Cllr Nik Daas

13/03/2026

New Lighting for Abbey United Reformed Church, Romsey 💡💡💡

Sandra Gidley and myself dropped down to the URC Church in Romsey town centre to check out the new energy efficient lighting they have installed, following a council grant.
The URC also run the Abbey Hall, which is on the way to the park - we very nearly got caught up in a Tai Chi session going on 🧘. Both buildings now have much improved lighting quality, which is more energy efficient and also saving the buildings money.
Well done to Therese and Andy who having done such a huge amount of work to get this sorted. Also check out the beautiful organ inside.

If you run a local a local community building and want to make some energy efficient improvements, please get in touch.

05/03/2026

Fancy working on behalf of our Town? 🏛️

Romsey Town Council has a vacancy for a Bookings & Events Officer. Check out the job description below.

📢 We’re Hiring: Bookings and Events Officer

Romsey Town Council is seeking an enthusiastic and capable individual to join our team as a Bookings and Events Officer.

In this varied and rewarding role, you will:
• Provide a full bookings service for hirers of the Town Hall
• Promote and help develop the Town Hall and its programme of events
• Assist the Civic Engagement and Events Officer in organising civic and community events

📍 Location: Town Hall (office-based)
🕒 Hours: 30 hours per week, Monday–Friday
💷 Salary: £28,000 – £32,000 (pro-rata, SCP 11–19, dependent on experience)
🏦 Benefits: NEST Pension Scheme

📄 Further information:
The Job Description, Person Specification and Application Form are available on the Town Council’s website: romsey-tc.gov.uk, or via email from the Chief Officer, Helen Klaassen, at [email protected].

https://www.romsey-tc.gov.uk/town_council_staff.html

If you have any questions about the role, please contact the Chief Officer.

📅 Closing date: Friday, 3 April
🗓 Interviews: Week commencing 13 April

Join us in helping deliver events and activities at the heart of the Romsey community.

02/03/2026

From a Star to the Horsefair ⭐ ➡️ 🐎

Did you know that the Star Inn Pub at the bottom of Cherville Street, Romsey has now been taken over and is now called The Horsefair Pub & Rooms.

They have already had an excellent rebirth and from tomorrow will be serving fresh sandwiches 🥪 produced by a local bakery.

Our food offering launches next Tuesday! 🎉
We’ll be serving from midday, with a delicious selection of freshly made sandwiches – including this classic Coronation Chicken 👑🥪
All our sandwiches are made using fresh bread delivered daily from our local bakery, packed with quality fillings and plenty of flavour.
Pop in from 12pm and be one of the first to try the new menu… we can’t wait to welcome you!

24/02/2026

Whitenap Development: Deferred until further information provided 📅📅📅

There was a good debate at the meeting with plenty of questions answered, however the decision by the committee was to defer the application until further information is gained. Well done to the 200+ people who attended the meeting, and to the 50-75 who stayed until gone 20:00.
Full details of the item and minutes of the meeting can be found here: https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=161&MId=4090

The reason the decision was deferred was due to the following:

🌉The Bridge leading onto Southampton Road
The committee requires firm confirmation that the proposed bridge across the railway line onto Southampton Road will definitely be delivered. As it stands, the developer plans to construct the bridge only after 800 of the 920 homes have been sold. Members expressed concern that this is too late in the build-out and want to see the trigger point brought forward so the bridge is installed much earlier.

🏠Affordable Housing Provision.
The current proposal guarantees a minimum of just 10% affordable housing, which is considered far too low. An independent viability assessment is currently being prepared, but it has not yet been finalised. The committee wants this report completed and reviewed before making a final decision, with the hope that it will support a significantly higher percentage of affordable homes.

Next Steps:
Once the information requested is gained, the application will likely come back to the committee over the next few weeks.

24/02/2026

Whitenap Development: Decision Day 🏡🏠🏘️

🗣️This evening at 17.30, Crosfield Hall the local planning committee will be deciding on whether to approve or not the new housing development at Whitenap, South Romsey. You can attend the meeting in person or listen online at this link: https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=161&MId=4090

🏠Affordable Housing
- Only 90 of the 900 homes (10%) proposed are for ‘affordable’ housing. The normal amount is 40% so this developer proposal is embarrassingly below par.
- This risks shutting local families and young people out from the opportunity to buy a home.
- I hope members of the planning committee will challenge the developer robustly and push for a better deal for our community.

🛣️Infrastructure There are some positive within the proposal:

🏫 The developers have committed to building a new primary school to the south-east of the allotments, which will help support the growing number of families in the area. Many smaller developments have not or do not have to do this.

🌉 Bridge over the Train Tracks
- Following years of discussions and a red line drawn by my councillor colleagues and I, the developers have committed to delivering a bridge over the railway line.
- This bridge will connect the site to the rest of the town, making it easier for residents to walk into the town centre and spend their money, rather than elsewhere.
- It is proposed to be located approximately 500 metres south of The Rapids, emerging onto Southampton Road. It will be our responsibility to ensure the developer does not renege on this commitment.

🔀We are all aware housing is needed in this country, but when inadequate affordable housing and infrastructure come forward, I can completely understand why local people get frustrated.
We need a different approach to housing where properly affordable homes are provided for local people to buy and ensure infrastructure comes before the houses are built.

See you this evening,
Nik

14/02/2026

Pleased to speak 🗣️ to That's TV Solent about the perilous position Hampshire County Council have left themselves in.
We seriously need wholesale change, Now.

12/02/2026

Bad, Sad & Seriously Worrying News for Hampshire

Yesterday, while reading the Hampshire County Council agenda for its next big councillors meeting, I was staggered to see the options on the table for the next tax year.

Residents have, unfortunately, become accustomed to yearly council tax increases of the max of 5%. However, what is now being proposed goes waaaaay beyond that.

Now HCC are staring down the barrel of either:

👉 14.99% tax increase (with a referendum for residents to decide)
OR
👉 Declaring bankruptcy & hand control to central government.

What we’ve seen when bankruptcy is triggered in other councils across the country:
• Public buildings sold off
• Libraries and assets gone
• Even more potholes unfixed
• Services slashed
• Communities paying the price

Yes, councils are under pressure - especially with adult social care and costs for children with special educational needs (SEND). But the Government has already announced £5bn in additional funding for the latter. ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjd95572xpeo )

So how has Hampshire ended up facing a near -15% tax rise or bankruptcy?

Questions of the leadership and if they are really fit for purpose must be answered? From where I am sitting they aren't up to the job.

But ultimately that's for you the residents to decide.

https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/news/25847834.hampshire-county-council-go-bankrupt-rise-council-tax/

01/02/2026

Great Well Drive Shipping Container is NO more 🚛📦🚛

Last week the local council took successful direct action by removing the large shipping container that has been located near Nightingale Pharmacy on Great Well Drive. It has been a long slog to get this through the courts and obtain a warrant, but the matter is now finally resolved.
It's all of our responsibility to keep pride in our area.

28/01/2026

No Dampened Spirits Here ☂️🗣️☂️

Not even Storm Chandra 🌪️could dampen our spirits when out speaking with residents in Abbotswood, Romsey this week. Some really interesting conversations with residents about lots of local issues and national issues for parliamentary candidate,Thomas Gravatt.

With Victoria Burbridge & Cllr Sally Yalden

(Photo from yesterday when the weather was even worse)

24/01/2026

Makeover for our local Bishop 👗💄👗

Congratulations to Martin and the team at the Bishop Blaize Romsey who have now had a top notch revamp.
I know some people are doing dry January or trimming back their spending after Christmas, but take an opportunity to support your local pubs. Visits to the pub can certainly stave off social isolation and if we don't use them we will lose them.

We would like to say a big thank you for our staff,friends and family who have helped us in the last 4 days! it's been tough and somtimes stressful but we did it in 4 days !

We would like to thank our Mayor of Romsey for opening us today

And to for taking photos and Victoria Motherbear Parker for making our balloon arch

05/01/2026

Seasoning! But not for your food ❄️🧂❄️

The snowy weather has naturally caused plenty of icy weather as well. You may have seen these blue bins across Hampshire and these should be full of salt for locals to spread around smaller roads and pavements.

You paid for it, so be sure to make good use of it, but perhaps not for your winter warming winter stew 🍲!

You can find your closest salt bin here:
https://maps.hants.gov.uk/highwayssaltroutes/