Latest news with #Basingstoke
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfire warning issued after blaze on common
Firefighters have warned of the risk of wildfires in warm and dry weather after a blaze in north Hampshire. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to Eversley Common, near Basingstoke, at around 16:00 BST on Saturday. Crews used beaters and hose reels to tackle the fire, which covered about five hectares of woodland and gorse. It took more than five hours, two fire engines, multiple 4×4 vehicles, water carriers and support from forces in Surrey and Berkshire to extinguish the blaze. The cause of the fire was unknown but crews from Hampshire were due to return to the site on Sunday to check for hotspots, said the fire service. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
BBC News
2 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Wildfire warning issued after blaze on Eversley Common
Firefighters have warned of the risk of wildfires in warm and dry weather after a blaze in north Fire and Rescue Service were called to Eversley Common, near Basingstoke, at around 16:00 BST on used beaters and hose reels to tackle the fire, which covered about five hectares of woodland and took more than five hours, two fire engines, multiple 4×4 vehicles, water carriers and support from forces in Surrey and Berkshire to extinguish the blaze. The cause of the fire was unknown but crews from Hampshire were due to return to the site on Sunday to check for hotspots, said the fire service. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Sun
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Our neighbour built MASSIVE home gym on drive – it'll be a nightmare for parking & endanger our kids… so we got revenge
A NEIGHBOUR row over a "dangerous" home gym has led to residents getting their revenge and the council being forced to intervene. Emma Woodley and Paul Willis have divided locals after they spent tens of thousands of pounds on the structure in Basingstoke, Hants. 3 3 3 The home gym was erected in one of the two spaces on their £440,000 property. Paul, who runs his own personal training business, believed he would be able to build the single-storey building without planning permission. But disgruntled neighbours have since called the structure "dangerous", with one resident claiming Paul and Emma now park on the corner of the road - causing visibility issues for drivers. Another local who didn't want to be named told the Mail Online: "We have already had issues and accidents because of the parking". Finally seeking revenge, complaints led to action by the local authority. Councillors rejected the pair's retrospective application on the grounds it would "set a precedent" and have ordered the structure be pulled down. Officials claimed if other residents followed suit, there could be "no other parking spaces" left on the street. Local Olivia Lucas said in a letter objecting to retrospective planning permission: "As a resident, we already have parking issues with either cars parking fully on the road and other users being unable to get past, or parking on the pavements and pedestrians routinely putting themselves, children and dogs in danger having to walk out from a blind spot behind one of these cars. "As this property has already been erected I have witnessed the danger that this owner is causing by parking their car on the road rather than on the driveway that once was (not to mention all of their client's [sic] cars on a Tuesday night). "People turning into [the road] have to use up the full width of the road because they are unable to see the any oncoming traffic due to [their] car being parked on the road and therefore a head-on collision is inevitable at some point." Your kids are breaking law if they kick their ball over neighbour's fence, High Court rules after couple sued next door But Emma, 43, has insisted she and her husband don't park on the street and instead use nearby spaces which haven't been allocated. She said: "Of the 18 that are unallocated spaces, there are five to six empty at any one time. "We didn't use both of those spaces prior to the building being built anyway, just because of the constant need to keep pulling out into a road which we didn't have good visibility to see, causing more of a hindrance to pedestrians and drivers. "There's a bend to the road and a hill, so we have to be on the road to get safe visibility about whether it's safe to move out or not." Emma also argued clients who train in the gym are asked to park in unallocated spaces nearby, rather than on the street. The devastated couple claimed their loss will have a significant impact on Paul's business. Some locals have also hit back at claims that the gym is a nuisance, with one calling the ordeal "silly" because "they are not harming anyone". Others felt the council's order was going too far and that if it's not an "eyesore" there was no reason for it to go. Emma branded the ordeal "ludicrous" and highlighted how other residents have caravans and sheds on their driveways. This comes after a woman sparked outrage after cutting down her neighbour's tree. Kelsea Jade, from the UK, took to social media, showing the tree get cut down as she explained it blocked her garden from getting any sunlight. She revealed that she had bought a south-facing property which is known to get the most sun but didn't get the positives from it. Kelsea said: "Are we crazy for paying to have our neighbours tree cut down? For reference, we have a south-facing garden and we get the sun for the majority of the day but from 2 till 5pm we don't get a single thing. "This tree completely blocks it all."
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Neighbours defend couple ordered to demolish home gym they built on their own driveway because of 'dangerous' parking situation
Neighbours have defended a couple who were ordered to tear down a home gym they built on their own driveway following complaints it would create a 'dangerous' parking situation on their estate. Paul Willis, 42, and Emma Woodley, 43, were told to remove the building - thought to be worth tens of thousands of pounds - because it would mean one of their cars would be parked on the street. But despite the issues caused by parked cars, many locals on the estate in Basingstoke, Hampshire, have 'sympathy' for the pair - and feel the council may be being 'too harsh'. Finance worker Daniel Schofield, 29, said: 'Parking is the biggest issue on this estate and that's what you will hear from a lot of people - but it's not been like that forever.' But, he felt as though the council ordering the couple to take down the home gym was going too far. He said: 'If it's thought out properly and the owners are careful, like in terms of telling people where to park, then I don't see an issue. 'If it's not an eyesore then I don't see why it can't really stay.' Mr Schofield said if the homeowners explained the parking situation to potential gym clients then it's 'not going to have much of a knock on effect'. Another neighbour, who wished to be referred to only as Matt, said while parking in the area can be 'difficult' - he thought the situation is 'stupid'. He said: 'It's not bothering anyone - it's in their garden and it's in their parking space, they can do whatever they like. 'It's silly - they are not harming anyone.' Mr Willis and Ms Woodley, who moved into the £440,000 property last year, have argued that they do not park on the street and instead use nearby unallocated spaces. They have also said they would lose substantial income if they are made to tear down the building, where Mr Willis carries out personal training sessions with clients. The couple were nevertheless denied retrospective planning permission by the council on the basis it might 'set a precedent' for other residents to do the same. 'AJ' Nair, 41, who lives on a road close to the house, said that parking has caused issues for neighbours. He said that all properties have their own designated space so it could be problematic for more visitors to park on the road. The digital designer said: 'Parking will definitely be a problem on that road. The couple argued they did not use both parking spaces before the building was constructed, due to a corner hill making visibility difficult when entering and leaving the property 'Sometimes, during the working hours, there are no cars there and it will seem pleasant - I would say it's normal. 'If people come during that time and exercise, they will park there and it wouldn't be normal there.' Another neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was concerned over the building of the home gym because of issues caused by parked cars. 'Parking round here is absolutely awful,' she said. 'It's busy now and it's the middle of the day. 'It gets really dangerous round there as people park along the edge so they can't see when you are trying to drive round from the left or right. 'One neighbour had a head on collision with someone coming round - we have already had issues and accidents because of the parking.' She said she agreed with the council that allowing the development may 'set a precedent' to others. However, Mr Willis said he researched planning rules and believed they could build the single-storey gym without needing approval by the council. It was only after building began and a complaint was made to the council, that the couple were told to put in a retrospective planning permission. A resident, who also wished to remain anonymous, said: 'Parking is an issue here. 'But, if it's in their garden and it isn't affecting anyone then I don't see a problem.' The resident said that she is aware of 'accidents and near misses' in the area due to problems created by parked cars. Another local said she had sympathy for the couple, but commented that they should have been aware of their requirement to seek correct planning permission. She said: 'I have never seen anybody get irate about parking - there always seems to be enough spaces. 'It's just each to their own. Go and fight your own battles. 'Anybody building that sort of thing should know you need planning permission. 'But, they've done it now, so let them keep it. 'I have sympathy for them.' The couple have been ordered to remove the gym and reinstate the parking area within six months, a decision Ms Woodley has described as 'ludicrous'. She added that she and her partner park a second car they own in unallocated spaces nearby. The IT manager said: 'Of the 18 that are unallocated spaces, there are five to six empty at any one time.' Ms Woodley continued: 'We didn't use both of those spaces prior to the building being built anyway, just because of the constant need to keep pulling out into a road which we didn't have good visibility to see, causing more of a hindrance to pedestrians and drivers. 'There's a bend to the road and a hill, so we have to be on the road to get safe visibility about whether it's safe to move out or not.' Ms Woodley added that the removal of the gym would have a 'significant cost impact' on the couple. Mr Willis is set to lose out on income he earns from fitness instructing if the gym is knocked down. At the planning meeting to decide if their outbuilding would be allowed, Ms Woodley said: 'It's used as a gym as my partner is a part-time personal trainer.' She said the home gym was used for personal training seven hours a week, and clients are asked to park in unallocated spaces at the nearby shops or walk to the gym rather than park in neighbouring spaces. Ms Woodley said: 'We're planning on being here until we retire. 'Obviously we will have the loss of income on a monthly basis which means that things will be a struggle, we might have to sell the property. 'We're looking at alternative options of whether there's anything we can do.' Ms Woodley suggested the couple are looking into using some space in their garden for an outbuilding, but regretted that that would make their garden smaller. 'There was no mention anywhere about the council rules around not changing the use of a parking space', she said. 'It's clearly evident when we walk around the estate, we have got people that have put sheds on their parking spaces. 'Even caravans - what's the difference between us and using it for a caravan? It just seems ludicrous.' At the planning meeting, Miss Woodley said: 'The loss of one parking space does not materially impact parking provision within the development. 'We have expressed to the planning officer that we would be willing to convert the outbuilding into a garage.' Councillor Paul Miller said that parking policies are not usually set aside when planning applications are being considered. He said: 'For retrospective applications concerning important policies, every councillor in every ward has to think three times about them. 'Parking is a national problem all over; we all know that. Another car unable to park at a property is another car that's going to be somewhere else.' Councillor Karen Watts said: 'I don't know if there is something to consider here, it could set a precedent that other people could do the same in the area and there would be no other parking spaces.' Ms Woodley said that her and her partner 'aren't parking on the road, people do park on the road, but they aren't from our house'. She claimed: 'The planning officer parked on the road outside when she came to visit and do the inspection, even though the unallocated space opposite was free.' Councillor Paul Gaskell asked planning officers whether another parking space could be made with the land the couple own. The officer said it would be the couple's responsibility as to whether this could be done. Seven councillors voted for the refusal of the application, one voted against and one abstained.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Land purchased for Basingstoke hospital construction in 2037
The chief executive of an NHS trust has said she is "delighted" that it will be able to purchase land for a new Whitfield, the head of Hampshire Hospitals, confirmed it would buy a site near junction seven of the M3 for a new facility in January she expressed "disappointment" with the government decision to delay construction until said there was no update on the date of the build, but added that that the land purchase does "at least feel like progress". Hampshire Hospitals is expected to receive at least £2bn of funding as part of the Government's New Hospital it is part of the third wave of the scheme, meaning work will not begin on the new building for at least 12 Whitfield said they needed to secure this land so that the option "doesn't disappear on us".She admitted this did not guarantee that the hospital would be built at the site."It is entirely possible that in a decades time the world might have changed a bit," she said."It's very clear that Basingstoke needs a new hospital and it will happen."She said health minister Karin Smyth visited the trust recently and confirmed it "will get built". 'Utterly bonkers' Roy Lilley, a former NHS trust boss, who is now an independent health commentator, is less optimistic and does not think the hospital will be built."It's just totally and utterly bonkers," he said, adding that the government and economy could change by 2037."The money that we are spending at the moment to prop these places up, we could actually use that money to build new hospitals," Mr Lilley said. Kit Malthouse, Conservative MP for North West Hampshire said: "Waiting until 2037 is not just unacceptable — it's senseless. "Forecasting that far ahead is unreliable; by then we'll have had three general elections and a completely different spending landscape. Delaying now risks killing the project entirely."Our population has grown and will grow further. Our existing hospital buildings at Basingstoke are outdated and under strain. "Other communities in the national programme are seeing their hospitals delivered much sooner — why not ours?" A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said: "The New Hospital Programme we inherited was undeliverable, with funding due to run out in March."This government has confirmed a funding plan and an honest, realistic timetable to put us on track to deliver the rebuild of Hampshire Hospital, and we will work closely with the trust as we progress through our delivery plan."We have also allocated £1bn to address the backlog of critical NHS maintenance and repairs to help ensure hospitals are safe and sustainable." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
