Now that the public consultation period has ended both New Forest District Council and the New Forest National Park Authority have confirmed the parish of New Milton as a ‘Neighbourhood Area’. This means that New Milton Town Council is now able to begin working towards a Neighbourhood Plan. A Neighbourhood Plan is a new type of plan introduced by the Localism Act (2011). It allows local communities to prepare their own plan with general planning policies for the development and use of land.

Once the elections are over, towards the middle of May, New Milton Town Council will begin talking to local people about how they can get involved in shaping future land use and development for the Town and wider parish.

For more information about Neighbourhood Planning follow the link below:

http://newforest.gov.uk/article/14180/Neighbourhood-Planning

New Milton Town Council in partnership with New Forest District Council are pleased to unveil plans for improvement of the War Memorial at the Recreation Ground.

This design aims to mirror the shape and style of the War Memorial with simple paving details to provide an interesting and flexible memorial space that can be used all year round and reconnects the memorial to the Recreation Ground that bears its name and adds splashes of colour with formal annual beds, which mirror the knot pattern on the Memorial.

Below you can find the concept design. We are looking for residents feedback on the proposals and invite everyone to share their feedback using our online comments form. You can leave your comments by pressing the comments button below.

View the full plans

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Don’t leave it too late – make sure your valuables are security marked to deter burglars.

The Safer New Forest Partnership urges residents to protect items such as laptops, mobile phones, TVs and bikes, to make them less attractive to thieves in the event of a burglary.

Marking your property with your postcode and house number makes it difficult to sell on as it becomes “too hot to handle” by potential purchasers. It also greatly increases the chance of you getting it back as the police can return recovered marked items to the rightful owner.

There are many methods of security marking valuables to protect them against theft, including:

• Ultra violet (UV) or invisible marking with pens which put an invisible mark on your property that can only be seen under UV light.
• Engraving or etching using an electric engraving tool.
• Forensic marking solutions, such as Smartwater and Selectadna, which contain a unique forensic code, making it easy to identify marked items.
• Householders are also advised to take a note of any serial numbers on an item and photograph any items that are too small or difficult to mark – such as jewellery.

You can create a free and secure portfolio of all your personal property at www.immobilise.com Register your property details and this will enable the police to identify the owner of lost and stolen goods.

New Forest Police Chief Inspector Simon Tribe also advises protecting your home from burglars by carrying out a few simple measures:

• Check windows and doors are locked and use window limiters if windows are to be left open at night.
• Keep the hedges and fences low at the front of your property to allow passing traffic and pedestrians a view of any suspicious activity.
• Fit motion sensor lights in suitable areas around the house and five-lever mortice locks on exterior doors.
• Invest in a burglar alarm or home CCTV system.
• Use automatic timers to switch on lights and radios inside your home if it is left empty in the evening or while you are on holiday.

Cllr Jill Cleary, New Forest District Council portfolio holder for housing and communities said: “Home security devices are a great deterrent – when thieves see the extra security precautions, they may move on rather than risk breaking into your home.”

For information about the work of the Safer New Forest Partnership visit: www.safer.newforest.gov.uk

For more information:

Call the Hampshire information line where the friendly team of advisors will be available to offer information and advice.
Tel: 0800 804 8601
Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm
Email: staywarm@environmentcentre.com
Web: www.hants.gov.uk/cold-spots

We have updated our car boot sales page with the details of car boot sales that have been booked in for 2015, taking place at Moore Close / Fawcetts Field.

To view the those booked in, please visit the car boot sales page.

New Milton Town Council has applied to New Forest District Council and the New Forest National Park Authority to designate a ‘Neighbourhood Area’ covering the whole of the parish of New Milton. Within this area the town council intends to use the new neighbourhood planning powers introduced through the Localism Act in 2011 to prepare a Neighbourhood Plan. Neighbourhood plans give local people the opportunity to say what type of development is right for their community.

Part of the proposed neighbourhood area lies inside the National Park, focused on the area around Bashley. Before the neighbourhood area is confirmed there is a period in which representations can be made regarding the proposed boundary of the Neighbourhood Plan area. Further details can be found at

newforest.gov.uk/haveyoursay or newforestnpa.gov.uk/consultations

Comments on the boundary of the Neighbourhood Plan area proposed by New Milton Town Council should be sent to New Forest District Council to be received by no later than Friday 23 January 2015.

Comments can be e-mailed to New Forest District Council at: policyandplans@nfdc.gov.uk or posted to: Policy and Plans Team, New Forest District Council, Appletree Court, Beaulieu Road, Lyndhurst, SO43 7PA.

There will be free car parking throughout New Milton in NFDC car parks on Saturday 29 November and Saturday 6 December 2014. This free parking event coincides with the New Milton Christmas Festival taking place 12noon to 5.30pm on Saturday 29 November.

The Town Mayor of New Milton, Cllr David Hawkins and Fellow Councillors invite you to attend a Carol Service At St Mary Magdalene Church, New Milton On Saturday 6 December, 2014 at 6.00 pm. Everyone is welcome!