Your Parish Councillors
Meet Your Parish Councillors
Cllr Simon Hand Chair of Hamble Parish Council
I have been a member of the council for seven years. During this time I have served as both chair and vice chair. My main interests are sailing and transport. I feel the Council’s priorities in the short to medium term should be to develop a neighbourhood plan and redevelop the Mount Pleasant site which would include relocating all our staff into one purpose-built building.
Cllr Chris Jones Vice-Chair of Hamble Parish Council
I grew up and went to university in the midlands. Graduated as a Chemical Engineer from Birmingham University and spent 20 years working on penicillin manufacturing and global pharmaceuticals supply.
My resulting engineering and IT experience lead to consulting roles in several business’ ranging from mobile phones, through retail to nuclear decommissioning.
Latterly my interest has been with a startup on-line lighting business and supporting my partner as CEO of BTG plc and now as Chair of Halma plc.
We have 6 children between us who are all at the early stages of their adult lives with all the challenges of family life in the 21st century.
We actively support a couple of charities that work to inspire children to a better future. The Outward Bound Trust and the 1851 Trust use outdoor adventure and high performance sailing to encourage thousands of children on their personal journeys and to introduce them to opportunities in STEM subjects.
We are also keen competitive yacht racers and we hope that our young crew will keep us energised and active for many years so that we can enjoy our other passions of hill walking and cross country skiing.
Cllr Andy Thompson Chair of the Asset Management Committee
My name is Andy Thompson and I have lived in Hamble for 28 years at the same address in College Close with my wife, 2 grown up children and our black lab.
My links to the village go back to my childhood as my father worked for many years at Folland Aircraft and Hawker Siddeley . Both he and my mother were very active in the bowls club and I remember watching them play on many occasions.
On leaving school I worked for Vosper Thornycroft in Woolston then at Ordnance Survey for over 30 years. After taking early retirement I worked as an IT Consultant then in Property Refurbishment. I am now semi retired but still work part time.
Over the period of the next Council I want to build on the steps that have been taken to improve the environment in and around the village by additional tree planting, creating more areas for wild flowers, creating and improving the wildlife habitats and further reduce the use of fossil fuel based energy. This will not only improve the environment, but make our community and even better place to live and work.
I will resist inappropriate development of our green spaces, and seek to redress the problems caused by littering, vandalism and anti-social behaviour which are of great concern to us all.
Above all I will put our community first, will challenge other authorities and remain independent of party politics and ensure that decisions are taken which will benefit everyone.
Cllr Ian Underdown Chair of the Planning Committee
I have lived in Hamble all my life and I am a retired teacher (Head of Technology). I have been an independent Hamble Parish Councillor for 26 years and its Chairman five times. I am currently Chair of the Planning Committee.
I have always had a great interest in village matters, particularly the river and the foreshore (as my main hobby is boating). I have been a committee member of many village organisations such as being a founder member and Chairman of Hamble Local History Society, Trustee of the Henville Educational Foundation and the Satchell Lane Residents' Association, to indicate just some of the local groups that I have been involved. Throughout my life I have contributed to village life, for example organised the aquatic regatta in the 1960s, arranged old local photograph exhibitions, produced local history booklets and regularly written for the village magazine/newsletter.
On the new Council I will endeavour to continue to represent everyone’s interest in Hamble and not just concentrate on a few issues or be influenced by those who shout the loudest. Oppose inappropriate development and support retention of Hamble’s village character. To protect and ensure Hamble assets are passed on for the next generation to enjoy.
Cllr Malcolm Cross
Having been a Parish councillor and Borough Councillor for some years now, I have seen a fair few changes within the area.
We have some very experienced Councillors on the Parish and now have a new team with whom I aim to work together over the next cycle. My aim is to improve the village amenities which will be hard with the constraints we have as a Parish.
I have experience within the construction industry from 16years to retirement, and I draw from that experience over the years. I work with all my might for the benefit of the residents of the Parish.
I have a degree in Heath and Safety and Management and use my people skills to put over the case and work forward to find resolutions and try to remove a lot of bureaucracy that can form.
The assets of the Parish are to be enjoyed by all the residents, not the few. I would like to help improve the Mount Pleasant facilities for all and try to overcome the parking problem; this may be painful. I’d also like to improve the foreshore for all.
Finally, I’d like to use the LAC to help improve the above and identify other ways forward.
Cllr Trevor Dann
I have been resident in Hamble since May 2000, at my Flowers Close home. Prior to that I lived in Lower Swanwick for 10 years having settled from the Gosport then Locks Heath areas where I lived when I served in the Royal Navy 1977 - 1991. I originate from Dartford in Kent. I left the Navy in January 1991 as a Chief Petty Officer.
I am married to Shelley, and we have two daughters both living at home - Anita and Kiera.
My profession since leaving the Navy has been as a Refrigeration Specialist Engineer. In 1994 I founded my own firm as a specialist Recycling business dealing with large scale / large building air-conditioning plant. We also hold the prestigious Carbon Trust Accredited Supplier status. I am a Judge for our Industry’s annual National Awards.
Since living in the Village I have played an active part in local activities, and particularly enjoy the social side of village life. My daughters were both born here and have enjoyed schooling at both Hamble Primary and The Hamble School. Formerly an active sailor I now keep a motorboat on the River Hamble at Bursledon.
I take an active interest in Village affairs. and wish to listen to the views of others, and give something back to this community. I would like to see better engagement with our Youth, reduced development and traffic, and keep the cork in the bottle on crucial weak points, such as Satchell Lane and the fields along the route into the Village.
Cllr Sheelagh Cohen Chair of the Personnel Committee
I want residents to Hamble to be proud of their village and, as a parish councillor I have sought to ensure that the parish council is run efficiently, effectively and in as environmentally sustainable manner as possible for the benefit of all parishioners and will continue to do so.
A lot of the decisions that affect the day to day life of parishioners are made by other organisations and it is important that those organisations are aware of the views of our parishioners and that they are taken into account in the decision making process. I will continue to seek to maintain a high profile for the parish in decision making processes that affect our community and that our input is considered and respected. In addition I am keen for the council to develop collaborative working with other organisations for the greater benefit of our community.
Finally, coming out of the pandemic, I will seek to ensure that the lessons learned during the pandemic are not forgotten and that we, as an organisation and community, emerge stronger.
Cllr Sarah Lehneis
Hi. My name is Sarah Lehneis, and I am one of the 12 Parish Councillor you have elected to represent you.
I have lived in this lovely village for 24 years.
I will listen to your concerns, represent and work tirelessly for the Village and its Parishioners.
My agenda is to promote a Hamble village life that works together to prevent anti-social behaviour, vandalism, and fly tipping which greatly reduce our quality of life and sense of security.
I will embrace change and development where it makes sense, and develop the Hub into a focus point for personal development, running education, new skill courses and helping local businesses to flourish.
Cllr Michelle Nicholson
As a fairly new resident to Hamble, I would like to thank you for support in the Parish Council election.
As a councillor, I am pleased to bring 20 years of experience in corporate communications and business to help the council to engage with our community and keep everyone regularly informed.
Looking to the future, I will continue helping our community to access local services and help us navigate the different layers of local government – whether that is working on our parish team or helping connect to Eastleigh Borough Council, Hampshire County Council / Hampshire Highways, the Police and others to ‘get things done’.
I rely on public transport, walking and cycling to get around. For this reason, I would like to be a voice to speak on behalf of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users in Hamble. I will also support discussions in helping to keep Hamble a safe and enjoyable place for everyone.
Cllr Tony Ryan
I am Tony Ryan, born and bred in Southampton (faithful Southampton FC supporter and keen Hampshire Cricket fan). I went to King Edward VI School, Southampton, then on to City University, London, where I graduated with a BA Joint Honours in Economics and Journalism.
Following this, I have had a successful career in Education IT Sales, managing the UK Universities for a number of multinational companies.
I have lived in Hamble for over 20 years, currently in Sydney Avenue.
Thank you for electing me to represent you on Hamble Parish Council. I am so pleased to be back after a short break for family reasons.
My main aim is to ensure Hamble Parish Council resources are utilised to improve, support and maintain the Hamble community and amenities so residents and visitors continue to enjoy our Hamble environment in peace. Whilst we welcome our new residents to Hamble, my aim is to prevent further development as our current infrastructure simply does not allow for it. We all know what Hamble Lane is like !!! I will also work on wider health, safety and environmental matters.
If you have any concerns, please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to help.
Cllr Tony Moody
I love Hamble. Since the first moments when we drove to the village Square, we fell in love with the area and were lucky to find our house in Old Priory Close, moving in October 2020 from Mitcham, Greater London.
I want to be a Parish Councillor to contribute to the village's upkeep, ensuring residents can live their lives the way they want and without hinderance. My vision is to ensure residents get the right services and information. It's all about the people and the place. Being an avid dog walker, I love meeting residents, talking to them and understanding their points of view and concerns. For me, this is part of village life and the more people we speak to, the safer the village becomes.
I am fully employed (mainly remotely) by Surrey County Council as a Project Manager for the Resources service, in the IT&D team. My focus is not merely about systems, it heavily focuses on processes, people, partners, improving systems, improving processes, and reducing expenditure.
I would like the Council to explore more facilities for the younger generation. I understand it already provides a lot of facilities, but I am sure we do more for them. Coming from London, I have a pet hate related to unnecessary signage; some of it is useful and some of it almost creates a negative impact.
Cllr Mark Venables
I was a Parish Councillor for Hamble for 5 years (2011-2016). I have kept in touch with progress of the Council and the village, and feel that now is the right time to return. I have more time than when I was last a Councillor, as I retired in 2016. I also feel that this is a critical time for the village with the future of the Airfield of particular concern.
I worked for John Lewis for 36 years, latterly as Head of Branch, Southampton and Southsea. I also held senior positions in personnel prior to switching to managing shops.
I am level headed, and will always strive for the best outcome for the Council and the village.
As a Parish Councillor, I would like to contribute to maintaining the much better communication achieved in recent years. I would also like to play a key role in opposing the Airfield development, and support the businesses in the village.
