came in September to assess potential sites for affordable housing have reported to the parish council.  The council is now looking at the options and will pass comment to the team.  It is too early to say what the outcome might be.

Parish Lengthsman: £10,000 has been set aside for a second year for work around the dozen villages involved in the area.  Longstock spent less than half its allocation last year, and there are plenty of useful tasks that remain to be done.

Henry Smith Charity: In the year to 30th September, £400 was paid in grants to individuals in Longstock, and the Charity paid for the Over 60’s lunch in March, as well as the minibus outing to Mottisfont rose gardens in June.  The Charity has increased its generous offer this year to £2,000, which gives plenty of scope to help those eligible in times of need.  If you know of any such, please contact one of the parish councillors.

Cemetery: All dead cherry trees in the cemetery have gone, leaving just the healthy ones round the ashes plot in the far top corner.  The saplings planted in early 2009 are now well established and will soon add to the charm of the site.  Six councillors were joined by two villagers on 19th November for a useful morning tidying up for the winter.  Sunken graves were levelled with topsoil, and will be sown with grass seed to allow for mowing.

Grit Bins: Bins have been topped up for winter, but HCC rely on individual villages to call when they need a further refill.  If a bin near you needs topping up, please call the parish council clerk to arrange for it to be replenished—and remember the grit is for use by the public on that stretch of road or pavement, not for private driveways.

Remembrance Sunday: On an unusually warm Remembrance Sunday, some 70 villagers of all ages once more commemorated the Longstock dead of two World Wars.  The service was taken by our vicar, the Rev Jonathan Watkins; the wreath was laid by David Burnfield; and retired Service representatives John Musters and Charles Grieve again read the war records of the Longstock men who fell.  Many thanks to Zdenka and her team at the Peat Spade for the coffee and delicious cake provided for all afterwards.

Planning Applications

Poplars Farm, Church Road (new build house on farm site) - Under consideration with TVBC.

Test Valley School (erect sports floodlights) - Application withdrawn.

Longstock Mill (install photovoltaic cells) - TVBC permission.

Medlar Cottage (tree work) - TVBC consent.

Leckford Estate Fish Farm (erect storage shed) - PC no objection.