Latest news with #TestValleyBoroughCouncil
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Test Valley parks retain national award for green space excellence
Two Test Valley parks have once again earned national recognition for their high standards. Valley Park Woodlands in Chandler's Ford and Romsey's War Memorial Park have each retained the Green Flag Award, a national benchmark for well-managed green spaces. Councillor Phil North, leader of Test Valley Borough Council, said: "Our parks are a source of real pride in Test Valley – not just for the council, but for the communities who use and care about them. "To have retained these Green Flag Awards yet again is a fantastic achievement and reflects the commitment of our staff and volunteers who work year-round to keep our green spaces thriving." Test Valley parks retain national Green Flag Award (Image: Test Valley Borough Council)READ MORE: Plans submitted for 33-acre solar farm that would power 1,000 homes The awards recognise spaces that are welcoming, safe, and well-maintained. Councillor Alison Johnston, portfolio holder for climate emergency and countryside, said: "Retaining the Green Flag Award year after year is a real testament to the teams and volunteers who work so hard to keep them at their best."
The Guardian
30-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Council recognises right of River Test to flow unimpeded and unpolluted
The right of a famous chalk stream, the Test in Hampshire, to flow freely and unpolluted has been officially recognised by politicians. Councillors on Test Valley borough council voted unanimously to acknowledge 'the intrinsic rights' of the rivers within its boundaries including the Test, which is renowned for its trout and fly fishing. It means councillors and officials will have to keep the Test front and centre when making decisions on planning, land use, water management and biodiversity. Members of the Tory-led council promised to support efforts by citizens to monitor the Test and ask the UK government to publish an annual 'state of the rivers' report to track progress in protecting river ecosystems. Geoff Cooper, a Liberal Democrat councillor who put forward the motion to recognise the Test's rights, said rivers were one of the country's greatest assets. He said: 'It is our duty to protect those for future generations to come. It is not just sewage that endangers our rivers, there is the impact of road runoff, the impact of agriculture, the impact of planning and development. It is not just about pointing your fingers at the water company, it is all the factors that endanger our rivers.' There are only about 200 chalk streams in the world. The 39-mile Test is important for Atlantic salmon, while birds such as kingfishers marsh harriers and little grebes live on and around it. Parts of the stream, which flows from chalk downs into Southampton Water, are ideal for watercress growers. The Test featured in Richard Adams' novel Watership Down, in which some of the rabbits flee down the stream on a punt. Cooper said biodiversity in and around the stream had declined dramatically over the last few decades. When he used to drive alongside the riverbanks a quarter of a century ago, his car windscreen would be covered by insects, he said. On the way to the meeting at which the rights of the Test were ratified there were hardly any, though it is high summer. He described this as a red flag. The motion was seconded by Janet Burnage, another Lib Dem, who said: 'We live in one of the most beautiful areas of the English countryside. We should and must be proud of this. Without the River Test, its tributaries and all the other rivers that flow through Test Valley, we would not have the wonderful bounty of nature around us.' Other local authorities around the world have begun to afford rivers official rights and the supporters of the Test hope the new initiative will inspire even more. The Earth Law Center, a US charity, championed the idea of giving nature a voice in the legal system, allowing it to defend its rights just as people can. In 2017, New Zealand granted legal personhood to the Whanganui River in the North Island. This year Lewes district council in East Sussex produced a rights of river charter to help protect the River Ouse. The Test motion says the river should have 'the right to flow – unimpeded, seasonal, and natural; the right to perform essential functions within the ecosystem; the right to be free from pollution and contamination.'
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Thatched cottage's previous owners were 'surprised and 'disappointed' when 300-year-old local landmark was torn down as they reveal: 'We didn't sell it to be demolished'
The previous owners of a 300-year-old cottage that was mysteriously demolished have revealed they are disappointed by the decision. Villagers have been left baffled by the identity of a local homeowner who employed a 'rough' gang of workers to demolish a beloved local landmark. The previous owners of the 17th century home in the village of Nursling, near Southampton in Hampshire was an estates company linked to a philanthropic organisation, the Barker-Mill Foundation. They sold the property along with a parcel of land which had full planning permission for another dwelling in April of this year. But an anonymous source from the foundation told MailOnline that they were surprised by the decision of the property's new owners and revealed this was never their intention. Neighbours said they first believed workers were coming in to re-thatch the roof of the two-bedroom historic property and were shocked when a JCB digger arrived instead. Test Valley Borough Council said they had not been made aware of plans to tear down the two-bedroom home and have now launched an investigation in to the demolition. Locals in Nursling, near Southampton in Hampshire, said the 17th century property was regarded as the 'hallmark' of their parish and was even featured on the front cover of a local history book. The previous owners of the 17th century two bedroom home in the village of Nursling, near Southampton in Hampshire had sold the property with full planning permission in April Residents have said they were shocked by the destruction with some even calling for those responsible to be 'locked up' with others confessing they felt robbed of a piece of their local history. And it seems those linked with the property are in agreement. They told MailOnline: 'We sold it with planning permission for a building plot to the cottage. 'We didn't sell it to be demolished. We were, dumbfounded is too strong, but highly surprised and slightly disappointed it was knocked down.' The last planning application in relation to the cottage was submitted to the council in 2022, seeking to build a new home on the land next to the cottage. This application was approved by Test Valley, but no work has yet started on the separate dwelling. Planning portfolio holder, Councillor Phil Bundy, said: 'I was made aware on Sunday evening that Wychwood Cottage had been demolished at the weekend. 'Test Valley Borough Council was not notified of this work in advance. One residents said she saw a gang of 'rough' men come over to start work but hadn't expected anything as drastic as a demolition and added there were no signs to warn residents 'Whilst the cottage was not a listed building, TVBC is currently investigating the matter. 'This includes establishing whether the owners followed the correct planning procedures, and the council is in contact with them to understand why it was demolished.' One neighbor who wished to remain anonymous, who lives opposite where Wychwood Cottage once stood described how a gang of 'rough' men come over to start work on the house and that within two days it had been demolished. The 39-year-old said: 'They looked quite rough, there were no signs or anything. 'They had a tipper truck. We thought they were rethatching it, they put plastic sheets up, but obviously they were taking the thatch down.' The local added the village had previously tried to get the cottage listed but were unsuccessful. The resident told MailOnline: 'I know we did try to get it listed back in February. We were told it had been altered a few years ago. I don't know who owns it.' Older Nursling residents were particularly angered by the decision to knock down a cottage they had such fond memories of. James Rooney, 90, said he thought those responsible should be 'locked up' for their 'disgusting' actions. The retired builder said: 'It is disgusting, whoever did it needs to be locked up. 'We heard them doing work but did not know they were going to take it down. 'One of the last things I heard was the old lady that was living there wrote to the council because it was falling apart. 'All I know is it was a lovely old cottage.' Jess Craig, 39, echoed Ms Huckle's comments about the demolition crew and said that they were definitely not a 'corporate company'. The full-time mother said the destruction of the beautiful property 'happened pretty quick' and she noticed workmen who looked like tree surgeons working on the house which took just two days to tear down. She said: 'It was a lovely cottage, one minute it was there and the next it was gone. 'I saw what looked like tree surgeons at one point and the scaffolding with sheeting around it and then it was gone. 'It was about two days, it definitely didn't look like a corporate company.' Lawrence Harfield, 71, who has lived in the Hampshire village for two decades said he couldn't believe his eyes when a JCB digger moved in and began smashing down the property. Registered nurse Karen Williams, 42, said everyone in the area is 'really upset' at the demolition which came completely out of the blue. 'I am really saddened and shocked that it has been demolished,' she said. 'I looked at the planning portal and from what I can see the only one is for the land adjacent, they did a heritage thing so the building was protected. 'Everyone round here is really upset. I just knew it was up for sale last year, it came with the planning permission for the adjacent land. 'I heard them demolishing it, I didn't realise what was going on until I saw it on the Facebook page. 'Everyone is saddened, it is a piece of our history that has been taken away, there isn't much of the old village left. In a listing on estate agent Giles Wheeler's website the cottage was described as having a generous 0.15 acre garden and was located close to the centre of Nursling Village within one and half miles of Junction 3 of M27 motorway. The property, which was sold earlier this year was listed with a guide price of £400,000 while pictures on the website showed a bright and tidy interior with a galley kitchen, modern shower room and large, wood-panelled bedrooms upstairs. Downstairs boasted a large open plan living space with wooden beams in the ceiling, bay windows and built-in cupboards and apart from some minor superficial marks on the off-white walls, the house appeared in good condition. An additional listing also gave details about the history of the house revealing it had previously been renovated in 2000 and that estimated thatching costs for the roof, excluding VAT, might cost as much as £20,000 for the whole roof. It also revealed that full planning permission had been granted in July 2023 for the construction of 'dwelling with new access, parking and landscaping, and alterations to existing access'.
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE 'We thought they were rethatching the cottage - then the digger arrived': Mystery over who employed 'rough' gang of workers to demolish 300-year-old cherished landmark
Villagers have been left baffled by the identity of a local homeowner who employed a 'rough' gang of workers to demolish a beloved 300-year-old cottage. Neighbours said the first believed workers were coming in to rethatch the roof of the historic property and were shocked when a JCB digger arrived. Test Valley Borough Council said they had not been made aware of plans to tear down the two-bedroom home and have now launched an investigation in to the demolition. Locals in Nursling, near Southampton in Hampshire, said the 17th century property was regarded as the 'hallmark' of their parish and was even featured on the front cover of a book about local history. Residents have said they were shocked by the destruction with some even calling for those responsible to be 'locked up' after a feeling robbed of a piece of their local history. Alex Huckle, 39, who lives opposite where the cottage said she saw a gang of 'rough' men come over to start work but hadn't expected anything as drastic as a demolition and added there were no signs to warn residents. She said: 'They looked quite rough, there were no signs or anything. 'They had a tipper truck. We thought they were rethatching it, they put plastic sheets up, but obviously they were taking the thatch down.' Residents have said they were shocked by the destruction with some even calling for those responsible to be 'locked up' after a feeling robbed of a piece of their local history The local added the village had previously tried to get the cottage listed but were unsuccessful. Ms Huckle told MailOnline: 'I know we did try to get it listed back in February. We were told it had been altered a few years ago. I don't know who owns it.' Older Nursling residents were particularly angered by the decision to knock down a cottage they have lots of fond memories of. James Rooney, 90, thinks those responsible should be 'locked up' for their 'disgusting' actions. The retired builder said: 'It is disgusting, whoever did it needs to be locked up. 'We heard them doing work but did not know they were going to take it down. 'One of the last things I heard was the old lady that was living there wrote to the council because it was falling apart. 'All I know is it was a lovely old cottage.' Jess Craig, 39, echoed Ms Huckle's comments about the demolition crew and said that they were definitely not a 'corporate company'. The full-time mother said the destruction of the beautiful property 'happened pretty quick' and she noticed workmen who looked like tree surgeons and took just two days to tear the cottage down. She said: 'It was a lovely cottage, one minute it was there and the next it was gone. 'I saw what looked like tree surgeons at one point and the scaffolding with sheeting around it and then it was gone. 'It was about two days, it definitely didn't look like a corporate company.' Lawrence Harfield, 71, has lived in the Hampshire village for two decades and said he couldn't believe his eyes when a JCB digger moved in and began smashing down the property. Registered nurse Karen Williams, 42, said everyone in the area is 'really upset' at the demolition which came completely out of the blue. 'I am really saddened and shocked that it has been demolished,' she said. 'I looked at the planning portal and from what I can see the only one is for the land adjacent, they did a heritage thing so the building was protected. 'Everyone round here is really upset. I just knew it was up for sale last year, it came with the planning permission for the adjacent land. 'I heard them demolishing it, I didn't realise what was going on until I saw it on the Facebook page. 'Everyone is saddened, it is a piece of our history that has been taken away, there isn't much of the old village left. The cottage was previously owned by an estates company linked to a philanthropic organisation, the Barker-Mill Foundation, but they confirmed that it was sold earlier this year. MailOnline has contacted the foundation for comment. The last planning application in relation to the cottage was submitted to the council in 2022, seeking to build a new home on the land next to the cottage. This application was approved by Test Valley, but no work has yet started on the separate dwelling. Planning portfolio holder, Councillor Phil Bundy, said: 'I was made aware on Sunday evening that Wychwood Cottage had been demolished at the weekend. 'Test Valley Borough Council was not notified of this work in advance. 'Whilst the cottage was not a listed building, TVBC is currently investigating the matter. 'This includes establishing whether the owners followed the correct planning procedures, and the council is in contact with them to understand why it was demolished.'
The Sun
10-07-2025
- The Sun
Our 300-year-old village ‘hallmark' was ripped down with NO permission in an hour – they should be ordered to rebuild it
LOCALS are furious after their 300-year-old village's "hallmark" was allegedly ripped down without permission in under an hour. Residents near Nursling Street said they were shocked after Wychwood, a 17th-century cottage, was torn down without warning earlier this month. 3 3 Lawrence Harfield, 71, who has lived in Nursling for two decades, said: "We were gutted when we saw what had happened. "We thought it was a listed building. "It was a hallmark of the village — I have taken loads of pictures of the cottage over the years, sometimes even in the snow." Villagers were left stunned after a JCB demolished the entire building within an hour. Residents now hope Test Valley Borough Council will order those responsible to rebuild it as it was originally. The council received a planning application in 2022 to build a new property on the land next to the cottage. Despite being approved by Test Valley, no work had started on the site. Planning portfolio holder Councillor Phil Bund revealed he was not given any prior warning of work that would lead to the demolition of the 300-year-old cottage. He added that although the village's hallmark was not a listed building, the council would be investigating. It comes after disgruntled locals slammed annoying coach tourists for ruining England's " most beautiful village". Wrecking machines move in to demolish 'ghost town' Scots estate dubbed 'Britain's Chernobyl' The picturesque Cotswolds destination in Bibury, Gloucestershire, draws in flocks of visitors each year. But fuming residents have hit out at the influx of tourists, who they claim wreak havoc on the sleepy village. The breathtaking quintessentially English village is a short distance from London - which encourages even more holidaymakers looking for a quick escape to the country. This also means housing is being snapped up for holiday rentals and Airbnbs, which wreaks havoc on the village's younger families The area has also been inundated with more day-trippers as influencers continue to promote the quaint town on social media. Locals have now banded together with the council in a desperate bid to stop their village becoming overrun. If their plans are successful, it could see tourist coaches banned from the area completely. In the meantime, new measures will include changing parking bays so the tourist transporting vehicles can't stop in the B4425 layby - near the village centre. There are also aims to block off access to the central hub completely but this is reliant winning a legal process that is yet to begin. Up to 50 coaches are believed to move through the village during the peak season while as many as 20,000 people flock to the area over the course of a weekend. The resulting tension has even apparently seen things get physical, with one resident claiming to have been "punched and kicked" amid the rows. 3
