At a drop in exhibition at Kings Worthy today, SSE showed how their proposed upgrade of the system will provide more consistent electricity supplies across the North and East of Winchester, from the Worthys, through the Itchen Valley.
You can see the progress of the work on www.sse.com/theworthies
The work has been planned for some time: and is set to start in the next few weeks.

Progress will be subject to successful schemes to cross the trunk roads and railways, and the ban on road closures during the Olympic period. SSE don’t expect customers to be cut off for long whilst the new systems are put in but there may be short planned periods whilst changeovers etc. are made.

If you know of a person who may be vulnerable during this work (needing a consistent electricity supply for dialysis or oxygen etc) please contact SSE direct via the website or ask me for a ‘vulnerable person ‘ form.

The old cable (right hand side of the picture) will be replaced by the black multi strand cable (left hand side of the picture) on the overhead lines through the itchen Valley. It is stronger, and cannot be abraded so easily, and it won’t fuse if two cables touch and spark.

The thick cable (in the centre) will be laid underground in the Worthys. Each of the three inner cables will carry the supply for less houses, and then, there will be extra capacity in each of the three cables to take up extra houses if one cable is damaged, and the supply is threatened.
There will be automatic switching gear in the boxes, so that if one cable is damaged,perhaps during building work elsewhere, then houses can be switched onto another cable supply remotely.
All of this work should be complete by the Autumn

Robert Johnston was re-elected as one of the two City Councillors for the Kings Worthy Ward , including Abbots Worthy, on the 3rd May.

The turnout was 41.6% and the result was as follows:
Fullaway (Lab) 145
Johnston (Lib Dem) 755
Jones (Con) 576

He re-joins Cllr Jane Rutter representing the ward at the City Council.
Across the district there was a swing towards the Liberal Democrats who are known to work hard representing residents and businesses in their wards.

Would you like to stand as a Councillor for the Liberal Democrats?
Please let us know if you are interested in this challenging role, representing any of the wards across the district.

Are you voting on Thursday?

Please show your support for Robert, he has a long record of working hard for the ward:below are some FAQs about voting.

”Robert’s practical approach to being a Councillor in the Worthys is his strength” says Jackie Porter. ”He uses his business experience to support organisations such as Winchester Housing Trust; he is a board member on the Credit Union, and a CAB trustee too. BUT he never shirks from the local litter pick!”

His fellow City Councillor, Jane Rutter is impressed by Robert’s strong sense of fairness and commitment to the provision of housing that is affordable.
If you want to show your support for Robert on Thursday 3rd May, please go to the polling station from 7am, (preferably as early as you can -in case it rains later!)

REMEMBER:FAQs about voting
You do not need your polling card to vote
You can take a completed postal voting envelope to any polling station on the day if you haven’t posted it already.
You can request a lift from us if it’s too wet or difficult to get to your polling station. Please call 622210 or the Worthys Lib Dem team on 07973 696 085.
If you don’t know where to vote, please call us or text 07973 696 085.
Close of polls is 10pm: but please don’t leave it too late- it’s a lot harder to go out when it’s dark!

Sue Tinkler (with her dog, Cookie) says that she is voting for Robert because ” he helped me with my application to WCC to start my new business.”

Jackie says ‘ This is a great honour for Robert. He really does his best for local residents. This award is aimed at those councillors who take a particular interest in improving the lives of elderly people in the area, encouraging them to take a full part in the community. Robert certainly does that!. Recently he helped to organise a WinACC swap shop, which was well attended, and very popular’.

The Parish Council has agreed to the principle of a path across the park at the Eversley Park Recreation Gound: in fact they are now pursuing it actively: hoping to have it in place by the Autumn!

Robert says: ‘I am pleased that this path, which was originally rejected by the Parish Council, is finally on the drawing board. It is something that we know that many residents in the community have wanted for a long time. When it is finished, it will enable parents and children from the further away areas of the village to take a clean, dry path across the park.’

Hopefully it will relieve some of the parking pressures around the school too.
Jane says, ‘ I know that parents love taking their children to the park, and watching the football at the weekend. The path will make it easier to push buggies and wheelchairs to the play area, and across the park to the Children’s Centre too’.

Jackie says,’ The more ways that we can get children to walk to school the better. They arrive healthier, happier and hopefully, we will soon have a walking bus to get there from the Lovedon Lane car park!
I am seeking funds from HCC to help with this project.’

Will you use the path across the park ? Please let us know!

As one of the Councillors in the Worthys for ten years now, Robert has enormous experience and knows many people personally. He takes the trouble to find out what local people think, so he can put their point of view at Winchester City Council.

This Spring he carried out a survey to find out what residents thought about a range of subjects: this picture shows Robert with the file of survey responses!
Robert says, ‘I read every one and reply individually.
If someone has taken the trouble to complete the survey, and includes their contact details, then they receive a reply.’

It is from these surveys that Robert knows that many of you are concerned about the impact of Barton Farm on the Worthys.
Robert says ‘ Jane and I have voted consistently against this, and Jackie spoke against at the appeal too.’
Your Local Lib Dem Team will continue to put the views of Worthys residents in any future decision about Barton Farm.

Merry Christmas! 

Yes- I know we are wearing ‘silly’ hats but hey- it’s Christmas!

We hope that your Christmas is 

• happy, (if not, call the CAB  on 01962 848000 or go to www.winchestercab.org.uk for a range of issues, including debt and divorce ) and
• healthy-if  not, call the National Health Helpline 0845 4647).

But we do also work all year round, so if you have an emergency or a real problem, you can call one of us over the Christmas period- but preferably not on Christmas , Boxing Day or at New Year’s eve!

Simple queries (such as bin collection times) may be also be solved by going onto the www.winchester.gov.uk website or the www.hants.gov.uk website, but if you do need us, then please contact one of us: Robert on 620610 or Jackie on 791054 , or Jane on 884981

Again- we hope you have a good Christmas!

City Councillors Robert Johnston, Cllr Jane Rutter and County Councillor Jackie Porter have started a new website to cover the Worthys. We are happy to place articles on it for your interest, to advertise (suitable !) local events as well as our local news. 

Of course, you are welcome to attend our surgeries on the last Saturday of the month, between 10 and 12noon  at Harwood Place- call Robert Johnston on  01962 620610  

Robert Johnston rjohnston@winchester.gov.uk (01962 620610 )

Jane Rutter jrutter@winchester.gov.uk (01962 884981 ) 

Jackie Porter jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk (01962 791054 )

For more  news fo the whole division, you can go to  Jackie’s County Website www.jackieporter.mycouncillor.org.uk or the Winchester Liberal Democrats www.winld.org.uk

And of course, there is lots of local information on the Worthys Joint Parish Council pages: www.theworthys.org.uk