Whitchurch Town Council has co-opted a new councillor following a full council meeting on Monday night. Councillors voted at a full council meeting to co-opt Dr Jessica Mercer into their ranks, which will bring the council to 12 members. Cllr Mercer said that she would contribute her skills working with charities and government to the council, helping to use her expertise on pressing matters such as climate change. Councillors met at a full council meeting of Whitchurch Town Council on Monday, February 1, to discuss a number of matters, including the co-option of a new councillor. Only one application form was presented in the meeting papers, that of Dr Jessica Mercer. Cllr Mercer gained her PhD in geography from Macquarie University, in New South Wales, Australia, in 2008, having previously been a disaster management co-ordinator for the development assistance agency ADRA Mongolia.
Whitchurch residents have reacted strongly to “totally unsuitable” plans that would see houses built at the home of one of the town’s most famous sons. Mr & Mrs Paul Denning have applied to build nine houses on land at The Lawn, as well as associated landscaping and other building work. The houses will be adjacent to Church Street, and located near to the River Test. Residents raised concerns over the impact the plans would have on the conservation area, as well as traffic on Church Street. The Lawn is the former home of Lord Denning, one of the most notable judges of the 20th century. The site lies within the house’s estate, and has for some time been considered for housing, with plans being drawn up in the 1980s but were not progressed. The latest plans were submitted on November 23, following a pre-application submission.
Whitchurch Town Council will spend up to £180,000 on refurbishing the town hall after putting a contract out to tender. Plans to refurbish the town hall were lodged with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council in 2019, and were approved in March of this year. Listed Building Consent was also obtained for the work on the Grade II building. The contract for the work has now been listed on the government’s ‘Contracts Finder’ service, which lists public contracts available in the UK. In the tender, Whitchurch Town Council says it “seeks to engage with suitability qualified contractors to undertake the refurbishment of the Grade II listed Town Hall.”
An application to build a new nursery on a wooded area in Whitchurch has split the local community. Whitchurch Montessori Nursery and Forest School has applied to relocate from All Hallows Church to former railway land located between Park View and Wells Lane. Under the plans, the school would lease the site from Hampshire County Council, and place a prefabricated building on the site, as well as building a carpark and drop off area. The plans have caused a strong reaction, with many comments on both sides of the argument debating the school’s necessity, site suitability and environmental impact.