Last week’s meeting was lively and, as seems to be the case these days, long.

Public statements and questions were interesting and very informative ranging from a request to encourage cyclists to use lights to anti-social behaviour in Newmarket Road. The latter information was very helpful when after the Policing and Safer Neighbourhoods report we discussed the local police priorities for the coming period.

The committee decided to continue to emphasise Anti-Social Behaviour and specified both the area around Norfolk St and nearby Newmarket Road as deserving of particular attention. During this discussion it was noted that reported problems around the Man On The Moon were already being pursued.

It was agreed to support the City Council’s proposal to consult on whether Sainsbury’s wish to convert a piece of land outside Mickey Flynn’s in Mill Road into a loading bay. It was felt that this was best progressed now to give clarity in case Sainsbury’s appealed the recent refusal or submitted a new planning application.

The item to discuss how future meetings could be improved, including how we could finish earlier, was postponed to allow this meeting to finish before midnight!

The planning applications considered included 292 Mill Road (11/0872/FUL). This is the former Royal Standard public house on the Mill Road / Malta Road junction. County Councillor Kilian Bourke attended this part of the meeting to make a representation against the application as only City Councillors may vote on planning applications. After the discussion that followed both of Romsey Town’s LD City Councillors Catherine Smart and Paul Saunders voted to refuse the application which was, indeed, turned down.

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