East Hants & Havant District Group

by John Venning

Our volunteers have been heavily involved in the vital work of supporting the campaign for the South Downs National Park, which is dealt with elsewhere in this newsletter. Nonetheless they found time to do a few other things as well!

We had a good day at the Alton Show, having a lot of useful conversations with supporters and would-be supporters. We got a few recruits from it but the main thing was to be there. Following the example of other districts, we held a party for new members at the Napiers' house in June. Turn-out was high on quality but not on quantity. We also held a most enjoyable but not especially profitable Gardeners' Question Time in Selborne at the beginning of September. Debs Goodenough, who runs the gardens at Osborne, Rosemary Alexander, of Chelsea Physic Garden and Rosemary Casson, who has gardened in South Africa and Hampshire, all gave us their time and skills for love. We are very lucky and very grateful.

We contributed to Branch activity in support of Local Foods, roadside clutter and the South East Plan. On our own account, we are supporting Town Design Statements in Petersfield and Alton with both labour and a certain amount of expertise. We are also involved in the construction of the Local Development Frameworks in Havant and East Hants. The latter exercise is made more fun by the government who, as governments do, change the rules as they go along, to try to get the planning system to do what they want it to.

Our major fund-raising event this year will be a joint one with our counterparts in CPRE W Sussex. It will be in the autumn at Ditcham Barn, which Margaret and Jeremy Oates have generously lent us for the occasion. More later on this.

This page updated 9th April 2008
© Copyright. CPRE Hampshire, 2008. All Rights Reserved.