Village Centre Pedestrian safety
and Village Green Enhancements

Following extensive research and consultations with the community, the County Council will start work on the improvements very soon.

The primary objective of the Parish Vision 2020 - Action Plan:
To reduce speed limits to 20mph in the core village area, by introducing a buff-coloured road surface that will alert drivers that they are entering an area with different driving conditions, thereby encouraging them to slow down. The introduction of safer crossing points and the widening of some footpaths with a resin-bonded continuos surface, as used on the seafront promenade, all of which is intended to benefit shoppers using the village.
These new, continuous, footpath surfaces will result in the removal of many trip points (uneven paving slabs). The new footpath and lighter coloured road surface will run down both sides of the central High Street and from Holland's at the junction of the high Street, up Church Hill to Pink's Fish and Chip shop.

Any comments on this scheme should be emailed to the Parish Clerk

Ponies at Sturt Pond
We now have  ponies in the grazing area at Sturt Pond. Visitors are requested not to feed these animals.

Maintaining a Vibrant Village
The Parish council recently convened a meeting of community leaders to seek ideas, which will help maintain the vibrancy of our village.
Members of the Milford Community Partnership (MCP), Milford Business Association (MBA), Milford Tourism Group (MTG) and representatives of the Parish and District Council met informally to look at ways of maintaining and enhancing the economic well-being of the village.
Concerns have been expressed about the closure of our much loved but often underused, shops and businesses (e.g. Clarks the shoe shop, Turnaround and the petrol garage). Many ideas were put forward, which are being evaluated to see if, in partnership, we can make sure that we remain a well-visited and well-used shopping and tourist destination.
The views expressed by all attending the meeting is that more effort must be made to encourage both local residents and visitors to use our village shopping facilities. When the various ideas have been sifted and further investigated, we will hold a much wider meeting with all interested parties to seek further views and ideas.
In the meantime, we ask you to take a walk on the bright side and visit all of our shops to see what an amazing array of foodstuffs, drinks, gifts, restaurants and services are provided right on our doorstep. Some will even deliver your shopping to your door!!

Council Meetings
All the council meetings are open to the public and are held in the Village Hall on Mondays at 6:30pm unless otherwise stated, a full list of the dates and times are shown on the Calendar page.

Milford Village Hall,
2 Park Road,
Milford on Sea

Improving access to our Public Open Spaces for wheelchair users
Pete Durnell, Sturt Pond and Keyhaven Marshes Nature Reserve Manager, has requested a temporary footpath closure on the footpath that runs along the eastern boundary of Sturt Pond. Steps off of Grebe Close will be replaced with a slope and the bridge with steps over the sewerage pipe will also be replaced with a slope suitable for wheelchair access.
It is anticipated the footpath will be closed from 10th March 2008 for up to two months, although the work is likely to take less than this to complete. Users are requested to follow the instructions provided on site during the work period. Reasonable facilities will be provided to allow access to adjacent premises while the work is being carried out.

Pete Durnell - has informed us that work on upgrading paths and bridges for improved access for those with ambulant difficulties will commence on 25th March 2008.

Council working in partnership with the Milford on Sea Wildlife Recording Group (WRG ) to provide a Bird-Hide at Sturt Pond
The Council has agreed to work in partnership with the Wildlife Recording Group and the District Council to try to secure land behind the Hurst Depot (Black shed) to erect an elevated bird observation hide.

The WRG has submitted a Breathing Places - Lottery bid to secure a grant for £10,000. An additional £2,500 will also have to be found from sponsorship. If the WRG bid is successful (we will know in June 2008), the bird hide will sit between the two fences at the rear of the Depot overlooking the saltmarsh,  reedbed and pond, three of the key habitats at Sturt pond.

The District are also working closely with the Parish Council to help provide access to the site through a lease agreement. Members of the public will have to secure a 'key permit' from various village outlets to gain access to the observatory hide. A refundable deposit (and a small adminisration charge) will help ensure that the hide is used as it should be and volunteers will look after the hide access.


Barnes Copse New Gravel Footpath
Funding has been secured to construct a new gravel footpath running just inside the wall along Barnes Lane.
Milford Environmental Group and the Wildlife Recording Group have secured the necessary funds to create this new footpath, which will help alleviate some of the pedestrian safety problems created by vehicles parking along the lower end of the lane.
We are hiring a mini-dumper and driver to undertake some of the heavier aspect of the work, while Milford conservation volunteers will be undertaking the manual labour element by installing the edging boards and wheel barrowing the gravel into position. Volunteers are welcome to help with this project which starts at 9.30am on Saturday 1st March and Sunday 2nd March 2008. Please bring your own wheel barrow, shovel, gloves and wellongtons or steel-capped boots if you have any of them.