Love Andover Observer February 11th

14 | NEWS
Thursday, February 11, 2021 01264 883100 www.loveandover.com
Council Tax increase to
support Police proposals
Local business
is shortlisted
in national
awards 2021
LOCAL business Rosebourne has been
shortlisted for the Farm Shop and Deli
Awards 2021.
These national awards celebrate
specialist retailers from across the UK
in recognition of their courageous
commitment shown to their customers,
community, staff, and suppliers over the
past year.
At Rosebourne’s Weyhill store, the
food hall has continued to provide
essential everyday ingredients and produce
to customers throughout what has
been an unprecedented year. By widening
the aisles in the food hall, creating
a one-way system, and ensuring that
a COVID safe protocol for customers
and staff is maintained, a safe shopping
environment has been created.
A Click & Collect service was set
up for meat, vegetables, and everyday
groceries allowing customers to order
and pay for essentials online and simply
collect from the store. This has been
well used by local communities and is
set to continue as a Rosebourne service
into the future.
Rosebourne Chief Executive Carol
Paris commented: “It has been a tough
year for everyone and to receive the
news that we have been shortlisted for
the Farm Shop and Deli Awards 2021 is
a great accolade to our team who have
worked so hard throughout, and also
to our network of suppliers who have
helped us support communities through
providing everyday essentials.”
The Farm Shop and Deli Awards will
be announced at the Farm Food and
Deli Show which takes place on 5th July
2021 at the NEC in Birmingham.
This latest news comes after Rosebourne
was recently also a finalist in
The Greatest Christmas Awards, run by
industry title Garden Trade News.
ON Friday 29 January, the Hampshire
Police and Crime Panel (PCP)
approved the proposed precept
increase asked for by the Police
and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for
Hampshire, Michael Lane.
This will result in an increase to
Council Tax of £15 per year for a band
D property, which is the equivalent
of £1.25 per month, or 29p per week.
With the Panel giving full support to
the proposals, the Chairman of Hampshire’s
Police and Crime Panel, Councillor
David Stewart, said: “As Chair
of the Panel, I very much appreciated
both the Commissioner and the Chief
Constable attending our meeting and
providing a full response to the robust
challenge of the Panel on the proposal
laid before us. The answers heard
enabled all Panel Members to be satisfied
that the Commissioner’s proposed
precept should be fully supported.
The information we have heard
has highlighted the challenges faced
by policing, and the opportunities to
help keep our communities safer, that
would be presented by increasing the
precept. It is fully appreciated that this
increased cost comes at a time when
many residents may be experiencing
additional financial pressures as a
result of the global pandemic. However,
the same extreme uniqueness
of the current situation has placed
significant additional strain upon our
police officers and staff.
I would like to put on record the
Panel’s recognition of the excellent
work of the staff and officers of Hampshire
Constabulary in protecting the
communities of Hampshire during the
pandemic. As a result of the budget
supported by the Panel, we look forward
to seeing new police officers
coming on board in the year ahead
- increasing the visible policing presence
within our communities as well as
retaining Police Community Support
Officers and bolstering staffing within
999 and 101 call centres.
As our residents would expect, the
Panel will, on their behalf, monitor
the delivery of the promises laid out
Michael Lane and Olivia Pinkney
within the Commissioner’s proposal,
and continue to support and scrutinise
the Commissioner in the wider delivery
of his Police and Crime Plan.”
Under proposals set out at the meeting
by the Police and Crime Commissioner
and the Chief Constable
of Hampshire Constabulary, Olivia
Pinkney, the increase of £15 per annum
(based on Band D properties) will
enable the Constabulary to respond
more fully to communities, including
capacity to: investigate up to 26,000
more crimes this year; arrest 300
more of the most dangerous criminals;
reduce 1000 crimes a year, through
prevention and youth diversion; safeguard
an additional 12,000 vulnerable
people; target increased support to
tackle rural crime; continue investment
in wellbeing to sustain officers
at the frontline.
Michael Lane, Police and Crime
Commissioner, commented on the
meeting and the increase, “The last
year is not a year any of us would have
wanted and the challenges are not over
yet. The pandemic has created a great
deal of uncertainty and financial strain
for so many people, I had to be strongly
convinced that it is the right thing to
do to increase the police precept at all.
Policing has continued to be under
significant pressure over the last
year, with increased responsibility to
enforce the coronavirus restrictions
and while some crimes have reduced
with more people at home there has
been an increase in other crimes like
domestic and sexual abuse. The Chief
Constable set out a compelling operational
case to me for an increase that
would enable the continued policing
effort to enforce the restrictions, and
to look ahead to the rest of the year
and beyond to investigate more crimes
and make more arrests.
Through my consultation I heard
from over 8,000 local residents who also
supported an increase to support policing.
This is good news for all residents,
as it will keep our communities safer,
it is good news for the victims of crime
who we can continue to support, and it
is good news for policing who will have
increased resources to enable them to
pursue those who wish us harm. I would
like to thank the Panel for responding
positively to the compelling evidence.
I promised on day one I would do all
I could to make people safer from the
first day to the last day that I have the
privilege and responsibility of holding
this role. I firmly believe the police
precept increase this year will keep
local residents and our communities
safer now and into the future, delivering
on the promises I have made.”
Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney
added: “I welcome this public show of
support for policing from our Police and
Crime Panel. At a time when people
are facing very real economic pressures
it is right that different views
about public spending are aired and
debated in this way.
As chief constable, I have made
clear that this budget is crucial for
my officers and staff because it unlocks
the opportunity to take the fight to
criminals. I would also like to thank
the public for their support, and the
Police and Crime Commissioner and
his team for responding so positively
and proactively in support of the operational
policing case. This will help us
to achieve even safer communities.”
Nationwide star count to reveal light pollution
PEOPLE living in all areas of Hampshire
are being urged to take part in
an annual Star Count to record our
view of the night sky. CPRE, the countryside
charity, is working with the
British Astronomical Association’s
Commission for Dark Skies to find
indications of light pollution levels
across the country.
By counting the number of stars they
see in the Orion constellation, citizen
scientists will help map the best and
worst places in England to enjoy a
star-filled night sky. The results will
indicate whether Hampshire suffers
from severe light pollution, of which
61% of last year’s participants did.
They will also be compared with
2020’s findings, gathered before coronavirus
restrictions took hold, to see
whether lockdown has had an impact.
Light pollution means many people
only experience a limited view of the
night sky, and it also disrupts wildlife’s
natural patterns. By showing where
people’s views are most affected by
light pollution, CPRE can use this
evidence in crucial lobbying efforts
to protect and enhance the skies of
Hampshire, improving our health,
wellbeing, wildlife and the environment.
Crispin Truman, chief executive of
CPRE, the countryside charity, said:
“A starry night sky is one of the most
magical sights the countryside can
offer, connecting us to the nature we
all love and the wonders of the wider
universe. Dark skies are also crucial
for our health and for that of wildlife.
Lockdown and the coronavirus have
reminded us about how good for us
the countryside can be.
But many places suffer from light
pollution, bleaching out the night sky.
We want to change this. By taking
part in Star Count, people will be contributing
to citizen science, helping
us to lobby the government for more
protection of this too often overlooked,
but vital, part of our countryside.”
Bob Mizon, UK coordinator of the
British Astronomical Association’s
Commission for Dark Skies, added:
“Turning back the tide of light pollution
brings darker night skies and
improvements to the well-being of
humans, wildlife and the environment.
In its three decades of working with
the CPRE towards these goals, we
have seen increased public and Parliamentary
awareness of the importance
of our view of the universe above.
The CPRE Star Count is an important
part of this work, especially in
these abnormal times when we have
a chance to see whether changes in
our activities are having any positive
effect on the atmosphere and our view
of the night sky.”