Test Valley Borough Council

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1 Test Valley Borough Council Welcome to the first Community Newsletter for residents of Abbotswood and surrounding areas. This bi-monthly newsletter is to provide information about the development, activities and events. My name is Russ Harvey and I am the Community Development Worker for the Abbotswood Development, I am here to: Provide information to residents about the development, local facilities, services and community activities in and around Romsey Set up and support community groups and clubs Organise activities Promote the Community Travel Plan and establish the travel needs of the community to confirm the infrastructure in the area is effective. For information about the development or if you have any suggestions for community activities please contact Russ on: / or rharvey@testvalley.gov.uk I look forward to meeting you and working together to make Abbotswood a thriving community - Russ The Temporary Community Centre is situated on the left as you enter Abbotswood from the Braishfield Road entrance. Drop in times: Mon/Tues 10-12am, Thurs 12-2pm

2 Housing Occupations Figures obtained from Taylor Wimpey, Bellway and Bovis show that 190 properties are now occupied at Abbotswood. This figure includes private homes and Housing Association Properties. Update From The Developers - Infrastructure Works During the coming months a number of operations are due to take place on the development which will have an impact on residents. The first of these is the provision of the play area on the open space adjacent to the cycle path, which runs from the main spine road to the cemetery. Discussions are currently taking place with the play equipment provider and it is anticipated that installation works will commence in the area earlymid July. Dog Owners Thank you for cleaning up after your dog around Abbotswood. When the roads are adopted by TVBC on the Abbotswood development, rubbish/dog mess bins will be provided. Until that time please take your dog s mess home with you to dispose of it. Disposing Of Rubbish & Recycling TVBC collect kerbside rubbish from Abbotswood properties on Mondays, alternating between household waste (black bin) and recycling (brown bin). Please leave your bin at the edge of your property by 7am and bring back onto your property as soon as possible once emptied. There is going to be a recycling point to the right of the community office for glass, foil and textiles. Some ground works are necessary prior to installing the equipment and these will start mid-late June. During this period it will be necessary to restrict access via this section of the path. The second operation is the completion of the wearing course on the access roads from Sandy Lane to the edge of the Phase 1 development. It is intended that these works will commence following the school summer break in September. The main contractor undertaking this work will keep residents informed of any restrictions which may be required during tarmacking operations. Please call into the Community office for further information about recycling and bin collection calendars. Neighbourhood Watch If you are interested in getting involved with a neighbourhood watch scheme, please contact Russ Harvey or come into the Community office / rharvey@testvalley.gov.uk

3 Abbotswood Community Travel Plan Abbotswood Community Travel Plan Transport is one of the major sustainability issues in the UK, and accounts for about 20% of carbon emissions. For certain journeys travel by car can be necessary and/or most convenient but providing and encouraging the use of environmentally friendly alternatives to car use is one way of reducing carbon emissions and congestion on roads. Active travel such as walking and cycling can also lead to health benefits for individuals, lower journey costs, and add to a sense of community. A Community Travel Plan for Abbotswood has been prepared for the Abbotswood Consortium, working closely with the local authorities, Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) and Hampshire County Council (HCC). The plan aims to: Inform new residents of the sustainable travel choices available Influence how journeys are made by making sustainable travel easier and more effective Include residents in the monitoring of travel behaviour, enabling feedback to the developers and TVBC Improve the transport network and facilities in response to the monitoring and feedback received. Travel information is also available on the Abbotswood website and in the new homeowner packs. Travel on Foot or Cycle Walking and cycling offers the cheapest, healthiest and a convenient way of travel over short distances generally it is considered that walking is attractive at distances up to 2 km (just over a mile) and cycling at 5km (3 miles). To enhance opportunities to walk and cycle around Abbotswood a network of pedestrian and cycling routes are being built within the site and links are being provided to other destinations. The new homeowner packs include a form to apply for a 25 cycle voucher that can be used towards a new bicycle or bicycle accessories. Car Sharing Sharing a car for journeys to travel together can have several benefits including: reduced travel cost, less congestion and pollution, reduced stress of driving, reduced parking problems (less single occupant cars means more parking spaces available). You can obtain a free car sharing account via the HantsCarShare website, connecting you to other people wishing to car share in Hampshire.

4 Free Summer Sunday Bus In Southern Test Valley There is a free Summer Sunday bus service arranged by Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership which provides links between rail stations and a range of places of interest in southern Test Valley. Travel by Public Transport Romsey Railway Station is on the Portsmouth to Cardiff Line, with direct routes to such destinations as Southampton, Salisbury, Bath and Bristol, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, and Southampton Parkway (for Southampton Airport). It is situated off Station Approach, off Alma Road and is clearly signposted throughout the town. A walk along Canal Walk to the station from Abbotswood would take about minutes or a cycle ride would be 8-10minutes. A bus service (No. 32/33) currently passes along the southern edge of the site along Woodley Lane with a 30 minute frequency to and from the bus station in the centre of Romsey. (the earliest bus currently arrrives at 9.37am and last returns at 4.22pm having left the bus station at 4.15pm). There will be improvements to the bus service, contributed to by the Abbotswood Consortium, as the new housing at Abbotswood is progressed. There will be new bus stops provided within the site and an extended service provided. It is anticipated that improvements to the service will begin by the end of this year. For any information regarding the Community Travel Plan or local routes, please contact: Russ Harvey Community Development Worker - Abbotswood rharvey@testvalley.gov.uk The bus is operated by Test Valley Community Transport Services and will run every Sunday and bank holiday Monday from May until 22 September It links with trains at both Romsey and Mottisfont and Dunbridge railway stations and runs approximately three journeys in each direction. The service serves Romsey Abbey, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Mottisfont Abbey, Houghton Lodge and Gardens, Stockbridge and Longstock Water Garden (when open on request). The full timetable can be viewed online at the Test Valley Borough Council website and at www. threeriversrail.com and the information leaflets with timetable are also available at the temporary community centre at Abbotswood. Abbotswood Bike Maintenance Event Sunday 23rd June Come along to the Abbotswood Community Centre on the 23rd of June between 10am-1pm. Find out about local walking/cycling routes in and around Romsey Local cycling and walking groups Basic bike maintenance info and demonstrations Learn how to keep your bike safe Cycle coding Free reflective goodie bag to all who attend!!

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6 Residents of Abbotswood Get involved in your local community and have fun! Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, share your skills and help others. Tessa Makepeace, Test Valley Community Services Volunteer Development Officer, is inviting anyone who would like to support the local community by putting their spare time to good use, to get in touch to find out what volunteering opportunities there are in the local area. Volunteering roles range from help with administration to after schools clubs; befrienders to food team volunteers; drivers and conservation helpers to radio station assistants, there is something for everyone. But above all, volunteering is fun! says Tessa. Just a few hours a week can give you experience working with a team; maybe some free training and certainly looks good on your CV if you re looking for work. TVCS, a part of the Council for Voluntary Services network, is committed to promoting volunteering and to supporting voluntary organisations in many ways, be it helping with recruitment and management of volunteers or providing low-cost training and giving governance advice. Like many other charities, the Volunteer Centre is itself looking for volunteers for a variety of administrative roles and Tessa would love to hear from anyone who may be interested in supporting her work. All volunteer roles promoted by the Volunteer Centre can be viewed by appointment at the TVCS office in Duttons Road, Romsey, SO51 8XG. They are also available on: Just register your selection through the website and the Volunteer Centre will be in touch. If you would like more information or to have an informal chat with Tessa, please telephone or volunteers@tvcs.org.uk

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9 Roaming Rendezvous Coming to Woodley Village Hall soon, watch out for the new Roaming Rendezvous. Come along for local information and advice, coffee and cake, free hand or shoulder massage, have a chat with Alison Johnston, Councillor for Romsey Extra. Roaming NEW! Rendezvous Pop in to our friendly, informal roaming information café to meet a friend, read the paper, have a coffee and slice of homemade cake and chat with our friendly volunteers. Come for a few minutes or stay longer! Information and benefits advice. Refreshments Free hand or shoulder massage. Board games. Fourth Tuesday of the month 10.00am 12.00pm Tues 25 June 2013: Woodley Village Hall, School Road, Romsey Tues 23 July 2013: Woodley Village Hall, School Road, Romsey Tues 27 Aug 2013: Woodley Village Hall, School Road, Romsey More dates and venues to follow.... For more information call : A Community Partnership Initiative in Romsey DON T FORGET Fathers Day 16th June!

10 Useful Contacts Woodley Village Hall School Road, Woodley Romsey Extra Parish Council Chairman - Mrs T Hibberd hibberd67@aol.com Clerk - Mrs C Mcfarland clerk.romseyextra@parish.hants.gov.uk Test Valley Borough Council Councillor Ian Hibberd, Romsey Extra cllrihibberd@testvalley.gov.uk Councillor Alison Johnston, Romsey Extra cllrajohnston@testvalley.gov.uk If you have any news, reviews or achievements that you would like to share with the community and feature in the next newsletter please contact Russ Harvey / rharvey@testvalley.gov.uk