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New Community Facilities - Where? - Trevor Maroney (12th Sep 2014 - 18:09:02) The Bramshott & Liphook Parish Plan (BLPP) is nearing completion and your Steering Group has established the community’s wishes for new facilities. These include: a. A multi-purpose (one stop shop) drop-in centre; b. Leisure centre with swimming pool; c. More sports pitches – football & cricket; d. More shops, especially fashionable clothing, shoe and butchers; e. Relief road to ease congestion in the square; f. More parking spaces around the station and shopping centres; g. More local employment opportunities; h. A new business park near the A3. The questions now being asked is where, when and how big? If you are a parishioner and wish to contribute to this debate we would like to hear from you. More information on the Plan is available at www.liphookplan.co.uk or you can email tmaroney17@gmail.com. It is essential that these sites are identified before any proposed housing developments receive planning permission. If there are land owners who can offer suitable sites the Steering Group would like to hear from you too. Chairman BLPP

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Phil (12th Sep 2014 - 21:43:46) It would be really useful to have empirical evidence to accompany this. For instance, how many people expressed a preference to have a relief road to avoid the Sauare? 1,000? 500? 3?

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - stacey (13th Sep 2014 - 21:40:30) Is is great to have a wish list, but to fund all this council taxpayers would find a huge increase in their council tax! i do not think many people would vote for that! Let us be realistic on the list on how this could be achieved?

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - andy (14th Sep 2014 - 08:14:15) WHY cant the facilities we already have be improved, and wot is wrong with putting more facilities at bohunt school ie a swimming pool for which a lot of cash was raised I the early eighties. And as for the shops we can fill the ones that are already empty so WHY build new ones People need to remember this is a VILLAGE not a town

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - K (14th Sep 2014 - 09:58:48) my thoughts are there is only two that are sorta important and need to be looked at first... B - for the youth of the village, something like this is well over due and may keep the youth out of trouble...? and the other is... G - for the single parents and the young people who have left college that cant get travel out of the village...? again just my thoughts...

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Trevor Maroney (15th Sep 2014 - 17:55:13) I will try and answer some of the points raised so far: Phil: There have been several surveys conducted on behalf of the parish council dating back to the 90's. Traffic in those days was much less than it is today. We conducted our own surveys using a questionnaire entitled 'Love, Hate, Improve,' at numerous public events held within the parish in 2011. The analysis revealed that out of the 225 completed questionnaires the one that topped the list of Hates was traffic congestion/mini roundabouts with 78 responses or 35%. I'll let you do the extrapolation on an electorate of 6,800. Stacey: The view that we cannot afford new facilities has been taken in the past and very little has been done. We, on the Parish Plan Steering Group, are looking at ways and means of delivering some if not all the facilities required. We already have the cost of delivery and running costs of identical facilities elsewhere and some idea of how they raised their funding. Parishioners have told us what they WANT, now we are asking WHERE they would like them to be built. Andy: We are aware of the planned pool in the 80's, but thank you for the reminder. Bohunt is now an academy and controls its and the community facilities. We believe that any new community facilities should be managed independently. K: Thank you for your thoughts, but WHAT and WHERE should it be built? A lot of work has gone into the Parish Plan. We could have quite easily just produced a Wish List and called it a day. However we believe that the community would like to see a workable implementation plan, hence this request for your thoughts. One final comment, although I have accepted your views at face value so far I cannot do anything with them if you chose remain anonymous. Might I suggest that you email me if you are really serious about making a difference and helping us to improve life for those of us living in Bramshott & Liphook. Chairman BLPP

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - L (15th Sep 2014 - 22:09:18) Dear Trevor Sorry to be so Frank, but you absolutely are not listening to the community of Liphook. To look at such radical changes to the VILLAGE is absolutely barbaric. We do not want to be turned into a town. We do not want a new surgery, estates, housing, swimming pool and for pity's sake a relief road? Invest in the village we have instead of turning it into a town. To look at surveys of 225 people is laughable. If you want to support the village listen to us. People move here because it is supposed to be a rural village. People will move away if you turn it into a town. Listen.......

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - liz (16th Sep 2014 - 08:41:53) I have to agree with L. I know a huge amount of work has been done on the Parish Plan but you cannot extrapolate a sample of 225 to the whole village. Yes, the traffic is a nuisance but surely efforts should be concentrated on not making it worse. People I speak to are most concerned about rampant overdevelopment of the village with the number of potential sites appearing to get well out of hand. A relief road would only attract more development and in a short time the problem would be as bad as ever. As for employment sites an opportunity has already been lost on the Sainbury's site and instead we have more housing.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Andy (16th Sep 2014 - 12:56:11) How many members of the blpp have actually lived in liphook for more than 5years. We need to improve the facilities we already have and not build new ones to compete with the existing ones.And once this has been done look at replacing some of the facilities that need replacing ie build one hall in the village and have that a venue not have several scattered about as we at the moment

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Debbie (16th Sep 2014 - 14:00:59) I have lived in Liphook for over five years and would really welcome a swimming pool. Old Thorns and Forest Mere are too expensive, the pool in Haslemere, whilst being updated, is a bit grotty and the opening times aren't great if you work full time. I agree, we are a village, but a rapidly expanding village which needs facilities to support the growth.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - bdavies (16th Sep 2014 - 14:50:35) Liz, L, you should also direct your very valid concerns to EHDC who seem to have other ideas about the fate of Liphook. Call them, harass them! They think they have done their job by holding one open day. With a few hundred people out of the 1000s that live here turning up to it and with 181 expressing a preference for housing at Bohunt they probably feel it's a done deal (181 out of 6,500!). Our problem is apathy, most people don't care or can't be bothered and so the paltry cross-section advised in this thread is probably typical of the normal response and that is how things are concluded these days. We will end up with the worst of all worlds (loads of housing and no improvements) if more people do not involve themselves vocally in this important issue.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - liz (16th Sep 2014 - 15:21:59) Personally I would rather not support further growth of the village - and if the lack of a swimming pool defers a few, so be it!

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - A. Ryan (16th Sep 2014 - 16:34:36) A phrase in one of the posts by L, hit the nail on the head. \" People move here because it is supposed to be a rural village. People will move away if you turn it into a town\" Perhaps if people had not moved here we would not have needed more housing and now people wonder why the village got bigger! Liphook has not been a \"village\" for a long time. Those days have long gone , in fact I would say at least 30 years ago. Back in the 1970\'s building began in earnest, trouble was the style of housing has rather blighted Liphook. We have had many estates pop up since then, to which many who are complaining will be living in. What small village has a large Comprehensive school, two private schools, a large Sainsburys, a major Trunk road, and station. Wake up and smell the roses! We do need a relief road, the centre of Liphook needs the large vehicles taken away from the area.The children walking to school are dicing with death. We do need more facilities for the young, more places to work, more recreational facilities. Take a look at the growth around stations, Milford, Farncombe, Liss etc, our line being one of the most busiest .One must expect with a growing population that we have to adapt to other peoples needs, and not have the attitude \" not in my back garden \" Life has moved on since the \"good old days\" so we must ALL have a say on how to make Liphook a better place to live in and not digs your heels in like some.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - andy (16th Sep 2014 - 19:27:04) Liphook does need to move on but the growth needs to be regulated and controlled, and the new facilities need to replace not compete with the existing ones and need to be central to the VILLAGE. as for the kids walking to school when I went to the infants and juniors we had to cross the main A3 nowadays its just a B road, And there is 3 private schools in the village, But back to the main point is do we really need the new proposed facilities

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Karen (16th Sep 2014 - 20:14:09) Hmmm, don't have an awful lot of faith in Trevor Maroney or his Parish Plan. How many people are still left on the committee anyway? I was informed by Trevor some months ago, when I asked about empty units in Station Road, that the business potential was very poor there and it was "slim pickings" in that area of the village. I put the phone down and was flabbergasted that this man was supposed to be improving our village not frightening people away who were willing to try and bring life back into it. You could have had a new deli by now!!!

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Amy (16th Sep 2014 - 20:19:54) i too would love a swimming pool in liphook! Travel to haslemere or petersfield is very difficult when you have to rely on public transport especially with how unfriendly the station is for disabled people..

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Phil (16th Sep 2014 - 22:29:25) Many thanks for the additional detail Trevor. I appreciate the extra data, and recognise that the findings can only reflect those who actually completed a questionnaire. Having said that, 78 responses citing traffic problems out of a registered population of 6,800 does not give a mandate from which to take action on behalf of the 'missing' 6,722 who you have not heard from. And it's not the fault of those who haven't yet spoken, that is a reflection on the reach of your survey method. I would suggest the low volume of responses means the survey is in fact statistically void and should not be acted on.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - stacey (16th Sep 2014 - 23:46:37) Hi there, surely a call to the landlord of any empty property would achieve a better result? Sometimes if you ask the neighbouring property who the landlord is or if there is an estate agents board? How about the 5 petals property ? Is that empty? There are lots of boards up! I do not think that a straightforward deli without a cafe attached would make enough profit?

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Lucy (17th Sep 2014 - 06:30:56) What A.Ryan said!

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - liz (17th Sep 2014 - 08:32:33) Some of us repeatedly tried to get hold of the questionnaire without success. ... The relief road is a ridiculous idea as the only place to put one is from the Longmoor Road across Bohunt - exactly where it is not needed!

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Diane (17th Sep 2014 - 12:05:57) Well said A.Ryan. We have lived here for over 50 years and watched a village grow into a small town. The swimming pool idea was ditched because of lack of funds and a desire for squash courts.The center of the village is a big accident waiting to happen ask any of the shop keepers near the rounabouts.Perhaps we could have a swimming pool and other facilities as well as the new doctors surgery all on that piece of land !!!

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Russell (17th Sep 2014 - 13:42:57) A leisure centre with swimming pool would be excellent.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - liz (17th Sep 2014 - 16:37:57) You could build all the facilties on the Bohunt site IF 1) there was any money 2) the relief road across "that land" would make much difference (it wouldn't) 3) you don't give two hoots about the history, environment or appearance of Liphook, let alone the SDNP.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Kat (17th Sep 2014 - 19:35:00) Karen, I have to agree. I went to their site and it seems that everyone has resigned from the committee. I hear that people lack confidence in the Chairman and others. Sad but IMO it is rats deserting a sinking ship. Council tax will shoot through the roof if we have a swimming pool as they cost a fortune to run. And what on earth is a multi-purpose one stop shop drop in centre. All things to everyone but useful for none - use the Millennium Centre and save some money.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - KHacy (18th Sep 2014 - 07:37:27) Speaking of use to nobody, a surgery that no-one will build. Kat and Karen, you speak as though you have actively contributed so much in this area to our community and yet I suspect the sum total of your efforts, apart from moaning here, amounts to naff all, At least Trevor and his team have put effort into helping Liphook win a sustainable future as opposed to the alternative of unfettered over-developmnet. Kat, I also suspect that the fact that the Parish Plan seems to indicate opposition to building at Bohunt is against the position you take in the matter. Judging by your previous posts it hasn't gone unnoticed that you must have a vested interest in the site.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Karen (18th Sep 2014 - 14:11:01) I have been chair of the carnival committee for the last 8 years, organised 4 Family Fun Days and, in the recent past, have been a governor at the infant and junior school. Would say I have contributed to this village. Karen

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Trevor Maroney (18th Sep 2014 - 15:06:21) Unfortunately I cannot accept anonymous comments. If you wish your views to be taken seriously then you will have to email me with your real name, address and how long you have lived in the parish. The Plan has to be evidence based; anonymous submissions don\'t count. From the comments received so far it would appear that most of you have not read the Parish Plan before responding. Had you done so you would know that within the next 14 years there will be at least a further 799 houses in the village. This will mean a population increase of almost 2,000 and another 1,180 cars. Add to that the 4,000 more houses in Whitehill and Bordon with a further 5,500+ cars there will be a bigger increase in traffic flows, particularly through the Square, by commuters wishing to reach the Station or Haslemere. Therefore the \'do nothing option\' which some of you advocate is most unwise in our view. Just to clarify, the requirement for a Drop-in Centre is to address social care issues. The thinking behind it being multi-purpose is based on the requests for larger facilities for the elderly and disabled (the Peak Centre is full to capacity with a continuous waiting list); the need for a job search centre for the unemployed; a place for carers to meet more regularly; similarly single mothers; and a permanent youth club. It would be a building with professional help and advisers available or on call. Other caring communities have already introduced similar facilities. Now, to return to the question, where should the facilities listed be located? My thanks to those of you who have already written to me. Chairman BLPP

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Dawn Hoskins (18th Sep 2014 - 15:46:17) With respect to all people contributing to this thread, I think you are misunderstanding the point of the Parish Plan. These plans came about as a result of government initiatives into Community Led Planning. This enabled those people living in a certain community to have a say in the future rather than it being led simply by developer’s applications and the Planning department’s reactions to those plans submitted. Usually a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. EHDC departments are not full of local people and therefore have no insight as to local feeling, and these plans are simply a way to present the opinion of local people so decisions made are not so far detached from local views. From the commencement of the Parish Plan, there have been constant calls for help and input, at most local events there has been a gazebo up giving out information and leaflets. If you are a local person and have not seen it – I am amazed – and if you are local and have an opinion but have not contributed then it is a bit late now to claim that you are not represented. The Parish gives local, people a chance to say what they think about the issues affecting them and how they would like the local environment it to develop. Then, when we are looking at developers contributions and so on, the decision makers at the top of the chain, can see clearly what is needed and what is NOT wanted, and they can more accurately allocate funds to the right areas. The volunteers running the Parish Plan are not suggesting the village is expanded and built all over. Nothing of the sort. That is not the purpose of the plan at all. The plan is simply the gathering of local opinion in a format that can be presented to decision makers when they are looking at the planning in our village. It is a respected document which is held by hundreds of counties and parishes across the country and on which planning authorities find very helpful when looking at education, environment, housing, infrastructure, planning, transport and social services. Your opinions are being constantly sought – you CANNOT do this by posting on talkback, you CAN do this by sending your opinions to the right place. If therefore you feel your view is not represented, you should make sure it is and that means sending your view to the correct place, or even, going to a meeting.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Kat (18th Sep 2014 - 19:37:11) "If you are a parishioner and wish to contribute to this debate we would like to hear from you" You hear from us, we give opinions, questions are answered by the Chairman himself, and now Dawn Hoskins, a councillor, tells us "You CANNOT do this by posting on talkback". In my opinion, I don't think this sort of approach will result in any more people going to Parish Plan or even Parish Council meetings. Only to be expected, and as they say in Dragon's Den, I'm out.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Katy (18th Sep 2014 - 20:20:09) If only Kat , if only

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Dawn Hoskins (19th Sep 2014 - 11:19:40) More information on the Plan is available at www.liphookplan.co.uk or you can email tmaroney17@gmail.com. Of course journalists from the Tindle group probably have a vested interest and may not want to give their names......... but if you wish to add to the actual parish plan then this is where you go - to give your real name - real contact details and what your opinion is.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - A. Ryan (19th Sep 2014 - 12:12:55) There are some with very sharp tongues on here, be careful when you close your mouths.!

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Trevor Maroney (20th Sep 2014 - 12:59:53) We are still looking for practical solutions. Does anyone else have something to offer to this debate? Since I now know some of you, I can begin to incorporate your views within the Plan. Thank you. Chairman BLPP

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Caroline (20th Sep 2014 - 22:37:37) I agree with a Ryan I have lived in liphook my entire life we are not a village and haven't been for a long I'm sorry but we do need the extra housing as no one wants to swap to a flat and I need to up size desperately and we do need something that will cater for work as I'm struggling to find anything as I don't drive it's time to look at the bigger picture this place is growing and there really isn't a thing anyone can do we just have to accept it and yes a swimming pool would be nice

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - andy (21st Sep 2014 - 09:26:15) we need new social or council housing to replace the ones sold off in the past, these need to be for locals only so liphook can keep its history. if there is a need for such things as a swimming pool and new community facilities these should be considered very carefully as for where they will be placed.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - stacey (21st Sep 2014 - 21:33:46) I am afraid that the new housing planned would not mean much more in terms in affordable housing? Have you enquired on the new estate Maple Park, whether any is affordable housing?

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Caroline (22nd Sep 2014 - 15:33:44) 11 percent has to be allocated as council and radian have taken the 2 bedrooms

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Woo (22nd Sep 2014 - 16:09:44) I agree the village could do with a decent gym - the one at Bohunt School has a lot to be desired!

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Trevor Maroney (24th Sep 2014 - 11:05:51) Whilst most comments seem to confirm the need for new facilities there has been no steer on where they should be built. If you have a view them please let us know. Chairman BLPP

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - A. Ryan (24th Sep 2014 - 11:52:32) Well I think it is obvious. The Bohunt Land. Make this area the place for new homes, new sports, health and leisure facilities. A new road to take traffic away from the centre, one that could be accessed from the Headley Road end. Nobody can argue the problems at rush hour . It has to be one of the most dangerous areas at the time the school kids come through. Better use of the centre for shops, ones that are useful. We do have too many hairdressers and estate agents and oddball, pointless shops. Why Liphook struggles with what to do with shopping area's is beyond me. Look at Weyhill and Haslemere, they co exist. I think more use could be made of the Millenium Hall. It should be used to maximum capacity. The police end could be also used for things like legal aid, etc to keep it in constant use. So much could be done with some forethought and talking to developers and locals . Making sure that things are built sympathetically and to a pleasing standard, retaining trees where possible and replanting so future generations do not have eyesores to inherit.

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - Caroline (24th Sep 2014 - 12:44:33) How about looking at the Bohunt manor land again as proposed the sports pitches were going up and not being funny may be stop putting retirement villages up that realistically unless ur loaded u can't move to or looking at one of the fields behind Bohunt acadamey although I'm sure they will be asking for more land soon as I hear another 2 blocks are going up ??

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - kayleigh (24th Sep 2014 - 17:29:19) dear trevor, i work with some of the youth of liphook and they have said to me 'theres nothing for them to do in liphook' so i have been thinking... as quite afew people have also said (including myself) about a swimming pool and a leisure centre to be built in liphook but where...? i dont no if you know the old paper factory (i think it was) it had a fire a there a couple of years ago...?its behind the row of shops down station road, its a nice size plot for a such a building to be built with space for car parking...? i dont know much about it so someone would have to look into it...but its some where that it could go up without upsetting anyone from 'building somewhere new' as we would just be recycling a building...? just my thoughts...

Re: New Community Facilities - Where? - stacey (24th Sep 2014 - 17:53:15) Unfortunately Caroline, building all over Bohunt Manor Land will not stop building in other parts of Liphook, possibly it would envourage building on the righthand side of the Longmoor Road. Only some land has been designated to be gifted to the Football club nothing more. No facilities have been built yet, yet the first attempt to get a plan through for Bohunt was in 2005, that was ten years ago.the Medical Centre has not been built yet, neither has the promised allotments. All that has happened is that GERIWELL INVESTMENTS made a lot of money by getting the planning permission for sports and medical facilities through, then they sold the land. GVI is backed by some wealthy chinese /overseas investors, do you think they are going to ensure that facilities are built? of course not!

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