Property Management

Jackie's County Corner

Merry Christmas! Thank you for your comments about recycling following November’s County Corner. I’ll return to Recycling in the New Year.

2021 hasn’t been easy, and many of us haven’t been ‘boosted’ yet to protect ourselves from Covid 19 because of our beliefs, or our age or the venue for the vaccination. I urge you to take up the offer of the booster as soon as you can. If you need help to reach the vaccination centre and don’t know how you are going to get there, please let me know. I can signpost you to organisations that can help.

Hopefully, though you have enjoyed some good times in 2021. Quizzes were one way we have kept in touch with friends, both in our local Pub and on zoom. A recent Quiz round was COP-In or COPOut? What CoP26 promises would you have made? You can see more questions at www.carbonbrief.org/the-carbonbrief-quiz-2020

It set me thinking about my Carbon Plan towards ‘net-zero by 2030’. Have you got a Personal Carbon Plan? Does it involve using less electricity, generating more energy, driving less, and driving more slowly, walking more, no more plane journeys, substituting the car for a bus ride, insulating your home, eating less?

I’d be interested to hear how you are making changes to your lifestyle to tackle Climate Change: you can see more ideas on www. newleafalresford.org or www.winacc.org.uk I’ll be sharing thoughts for PCP’s in a future County Corner.

I recently joined in a call on ‘Community Preparedness’, primarily in case of flooding and the results of other terrible weather, with HCC and the Environment Agency. To register for Floodline warnings (though not Stormwater notifications) go to www.gov.uk/check-flooding or call 0345 988 1188.

A really good idea is to create a ‘grab bag’: a simple plastic wallet containing copies of all the necessary paperwork to enable you to deal with life if your home is consumed by flooding or any other emergency. By keeping this near your front door, you will better prepared to deal with any scenario which needs you to leave your home in a hurry. It will be reassuring to know that you have the paperwork at hand in a crisis!

If you need me urgently over the Christmas period, please call 01962 791054 (with ansaphone). I look forward to talking with you again in the New Year. Jackie Porter, Jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk, text 07973 696 085

Father Christmas is Coming To Alresford!

Wednesday, December 8th from 6.15pm in Broad Street. 2020 was quite a challenge for the big fella. What with Rudolph self-isolating and social distancing measures he had to ask the Alresford Pigs to devise a cunning plan to get around all the children in town resulting in his ‘Grand Tour Of Alresford’. Thankfully this year we’re back to normal and we’ll be giving him a warm welcome as he arrives in some strange or magical way. Over the years he’s achieved this in increasingly wonderful ways but how will he do it in 2021? It’s the best-kept secret of the year so to find out, make sure you’re there!

Once he’s arrived, Santa heads for his grotto to meet ALL the children and give every single one of them a FREE Christmas Present. WOW!

Here’s what’s happening. Don’t be late! 6.15pm Lead up to the Arrival of Father Christmas with community carol singing 7.00pm Father Christmas will arrive in the town 7.15pm - 8.30pm Children visit Santa in his grotto where presents will be handed out 6pm - 9pm Late night shopping

The Arrival Of Father Christmas is organized by the Alresford Pigs Association and the Alresford Christmas Tree Committee The Alresford Pigs Association is a registered charity (charity no. 1163001). More information can be found at www.alresfordpigs.org or for an immediate request for support call the Pigs Helpline: 01962 658961

Your local Age UK charity shop team need your support.

I am writing to you on behalf of the Age UK shop at Alresford (21A Broad street Alresford SO24 9AR). We find it increasingly difficult to get good quality stock donations to sell in our shop and are hoping we can encourage people to bring in their donation and help support us at Age UK. We are looking for quality unwanted items such as clothing; shoes; bags and bric a brac. We raise at least £20 from each donated bag of stock we receive. This could help us further by gift aiding their donation.

If you would be interested in helping promote donating to your local Age UK shop With the money raised for Age UK, we are able to provide the following: • £5 could pay for a cheerful call to someone who is desperately lonely from one of our amazing befrienders or £5 could pay for vital help and information from our advice line, supporting a lonely older person to make the most of later life.

• £10 could pay for a volunteer to pop over for a cuppa or take someone who is alone out for a drink or £10 could pay for an older person to get help with simple but essential jobs around the home, from a friendly volunteer.

• £20 could pay for an older person to spend a day at their local

Age UK centre and enjoy a hot lunch, activities and the chance to meet new friends or £20 could pay for a month of weekly friendship calls to one of the million desperately lonely people in the UK.

• £50 could pay for 2 older people to enjoy return transport and a healthy meal at a local Age UK lunch club and socialise with others. As you can see from the above, donations help us find practical solutions to help older people enjoy later life. Age UK relies heavily on the support and goodwill of the community and if this is something you feel you could support us with that would be much appreciated.

Yours sincerely, Shop Manager Age UK Alresford.

Deck the halls…

A huge thank you for all your custom and support this year. Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas! From, Philip & Joanna

W W W . N O N Y K E R R - S M I L E Y . C O M

As the festive season approaches, we wish you a Merry Christmas from the Kerr-Smileys!

During this year, we have found buyers for almost 50 properties, and have offered a totally different quality of agency based on quality of service and values.

O Ou ur r e et th ho os s i is s t to o t ta ai il lo or r o ou ur r s se er rv vi ic ce e t to o o ou ur r c cl li ie en nt ts s’ individual needs, which is never one size fits all, and our clients’ testimonials attest to this being a welcome and refreshing approach.

If you are thinking of selling your home in 2022, and would like to chat about how we would represent your home in the market, please contact us!

Here’s just some of the properties for which we have found buyers in 2021:-

N O N Y K E R R - S M I L E Y

+ 4 4 ( 0 ) 7 7 1 2 6 4 8 7 4 0 n o n y @ n o n y k e r r - s m i l e y. c o m

S A M K E R R - S M I L E Y

+ 4 4 ( 0 ) 7 8 0 1 0 5 6 7 8 4 s a m @ n o n y k e r r - s m i l e y. c o m

S e l l i n g P r o p e r t y w i t h H o n e s t y & I n t e g r i t y f o r o v e r 2 0 Ye a r s

Winchester Councillors Report

Russell Gordon -Smith Margot Power Tel: 01962 733219 Tel: 01962 734167

Work on the long-awaited car park on the Dean continues but there are challenges; the owners quite understandably wish to maximise the return on ownership, whereas we want to maximise the car spaces available without affecting residents. The addition of another 300+ traffic movements at the Pound Hill /West Street will make the junction more of a problem. The roundabout at Sun Hill is likely to cause a reduction of movement down Jacklyns Lane, which will make it hard to predict what form of traffic controls be successful. Another concern is the lack of local premises for those businesses that would need to move out of Alresford due to lack of alternative premises – until employment space at Sun Lane becomes available.

Traffic Speed - Some 20 years ago the causeway between New and Old Alresford was closed to vehicles, due to a deep crack in the roadway. (It turned out to be but a deep crack in the tarmac and not the earthworks giving way). The closing of the road was a revelation, over two weeks people were able to cycle or walk and enjoy the view of the lake along a length of road which is usually a race track, though nominally a 30 limit. What if this experience could be repeated more widely? What if people did not always have to defer to the motor vehicle?

Excessive speed on country roads and through the villages and towns are a perpetual menace. Hampshire CC (HCC) have been very reluctant to introduce more 20mph limits or to expand the existing ones. HCC policy on this matter was stated in a reply to the Pennington and Lymington Lanes Society, whose request for Quiet Lanes was turned down, “it is to support traffic management measures where evidence clearly indicates that it will offer direct benefits in terms of road casualty reduction.” So, if nobody dies, nothing happens.

The neighbouring county of Dorset is more receptive to this idea. A recent report on this topic by Dorset CC includes - The Department of Transport encourages highway authorities to introduce 20mph limits in urban areas and village streets where “there are or – could be – significant numbers of journeys on foot and where pedal cycle movements are an important consideration, and this outweighs the disadvantage of longer journey times for motorised traffic.”

Another possible approach is the introduction of ‘Quiet Roads’, an idea promoted by the CPRE. Quiet Lanes are minor rural roads, typically C or unclassified routes, which have been designated by local highway authorities to pay special attention to the needs of walkers, cyclists, horse riders and other vulnerable road users, and to offer protection from speeding traffic. Some counties, Kent and Norfolk have had pilot projects running for decades. In Kent 86% of residents were in favour of the concept 2 years after the introduction.

The Transport Act 2000 contains provisions which give local highway authorities the power to designate certain roads, for which they are responsible as Quiet Lanes, and has given the term ‘Quiet Lane’ legal status. These provisions were an amendment to the Transport Bill and came as a result of lobbying from CPRE, the Children’s Play Council, Transport 2000 and the Local Government Association. So far Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Cheshire, Gloucestershire and Norfolk have picked up on the idea.

A recent survey in Alresford has shown widespread support for 20 mph limits on residential roads, but would Quiet Lanes suit villages better?

Please let us know your views on these topics.

Beware of scams

Scams are criminal tricks, designed to deceive people, to gain access to their money, possessions or personal details. Scammers are taking advantage of people’s fear – particularly during Covid – so don’t be caught out!

Tips on spotting scams: 1. Being rushed in to making a decision – any good tradesperson / organisation will give you time to think about something and will not expect a decision straight away 2. Too good to be true – if it is an unbelievably good deal, it could be a scam 3. Asking for cash upfront – never give bank details or money up front, genuine companies may ask for a deposit once a contract has been signed, but will not ask for full payment

Scams to be aware of: • Tradesperson scams – doorstep cold caller, offering to clean your driveway, patio or paths; make repairs to your home; and/or offering to tidy your garden • Telephone scams – offering refunds you are not expecting or threatening legal action – such as Council Tax and HM Revenue &

Customs • Financial scams – telephone call or doorstep cold caller, pretending to be your bank, mortgage company or insurance provider asking for bank details or security passwords • Courier fraud – telephone call or doorstep cold caller, claiming to be the Police or other law enforcement agency, persuading you to withdraw money from your bank • Post / parcel scams – a text message or email, claiming to be from the Royal Mail or a parcel company, asking you to pay for redelivery of a missed / failed delivery • Covid-19 doorstep scam – doorstep cold caller, looking to gain access to your property, claiming to be carrying out Covid testing on behalf of the NHS or your GP

You can contact Denise, Alresford’s Community Information Volunteer, on 07969 376023 or enquiries@ageconcernhampshire. org.uk

ALRESFORD

Introducing Aidan…

“I am delighted to be part of the Charters’ Alresford branch, leading the team within a community we all have a proud affiliation with. I am Hampshire through and through; growing up here and attending a local school and college, my family and I have also recently settled in a local village close to Alresford.

The team all have one thing in common, a commitment to provide this beautiful market town with accurate property market information. After experiencing an incredibly strong October month, we continue to witness a high level of activity and it is clear that there are still genuine, motivated buyers searching for their next home. If you are thinking about selling your home, please talk to us and we can arrange a free home valuation on your behalf.” To talk to Aidan or any other member of the Alresford team, please call us on 01962 734633 or email us on alresford@chartersestateagents.co.uk. alresford@chartersestateagents.co.uk LOCAL | INDEPENDENT | AWARD-WINNING

BEST ESTATE AGENCY 2021-22

Charters Alresford is proud to be taking part in Mission Christmas…

The office on West Street is an official Mission Christmas drop off point. Visitors can leave an extra Christmas present and they will make sure it is given to a disadvantaged child so they wake up to a gift on Christmas morning. All gifts should be new and unwrapped. On behalf of Mission Christmas, thank you for helping the children that need it most this Christmas. alresford@chartersestateagents.co.uk.