News: Parish Council opens its Extraordinary Meeting to the public
In a surprise move this evening, Parish Councillors have issued a new agenda for their Extraordinary Meeting on Monday. They will discuss the approach for responding to the new 75-home planning application.
Sensationally, Cllr Tony Ewer will be required to recuse himself from that discussion.
The public will no longer be excluded, and the meeting includes an item for public questions and comments.
Extraordinary Parish Council meeting
Monday 17 Nov 2025 at 6:30pm in the Village Hall (Agenda)
The news of the agenda changes emerged early on Sunday evening. Councillors had repeatedly tried to contact the Chair, Cllr Julian Hudson, but were unsuccessful. This is how the Extraordinary Meeting will now proceed:
Parish Councillors will welcome the two new Councillors elected last Thursday. They will then discuss the termination of the contract with the Locum Clerk, Mr Tom Brindley. They will consider how he will be replaced on a temporary basis and then a permanent appointment.
Before Parish Councillors discuss the 75-home planning application, the new agenda says:
Cllr Ewer to recuse himself from the meeting (and leave the room) in line with his letter to the Parish Council of 12th November 2025 (Code of Conduct Clause 5.6)
Clause 5.6 of the Code of Conduct says:
Where you have a personal interest, if you consider, having taken advice, that you should not participate in the business being considered, you should leave the room where the business is being considered after exercising any right to speak which a member of the public would have (and subject to complying with any such requirements as to registration)
Councillors will “discuss the approach and timetable for consulting with the Village and responding to [the 75-home application].”
The meeting will then be opened for public participation, where “Residents are invited to give their views and question the committee on this agenda, or raise issues for future consideration at the discretion of the Chairman.”
This is likely to be a very well-attended meeting.
In a busy week, the Parish Council has three other meetings:
Planning meeting
Monday 17 Nov 2025 at 6:00pm in the Village Hall (Agenda)
The regular Planning meeting precedes the Extraordinary Meeting. It will now no longer discuss the 75-home development.
The main item will be to agree a decision on the application to build a new home at what used to be called “land adjacent to Copyhold”, but is now called “Cyma House”.
Community Development Committee meeting
Wednesday 19 Nov 2025 at 7:00pm in the Village Hall (Agenda)
As we reported at the beginning of the month, CDC meetings will resume this week.
The first item of business will be to elect a Chair and Vice-Chair for the CDC. Cllr David Hall resigned as Chair in July, and the role has been undertaken in an acting capacity by Cllr Neil Connor since then.
Notably there will be an update from the meeting that Parish Councillors had with Test Valley Borough Council planning officers on 10 Nov 2025. They discussed potential sites for housing within Chilbolton.
There will also be consideration of a proposed community workshop next February.
This meeting includes public participation: item 9 says “Residents are invited to give their views and question the committee on this agenda, or raise issues for future consideration at the discretion of the Chairman.”
Open Spaces Committee
Thursday 20 Nov 2025 at 6:30pm in the Village Hall (Agenda)
COSC will be noting reports on their areas of responsibility including West Down, The Common, the War Memorial Playing Fields and Parish paths and greens.
They will also be setting the budget for the coming year. The COSC budget is significant for Chilbolton Parish Council.
In the upcoming year there will be the sizeable cost of replacing large portions of the fence which encloses West Down.
If you would like to ask a question, or make a point to the COSC team, agenda item 6 is your destination.