Published: 10 April 2025
The Annual Parish meeting is on 24th April at 7pm in the small room at Itchen Abbas and Avington Village Hall. There will be drinks and nibbles. This is your chance to hear what your Parish Council has done in the last year, ask us your questions and this year especially hear about the latest plans for Couch Green. John Beresford will be giving a presentation on this project. Please look at the latest plans on the centre pages. There are some notable changes from the plans that were shown in The Valley News last year.
Thank you to all who took part in the Litter Pick on 15th March. It was a sunny day and good to see some new faces joining in this annual event. The quantity of litter was greater than ever (see the photo below). There were a surprising number of broken bits of, car bumpers mud guards and especially wing mirrors. Empty drinks cans in profusion were a feature and not for the first time sadly. So much so that the suggestion has been made that the likes of Red Bull and Coca Cola should sponsor Keep Britain Tidy’s “Great British Spring Clean” campaign. A very good idea that will be passed onto all parties concerned. Thank you to the ladies who once again provided tea, coffee and cakes at the end; very much needed and appreciated. Thank you to the five who manned and organised everybody at the meeting points. Most of all a very big thank you to Paul Moffatt for organising the whole event. It is not just a case of what happens on the day but considerable time has to be spent beforehand on publicity, filling in all the right forms, collecting Pick Sticks, Hi-vis Vests and bin bags, and afterwards collecting up the filled bags, and the equipment, returning it and organising collection of the rubbish. One extra bit of preparation this year, was having to produce risk assessments to comply with our public liability insurance. Our new Clerk, Victoria, efficiently produced a condensed version, which some may have seen if they requested it. Your chairman produced a longer (very much longer) version to cover all potential risks with the aim of satisfying the insurance company. It was based on a comprehensive template provided by The Keep Britain Tidy Campaign. Adaption did allow some parts to be discarded. The section advising to check sea state and consulting tide tables in advance was discarded, as was what action to take should someone be stung by a Portuguese Man of War! What to do in the event of finding an unexploded piece of ordinance (a live shell or perhaps a stray Russian drone) has been retained, but giving greater emphasis on prioritising contacting the emergency services immediately, rather than letting Keep Britain Tidy know!
The Parish Council together with the Old School Field Trust (or more correctly called The Macpherson- Easton School Field Trust) has been looking at improving the small area of land between the Old School Field and Church Lane in Easton. This land was given by the late Gordon Macpherson some years ago. The aim is to integrate it with the Old School Field to provide a “grassed woodland play area”. Similarly to the project at Couch Green a topographical survey will be needed before any detailed plans can be drawn up. This has been agreed and at last some progress should be made concerning this piece of land.
Hope to see as many Valley Residents as possible on 24th April.
