Council Tax Rates 2022/23

New Forest District Council (NFDC) has set their element of the 2022/23 Council Tax at £188.36 per year, per household (Band D property) at their Full Council meeting on 21 February 2022.

The £5 a year increase is a 2.73% rise on the 2021/22 Council Tax.

Other organisations have also set their Council Tax amounts, and the total bill, for an average Band D property in the district, will be £1,987.99.

The full report that set the Council Tax can be read at https://democracy.newforest.gov.uk/documents/g7278/Public%20reports%20pack%2021st-Feb-2022%2018.30%20Council.pdf?T=10

The different amounts making up the total bill, for an average Band D property are:

• Hampshire County Council, including the specific charge to help fund Adult Social Care, £1,390.86, an increase of £40.41 (2.99%)
• New Forest District Council £188.36, an increase of £5.00 (2.73%)
• Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire £236.46, an increase of £10.00 (4.42%)
• Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service  £75.43, an increase of £5.00 (7.10%)
• Town and Parish Council £96.88, an increase of £3.68 (3.95%) (Woodgreen will be £38.38)

The bills will be sent in March. 

NFDC are advising people who may have difficulty paying Council Tax to contact them straight away to see what help and support is available, by calling 01590 646111 or emailing counciltax@nfdc.gov.uk

For more information on Council Tax, how to pay, and discounts and exemptions, see the council’s website at https://newforest.gov.uk/counciltax 

Police Beat Surgeries 2022

Police Community Support Officer Steve May will be resuming monthly “beat surgeries” on Saturday mornings at Woodgreen Community Shop. He will be available to discuss your concerns and queries on the following dates: 22/01, 19/02. 19/03, 16/04. 14/05, 11/06, 09/07, 06/08, 03/09. 01/10, 29/10, 26,11.

PCSO Steve May will be in attendance from 10am pending any major incident that he may need to attend.

NFDC garden waste collection

New Forest District Council (NFDC) will be starting the 2022/23 subscription year for existing customers of their garden waste collection service on Monday 4 April 2022.  

Subscribers to the service received a reduced number of collections for the 2021/22 subscription year, due to ongoing staff shortages. In light of this, all current garden waste customers will be given a discount on the new renewal price for the 2022/23 subscription.  

Message from the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner

The Government is giving Police and Crime Commissioners the flexibility to increase the policing element of the council tax in 2022 by £10 per year (for a Band D property) to fund the increasing demands on policing. With over 60% of council taxpayers in the Hampshire Constabulary policing area living in properties that are Band A-C the majority of people would see an increase of less than £10 a year.

I have now launched my annual police budget precept consultation and want to hear residents’ views. I am asking local residents to complete an online survey and/or to sign up to a focus group:

HAVE YOUR SAY – TAKE THE SURVEY

SIGN UP TO A FOCUS GROUP

I would be grateful for your support in sharing this survey widely with residents and your network so that as many people as possible can have their say.

Best wishes,

Donna

Christmas tree recycling drop-off points

From Saturday 1 January 2022 to Sunday 16 January 2022, real Christmas trees can be dropped off for recycling at selected car parks across the district. 

The collected trees will be chipped by the council and used as mulch. This reduces the distance trees travel to be processed and reused, saving carbon and helping the environment.  

Locations for Christmas tree drop-off points include:
 

• Blackfield: Gang Warily Community Centre car park, SO45 1GA 
• Brockenhurst: Brookley Road car park, SO42 7RA 
• Burley: Burley coach park, BH24 4HW 
• Fordingbridge: A338 slip road car park, SP6 1AN 
• Hythe: New Road car park, SO45 6XP 
• Lymington: Bath Road car park, SO41 3SE 
• Lyndhurst: Village Centre car park, SO43 7BE 
• Milford-on-Sea: Hurst Road East overflow car park (by Sturt Pond), SO41 0PY 
• New Milton: Crossmead Avenue car park, BH25 6NF 
• Ringwood: The Furlong long stay car park (follow signs to the designated area), BH24 1AY 
• Totton: Rumbridge Street car park, SO40 9EA 

All decorations must be removed from the tree before taking it to a drop-off point. 

Trees must be left in the designated fenced bays only, and placed at the back to avoid blocking the entrance for others. 

Residents are asked to not leave Christmas trees in car parks that are not on the above list, or outside of the designated fenced bays, in disabled parking bays, on footpaths, by litter bins or recycling banks.   

Christmas recycling and rubbish collections 2021/22

Over the Christmas and New Year bank holidays, there are some changes to recycling and rubbish collection days in the New Forest district.  

The changes to rubbish and recycling collections for Christmas 2021 and the New Year 2022 are: 

County scheme helping young people to get to work is given green boost

A Hampshire County Council scheme, which enables young people to hire mopeds at an affordable rate so that they can get to work or vocational training, is going green with the addition of five electric mopeds to its fleet of conventionally powered bikes

The electric mopeds are now available to hirers through Wheels to Work – a scheme which helps young people aged 16 to 25 years old in some rural areas of Hampshire by loaning them their own form of transport. Public transport options may be limited where they live, and they generally have no transport of their own because they don’t have the money to fund this yet.

Grants to tackle the climate and nature emergency in the New Forest

The New Forest National Park Authority is inviting green groups to apply for grants to help fund sustainable living projects in the National Park.

Since 2006 around £2.4 million in grants has funded over 300 projects that help protect the New Forest’s precious landscape and tackle the climate and nature crises.

Grants of up to £2,000 are available from the Sustainable Communities Fund (SCF) for projects which improve wildlife and habitats, reduce carbon emissions or connect new groups of people to nature.

A poll for the Election of Verderers of the New forest will take place on Friday 26th November 2021 between the hours of 10am and 8 pm. The number of Verderers to be elected is three. Persons who names are listed on the Electoral Register for Woodgreen are entitled to vote at –

Avonway Community Centre, 36 Shaftesbury Road, Fordingbridge SP6 1JF

The full names of the candidates are – Richard Anthony Deakin, Anthony Hugh Pasmore, Deborah Carol Stokes, Robert Charles Stride.

Further information can be found on the WPC noticeboard or at www.verderers.org.uk

Grants to tackle the climate and nature emergency in the New Forest

The New Forest National Park Authority is inviting green groups to apply for grants to help fund sustainable living projects in the National Park.

Since 2006 around £2.4 million in grants has funded over 300 projects that help protect the New Forest’s precious landscape and tackle the climate and nature crises.