Catherington Village Residents’ Association, supported by George Hollingbery MP, and our Hampshire, East Hampshire & Horndean Parish councillors, have been pressing for some years for BT to improve Catherington broadband.
This campaign has been successful and that BT OpenReach have installed new broadband cabinets in Catherington Lane, near The Granary & at the top of White Dirt Lane in June 2016.
When CVRA was first formed it was agreed that there should be a “traffic” representative, This was Ernest Rigby who was an advanced driver and had a transport background. The view held then was traffic speed in Catherington Lane could be reduced by having 30mph repeater signs along its length. Ernest wrote long and eloquent letters to HCC, The Police, and Councillors. Every letter tended to receive the same response that under the RTA 1984 and Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 you could not have 30mph signs within that zone if there was street lighting. Ernest’s response was always why is this not so in other Counties, but it fell on deaf ears.
After 8 years trying to get some progress Ernest passed on the reigns and it was decided that if the law on signs was against us we should try for installed 30mph speed indicator devices. Once again HCC Highways advised the CVRA this could not be done as it was not HCC policy. Again we advised that several counties do have them including Surrey and Sussex next door.
In 2009 an article appeared in a local paper saying West Meon had had a £42K investment in speed reduction measures. On contacting HCC Cllr Mel Kendal we were informed that Catherington was on the list for some traffic calming measures. Nothing actually happened!
A number of residents lobbied Parish Councillor Guy Shephard to do something about speeding traffic in the Parish. As a result Horndean Parish Council acquired a “Speed Indicating Device” which displays vehicle speed with a smiley or sad face, and records the speed and time of vehicle passing. The unit was sited in positions agreed with HCC Highways but in general with one or two exceptions they were on the roads which feed the A3 or roads with high volumes of traffic or in the case of White Dirt Lane and Five Heads Road on a route to Schools.
Two Roads of 40mph limits ie: Havant Road and Downhouse Way were also monitored.
Six volunteers from the Parish maintained the SID and provided data to HPC, Speed watch co-ordinator at Waterlooville Police Station and for other interested parties when requested.
The unit was installed at a location for a period of three weeks. The first week covered and subsequent weeks uncovered so as any traffic speed reduction could be measured. The data showed that on what could be considered the A3 feeder roads ie: Downwood Way/ Southdown Road, Catherington Lane, and Lovedean Lane.
40%+ of traffic is exceeding the police prosecution level of 35mph
Eg. A typical week on Catherington Lane
5363 vehicles.
1719 in excess of 36mph
766 in excess of 40mph
184 in excess of 46mph
62 in excess of 50mph.
The SID exercise was conducted for two years during which it was shown that the units did result in small improvements in speed reduction over the three weeks. A plea by HPC and our County Councillor Mrs Harvey to have a few selected sites provided with a power supply to reduce workload for the volunteers and reduce battery charging met with a negative response by HCC Highways.
The volunteers felt that despite the data provided as evidence there was little chance of anything being done to reduce speed on these roads and withdrew their support. The units were returned to HPC.
The reason White Dirt lane was included was because of the level of complaints by residents concerned about the volume of traffic on what is an unclassified narrow road and often at excessive , which represents a danger particularly for pedestrians. Data from a location at the junction with Glamorgan Road indicated that even down this narrow lane 6% of vehicles were exceeding the speed limit. Indeed during times of traffic congestion in Horndean this road is used as a short cut to Catherington Lane and the A3.
Residents of White Dirt Lane approached our County Councillor with a view to a separate survey being carried out as to what measures could be carried out to improve road safety. A survey was carried out followed by a public meeting where the majority of residents felt that the road should be closed above White Dirt Farm.
CVRA understand that this has been rejected by Fire and Rescue services, Police and HCC. Proposals for traffic calming measures have now resulted in the completed works seen along White Dirt Lane including humps, pinch points and raised tables.
Full Fibre Broadband – also known as Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) or Fibre to the Home (FTTH) – is a broadband built entirely from fibre optic cable.
This is quite different to Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) which comprises fibre to the street cabinet and then copper to the home.
The major differences are speed and reliability:
The UK’s analogue phone network ( Public Switched Telephone Network or PSTN ) is being retired in January 2027.
Useful Links:
AQUIND Interconnector Project
AQUIND submitted their application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) to the Planning Inspectorate on 14thNovember 2019. The process is said to take 18 months so decision should be published Summer 2021. If you wish to register as an interested party you can do so by entering your details and concerns at the web-site below:
The register closes on 19thFebruary 2020.
Report by Jeremy Warren on a meeting with Flick Drummond MP on Friday 21st February.
There was a presentation covering the following issues which were discussed:-
Aquind.
• Distance 245 Kms from Normandy to Lovedean.
• (French have not yet agreed to the project.) Will Brexit have an impact?
• Cost #1.24 Billion, Aquind confident they will get it.
• Ukranian Alexander Temerko has direct links to AQUIND and allegedly as well as Russian State security. He is a major Tory Party donor.
• Aquind gone off-shore? To Luxemburg? Originally a promise of repaying tax into communities.
• 1st spade in the ground mid 2021. Completion in 2023.
The Story so far
• All started in 2014 and in Jan 2018 with public consultation.
• July 18 Secretary of State declared Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) ie his decision.
• Statutory consultation followed in preparation for Development Consent Order (DCO) submission in November (all part of the application process).
• DCO accepted Dec 19
• Interested parties submitted registration by 19 Feb 20
• Spring 2020 to Autumn 2020 Examination of DCO
• Early 2021 Secretary of State to make final decision on the DCO application
• 2021 if approved, work begins
What are the implications of BREXIT?
The Cable Route
• Cable length Eastney to Lovedean approx 12 miles
• Significant opposition from the local councils along the entire route.
• Noise and nuisance/disruption during construction. Imagine traffic chaos.
• 2 pairs of DC cables and 1 fibre optic cable.
• Final route still to be agreed.
• What is Aquind putting back into the community? No evidence of anything so far!
Substation area
• Selection of route
• Disruption
• Contractors vehicles ie traffic management. Many roads unsuitable for HGV
• Covering 9 football pitches and 7 stories high.
• We have not seen a finished Design.
• Noise during construction and when operational . Cumulative with existing sub-station.
• Landscaping. To start straight away.
• Security 24 hours? Significant target?
• Health hazards.
Day Lane/Broadway Lane Junction (the realignment of the corner to allow access for the heavy construction traffic to the site road)
• Safety
• It looks like a botched plan (below).
Wednesday 10th June – as usual 19:00 at The Farmer Inn; please make a note of the date in your diary and hopefully see you there !
The church is having its Annual Plant Sale on Saturday next week 16th May from 10:00 – 12:00 noon outside the Church Hall.
Lots of lovely plants have apparently already been donated. If you have any plants you would like to give please take them to the Church Hall where they can be left between 18:30 & 19:30 on Friday 15th May or from 08:30 on the day of the sale.
All proceeds will go to the church funds.
Jim Stone is very kindly coming to talk to us about his 38-year years as a firefighter. For over 20 years he was a member of the UKSART – who respond to both international disasters and major UK incidents.
As always at Catherington Church Hall. Time: 19:15 for 19:30 – prompt start.
The entry fee is £2.00 payable at the door or £5.00 to include a glass of red or white wine. If possible please bring the right amount of cash.
Wednesday 13th May – as usual 19:00 at The Farmer Inn; please make a note of the date in your diary and hopefully see you there !
Come and join in singing Christmas Carols on Sunday 14th December at 5pm.
We will congregate around the village Christmas Tree (just down hill from The Farmer) at 5.00pm
The Salvation Army will once again lead us with their music and carols.
Please remember a donation for the Salvation Army.
Catherington Village Residents’ Association 2025 Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday 28th November at the Church Hall at 7:30 p.m. All members of CVRA are welcome.