‘Noise Nuisance’ was the topic for the meeting of the Southampton Federation of Residents’ Associations on 11th June. Sonya Taggart, an Environmental Health Officer and Bob Morley,  Southampton City’s Public Health Manager gave a presentation. Normal domestic and reasonable DIY noise is not a statutory noise nuisance. But depending on the time of day, how loud it is and how long it has been going on for, many sorts of noise can be a statutory nuisance: stereos, television, shouting, banging, unreasonable domestic noise etc. Following a complaint, a letter is sent to the alleged offender. The Out of Hours team visit the complainant when the noise is ongoing and if they establish that there is a nuisance, will serve a Noise Abatement Notice. A breach of the notice will lead to prosecution and, for persistent offenders, seizure of equipment. To complain about noise or other nuisances contact the Public Health Service on 023 8083 2531.

It has been evident in recent months that rubbish (sweet wrappers, drinks cartons, cans etc.) has been consistently dropped on the green in Bassett Green Road. Almost daily, I pick up something off the Green. I accept that rubbish accumulating at the outer end is likely to have been dropped by passing pedestrians, however, it is clear that ice, pop and sweet wrappers etc. found in the centre and near the inner end of the Green is probably the waste of children who use it to play on.

When children are busy doing what children do, playing their games or whatever, they often forget the little niceties of life such as depositing their wrappers in a suitable place, e.g. their pockets, or preferably a bin. So please parents, perhaps a gentle reminder to your offspring every now and then might work wonders !
The residents of our close pay for the upkeep of the Green and its surrounding road, so let’s keep it nice for everyone to enjoy - litter free. Adults and children alike - please deposit litter in a bin!
Read the rest of this entry »

The 2002 AGM of the Association will be on Monday 16th September at 7.30pm in the Hardmoor Early Years Centre, Leaside Way. This is a month earlier than previously to take advantage of the lighter evenings.
Read the rest of this entry »

On previous occasions the Committee has drawn attention to damage caused by putting swings and ropes in trees which rub off the bark and so kill the branches. A tree surgeon has advised us that branches must be protected by wrapping plastic foam around them.
Read the rest of this entry »

by John Fennick, Leaside Way

The residents of Leaside Way have a problem with some of the boys attending St George’s School. As well as overturning bins, they have decided it is great fun to jump into and push each other through the privet hedges.

On the day of Mrs Knight’s letter, at 3.30pm, I photographed a boy who deliberately took a run and jump into the hedge of No. 13. On Feb 27th at 9.20am, I photographed a group of boys take another and throw him into the hedge of No. 5.

The Deputy Headmaster, Mr Maloy and the Head of Year 11, Mr Oldham were very pleased to help. They were having  problems with these boys within the school. The boys in the photographs are now going through the exclusion procedure.

On March 15th, three younger boys were pushing each other into the privet and ended up in the garden of No. 9. The following Monday I identified the boys from school photos. Mr Maloy called them to his office, told them he would write to their parents and if it happened again they would go to the exclusion procedure. After apologising they were sent out on community service picking up litter in Leaside Way.

If you are at home between the hours of 8.30 -9.30am and 3.15-3.30pm and have a camera or camcorder or can identify these boys, give the evidence to Mr Maloy. With your help, he will stop this vandalism.

The school phone number is 8032 2603.

The following letter was sent by the headteacher of St George

The Southampton Federation of Residents’ Associations had a meeting on 5th March entitled “Open All Hours” about the prospect of 24 hour opening of public houses under proposed legislation. One of the two speakers was John Heyworth, a consultant in the A & E Department at Southampton General Hospital which deals with 70,000 patients a year.

Alcohol is the key thing that is making life difficult. On Friday and Saturday nights there are a large number of young men who subject the staff to intolerable verbal abuse and actual physical violence. He was very keen on any measures that would reduce the problem. The evidence suggested that 24 hour opening would neither make things worse nor better. The other speaker was Inspector Kelvin Taylor who heads the police licencing team of himself and 3 constables. There has been an explosion in the number of licenced premises in the City but without any increase in resources of police, ambulances etc. He said that the vast majority who come into the City at weekends do not cause problems. But there is no quick fix for the problems we face.

Bryan Baldry resigned as treasurer when he recently moved to London. We thank him for looking after our accounts for the last two and a half years. Ellen Horton, who is the street rep for Bassett Green Road and an accountant by profession, has volunteered to take on the job.
Read the rest of this entry »

Go north along Stoneham Lane. To avoid the traffic you can walk in the playing fields as far as the M27 underpass. After the underpass comes the Wellington Sports Ground and beyond that, North Stoneham Church.

Immediately after the church, turn left onto the farm road. This goes round the Park Farm farmhouse. After the breaker’s yard comes a high brick wall of an old kitchen garden. A little beyond the end of this wall, round a bend, you will see a white five-barred iron gate on the right. A few yards before the gate, on the same side of the road, is the start of a footpath. This will take you all the way to Bracken Hall after about half a mile. Near the beginning, the path has woodland on the left and a meadow with cows on the other side. Later, it runs through attractive mature woodland. After skirting Bracken Hall, go down the road and cross the bridge over the M27. At the Chilworth Roundabout return home along Bassett Green Road.

“Making it happen !” was the optimistic title of a conference at the Holiday Inn on 16th March.

“The Southampton Partnership” and “The Southampton Community and Voluntary Sector Network” (SCVSN) were terms new to me. They have their origin in the Government’s belief that better cooperation between the various sectors of the community such as local government, police, health service, commerce, voluntary sector etc. will improve the quality of life. This is to be achieved by the formation of a “Local Strategic Partnership”. In practical terms this means a committee on which these sectors are represented. The community and voluntary sector has 5 members. Our residents association comes into this category.

To supply these 5 members to the Partnership a further body called the SCVSN has been set up. Currently a ballot is being held for the 15 members of the SCVSN Coordinating Group. Our association has one vote and the HCERA Committee will decide for whom to vote.