Fury as Lib Dems Jump the Gun

Eastleigh Lib Dems' local plan consultation got off to a dodgy start this evening. Despite advertising a meeting to start at 7:00pm (see extract from Autumn Borough News, left), Eastleigh Lib Dems decided to kick off soon after 6:00pm.

There has been criticism of previous consultations that they were not adequately publicised. It's a major own goal when the Lib Dems contrive to make their own house publication inaccurate and untrustworthy.

A Hedge End resident who wanted to speak at tonight's meeting was furious that they had been deprived of the opportunity because they believed what was in Borough News and so turned up too late. They told me they felt the democratic credentials of the consultation process had been questioned by the council cock up. So much for Lib Dem transparency when residents are told to turn up when most of the debate was over.

Developers Annexe Hedge End Grass Verge

Linden Homes are allowing their contractors to use the grass verge along Turnpike Way as a convenient car park, unloading yard and general extension of their development site. Contractors including Kamm Civil Engineering, Reywell Daggert and SSE have been parking their cars, vans, trucks and other equipment on ground that is getting softer with the recent rain.

According to the site plan at the entrance to the development there is a car park off the road that they should be using. The grass verge is a public amenity, does not belong to Linden Homes and they have no right to use it in this antisocial way.

This was confirmed by the leader of Eastleigh Borough Council and member of Hedge End Town Council, Cllr Keith House, when Cllr Jenny Hughes and I raised it as an issue at September's meeting of the Town Council. Cllr House said he would "chase it". That was back on 18 September. These photos were taken on 2 October.