FESTIVE LIGHTS, NONE FOR WATERLOOVILLE!

Some of you may have read previous blogs as I have tried to work my way through the bureaucracy of licensing and installation for festive lights in the town centre. In fairness the paperwork has been easier (was started in JUNE!) mainly because a lovely lady called Katie in Havant Borough Council has been helping me.

So why am I saying there will be no festive lights in Waterlooville this year? Scottish and Southern Electrics SSE!!

We have to get permission to hang the motifs from their lighting columns (also know as lamp posts!) To do that we have to get an installer approved by them!!

Our installer from last year retired and we had to find a new one. To hang, plug in and flick a switch on 8 motifs, put the lights in the Xmas tree, plug in and flick a switch, and also hang some battery powered lights in the trees (and remove) Our first quote COST £3500 Which we felt was excessive.

We did find a local installer, Clinton Electrics. They do work for Havant Borough Council. so we thought he should be reliable and safe. He gave us a cost of £1900. Expensive but worthwhile to get the lights up for the town. Then SSE stepped in insisting on a G39 certificate. When I asked Clinton Electrics if they had this certificate the response was below:

We do not hold a G39 certificate (very few electrical contractor will)

Please let your SSE contact know that we are Full NICEIC electrical contractor

and that will will not be making any alterations to the lamppost,

we will only be opening the cover and switching an Isolator on to power

the already installed 16A Commando socket.

If a G39 is insisted upon you will either have to find another contractor

or pay for the day course £500 (course fee + our time).

We don’t hold a G39 as in the 16 years I've ran my business and the 26 years

I've been in the trade I've never been asked for it

and have installed £40K of street lights for the NHS.

I sent this response to them. After 5 days of deliberation SSE have replied that he cannot be used as no G39!! I accept that we must all be kept safe but surely this is going too far.

DOES ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW AN ELECTRICAL INSTALLER WITH A G39 WHO COULD PUT THE LIGHTS UP? who is not going to charge £3500!

I did ask SSE for a quote 2 months ago, which they never replied to. When I asked again today the response was that they no longer put up festive lighting!

As things stand no festive lighting in Waterlooville

If you write a comment on Facebook add @scottish and southern energy so they hear how the community of Waterlooville feel about this.

LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE FREE TO TAKE THE KIDS?

Looking for somewhere free to take the kids next weekend? The Waterlooville Summer Fete is on Sunday 20th August. Entry is free and whilst there are commercial activities such as a funfair, Bouncy Castles, Bungee Trampoline etc.. there are also lots of things they can do for FREE. They can learn the Samba drums or Circus skills, Play laser quest with the Peter Ashley activity centre, Pet the animals in the mobile farm, create giant bubbles, try virtual reality with O2 and ... much more. We have plenty for the whole family with 75 stalls, a full programme in our arena, a Dog show (run by Downlands vetinerary practice - with all proceeds to Hounds for Heroes), Classic cars and Solent Renegades. Come and stay for the day we have plenty of food options - Burgers, Ice-cream, Hog roast, Jacket potatoes, Donuts, Wood fired Pizza and pop up tea room for tea and cakes. We even have a bar! I would be surprised if you could find a free event in the area with as much going on and so ...

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS 2017

Moving on to Christmas 2017 - It might be sunny outside but now is the time for me to apply for the license for us to hang the festive lights in Waterlooville Town centre. Dealing with Hampshire County Council and Southern Electric is a challenge! The assurance is that they have made it easier this year. I am unsure that is true. Filling in a form talking about 'windage', 'eccentricity', bracket heights, bracket lows, etc, etc. Difficult to give answers when you do not understand the questions. Finding out if we need a structural competency survey. The list continues. Easy it is not. Yesterday I almost threw the PC out of the window. In the end I sent the form to a kind person at Havant Council, who admitted she did not understand the questions either. Made me feel better!! At the end of the day I am a mere volunteer trying to bring Christmas to Waterlooville. Watch for the next stage of the licensing saga!! ...

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This wood could be lost to the community if the Woodland Trust get their way! Many people know of Park Wood. A small wood which is found on the London Road between Wallis Road and Queens Road, opposite Queens Enclosure. It is a Woodland Trust Wood. They took it over nearly 30 years ago and for the first 10 years they virtually ignored it. It became shadowed with Sycamore and laurel. It became waterlogged. It became dark and dangerous with litter, junkies, used needles, fires and in fact people were attacked in there. Not a place you wanted to enter. Then the Friends of Park Wood were formed and for nearly 20 years the friends (consisting of local residents) have maintained the wood always following a management plan as written by the Woodland Trust. The wood was transformed to what it is today. A place where you can walk. Schools use it to teach children about the environment. The blue...

Waterlooville Events Team

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