April 2011 Bulletin

Garden Waste Service

New Forest District Council is inviting green-fingered residents to join its Garden Waste Collection Service.  This is a convenient way of disposing of your garden rubbish without any hassle.  If you have a busy lifestyle or no access to a car, you can use the service with minimum fuss and little cost.

For an annual charge of £29 residents receive a reusable bag that is collected from their property once a fortnight.  Additional bags can be purchased at a discounted price.  The bags can be used to dispose of all garden hedge and grass cuttings, weeds, twigs, leaves and prunings. 

 

Once collected, the garden waste is taken to a composting facility in Hampshire to be turned into Pro-Grow, a high grade soil conditioner available to buy from all Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Residents can join the collection service online at newforest.gov.uk/gardenwaste or by phoning Customer Services on 01590 646123.  Alternatively, visit any of the Council’s Local Information Offices.

 

Make sure you can vote in local elections and referendum

 

Residents are being reminded to make sure they are on the electoral register and able to vote in local elections on 5 May 2011.  There will be district and parish council elections on that day, combined with the national referendum on whether to change the parliamentary voting system from the current ‘first past the post’ system to the alternative  vote system.

If you are unsure whether you are registered to vote or if you have changed address, ring the Council’s Electoral Services Team on 023 8028 5445.  If you’re not already registered, you have until Thursday 14 April to apply.  Forms are available online at www.newforest.gov.uk.

 

New Forest & Hampshire County Show

This year’s County Show at New Park, Brockenhurst will be held from Tuesday 26 July to Thursday 28 July.  There’s free car parking and visitors can obtain a 20% discount on ticket purchases if bought prior to the show. 

 

The Solent Dog Display team, and one of the most popular areas, the Show Farm are back this year and there is a new poultry section.  Jamie Squibb will also be performing his amazing motorbike stunts.

For enquiries or tickets, ring 01590 622409 or visit www.newforestshow.co.uk.

 

Good news for community transport users

Community First New Forest, which operates the wheelchair accessible ‘Call and Go’ minibus service across the New Forest and Waterside area, is pleased to announce the introduction of half price fares to all its passengers who are in possession of a Concessionary Bus Pass. 

 

Holders of the standard older persons bus pass will be able to travel for half fare on regular shopping trips to local supermarkets so long as the trip commences after 9 am.  Those with Disability or Companion passes can travel for half fare at any time, and any essential companion travels for free.

The ‘Call and Go’ service allows passengers to be collected from their door and returned home again afterwards.  It’s a boon for those with no transport or people with decreasing mobility or anyone who finds it difficult to get on public transport.
For further information, contact Graham Hartless on 01425 482773 or transport@cfnf.org.uk.

 

Free NHS health checks

New Forest residents aged between 40 and 74 are to be invited to have a free NHS health check as part of a national programme to prevent cardiovascular diseases.  The checks, which are being rolled out across the country, will identify and help to reduce a person’s risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease.

GP surgeries in the New Forest will be sending out letters inviting registered patients – who are not known to suffer with a cardiovascular disease – to attend a health check.  The check will calculate their estimated 10 year risk and suggest simple steps that can be taken to prevent the onset of these conditions.  The free checks are expected to reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes each year and save lives of people in the area.

 

Room to be a role model?

If you have a spare room in your home, feel you could be a positive role model to a young person aged 16-21 and could do with a bit of extra income, then you could consider being a ‘host’ for Stonham supported lodgings.

Stonham help young people with very low self-esteem due to difficulties they have had at home and need someone to show an interest in them and help them move forward in their lives.  Penny Diver, Service Manager, says that Stonham see massive potential in the young people they place and need to find local people who can see that potential too and who enjoy being around teenagers.

You don’t have to be at home all the time to perform the role.  In fact, many householders combine the role with full time work and families of their own.  As for payment, householders earn around £160 per week and receive training and regular support from Stonham.

For more information, contact Penny on 07725 958288 or email penny.diver@homegroup.org.uk

 

Local policing

The local Safer Neighbourhood Team covers the parish of Copythorne as well as Tatchbury, Bramshaw, Brook, Fritham and Minstead.  There were 67 reported crime incidents in the Team area in February,  with the following incidents occurring in and around Copythorne:

 

Assault	2	Dwelling burglary	0
Non-dwelling burglary	0	Criminal damage	4
Theft from motor vehicle	6	Theft	8
Theft of motor vehicle	0	Road traffic incidents	8

The Team is pleased to report that there have been no dwelling or non-dwelling burglaries reported this month.  Officers have also made some arrests in connection with burglaries that occurred in the area during January.

Included in the theft statistics were the theft of lead from Bartley School and scrap stolen from a skip in Copythorne.  Six hanging baskets were stolen from the Empress of Blandings and the top of a staddle stone was taken from Newbridge.  Shoplifting occurred at the Ower services and several padlocks were stolen from gates on land at Ower.

 

Parish Council

The Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month at 7 pm in the Copythorne Parish Hall (rear extension). Members of the public are very welcome to attend the meetings and speak on any matter of concern during the first five minutes.

The dates of the next few meetings are:

 

Tuesday 12 April 2011                                Planning
Tuesday 26 April 2011                                Council
Tuesday 17 May 2011                                 Annual General Meeting*
Tuesday 31 May 2011                                 Planning*

*Please note that, in May, meetings will be on the third and fifth Tuesdays due to parish council elections.

The Clerk to the Council (Mike Derrick) can be contacted at

3 Chichester Close,

East Wellow,

Romsey

SO51 6EY.

 

Telephone and fax 01794 322080

e-mail copythornepc@tiscali.co.uk

Web site: www.copythorne.org.uk

 

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