An informative and enjoyable evening had by all at the Dever Society AGM 2021

On the 13th of April 2021 we hosted our Annual General Meeting, welcoming over 70 members and guests from across Hampshire including county and local councillors.

It was our first ever virtual AGM but despite a few pre-event nerves the evening went smoothly, and we received positive feedback from members.

Dever Society Chair, Tessa Robertson, welcomed attendees and gave an update on the proposed new town at Micheldever and the Dever Society’s response to the recent Strategic Issues and Priorities consultation on Winchester’s new Local Plan, which had closed the day before. The consultation put forward four options for accommodating Winchester’s housing target over the next 20 years, one of which is new settlements in the countryside. The Society’s response makes a strong case that this is the worst and most unsustainable option for Winchester.

We were delighted to have Cllr Jackie Porter as our guest speaker for the evening. She reported that many hundreds of responses had been received for the Strategic Issues and Priorities Consultation. They will be taken into account as the Council prepares the first draft of the new Local Plan, which they hope to publish early next year.

Attendees had an opportunity to ask Jackie questions and a lively discussion about planning in Winchester and Basingstoke followed.

The evening concluded with a fascinating talk by Micheldever resident and stargazer, Dave Worley, about the night skies and how we see stars. Dave reminded us that the Dever Valley is the only remaining area of dark skies between London and the South Coast and the importance of safeguarding this.

We would like to thank everyone who attended, and we look forward to seeing you next year, hopefully in person.

To read our response to the Local Plan’s Strategic Issues and Priorities consultation click here.