The meeting at Harnham Club on Friday was packed, attended by some 100 – 120 local Residents.  People expressed their anger at the proposals, which if implemented, would turn Netherhampton Rd into Southampton Rd.

Well over £100 was raised at the meeting, which will be used for printing costs for a leaflet, which will be delivered to all Harnham Residents.  A Committee of volunteers was also formed at the meeting.  These volunteers will oversee the running of leaflet distribution and any future events.

Residents were also encouraged to attend the Area Board meeting on September 3rd at the City Hall.  The start time is likely to be 6pm, but this is yet to be confirmed.

Due to requests from residents, a public meeting has been called to further discuss the Boundary issue.  A second letter to residents has now been delivered. 

A petition will also be launched at the meeting.

The meeting will be on:

Wednesday July 23rd

St Georges Hall, Lower St.

7.30pm – 8.45pm.

Tea & Coffee will be available.

The public consultation has now commenced, until August 25th.  Everyone is encouraged to write or email the Boundary Committee, address below, and make representation.  They will not take into account that you just “Object”.  You must include “Community identity” in your comments, such as:

• We will be isolated if we move into another division
• We will lose our identity
• Our children use Harnham Schools
• St Georges Church, West Harnham.  12th Century
• Old Mill.  12th Century

These are just some of the ‘local’ points that could be used in your comment to the Boundary Committee.  Please see letter for further information.  If you did not receive a copy, or would like one, then please contact me.

The Boundary Committee contact details are:

Review Officer, Wiltshire Review, The Boundary Committee for England, Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, LONDON, SW1P 2HW.  email:  reviews@boundary committee.org.uk

Well, what a turn out!  At the unveiling of Susan Harris’s Memorial Bench & Plaque at the Old Mill this morning, 10th April, some 40-50 people attended in brilliant sunshine.

After Rev’ Scrace Blessed the Bench, the unveiling was performed by Susan’s closest friends from the Sarum St Michael College, along with family members.

Everyone then retired to the garden of The Old Mill for refreshments, kindly provided by the Old Mill.  Many ‘yesteryear conversations’ then took place among the many reunited friends.

Salisbury Journal video:  http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/videonews/index.var.25805.0.0.php

Journal report: http://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/journalnewsindex/display.var.2197045.0.heroine_teacher_honoured.php

Vision News Video: http://www.vision-news.tv/

Developer contributions from the former Wellworthy site on Netherhampton Rd, has been made available to West Harnham.  The monies, about £12,500, must be used on transportation issues only.  Murial and I have requested that the money is used to upgrade many of our busy Bus Stops to RTPI – Real Time Passenger Information.  Bus users will see in real time when the Bus is due, counting down from 20minutes.

The first priority is the stop on Netherhampton Rd, near to Upper St, as this is the nearest stop to the development.  We have requested a new RTPI flag pole stop here.  We are hoping that some of the other stops will have a RTPI unit fixed to lamp posts, where Bus Stops are. 

We have campaigned since 2003 on this issue, after discovering that the previous administration had omitted West Harnham from the scheme!  We were successful in campaigning for two new shelters in the Essex Square & Norfolk Rd area.  These are to be upgraded to include RTPI in our proposals.

Details will be posted when officers come back with costings to our request.

The Environment Agency flood scheme for West Harnham, which was given planning permission last year, has now been allocated its funding. 

The scheme has now been modified and will be slightly smaller than the one first proposed.  

An exhibition of the modified proposals took place on November 9th at the Rose & Crown Hotel and was very well attended by local people.

A revised planning application will come to City Area Committee, probably in February.  Works are likely to commence, if approved, in the spring.

For further information, please see http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/1899197

The bravery of a young 20 year old girl is to be remembered at the Old Mill.  When the Town Path is finally resurfaced, a memorial bench & plaque will be installed near to the scene of a tragic accident near Rose Cottage in 1966.

Susan Harris, from Rame in Cornwall, was a student at Sarum St Michael College, in the Close.  On Wednesday March 16th, at around 4.15pm, Susan was on a cycle ride along Town Path, when she was alerted that someone had fallen into the turbulent waters at the Old Mill.  Susan bravely swam the treacherous water to reach the 9 year old boy who had fallen in.  She grabbed hold of him, but both were pulled under the water, which was very deep in places, with strong undercurrents.

The boy was eventually pulled from the water by a 14 year old Harnham boy. 

Susan’s body was recovered some 300 yards away the following day.

I tracked down Susan’s Aunt, Mrs Joan Griffiths, who still lives in the Rame area.  She is over the moon at having a memorial plaque & bench for Susan.  Mrs Griffiths has also put me in touch with two of Susan’s friends, Helen & Victor Flute.  Helen was at the college with Susan and Victor was engaged to Susan at the time of the tragedy.

Both have agreed to come and unveil the bench & plaque, probably in either February or March.

The memorial bench will be poignant gesture to make sure Susan’s bravery is not forgotten at the Town Path.

A memorial window is above the entrance to the Cathedral.  The window was paid for by students from the college at the time.  The design by John Hutton, was chosen by Susan’s friends.

I have now been advised by the county council that the Town Path is to be resurfaced in January!  The ball is now in their court.  I am still pushing them to renew all the lighting along here.

I have been on site along Town Path with district council Parks officers to discuss benches & litter bins here.  All bins and benches are to be replaced with new ones.  There will be about 12 new seats and one new Memorial bench along Town Path, with 4 new litter bins.  These will all go in after resurfacing.

After many years of campaigning by Murial and I, we have at last secured the funding to get this very important link to be fully extended up to the sports fields at the Cattle Market from West Harnham.  The work should start in the new year, but a date is yet to be set.  It is hoped that the works will be complete by the summer 2008.

Please click here to read the Minutes: http://documents.salisbury.gov.uk/council/committees/City-Area-Community-Committee/2007-10-02/M-2007-10-02.pdf