Ampfield Parish Council

03/11/2026

Have your say on Hampshire's future 📢

From roads and libraries to education, school transport, social care and more, Hampshire County Council provides vital services that support daily life across the county.

But like councils nationally, we’re facing growing financial pressures as demand for services rises while costs increase faster than available funds and our Government funding is cut.

Through careful financial management over 20 years, service improvements, and efficiencies we will have reduced costs by £770 million by March 2028 but we still face a projected budget shortfall of almost £199 million in 2027/28.

As we plan how to respond to these growing financial pressures, we want to hear from you. Have your say in our public consultation on ways we can continue to balance our budget while protecting the services that matter most to Hampshire's communities. Your feedback will help shape the decisions ahead.

The consultation is open now and closes at 11.59pm on Sunday 13 December 🗓️

To find out more and have your say, search ‘Budget consultation’ on our website or go to www.hants.gov.uk/budgetconsultation

03/11/2026

Ampfield Speedwatch

Press Release October 2026

During the summer, Ampfield Speedwatch has been very active on the A3090 Romsey to Wi******er Road.

323 speeding drivers have been reported to the police. In turn the police have sent 267 letters for first offences, 23 letters for second offences and 2 letters for excessively high speed. One driver was recorded at 63mph. Many of these have been visited by the police. The police also check other details of these drivers such as the offender’s licence, insurance and MOT. This can result in prosecution.

The A3090 in Ampfield is subject to a 30mph limit. The Speedwatch team and the Ampfield Parish Council are keen to see a reduction in the speed especially among repeat offenders. Excessive speed causes a lot of noise and disruption to the community. This is made worse by the poor state of the road surface. More importantly it causes excessive injury and death of which there has been far too much on the A3090 in and near Ampfield.

02/11/2026

Tonight’s Planning Agenda.

02/11/2026

Yesterday (Thursday 29 October) the government confirmed that local government reorganisation will proceed across England, following the announcement of a review last month.

While ministers have announced the next steps for a number of areas, proposals for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight remain under consideration, with a final decision expected early next year.

The government has also confirmed that local elections will take place as planned in May 2027 on existing council boundaries. New unitary councils will be established in 2029, with elections to shadow authorities taking place in 2028 to prepare for the transition.

Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Councillor Phil North, has issued this statement in response: "We have been notified today that central government intends to continue with its programme of local government reorganisation, but that there is still no final decision on the future structure of local government in Hampshire and the Solent.

"While it is frustrating that we are still waiting for clarity on the footprint of the future council in our area, today's announcement does at least provide a clearer timetable for what comes next. The government has said that a decision for Hampshire will be made by early next year.

"Local government reorganisation was never a path that we chose to walk down, but having been directed by the government, we have always sought to secure the very best outcome for the residents of Test Valley. We have worked collaboratively with councils across Hampshire and the Solent to develop proposals backed by strong evidence and a robust business case, and we remain confident in that approach.

"Whatever comes next, our commitment to securing the very best outcome for Test Valley residents remains. That means creating a new authority where Test Valley communities are not dominated by a large urban area. We will continue to make the case for an arrangement that reflects real communities, protects local identity and puts people and communities at the heart of public services.

"More positively, the revised timetable gives us more time to focus on delivering for residents and progressing our ambitious plans for our communities, including the next phases of town centre regeneration in Andover and Romsey."

02/11/2026

This month's Ampfield Messenger is available directly from here. It is also available via the 'Links' section on our website.

We're looking forward to the next Ampfield Market on Saturday the 6th November.

New contributions to the Messenger are always welcome; please email direct to the editor Chris Kerr at [email protected] The copy deadline is the 3rd Friday of the month.

Phil Budden
[email protected]

28/10/2026

UK Parliament Week is taking place from 23rd to 29th November, and I would love to see as many schools, care homes, youth groups and uniformed organisations across Romsey and Southampton North taking part. It’s a great opportunity for people of all ages to learn about Parliament and how to have their voices heard. This year’s theme is media and political literacy, helping people evaluate information and make informed decisions.

Sign up for a free resource kit, packed with ideas for discussions, quizzes, debates and more. Please let my office know what you’re planning, as I would be delighted to discuss how I can support your activities.

Find out more and register: www.ukparliamentweek.org/en/sign-up

28/10/2026

28/10/2026

⚠️🚔 Welcome to the latest edition of Rural Times 🚔⚠️

Showcasing recent efforts by officers and staff to police rural areas of the county as we reach autumn, our latest edition highlights issues surrounding poaching and hare coursing, for which we have recently made arrests and worked with our neighbouring forces to carry out proactive patrols and operations.

We also take a look at what teams have been up to on the Isle of Wight, the contributions of our rural volunteers across our two counties, and we have input from partners including the CLA, Environment Agency and Forestry England.

Read the full Autumn edition of Rural Times in this link below 👇
https://orlo.uk/6fmdU