Update from the Chair

As a result of the 2018 Local Governance Review of the Parish Councils under Eastleigh Borough Council, Old Netley will move from Hound to Bursledon Parish Council. This includes the King George V Playing Field on Pound Road and all houses, including the new housing developments on Jurd Way, the old car boot site and Berry Farm. This will come into effect on the 1st April 2019.
 
As a result of this decision, it has meant that Hound Parish Councillors have had to make some tough decisions after losing 16% of our budget which equates to £48,840.84 from our Precept for the 2019-2020 year.
 
The Council have been on an efficiency drive since the current Clerk was appointed in November 2016 and have made savings of just under £100k to the end of December 2018. While this has been a great effort and has been achieved while putting on some new events and also improving/increasing the size of the previous events; the loss of the Precept this year has meant that some further tough decisions had to be made.
 
Therefore, at January’s Council meeting, Councillors voted for the following:
 

• To make 1 of the Groundsteam redundant
• To permanently close the public toilets at Abbey Hall
• To no longer subsidise the cost for the local PCSO which all Parish Councils have done for a number of years (most Parishes have voted to do the same)
• Cancel the hanging flower baskets for 2019
• Raise the Precept by 7.5% for 2019-2020

 
So what does the Precept increase equate to?
 
This means that each Band D household’s Precept will increase by £9.75 per year or 19p each week. If you live in a Band C, B or A household the increase will be less and for Band E, F, G or H it will be more.
With this raise, it still leaves HPC with a loss of £26.5k against this years (2018-2019) Precept. 
 
We appreciate that not everyone will agree with the decisions that have been made or may have further questions on them. Therefore, we are holding a Community Engagement Evening on Monday 11th February at Hound Parish Hall, Woolston Road, Butlocks Heath, SO31 5FR starting at 7pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
We had invited the Chief Executive, Nick Tustian and the Leader, Keith House of Eastleigh Borough Council. However, we have received apologies from them both.
 
Mark Roberts
Chairman of Hound Parish Council