Most people enjoy a good old moan, and I'm no exception. There are a few things about Warsash which annoy me - especially as I can't do anything about them. But thanks to the internet you can grumble in public and hope that there are one or two people out there who'll read the rant and say to themselves - "I agree with that". It helps to share a burden ! So here are my Victor Meldrew hot spots.
Most of us have to drive and everyone who drives has to find somewhere to park. In some parts of the village people park with impunity on the pavement. The photo on the right was taken outside of the second-hand car lot which stands opposite The Ferryman pub. The kerb has been dropped to allow easy vehicle access over the pavement to the shop forecourt. There are double yellow lines in place. The Subaru driver and one of the salesman are deep in discussion. Not more than 50 yards away there is a half empty car park. Round the back of the showroom there is ample parking. Yet this moron still blocks the pavement forcing pedestrians to walk into the road. Looks dangerous to me. This is not an isolated incident. It happens all the time. In Shore Road there is a single yellow line, which prohibits parking during daylight hours in the summer. People often illegally park, and the cops sometimes knock on our door to see if it's anyone we know, so that they can be given a £60 (or whatever it is now) fixed penalty. Some people might say that by parking there that they are helping to prevent accidents, as it prevents traffic from travelling up and down Shore Road at 50mph. Every time the cops call I ask them if anything can be done to stop people from parking on the pavement just up the road, and every time the answer is the same "Nothing to do with us". Anyone got any ideas who can do something about it ?
On the right is Haven Manor, a period piece from Edwardian times. It was one of the buildings which gave Warsash its unique character. It fitted in size-wise and style-wise with the other buildings in Shore Road. In its' early days it had been a school. For the last 20 years or so it was a nursing home for the elderly. In 2005, its life over, it was demolished. What would replace it ? The plans that I saw for its replacement indicated a 2 story building of roughly the same size, comprised of flats. Thats OK - folks have to live somewhere. I stopped worrying. Mistake After 15 months of building work (and after that I would not wish a building site on anyone) the replacement grew into a 3 storey monster, bearing no resemblance to the original drawings. It's much taller, and closer to the road which makes it loom over its neighbours. Do you think it fits in with 200 year old cottages ? My advice to you is this: If you get anything from the Planning Department at Fareham, no matter how reasonable it seems, oppose it with all your might. Write letters, organise petitions, go and see the planning people. You probably won't win, but you'll feel a lot better when you lose and a monster box is planted close by you. Fight "development by stealth."