JACKIE’S
COUNTY
COLUMN
June
Thank you for your support at the local
elections. You have given me another
opportunity to represent you at the County
Council for the next four years. Perhaps we
met on the doorstep? I enjoyed talking to
you and getting out in the fresh air more!
So, with a completely new political mix, we
listened as the Chief Executive talked to old
and new councillors and I learned a few new
facts about Hampshire.
· Hampshire County Council spends around
£1m every single day on adult social care.
· School dinners are getting so popular that
the kitchens may have to be expanded to
cope!
There’s a really good news story on the
challenge of Rural Broadband. With £13.8
million in the pot for Hampshire (£5m from
the Government (BDUK), £5m from
Hampshire County Council and £3.8m from
BT), the broadband programme has begun,
to deliver 2mB broadband service to 100%
of homes in Hampshire by end 2015, not
90% by 2017 as was originally planned.
Experts tell me that the last 3.5% of homes
will be the real challenge. This is a massive
improvement for residents in the Itchen
Valley division, as many of you are in the last
rural 10%. Our local campaign persuaded
the County Council to understand that
broadband is a service as essential as clean
water.
vaccination, fluoridation and wellbeing. I
have also received support from Dr Milton,
the Director of Public Health, on the subject
of water treatment, which is an issue in rural
areas.
Energy generation is a hot topic in the
division - now there are applications for a
wind farm, an anaerobic digester, and a
solar farm in the area, and a licence for
fracking nearby! Please let me know what
you think about these technologies,
especially if you work in the industry, or if
you want details of the applications.
The county has enormous purchasing power
for electricity for street lights, public
buildings, etc., and is offering an opportunity
for householders to tap into that. Please
telephone 01962 846828 or go to
www.hants.gov.uk/switch to register your
interest with no obligation. When all the
applications are in, HCC will close the deal
for cheaper electricity, so that you get a
better deal too.
Sometimes life isn’t so easy. You may need
a little help along the way for an essential
journey, a work tool or to pay for a new car
part? Please contact me so I can put you in
touch with your local representative at the
Winchester Villages Trust, which an
excellent charity committed to helping
residents through difficult times.
Councillor Jackie Porter
e-mail: Jackie.porter@