Hayling Island Residents' Assocation is planning nest year's meeting programme and it is hoped this will appeal to our members.
The full programme, chairman's report and other information about HIRA will be included in our Christmas newsletter.
If you wish to receive it contact our chairman and arrange a subscription.
Unfortunately, our membership secretary has the need to stand down at the AGM - thanks for all your hard work Brenda - and so we need someone who likes contacting people and encouraging them join HIRA.
Any offers to Paul Fisher please. Also we would like other people interested in the well-being of Hayling to offer to join the committee.
At our AGM, David Willetts also agreed to address certain issues on behalf of residents.
He has written letters to various authorities including the police, Hampshire County Council and Havant Borough Council.
He has given copies of his letters and we await any replies he receives, which will be passed on to us.
As people may know, Sandy Hopkins - the borough council's chief executive - is now overseeing both Havant and East Hampshire.
This may lead to some greater degree of co-operation in future, which could be interesting as it will give Sandy a view of a more de-centralised method of local government than currently exists in Havant.
This may benefit individual areas of the borough and perhaps lead to the encouraging the creation of local councils.
People may have heard Havant is likely to be offered in excess of £5million to enhance the functioning of the borough council.
Most of this they seem to have decided to spend on creating a Public Service Village around the current civic offices in Havant.
HIRA's view is that the money should include making provision on the Island for a civic facility so that residents could access council services at a local level rather than concentrating it all at the centre.
Officialdom loves to centralise to improve its own perception of efficiency rather than decentralize for the convenience of the people it serves.
Happy Christmas and look forward to longer and better days!
CONTACTS:Chairman: Paul Fisher 9246 1412
Noticeboard: Lois Neale 9246 9339
Reporter: Tony Higham 9246 4723
