September 2024

New community ambassadors improving town centre safety

New community ambassadors are out in Gosport town centre reducing anti-social behaviour.

The ambassadors are out each day of the week patrolling The Falkland Gardens and the town centre. Their role is to improve safety for residents and businesses and to proactively engage with the community.

The ambassadors are employed by the council through Police and Crime Commissioner funding. The scheme is aimed at reducing anti-social behaviour, while working alongside police officers who retain responsibility for responding to crimes and emergencies.

Uniformed officers from Blayde Security have been hired to improve safety in the town for 12 weeks.

New homes scheme progressing 

Work is progressing at three sites where the council is building new affordable housing.

At Glebe Drive (pictured), the ground floor block and beam flooring is complete, and the brickwork to the first floor has started.

At Stoners Close, the substructure is complete and ground floor block and beam flooring is underway.

And at Wheeler Close, work to reduce the ground level has finished and the foundations are being set.

Work began in July and in total, 15 new council homes will be created. They'll be rented at an affordable rate to Gosport residents and families currently on the housing register.

Don't lose your vote! Check your voter registration details

Please check your electoral registration details arriving in the post shortly, so you don't risk losing the chance to vote on decisions that affect you and your family.

The annual canvass allows the council to keep the electoral register up to date, to identify who risks losing their voice at elections, and to encourage residents to register before it’s too late.

Simply follow the instructions that will be sent to you in the post.

If you’re not currently registered, your name will not appear in the messages we send.

The easiest way to register is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Recent home movers in particular are urged to check their details. 

If you have questions about your registration status you can can contact our electoral services team on 023 9254 5227, or email electoral.registration@gosport.gov.uk

Two free community hub events 

Two upcoming community events with free family entertainment will give visitors the chance to help shape local services. Enjoy free ice cream, face painting and refreshments at these events at Gosport's Digital and Wellbeing hubs: Saturday 28 September - Imagination Refinery, 51-52 High St, PO12 1DF Saturday 19 October - Lee Hub Independent Community Library, 14 High Street, Lee-on-the-Solent, PO13 9BZ (A similar event took place at Elson Community Library and Hub on 7 August) IT support for all at our hubs  As part of the council's plan to create a Digital Peninsula, the three digital and wellbeing hubs help residents get online and access services and tasks for day-to-day life. You can drop in to any of the three hubs for IT support like: Accessing online health services like booking a GP appointment Family learning, like help with your children's/grandchildren's homework Job searching and applying, including updating CVs Use Teams / Zoom / Google Meet Online shopping Help to find and complete other online forms Learn how to use email Digital marketing skills for businesses As well as supporting individuals, we are offering a series of digital marketing training sessions to Gosport businesses. They are taking place in the Imagination Refinery, and sessions include email marketing, brand development, using different social media platforms, and a lot more.

We're backing a battery fire safety campaign

Our councillors are backing a national campaign calling for greater safety around lithium batteries, following a major fire in the town recently. Eight homes in Hill Park Road were severely damaged by a fire in June. The fire service has said it was most likely caused by an e-scooter which caught fire while on charge. The council is supporting a call on the government introduce new laws to ensure greater safety around the sale and use of of lithium batteries. Remember: Don't leave batteries on charge overnight while you sleep.

Mobile dental clinic dates in September

Dentaid, the dental charity is continuing its mobile dental clinic in Gosport in September. It will be in the High Street again on Thursday 12 and 26 September. It's a free service for Hampshire and Isle of Wight residents who don't receive dental care elsewhere. To make an appointment and check if you're eligible, call 023 8001 4450. Due to its success, more dates have been added. The mobile clinic will be in Gosport on 17 and 31 October; 14 and 28 November; and 12 and 19 December, and then return in 2025.

What do you think of our market?

We hope you've experienced one of our bespoke markets, happening in the High Street on the last Saturday of each month. They've been really well attended and the atmosphere has been great!

If you haven't yet been, we encourage you to come and explore the 40 plus artisan stalls, selling everything from fudge, clothing, jewellery, cheese and so much more. There is always free activities for children, you can grab some lunch from one of the food stalls, relax with a drink and listen to the live music on offer.

Our next one is an autumn market on Saturday 28 September, 10am-4pm.

To ensure we've got the balance right, we're asking residents to complete a short survey, letting us know what you like, dislike and want to see more of. Even if you've not been, you can fill in the below survey to tell us what might tempt you to come along, and any barriers stopping you.