Parish Council

Role The purpose of the Parish Council is to ensure that the local environment is maintained and developed to satisfy as far as possible, the wishes of the electorate and that community facilities meet the needs of the parish.

Organisation The Parish Council consists of a Chairman, Vice Chairman and seven members together with the Parish Clerk. The Full Council meets eleven times a year. The Planning Committee meets ten times a year.

Elections Parish elections normally occur every four years. The current Parish Council was elected on 27 May 2010 and this was one of a few contested elections in the Borough reflecting a high degree of local interest.

Finance Parishioners pay Council Tax set by Hampshire County Council, based upon house value. In addition parishes raise a ‘precept’ to cover local costs such as maintenance of sports fields and play areas.

Southern Water - sewer infiltration summary May 2010

Following many years of tankering and overpumping of raw sewerage into the Bourne Rivulet at times of sewer infiltration, caused by rising water tables, major investments were made by SW over recent years to repair and line the sewer system.

However, SW failed to deliver a sealed system fit for purpose and, pointing the finger at leaking private laterals, attempted to install a ‘permanent’ overpumping scheme. This caused a public outrage, was rejected by the parish council and had to be withdrawn.

In the meantime SW’s contractors ‘4D’ are progressing three individual so called 'cut and push' schemes to prevent backing up of sewerage into the most affected houses. ‘4D’ confirmed that sealing works on the main sewer and repair of additional leaks identified had to be abandoned due to severe ground water infiltration, and therefore tankering is still required.

The parish council is keeping up the pressure for a permanent solution and is now involved in regular discussions with key stakeholders to achieve this over time.

Sewer infiltration update by Southern Water - July 2010

Current & future plans

Southern Water’s proposal to help reduce flooding in homes was to install a pumping station and pipework to channel screened storm water into the Bourne Rivulet through an overflow at times of high groundwater. We have reviewed this scheme following our presentation to residents at the public exhibition in October 2009 and, following feedback, have made a decision not to proceed with the above proposal.

Instead, we are working with the 14 households who have experienced internal and external flooding in order to implement anti-flood measures to protect their homes and provide continued use of their toilet facilities when the system becomes overloaded. This involves installing new sewers and pumps linked directly to the homes at risk. This will protect the properties but will not remove the problem of groundwater infiltration into the sewerage system. At times of very high groundwater, there may still be a need to tanker from the pumping station and the village centre, and occasionally over-pump into the Bourne Rivulet as has happened in the past.

Southern Water has been proactive in organising joint meetings between Hampshire County Council, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, the Environment Agency and St Mary Bourne Parish Council to discuss the causes and issues of flooding in the area. We will continue to work with these bodies to produce a long term plan to resolve surface water and groundwater related issues, as proposed by the ‘Floods and Water Management Act’. The next meeting is planned for May 2011, by which time there will have been opportunity to review the efficacy of the current works.

Details of current works

The contractor, 4D, working on behalf of Southern Water is planning to re-mobilise in St Mary Bourne on 19th July with an approximate works programme of 16-17 weeks.

The proposed programme starts with sewer improvement works within the Riverside area of the village, followed by the installation of package pumping stations at Bourne Meadow, The White House and, finally, the Holdway Cottages PS in the centre of the village. Letters have been sent to the residents and the Parish Council has also been informed of the programme.

Planning permission was granted in May for the 3 pumping station kiosks. The White House permission is, however, subject to approval of a planting plan prior to commencement. Permission has also been received from the Environment Agency for undertaking the works at The White House, which includes a crossing of the Bourne. We are required to contact the EA with a site start date before work commences as they do not wish us to be undertaking works whilst the Bourne is still flowing. We are still awaiting the EA’s decision relating to the Holdway Cottages. However, similar to The White House, this work is proposed towards the second half of the construction period when the groundwater levels should be at their lowest.

The remaining works on the main sewer, of which approx 7km has already been relined, includes the installation of a final five ‘top hats’ on the private sewer connections. This work is also due to be completed in autumn 2010 when groundwater levels should be lower.

Quality Parish Council Status

St Mary Bourne Parish Council - 18^th February 2009

The St Mary Bourne Parish Council was delighted to receive notification on Wednesday 18^th February that they had been re-accredited ‘Quality Council’ Status.

This award has been achieved as a result of the St Mary Bourne Parish Council working as an effective, actively involved, properly managed, hard working team of Councillors and Parish Clerk.

The Government scheme launched in March 2003 gives recognition to Parish and Town Councils who can demonstrate through a series of tests that they are in touch with their communities, competent and capable of taking an enhanced role within the local government framework.

The award will continue to give the council greater credibility in the eyes of the local community and the principal authorities; enable them to be more representative of the local community and able to deliver more local services and be eligible for additional grant funding.

Representatives from the St Mary Bourne Parish Council formally received the award at a reception in Winchester, on Tuesday 24^th February.

PRESS RELEASE - Hampshire Association of Local Councils - 25 February 2009

Local Councils Set the Standard

In one of the biggest Presentation Evenings of its kind seen to date, nine Hampshire parish and town councils were accredited or reaccredited with the Quality award under the Quality Parish Scheme, which began in 2003 and found its way into statute in the Local Government and Involvement in Health Act 2007. This evening came hard on the heels of parish and town councils becoming eligible to use the Power of Well-being in their communities, following the Londonlaunch on 17 February 2009.

The Chairman of Hampshire County Council Cllr Michael Woodhall greeted the representatives from Blackwater & Hawley TC (Hart), Hamble-le-Rice PC (Eastleigh), Headley PC (East Hampshire), Hyde PC (New Forest), Hythe & Dibden PC (New Forest), Marchwood PC (New Forest), Petersfield TC (East Hampshire), St. Mary Bourne PC (Basingstoke) and Tadley TC (Basingstoke) at an evening reception in his official suite at Serle’s House on Southgate Street in Winchester on 24 February 2009.

The Chairman of the independent Accreditation Panel Cllr Tony Coates from Winchester City Council gave the presentations with the County Council Chairman and praised councils for their high standards of engagement, transparency and accountability.

In giving closing remarks, Cllr John Korbey, Chairman of the County Association of Local Councils and a councillor of Brockenhurst PC said “he was proud to be part of the first-tier of local government, and that his council hoped to join the elite 10% of Hampshire parishes soon, knowing that this would give assurance of standards to residents in his local area.”

The Chairman of the National Association of Local Councils, Cllr Michael Chater from West Sussex gave his apologies having previously accepted an event in Sevenoaks, Kent but sent a message of congratulations to all present, remarking that he knew it would be a magnificent event in Hampshire, and that all councils should be proud of their achievements in serving their communities with commitment and energy.

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This page was last edited on 28 Jul 2010