Civil Service Sports Ground Sold

The Civil Service Sports ground has been sold by the Civil Service Sports Association. As yet the buyers are unknown. The Council has designated the land as "green space" and I have been fighting to stop housing being built on the land.

I am looking forward to hearing who the new buyers are and what their intentions are.

Recycling Bins Arrive

The new blue-lidded recyling bins have started to be delivered in Freemantle Ward this week.

Recycling Scheme To Be Introduced In July

In July Freemantle Ward residents will get their new blue lidded recycling bins for recycling tins, paper and some plastics.

The recycling bin will be collected every two weeks. The regular green lidded bin for residual waste will continue to be collected every week.

Also residents will get their free garden waste bags in July. The scheme garden waste collection will be a free service.

Residents should be receiving an information pack from the Council about how the scheme works and what can and cannot be recycled.

Hopefully we will soon get doorstep collection collection of glass as well.

Civil Service Ground Meeting

There was a meeting tonight of the Shirley and Freemantle Community Association. Unfortunately I couldn't attend but my colleague Brian Parnell went. The latest is that the land is still up for sale by its owners the Civil Service Sports Association. They are still in negotiations with a potential buyer.

Gyspy Grove Tidy Up

The Council tidied up and painted the Gyspy Grove Alleyway last year however since then it been graffitied and has one again become an eysore.

In April I asked whether the Council was interested in having a graffiti mural to discourage more vandalism. Clearly anything like this would have to be tasteful and supported by the community.

The Council's Central Neighbourhoods Partnership is now planning to do an art project, in consultation with local people, in Gypsy Grove. It is in the very early stages as yet but I would be interested in your views. The contact at the Council is Kirsten Killander (kirsten.killander@southampton.gov.uk).

Parking Problems in Cawte Road

A number of people have contacted me asking for a Residents Parking Scheme for Cawte Road.

A little over 3 years ago a survey was done of the area and the majority of people were against the introduction of permit parking. The reason was concern about loss of parking spaces on the road.

I have written to the Council's Highways department asking that they carry out another survey to ascertain peoples' views. A lot has changed in the area in the last 3 years with a lot of new development taking place.

If the majority of people favour a residents' parking scheme I will push for the Council to introduce one as soon as possible.

Waterloo Road Flats Given Go Ahead

On Tuesday I went to the Council's Planning and Rights of Way Panel to speak against a development in Waterloo Road.

The application was for an extra storey on Napoleon House and Hougoumont House.

Unfortunately the application was passed despite objections by local residents and local residents' association.

I objected on the grounds that there would be no additional parking and the the development would cause disruptions to those living in the two blocks of flats.

In 2002 planning permission was in intially refused for a 4th floor extension to Wellington Court. There was however an appeal and planning permission was granted.

The panel felt that there was no way that the application could be refused on planning grounds and reluctantly approved it.

Conditions were put on the developers. Building work will only be able to take place between 8am and 6pm on Monday - Friday and 9am - 1pm on Saturdays and at no time on Sundays or Bank Holidays. The panel specified that this should also include works confined to the inside of the buildings.