The Autumn 2016 edition of Community News is now available. This quarter, our front cover discusses the plans for the future of Whiteshute Ridge. We are inviting all residents to an event at the Community Centre on 10 October to meet the Landscape and Open Spaces Team and members of the Parish Council to find out more.

After 10 years in post as our hard working Editor of this popular publication, Jan has decided to step down. We are now looking for a suitable replacement and Community News has all the details of how to apply for this position.

Highlights of our other news

The joint BFOBRCA Chairs report that the Community Centre has had a good year this year. They highlight current and future improvements to the Centre.

Susmita Bhattacharya, author and winner of the Winchester Writers’ Festival Memoir Prize 2016, is holding a creative writing workshop at the Community Centre on 24 September.

Winchester Local Group Hampshire and IOW Wildlife Trust gives details of forthcoming events, among which is the intriguing talk on “Explaining the Humps and Bumps in St Cross Meadows” in November.

Oliver’s Battery Community Centre is a charity for those residents who are determined the potential closure of the St Mark’s building shall not be the end of our community. They report on the church’s 60th anniversary celebrations in July and their ideas for the future.

The Oliver’s Battery Plan team share with us the results of the consultations they have had with local residents. They will be using this information to create an action plan detailing the proposals for how the community develops over the next ten years. They invite us all to a Community Barn Dance on Saturday 8th October at Kings’ School.

Oliver’s Battery Primary School had  many exciting events in the summer term with Sports Day, the Summer Fair, various musical concerts and school trips. There have been many sporting activities too and the children qualified for the Hampshire Games, representing North Winchester and Eastleigh. Sports being played at the games included Hockey, Football, Basketball, Rugby, Netball and Golf.

The Oliver’s Battery WI Cake Sale was a resounding success. Their summer meetings included trips to Mapledurham House in Oxfordshire and the Master’s Garden of the Hospital of St Cross in Winchester, both of which were very successful.

Now that the new playground at Davis is complete, Badger Farm Parish Council report that they are  focused on redeveloping the Central Play area. A public meeting was held in August to ascertain the community’s needs and opinions on funding for this. They request that care is taken when parking in congested areas to avoid this becoming an issue and they highlight the increase in car thefts in Winchester.

Oliver’s Battery Parish Council are meeting with local and county councillors to raise concerns regarding the junction of Oliver’s Battery Road South and Badger Farm Road. They are concerned about anti-social behaviour in the Recreation Ground, particularly the broken glass that appears to have been deliberately left on the play equipment. They have recently purchased a Speed Limit Reminder sign to monitor traffic flows and speeds in the parish.

As well as the Whiteshute Ridge project and the community day organised by St. Mark’s, our local councillors raise the issue of the poor quality of verges and grass cutting in open spaces in Badger Farm and Oliver’s Battery. They share plans for the new Leisure Centre, which will include 12 court sports hall, a hydrotherapy centre and a 50-metre community swimming pool. They also report that the Pitt Vale planning application for 350 houses by Linden Homes was turned down by the City Council Planning Control Committee.

Winchester Horticultural Society will be holding three talks this autumn on Unusual Plants, Apples and Planting for Winter.

Families have been able to experience life at Oliver’s Battery Pre-school with a Welcome Walk in September, Nativity entertainment at Christmas, Easter Egg Hunt, Spring Fayre, Obstacle Course, Sports Day and trip to Adventure Wonderland last month. The staff and committee were lucky enough to win a Mayor’s Community Award this year, which recognised the incredible work which goes on ‘behind the scenes’.

As the new school year starts, Stanmore Primary School share some of the highlights of last term, including their Bunnynapped! day, a taste of France with Brasserie Blanc, the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations  and Year 2’s new allotment. If you have any small trowels or garden forks that are surplus to requirements they would be delighted to take them off your hands!

Our MP, Steve Brine, shares his thoughts on the rejection of the planning application for Pitt Vale and on the wider issues regarding the provision of new housing. Regarding Brexit, he “will be keeping a cool-head as always, pressing Ministers on key areas of negotiation as we seek, not only a soft landing on the other side of Brexit, but a new deal for our country that makes a great success of it.”

Badger Farm Pre-School Playgroup ended the summer term with some exciting events starting with our annual outing to Moors Valley Country Park and share some lovely photos of the day with us.

Sadly, Victoria Smith’s retirement means that the Jo Jingles Music, Singing & Movement class will no longer be held at Badger Farm.

Ann’s Computer Corner asks “Are you a shortcut ninja?” and introduces you to the world of keyboard shortcuts.

The Parish of St Luke with St Mark had a wonderful weekend of celebration for the 60th Birthday of St Mark’s Church inviting back past curates and members to join with us as well as enjoying a fun afternoon with the wider community of Oliver’s Battery. The church is fast becoming ‘not fit for purpose’ but there is growing support for the ‘Oliver’s Battery Community Centre’ charity’s plans to build a new building on the site which would continue to serve both the Church and Community activities.

In Nature Notes, Norma makes us aware that Hampshire County Council Countryside Department does not have the staff to do regular cutting of overgrowing vegetation on pavements and footpaths and asks if we would be interested in joining a band of local volunteers led by the parish council doing the occasional cut back while enjoying fresh air meeting new people. Norma would love to hear from you if you hear owls or if you have a hedgehog in your garden.