The latest edition of the New Milton Town Guide is available for download using the link below. The Town guide is your essential official guide for New Milton and features numerous attractions, events, shops and local businesses. Aimed at residents and visitors alike the Town Guide is the most comprehensive guide for your shopping, dining & visiting needs.

Download the New Milton Town Guide 2013/14

The Annual Town Council Meeting took place Monday 8th April 2013 at the Town Hall. This meeting featured reports from each of the Town Council’s committees and the annual report of the Town Council presented by this years Council Chairman and Town Mayor, Cllr Neil Tungate.

Prior to receiving the annual reports the Town Mayor presented cheques to local charitable groups and the annual “Citizen of the Year” award. The Citizen of the Year for New Milton was awarded to Christine Carian for her outstanding fundraising efforts for charities for 15 years.   Benefiting charities have included New Milton Stroke Group and she has been a tireless fundraiser for other local groups.  She is best known for having a “stall” outside Boots in Station Road for many years selling second hand “treasures”. She had a number of nominations from grateful beneficiaries. 

Town Mayor Cllr Neil Tungate presenting Mrs Carian with the Citizen of the Year award

Cheques were presented to:

• New Forest Disability Information Service
• Common Ground
• North Milton Community Group
• New Milton Carers Group
• First Opportunities

To view the minutes of the Annual Towns Meeting including details about the contents of the reports presented to attendees please click on the link below to open the minutes.

Annual Towns Meeting Minutes – 2013

The Town Council’s Annual Meeting will be taking place on Monday 8th April from 7.30PM at the Town Hall. This annual meeting sees Town Mayor, Cllr Neil Tungate present the annual report for the Town Council, including donations to local charities. Chairman’s of the respective Amenities, Finance and Planning committees will also present their reports. There will also be a guest speaker, Mr C Hummerstone of Arnewood School

In addition as is customary for the Annual Towns Meeting the Town Mayor will present the Citizen of the Year Award 2013. The yearly Citizen of the Year award aims to recognise outstanding contributions to the community. In 2012 the award was presented to Mrs Pam Pulfer for her work with the New Milton Stroke Group.

We encourage residents to come along to the meeting. Following the presentations light refreshments will be served, providing an opportunity for members of the audience to talk informally with members of the Council and our Guest Speaker.

For more information please find the Annual Towns Meeting 2013 agenda as below.

Annual Towns Meeting Agenda – 2013

Canteleu invites any resident of their twin towns (in UK, Germany, Poland and Burkino Fasso) to join them in entering a photo competition.

The idea of this competition is to promote our town with up to 3 original photos 20 x 30 or A4 size which will be judged in Canteleu.

The theme of the competition is “Vert sur la ville!” which tries to stress the green aspect/environment in which we are so fortunate to live.

It is only open to amateur photographers who certify this is their own work, taken within the boundaries of the town – ie. New Milton/Barton. The photos must be on photo paper and unmounted.

Photos will be judged on the following criteria:

-        Relevance to the theme of “our green town”

-        Technical quality

-        Aesthetic quality

-        Originality and creativity

On the back of each photo should be:

- surname and first name in capitals

- postal address, email address and telephone number

- year of birth of the photographer

- title of the photo

- place and date where it was taken

Photos are to be sent in an A4 envelope marked “do not bend” to:

Comite des jumelages,  Maison des associations,

Cote Guy de Maupassant

76380 Canteleu, France

Closing date is 30^th April 2013

To facilitate the photos being exhibited in each of the twin towns, a copy of the photos should be sent electronically in JPEG format to the email address of the committee which is comite.jumelages.can@free.fr

The results of the competition will be published in the evening of 14^th May 2013

There will be 3 prizes:

-        Ist prize: a smart box gift experience

-        2^nd prize: a digital camera

-        3^rd prize: a digital photoframe

The photos cannot be returned and may form part of an exhibition or publication of some/all of the entries. By entering this competition you are agreeing to the publication of your name as it appears on the back of the photo.

If your photo is of another person/other people, you must obtain their written agreement for you to use the photo in this competition.

The entry form attached below must be filled in and signed by the entrants and enclosed with the photos. If the photographer is under 18, their parent or legal guardian must also sign.

The committee will accept no liability if circumstances force them to modify, delay or cancel the competition. Similarly the committee cannot be held accountable for any delay or loss of any photos however this may arise.

The judging panel’s decision will be final.

Download the Canteleu Photo competition form

Read more about our Twin Town, Canteleu

As usual it has been very quiet since Christmas – I think everybody has been hibernating during the awful weather we’ve had. But now, as we enter February, we start to see the days lengthen and hopefully the weather will start to improve. I’ve treated myself to a new cycle in order to try and increase my exercise regime, so please try not to run me down if you see me around the Forest!

With no Mayoral engagements since Christmas, it was with great delight that I accepted an invitation to exhibit some of my photographs at the Cultura Press micro-gallery in Whitefield Road. These are a little special because I took them using my own hand-made pinhole camera. Please do pop in to take a look – the exhibition only lasts for one week from Monday 4^th until Saturday 9^th February. Half the proceeds from any sales will go directly to my Mayor’s Charity Fund.

One of my pinhole photos

Don’t forget the Mayor’s Charity Ball to be held at Hoburne Bashley on Saturday 2^nd March.  It’s shaping up to be very different from normal with some excellent entertainment in addition to a fabulous four course dinner. Local band, Fabulous Fourply 60′s Show, will provide music for dancing until midnight. Contact Elaine Reed at the council offices for tickets and further information.

Telephone 01425-619120 or email elaine.reed@newmiltontowncouncil.gov.uk

Eneco/EDF Energy will be applying for permission in October 2013, to create a wind park 11.9 miles from the coast at Barton-on-Sea. Please take the time to read the technical summary before completing the following poll. More information and visual impressions can be found at www.navitusbaywindpark.co.uk or at the next exhibition at New Milton Community Centre, Osborne Road, between 2-8pm on THURSDAY 7^th FEBRUARY.

This is a very important and highly contentious issue. Whether for or against the proposal, the outcome could affect generations alive today and those to come. Your comments are appreciated.

• Technical Summary Sheet

Hampshire County Council’s contractor Scottish and Southern Energy will start a street light replacement project in New Milton and Barton in April 2013. In some roads full columns and in others just the lanterns will be replaced to utilise energy saving techniques and produce clearer light form.

Residents will have the following leaflet put through doors in the coming weeks which should be kept until the project completion in your road, in case there is need to make contact with them. It contains lots of useful information, as does their website www.lightsoninhampshire.co.uk

The above leaflet contains important information about the upcoming Hampshire Lighting Scheme.

Our calendar of meetings have now been updated with dates from January 2013 running through to May 2014. These meeting dates depict the scheduled meetings for our committees – Amenities, Finance & General Purposes, Planning plus our Full Council meetings.

A printable document of the upcoming meeting dates can be accessed using the link below.

Calendar of Meetings January 2013 – May 2014

Drivers in Barton-on-Sea will be reminded to ‘slow down’ when an illuminated speed sign is set up for a trial period lasting at least nine months.

The sign, in Barton Court Avenue, will light up when an approaching vehicle exceeds the speed limit and display a 30mph symbol and a “slow down” message. It is likely to be located on the eastern side of Barton Court Avenue, just south of its junction with Albany Close.

The decision has been taken by New Forest District Council and Hampshire County Council in response to residents’ concerns over speeding traffic in Barton Court Avenue.

Local district councillors Goff Beck and Alan O’Sullivan sought local opinion following complaints about vehicles regularly breaking the 30mph, with 15 per cent exceeding 38mph.

Cycle lanes were introduced in Barton Court Avenue but traffic speeds continued to be a problem.

Cllr Beck said: “I am pleased that the electronic speed indicator sign will be installed in the early part of next year on a trial basis at Barton Court Avenue and that traffic speeds will be monitored before and during the trial to measure its effectiveness.

“If successful, it may be used on other roads in the area as part of the initiative to improve conditions for both residents and cyclists.

“We have consulted and listened to local people who have voiced their concerns about the traffic speed in Barton Court Avenue and I hope that this initiative will make a significant positive impact on the situation.”

The alternative of speed tables (long road humps) in Barton Court Avenue was rejected as most residents were not in favour.

No more cycle lanes will be painted on roads in Barton-on-Sea until the results of the trial in Barton Court Avenue are known.

Photo Credit: Mike Angus

So, here we are in December and the Christmas season is starting in New Milton. On Saturday we enjoyed what was probably the biggest event ever in our town, the Christmas Festival. The whole of Station Road was closed and lined with stalls of all sorts, a fair, a French market, and a stage full of entertainment all day long. The highlight was, of course, the return of our good friend Rumer to switch on the Christmas lights. And as a generous gift to those present, she sang “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” with Groovemeister backing.

The following day, Betty and I were delighted to attend the Jubilee Singers Christmas Concert, together with Deputy Mayor Valya Schooling and her husband Claude. This was a delightful afternoon, involving the audience throughout, and I can heartily recommend it to anyone who hasn’t yet attended one of their concerts.