Archived news items

Current news items can be read here.

October 2022 - Shared ownership property in Houghton

Please see details below of a shared ownership property available in Houghton - the deadline for applications is 9 November 2022. If interested please respond to English Rural.

September 2022 - Service for the Queen

All Saints' Church, Houghton

Friday 16 September, 6.00 pm

The Revd Philip Bowden and churchwardens Michael Woodhall and Iona Priestley invite all the residents of our village to attend a simple service of reflection and contemplation to remember with great affection and deep gratitude the life of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

We would like this to be seen as a village event and hope that many of our villagers will be able to attend.

May 2022 - Houghton Trail 2022

The village turned out in force to support the Houghton Trail event on Sunday 8 May, returning after a three year delay. More information and photos from the event can be viewed on the Houghton Trail website.

May 2022 - Neighbourhood Plan referendum

The referendum on 19 May 2022 is the final stage in the process of producing the Houghton Village Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP). If you are eligible to vote you will have received a polling card.

The NDP is a community-led framework which guides future development and growth, dealing with issues like housing, employment, heritage and transport. Subject to the outcome of the referendum, the NDP will form part of the overall Local Development Plan, carrying more weight than other local planning documents such as parish plans, community plans or village design statements. If the majority of referendum votes are in favour of the NDP, it will be formally adopted by Test Valley Borough Council and they will be obliged to take it into account when considering all future planning matters.

More information on the Houghton NDP can be found on the Parish Council website. 

February 2022 - Village CCTV

The Houghton CCTV scheme will be fully operational as from Monday 14th February. It is hoped that not only will the scheme become a deterrent but will also improve the chances of detection when a crime is committed within the boundaries of Houghton village. We have put together the process you can follow for guidance, should you become the victim of crime (see below).

Our thanks go out to all those persons involved throughout this challenging project:

• Houghton Community Benefit Fund
• Bossington Estate
• Houghton Fishing Club
• The Boot
• Barker & Geary
• Residents at 3 camera locations
• Houghton Newsletter (Terry Heffernan)
• Houghton Neighbourhood Watch
• Hampshire and IOW Constabulary

Dennis Stephens, CCTV Project Team

October 2021 - CCTV news

Our thanks to all of our residents who responded to the CCTV survey in the September edition of the Houghton Village News and to those who came to the Coffee Morning in August when many of you also completed the survey. This has been extremely useful in presenting our case for funding.

We would now like to provide you with some additional information regarding camera locations, signage, and what the system involves in terms of infrastructure and importantly to ask you once again to complete and send in the response form at the end of this article to ensure we meet your approval for the camera placements. 

Infrastructure

The main authority for CCTV systems is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), whom we have consulted throughout the project process. The ICO is the UK's independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest and data privacy for individuals. The next line of responsibility is Houghton Parish Council, which has appointed two Data Controllers to oversee the use of the system, maintenance, and reviews to ensure the system is working correctly and is accurate. Working alongside the Data Controllers will be two Processors who will be trained to access the system remotely when an incident is reported or for checking the accurate operation of equipment. The next line of infrastructure will be Houghton Neighbourhood Watch whose role will be to liaise with Hampshire Constabulary, assessing images that may require examination and where investigations are necessary.

The camera equipment will be capable of capturing images of high quality, but the images will only be accessed when there is a need or requirement, and this will take place remotely by laptop, iPad, or mobile telephone. Images will be stored for 31 days before self-deleting to ensure that no images are retained for longer than necessary.

When images are to be used, there is a chain of evidence and continuity. When an incident is reported to the Police or Neighbourhood Watch a decision will be made whether to remotely access the system. When this occurs, a log will be maintained and a chain of evidence commenced. If criminal proceedings follow it may be necessary for a witness statement to be made available to the Police.

Camera locations

Camera 1

This camera will be situated at postcode SO20 6LF. It covers the vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian access to the roadside only and not private property. It covers the direction from North Houghton and the general route into the village from Stockbridge. The camera size will be approximately 30cm long and 20cm in diameter (the diameter of the lens will be 50mm). The colour will be off-white. It will be wall-mounted to a building structure at a height of about 2 metres. The signage is a plastic CCTV awareness sign, size A3, yellow in colour with black font, and will display contact details for Houghton Parish Council. 

Camera 2

This camera will be situated at postcode SO20 6LY. It covers the vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian access to the roadside only and not private property. It covers the entrance into the village from Horsebridge. The camera size will be approximately 30cm long and 20cm in diameter (the diameter of the lens will be 50mm). The colour will be off-white. It will be fixed to a discreet pole behind hedging at a height of about 2.5 metres. The signage will be a plastic CCTV awareness sign, size A3, yellow in colour with black font and will display contact details for Houghton Parish Council. 

Camera 3

This camera will be situated at postcode SO20 6LT. It covers the vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian access to the roadside only and not private property. It covers the direction from Mottisfont & Broughton and the T-junction at Houghton Corner. The camera size will be approximately 30cm long and 20cm in diameter (the diameter of the lens will be 50mm). The colour will be off-white. It will be wall-mounted to a building structure at a height of about 2 metres. The signage will be a plastic CCTV awareness sign, size A3, yellow in colour with black font, and will display contact details for Houghton Parish Council.

Please note:  The reason for not identifying the precise address/location of cameras is to avoid the details being available in the public domain and the criminal issues that could potentially follow such a disclosure. While the cameras will of course be visible to road users, it is vital that the addresses are not printed in a public document and readily available for any misuse. Furthermore, the occupants have exercised their right not have to have their personal addresses made available in a public document. If anyone is concerned or feels that they may be affected within the postal codes detailed by the cameras, they are advised to contact the Chairman of Houghton Parish Council, Alan Young, who will be in a position to consult with residents and explain more about the camera locations.

In addition to the information above, we can confirm the information provided earlier in the September edition of the Houghton Village News: that the system will be managed and overseen by Houghton Parish Council, and that recordings will only ever be accessed when a criminal incident is reported.

We have taken advice from the Information Commissioner’s Office with a view to ensuring compliance with their code of practice.

It is very important that we obtain your views. Please submit your household’s response, either via post on the form below or via email to Houghton Parish Council Chairman Alan Young, by Sunday 14th November 2021, even if you have responded previously! 

Alan Young: [email protected]

Ronas, Chapel Close, Houghton, SO20 6LS