*

At what time of year does your garden look its best? As you might expect, there were different answers to this question, no doubt reflecting the kinds of plants people grow. Some favoured April to show off the spring flowers and the trees bursting into growth, while others went for June. Those whose gardens show off beds of summer annuals preferred July. We are planning for Sunday 6th June. Why not open your garden? Vegetable gardens are also of interest. Please contact us.

The Association’s summer party will be on Saturday 26th June. We invite you to volunteer to help with cooking the barbecue. Our regulars do a splendid job, but we would like them to come to the party and relax for just once! If you can help, please send an email or phone Michele Hickling on 80554348.

The next road working party is on the 15th May 2010. Although it is hoped that on this occasion there will be a good turn out by the team from the lower end of the Avenue, those from the Upper and Middle teams are, as ever, more than welcome. Attempts are made to introduce the Road Improvement Group (RIG) to those who move into the road, but sometimes we fail to catch new arrivals. So if you are not getting RIG mail drops and you would like to help out on the working parties, please contact John Dixon at Number 34 , tel: 8055 0064

On 24th March I attended the Neighbourhood Watch Conference at the Civic Centre. We were welcomed to this evening meeting by Councillor Royston Smith, whose remit covers Community Safety. We were all provided with zappers so we could respond to a quiz. From which I learnt that 86% of us mostly feel safe, but we grossly overestimate the number people on Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) in Southampton. It is only 44.

Chief Superintendent Matthew Green spoke on Neighbourhood Policing in Southampton. He was very upbeat, crime had fallen! Inspector Kerry Loveless explained “Community Payback”. You may see groups in high visibility jackets working on projects such as clearing rubbish left by fly tippers. Derek Stevens is the antisocial behaviour operations manager for Southampton City Council. He outlined their various operations which go under curious code names such as “Batcombe” which tackles late-night noise and criminal damage by students and “Koala” which takes place while children are leaving school and walking home. During CREW (Crime Reduction and Environment Week), Council teams and partner groups pay a surprise visit to an area for a week to kick-start general improvements and reduction of crime levels. Sergeant Mark Barker, who heads the Safer Neighbourhood Team for Shirley, said that he is passionate about Neighbourhood Watch, half the city’s schemes are in the Shirley Area. Want to know more about Neighbourhood Watch and perhaps become a coordinator, then visit www.southampton.gov.uk/living/safersouthampton/getinvolved/nwgroup/.

There was a poorly attended meeting of the North Southampton Community Forum on 17th March. Two new members were welcomed, the Mansbridge Residents Association which has been around a long time and the North East Bassett Residents Association which has only recently been formed to oppose a planning application.

A long standing concern of the Highfield Residents’ Association has been the buying of houses in roads near the University and then renting them to students. This growth of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) changes the character of a road. There has been similar concern in other towns with a large student population. The resulting pressure at a national level has produced a changed planning regulation† which came into force on 6th April. HMOs are now in a different “use class” from a house with one person or one family. Change of use requires planning permission. This of course has no effect on houses that are already HMOs. The practical consequences of the new rules will depend on how the local authority responds to applications for a change to an HMO and the results of appeals against refusal.

† S.I. 2010 No. 653

Contributions to “Kids’ Corner” are welcome; for example, tell us about your hobby.

The Ethelburt Avenue cherry trees are now in flower. Such a wonderful sight may kindle your interest in the survey just announced by the Natural History Museum. The survey of cherry trees will run for three years. To find out how to take part in the survey and learn how to identify the different species of cherry trees go to www.nhm.ac.uk/cherries

Elite Patios Ltd, tel: 023 8051 2929
www.elitepatios.com for patios and drives.
New Forest Fencing, tel: 023 8073 3442
www.newforestfencing.co.uk for fencing.

St George’s School is going to be completely rebuilt. This is part of the Government’s “Building Schools for the Future” programme. Southampton is in the latest “wave” of Local Authorities to be included in this £2.5 to £3 billion a year programme to rebuild or remodel almost every state secondary school in England. St George’s is one of the two sample schools in the City that will be built first. A major headache must be how to build a new school, whilst the old one remains open.

The new building will not intrude into the playing fields or the woodland on the east side, which is subject to a tree preservation order. During the building, a temporary access route for contractors’ vehicles will be created from Stoneham Lane across the field and around the north end of the woodland.

You may be wondering what will happen to these plans when the next government starts the cuts in earnest.