This meeting replaced that originally scheduled for the 20th September, which was cancelled following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Continue Reading Minutes of the meeting of the Parish Council held in the meeting room at Upton village hall on Thursday 29th September 2022 at 7.00 pm.

Minutes of a meeting of the Parish Council held in the meeting room at the Upton village hall on Tuesday 19^th July 2022 at 7.00 pm.

In attendance:- Cllr Ben Shaw            (BS)                                                     Chairman

Cllr Peter McLaughlin (PM)

Cllr Neil Thorp (NT)                                                           Vice-Chairman

Cllr David Beckles (DB)

Cllr Brendan Heneghan (BH)

County Cllr Sally Povolotsky (SP)

Miss E Cooper                                                                     Clerk/RFO

 

1. To receive apologies for absence

        District Cllr S Medley.         

 

2. To record any declarations of interests relating to this meeting

BS – any Nature Garden discussion relating to his adjoining fence.  Also any discussion on a new bin

collection proposal.

 

3. To receive the County Councillor’s report (see Appendix B below)

        In addition to the report, SP added:-

1. Chilton Road dates to be confirmed. Last day of work 18^th October. A TRO is expected & traffic lights

will be in place during the work.  A letter of confirmation is imminent.

2. Coffin Way – a letter to the landowners is imminent from the Upton & Blewbury Chairmen. Intention

to follow with a meeting inc SP, with the objective of re-designating to a Bridle Way.

3. NT asked about ‘Litter Mapping’? SP explained mapping branded litter will help address the problem, in

proving where the litter is found & addressing with brands, but also local establishments. NT asked that

this information be included in initial notifications in future.

4. SP will provide a more comprehensive update on waste recycling in November.

 

4. To receive District Councillor’s report (see Appendix C below)

 

5. To receive a report from the PCSO 

        ‘Very much like the Blewbury in terms of crimes of note for the village, nothing to report.

Slightly wider afield there are no real concerns to report on either. Please let me know if anything comes

up that you think I should be aware of’. PCSO G Kirby 18.07.22

 

6. Open Forum

No members of the public were present.

 

7. To hear an update from the PCC

        Paul Batho on behalf of the PCC reported via email that having received a generous offer of a donation

towards the proposed works, there may be a final appeal for funds, before a revised plan is submitted.

 

8. To hear an update from UVHAT representative(s) on village hall operations

        No UVHAT representative was present or had produced a report. From a UVHAT meeting held on 4^th July,

BS & BH reported that UVHAT representatives contacted regarding UPC meetings were not receiving such

emails. EC to provide copies of emails & send to BS.

 

9. To hear an update from the Nature Garden representative(s) on progress

        Report received in advance of the meeting, but no Nature Garden representatives were present.

The Council considers the following requests from the information provided:-

9.1 Installation of water butts. Further information required. If the water butts are to run off the VH

downpipes, the guttering & downpipes would need to be repaired first.

9.2 The Council agreed in principle to the purchase of an A2 oak lectern. It was not clear which supplier

was the best value, based on the cost of the lectern & the application of the artwork panel. KF to

please confirm.

9.3 The Council was unable to approve the artwork for the panel & had the following queries:-

9.3.1 ‘Welcome to Upton Nature Garden’ para. Last line ‘The chemicals that come from dog food will

contaminate the soil.’ If you mean dog poo or faeces, please say so.

9.3.2  ‘In the hedge’ para. The Council was very concerned by the second para ‘For hungry humans’. Of

particular concern is the ‘rugosa rose for hips’ (esp. small hairs irritating the digestive system),

but also the encouragement of the eating of any items in situ, without any further information

or disclaimer. It was felt this left the Council vulnerable & should be addressed. The same would

also apply to ‘In the Glade’.

9.3.3  The Council felt that the bottom right hand list should be preceded by ‘With special thanks to’

or something similar, with UPC listed first, TOE second & OCC third.

9.3.4  The Council noted that despite a request & agreement at the May UPC meeting for the compost

area to be removed from alongside a resident’s fence, this had not happened by the time of the

July meeting (8 weeks later). The Council noted on the NG schedule, ‘re-site compost heap to

behind garage’ in August. The Council did not agree to anything from the NG being deposited

around the garage, & another area (not on the recreation ground & not next to any resident’s

fence), must be found without further delay.

 

Clerk’s note:- Apologies from K Fletcher received post meeting.

 

10. To approve the minutes of the Annual Parish Council meeting held on:-

       UPC Annual Meeting 17^th May 2022

Unanimously agreed as a true record.

 

11. Planning

11.1 To agree / ratify the council’s response to the following consultations

There are no outstanding planning consultations since the last meeting.

11.2 To note planning permissions received during the month

11.2.1 P22/V0802/HH Winterset, Newmans Close, Upton

Planning permission 15.6.22

11.2.2 P22/V0168/HH Rowlands, Church Rd, Upton

Planning permission 24.5.22

 

12. Finance & Administration

12.1 To receive an update on the Audit 2021-2022.

12.1.1 Internal audit

12.1.1.1 To hear feedback from the internal auditor, IAC

The Clerk reported on the IA’s findings & all minor issues had been addressed.

Further issues are covered below.

12.1.1.2 To ratify that both the Accounting Statements & Annual Governance Statements for

2020-21 were agreed by Council & duly signed (highlighted by internal audit 21-22),

albeit during an virtual meeting held on 2nd June 2021. Council duly ratified.

12.1.1.3 To ratify that both the Accounting Statements & Annual Governance Statements for

21-22 were agreed & signed at the meeting held on 8^th May 2022. Council duly

ratified.

12.1.1.4 To confirm the period for the exercise of public rights

Published on 9.6.22, to commence on 10.6.22 & end on 21.7.22.

12.1.2 To receive an update on the external audit

No report had yet been received from the external auditor.

12.3 To agree the authoriser for this month’s payments.

PM.

12.4 To approve payments to be made noted spending powers and within budgeted amounts

 

DATE	Description /Payee	Amount
28.6.22 / 28.7.22	Clerk’s salary since last meeting [LGA1972 s112(2)]	Not publicly disclosed
18.5.22 – 19.7.22	Clerk’s expenses	£5.40
28.6.22 / 28.7.22	HMRC PAYE (June £77.20, July TBC)	£154.40
27.6.22 / 2775.22	Microsoft subscription [LGA1972 s111]	£7.60
10.06.22	IAC internal audit (paid to be ratified)	£342.00
06.06.22	BH Expenses – Community Speed Watch Starter Kit (paid to be ratified)	£575.98
16.06.22	Sign Wizzard – Speed Watch signs (paid to be ratified)	£287.56
30.05.22	B. Lott Petrol for mowers expenses	£34.76
Total		£1407.70 (plus salary above)

 

Receipts	Description	Amount
TOE	Remaining Nature Garden funding	£1223.84
Lloyds	Interest (June/July)	.22
Total		£.1224.06

 

12.5 To sign off bank reconciliation to end June

Provided in advance of the meeting & signed at meeting

12.6 To hear / agree on any other financial or administration updates

16.6.1 Treasurers Account balance at 30.06.22 £3386.69

Business bank instant balance at 30.06.22 £13,074.09

Total funds held as at 30.06.22 £16,460.78

12.6.2 To hear confirmation of Upton Parish Council’s VAT deregistration

Letter of confirmation received from HMRC dated 15.6.22.

12.6.3 2022/23 UPC Budget

12.6.3.1 To consider if a review of the budget is necessary due to economic circumstances

Council to consider further in September after 2^nd half of precept received & figures to

end August produced.

12.6.3.2 To hear an update on the end of Q1 budget

Council agreed that all was on track, with the only outstanding payment being for

Kompan. However, this payment is expected to be revised by Kompan before being

re-presented for payment to Council.

 

 

12.7 Lloyds Bank Mandates

12.7.1 To complete a mandate to update signatories on the account (remove Clerk as signatory & add

Cllr NT as signatory).

Council unanimously agreed to this change to the signatories on the account. Lloyds Bank had

incorrectly set the Clerk as a signatory as well as administrator & the new mandate would

correct this error.

12.7.2 To complete a mandate for the application for a debit card on the account. This replaces the

mandate originally completed in January 2021, which Lloyds Bank failed to fulfil.

Council unanimously agreed to the new debit card application for two members of the

Council.

12.8 To formally agree to adopt the Oxfordshire Councils’ Councillor Code of Conduct 2022

              Council unanimously agreed to adopt the Code of Conduct 2022 with immediate effect.

Clerk to send the new Register of Interests form to all Councillors for completion as this now includes

the Code of conduct.

 

13. To hear an update on any aspect of the recreation ground play areas

13.1 Toddler play area          ) To hear an update on discussions with Kompan regarding their inadequacies

13.2 Adventure play area    ) following inspections & minor remedial work in 2021/22.

• A meeting was held with a Kompan representative & members of the Council on 12^th The

meeting was held because the previous year’s inspection reports were found to be inadequate &

some remedial work included on an invoice had not been carried out. The Kompan representative

agreed to come back asap & complete the remedial work. He also agreed that he would be the only

person to carry out work on the Upton play areas.

Clerk’s note:- All remedial work has since been completed.

• BS was already in discussions with a Kompan manager regarding the inadequate reports &

attention to remedial works. Council agreed that if Kompan are unable to issue a satisfactory invoice

following completion of the works, & offer suitable terms for a further year’s inspections, Council

agreed unanimously to invite a different play area inspector to carry out the inspections.

• Clerk to update inspection report & issue to Council to implement new rota of weekly inspections.
• Council also unanimously agreed to remain with Kompan for repairs, under supervision, & until a new contractor is found if necessary.

13.3 Pump track

13.3.1 Keeping stinging nettles under control

This will continue to be carried out as & when needed by volunteers.

13.3.2 Any other update on the pump track

None.

 

14. To hear any updates on the maintenance of the recreation ground

       14.1 New bin provision

BS explained the situation regarding the difficulties now faced with waste collections where unless a

bin is sited on the roadside, it will not be picked up by the District Council’s contractor. This also

applies to bin bags,  which will also not be collected if they are not in a bin. This requires a re-think of

the Council’s proposal to buy a multi-bin for the recreation ground, as this may also not be collected.

14.2 To discuss the new bin collection proposal

A bin collection proposal had been received from a new company ‘Organised Grime’, which is owned

by the Chairman, B Shaw. This proposal was in response to the waste collection problems already

being experienced in the village. Council asked Mr Shaw to demonstrate his research in to the

problem & it’s potential solution by producing a formal case for further consideration by the Council.

14.3 Current maintenance activity

Currently only the grass on the recreation is mowed by volunteers. Excessive nettles in & around the

play areas are removed, again by volunteers, as needs be. Council acknowledged a more

comprehensive solution to the management of the whole of the recreation ground was needed.

14.4 Any other updates on the recreation ground

                No other updates.

 

15. To hear an update on Speed Watch Activities from BH

       BH confirmed that Speed Watch village signs & a starter pack had been received.  He would update

further when Speed Watch activities are able to start.

 

16. To hear an update on UPC IT from PM

       PM to send out details of task management software for potential use by the Council. All to feedback to

PM.

 

17. Risk Management

17.1 To receive an update on Compliance & GDPR

No update this month.

17.2 To receive any other updates relating to risk

No further updates this month.

 

18. To hear an update on the future formats of Upton News – NT

18.1 Current usage analysis NT / PM

NT expressed concern about the lack of contributions to Upton News, suggesting that it had been

supplanted by other formats such as Facebook. However PM advised that usage analysis showed that

it was still frequently accessed by villagers

18.2 Proposed future Upton News format(s)

Council agreed Upton News wold continue in its online format only for the time being, but only one

reminder would be sent to potential contributors.

18.3 Agree content for next edition of Upton News

Council agreed topics for the Council update. Council also agreed that adverts would be excluded with

immediate effect.

 

19. To set the date and venue of the next full council meeting & next year’s AGM.

19.1 Full council meeting Tuesday 20^th September at 7.00pm, meeting room in the village hall

19.2 UPC Annual Meeting Tuesday 16^th May 2023 in the meeting room of the village hall (confirmed)

 

The meeting finished at 10pm.

 

Appendix A

 

No.	Actions from this meeting	By when
1.	EC to provide copies of UVHAT emails to BS.	Actioned
2.	KF to confirm best option for lectern & artwork	September meet
3.	KF to confirm other NG actions highlighted have been addressed (compost area, water butt, artwork amends)
4.	EC to send mandates to Lloyds Bank	Actioned
5.	EC to update play area inspection report & implement new rota for weekly inspections.	September meet
6.	BS to report back on Kompan discussions re invoice & future inspections	ASAP
7.	BS (as Organised Grime) to produce formal case waste collection for further consideration by Council	September meet
8.	BH to update on Speed Watch activity start dates	ASAP
9.	All to feedback to PM on task management software	ASAP

No.	Actions from May meeting	By when
1.	KF to arrange removal of NG compost area to elsewhere on the site away from neighbour’s fences.	ASAP
3.	BS & EC to work on Clerk in Training Lengthman job descriptions & ads	In progress
4.	PM to organise fitting of nets to goal posts	June
No.	Actions from March meeting	By when
3.	KF to produce Nature Garden maintenance plan.	Actione4d
7.	BH to provide quote for rec ground posts & chain.	ASAP
8.	BS to invite Commissioner of Police for photo op following funding for new nets & wheels on goal posts.	ASAP post installation
No.	Actions November meeting	By when
7.	BS to 1. put together a welcome pack proposal & 2. look at ways of engaging volunteers. Also spk PM & NT re technical options.	Ongoing

  

 

 

 Appendix B – County Councillor Report

Climate Action Oxfordshire website to launch

Thank you to everyone who completed the Oxfordshire climate change survey a few months ago. Working from what we discovered, we’re excited to launch a new website offering practical advice for people in the county who want to reduce their carbon footprint.

Climate Action Oxfordshire lists measures people can take and rates them according to effort, impact, and cost. It also gives people an idea of what financial savings they can make and includes tips and links on how to get started – from large projects such as home insulation to simple things like turning off lights when not in use.

The website is part of a collaboration between all of Oxfordshire’s councils, as well as Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP), to help Oxfordshire fulfil its commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions before 2050.

The site launches officially this coming TODAY (11 July). Please let your friends, colleagues and other networks know about it by sharing our announcement on our social media channels, which will go out at 11am on TODAY.

We have also created a Climate Action Oxfordshire communications toolkit for you with messages and graphics all ready to be posted on social media.

Additionally, if you know of content which could make the site even better, please email antonio.ferrara@oxfordshire.gov.uk with your thoughts.

Our plant-based food initiative showcased as best practice

The Climate Change Committee has highlighted our decision to serve plant-based food at councillor catered events (page 309) as an example of local authorities developing their own policy in the absence of central government guidance relating to dietary shifts to low-carbon alternatives. The committee is an independent statutory body made up of internationally recognised climate scientists and sector specialists who advise the government on tackling climate change. It’s a huge achievement to be recognised by the committee and in such a high-profile report.

Recognition from Michael Gove for our partnerships

Last week, Michael Gove singled us out as an example of local government ‘service at its best’ during a speech at the Local Government Association’s annual conference. It was in recognition of our work during the pandemic to pool resource between us and the district councils to establish a comprehensive system, which ensured a coherent and holistic approach to COVID-19 compliance and enforcement. You can read the speech in full online.

Face mask guidance updated at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH)

From 6 July 2022, the guidance around wearing face masks at OUH has changed. Patients must wear masks in the following areas and under certain conditions:

• if you have symptoms of COVID-19, or have tested positive for COVID-19
• if you have symptoms of a respiratory illness
• in clinical areas, such as on wards.

You do not have to wear masks in other areas, but you are encouraged you to do so, and you will be supported if that is your choice. Visitors must wear masks in all clinical areas.

Further information can be found on the OUH website.

Consultations

We are currently running one major consultation for residents on east Oxford low traffic

neighbourhoods (until 30 November). Please encourage your constituents to have their

say by sharing the link. For details of all other live consultations, visit Let’s Talk Oxfordshire.

A round up of useful links to help you:

• COVID-19 dashboard
• Current roadworks around the county
• External news

 

Signposting

A reminder, you can direct general Ukraine queries to:

• Website: oxfordshire.gov.uk/ukraine
• Oxfordshire Ukraine helpline: +44 1865 966444 / 01865 966 444 (opening hours:
• 45am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. Closed weekends and bank holidays)
• Email: ukraineresponse@oxfordshire.gov.uk

 

 

Local Roundup

 

Fairly slow week, I am chasing / working on the following;

1. Dates on when Harwell new scheme goes to consultation, and final designs
2. Chilton Road / Upton / Cycle Network – updating chair.
3. Additional speed / traffic surveys on Hanney Road (Rowstock is in now!)
4. Managed to help out East Hanney, so their 20mph scheme now the same time as West (anticipated end of 2022 completed)
5. HEG Community larder moving from 18^th July to Snells Hall, East Hendred due to size / demand (thanks to all who have helped make this happen)
6. Rowstock Relief, next steps / new timeline
7. Steventon bridge update given at Parish Council, full report by end summer for Steventon, but no changes any time soon!

 

 

Appendix C – District Councillor Report

 

Monday 11^th July 2022 Monthly Parish Update

Vale of White Horse District Councillors

Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne and Cllr Sarah Medley

 

Hello! This month we were delighted to attend the official opening of the District Community Centre on Great Western Park. It was great to see all the local groups offering activities and classes at the centre, and to meet some of the fantastic young people at Didcot TRAIN.

The event included a ceremony awarding three former district councillors the honorary title of Aldermen, in recognition of the service they provided to the council and the district. Congratulations to Jerry Patterson, Jim Halliday and Reg Waite for receiving this honour.

It was great to see the progress being made on the new Extra Care facility next door to the community centre. It is just over a year since construction started for these 80 new affordable extra care homes, funded with support from the District Council.

The Extra Care building is directly opposite the allocated site for the long-awaited GWP Health Centre. Representatives from NHS Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) and Woodlands Medical Centre attended the Great Western Park Residents’ Association public meeting on Monday 13th June to provide an update. We have summarised the key points in our report, and the good news is that progress is being made at last! Hayleigh is asking for a further update on the GP surgery from the cabinet member for development and infrastructure at the next Vale Full Council meeting on Wednesday 13^th July.

We use these monthly updates to keep you updated on our activities, general council news and any COVID-19 developments. We also post regularly on our councillor Facebook Page: Cllrs Hayleigh Gascoigne & Sarah Medley Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any issues or concerns, either via Facebook message or email: hayleigh.gascoigne@whitehorsedc.gov.uk and sarah.medley@whitehorsedc.gov.uk.  

 

Community Support

The Council Community Support Hub

The Community Support Hub, originally set up by the council in 2020 in response to the pandemic, is still available for anyone in need of help: if you have COVID-19, or if you are struggling financially due to the cost of living crisis, or if you are just finding life difficult due to the pandemic. Whether it’s practical support or just advice, get in touch. Call: 01235 422 600 (Mon to Thurs 8.30-5pm and Fridays 8.30-4.30pm) or visit www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/communityhub.

 

Council tax rebate
As of the end of June, more than 90 per cent of households (around 35,000 in Vale) who are eligible for the Council tax energy rebate have now either received their £150 payment or have already applied.
Everyone else who is eligible, if they pass the verification checks, will receive their payment by 4 July.

Financial Support Helplines

With rising energy prices and the cost of living increasing, it is a difficult time for many residents. Anyone who is struggling financially can contact Citizens Advice on 0808 278 7907, Vale Community Impact on 01235 765348 or the council’s own community support hub – details below.

Ukraine

Here’s the latest system-wide response to the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.

 

Unaccompanied children

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has written to local authorities confirming that the Homes for Ukraine scheme will begin processing existing applications from unaccompanied children.

 

Scheme outline for unaccompanied children

The scheme will allow eligible children and minors under the age of 18, who have already applied for a visa and who are not travelling with or joining a parent or legal guardian, to come to the UK in carefully defined circumstances.

 

Sponsors will be asked to commit to hosting the child for up to three years, or until they are aged 18 (and the sponsorship placement has lasted for a minimum of six months) – whichever is soonest. This is in recognition of the need to provide greater security to these children.

There will be a crucial role for local authorities to ensure that robust safeguarding processes are put in place and to undertake extensive checks prior to any visa being granted. DBS checks must be completed on the sponsor and adults in the sponsor household, before any visa is issued by the Home Office.

 

Funding and support payments

Families hosting a child under the Homes for Ukraine scheme will be offered £350 a month as a thank you payment, for as long as the guest remains in their accommodation for up to three years. Oxfordshire County Council will continue to administer these payments as it does under current arrangements for the scheme and the government has confirmed it will allocate additional funding to councils for this. As outlined above, this payment can only be made when all checks have been completed. The DBS checks are currently taking time to be processed by government, which can slow things down a little.

Better Leisure support for refugees

Our leisure provider, GLL, is offering refugees a free three month Better Health Centre membership, or a subscription to a course or lesson. More on their website.

 

For more information

General Ukraine queries:

• www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ukraine
• Oxfordshire Ukraine helpline: +44 1865 966444 / 01865 966 444 (opening hours: 8.45am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. Closed weekends and bank holidays).
• Email: ukraineresponse@oxfordshire.gov.uk

For housing and community support in South and Vale:

• www.southoxon.gov.uk/ukraine
• www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/ukraine
• South and Vale helpline: +44 1235 422600 / 01235 422600 (press option one). Opening hours: 8.30am-5pm Monday to Thursday, 8.30am-4.30pm Fridays, Closed weekends and bank holidays.

Email: communitysupport@southandvale.gov.uk

 

 

Local News

Didcot & Villages Healthcare Update

Representatives from NHS Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) and Woodlands Medical Centre attended the Great Western Park Residents’ Association public meeting on Monday 13th June to provide an update on the long-awaited GP surgery planned for the site next to the pharmacy. The good news is that progress is being made at last! We have summarised the key points below.

Woodlands Medical Centre will be operating the new building as a new branch surgery. The new surgery will serve the Didcot Primary Care Network – this covers Didcot and the surrounding villages, and includes Blewbury, Harwell, Chilton and Upton. Woodlands have identified an appropriate medical developer for the new building and they have submitted for pre-application planning advice. Dr Alex Hart from Woodlands showed us all some designs of the building – great to see what it will look like!

Next steps are to apply for planning permission, the value for money to be determined by the government-appointed District Valuer, and then the affordability to be determined by the new Integrated Care Board (Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire – BOB).

Clearly this is a long process, and the OCCG could not specify exact timescales, but they emphasised that both they and the Vale of White Horse District Council are committed to delivering the healthcare centre as soon as possible. Dr Alex Hart stated 2025 as a viable target, especially as the construction of the 3300th home on GWP triggers a two-year deadline for the developer funding.

OCCG recognise the existing pressure on Woodlands and the other GPs in Didcot, and highlighted that the Oak Tree Health Centre on Ladygrove has now converted some of its facility into additional consultation spaces – see the news story from South Oxfordshire District Council.

In the meantime, the OCCG are working with Woodlands and the Vale to determine how to accommodate the current demand. They are exploring the use of an area of the new District Centre on GWP, determining the cost and viability of this being adapted to a suitable clinical grade. The OCCG confirmed that any temporary solution will not impact the plans for the permanent new healthcare centre.

The new GWP centre is expected to meet the projected local demand in the Didcot Primary Care Network by 2027. This will inevitably include some initial residents from Valley Park, although please note that there is an entirely separate healthcare funding agreement with the developers for Valley Park. As a reminder – the Valley Park legal agreement states that the developers are to provide either £3.2 million towards local healthcare provision in the area surrounding Valley Park, or a dedicated 0.25 hectares of land for a new GP health centre on Valley Park with £2.8 million towards its construction. The new Integrated Care Board needs to decide which of these options to pursue, but in any case the legal agreement specifies that all funding is to be ringfenced for healthcare provision in the local area around Didcot only.

Residents can take immediate practical steps to assist the existing Didcot GP surgeries. Firstly, reduce pressure on GPs by choosing the right NHS service. Secondly, join the Patient Participation Group (PPG) at your GP – this is an invaluable way to provide input into the new health centre and to shape the future of healthcare in the Didcot area.

As your district councillors, we know how frustrated everyone has been with the delay in this much-needed facility. We have been pushing on this issue for the past few years, working with the GWPRA and PPGs to put pressure on the OCCG, and inviting them to provide public updates. We are very encouraged to see that there is now an open dialogue between the OCCG and the council and that they are working very closely together on delivering the new healthcare centre on Great Western Park.

Thank you to the GWPRA for your hard work on keeping the community informed via the public meetings. The full recording of the meeting can be accessed via this link. Please keep an eye on the GWPRA website and Facebook Page for information about future meetings with further healthcare updates. We will of course also publish any further healthcare updates we become aware of via our Facebook Page and parish council reports.

Valley Park Update

There are currently several live planning applications for Valley Park, following on from outline planning permission being granted last year. However, permission for these additional applications cannot be granted until the Strategic Design Code for the site is approved. The application containing the Strategic Design Code was rejected by planning officers on 4^th July 2022 – see the list of reasons on the Vale planning portal.

Below is the list of current planning applications for Valley Park. Some of these are ‘discharge’ applications, as they contain detailed information on how the planned development will discharge (satisfy) one or more conditions from the outline planning permission. There are also ‘reserved matters’ planning applications, which give additional detail not provided in the outline planning permission – for example the appearance and layout of the specific parcels of housing. The initial consultation for these reserved matters applications has closed, however they will all be re-opened for consultation once a Strategic Design Code is agreed.

As the development of Valley Park progresses over the coming years, there will be an increasing number of planning applications relating to the development. We always endeavour to keep you updated with the key news relating to Valley Park, including highlighting opportunities to comment on the applications. In the meantime, valleypark.uk is an excellent informal resource, listing all of the information and planning applications relating to the development. Thank you to David Marsh from Harwell village for putting together such a useful website!

Reserved Matters Applications

• P22/V0539/RM – Taylor Wimpey’s first housing phase – 246 dwellings
• P22/V0907/RM – Persimmons first housing phase – 161 dwellings
• P22/V0604/RM – infrastructure details for the first phases of development

‘Discharge’ of conditions:

• P22/V0643/DIS –– surface water and foul drainage details for Taylor Wimpey’s (TW) first phase
• P22/V0796/DIS – Framework plan for TW’s first phase
• P22/V0868/DIS – Strategic Design Code, phasing plan, housing delivery document and noise

• P22/V1208/DIS – framework plan, construction environmental management plan, landscaping, tree protection, foul and surface water drainage and ecological construction plan for Persimmon’s first housing phase
• P22/V1482/DIS – community employment plan

Getting families active

The councils have just just launched YouMove – a new initiative providing low-cost or free activities for children and families who receive benefits-related free school meals in Oxfordshire.

Activities available so far include cricket, swimming and badminton. More on our websites at southoxon.gov.uk/youmove and whitehorsedc.gov.uk/youmove

The Big Screen at The Beacon

Cinema returns to The Beacon this summer with a variety of popular award-winning movies for all ages.
In July don’t miss ‘The Duke’ starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren.

For children, Monkey Mayhem, our pre-school stay-and-play session, is on every Monday 9.30–11.30am (excluding bank holidays) with bouncy castles, a ball pit and lots of toys for under 5’s to enjoy.
To find out more visit beaconwantage.co.uk.

Climate & Environment News

Litter pickers urged to join the councils’ litter mapping project

Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils have launched a joint litter mapping project aimed at identifying where and what type of items are littered, this information will then be used to target those areas.

Climate Emergency Advisory Committee

The most recent meeting was held on 11^th July, the agenda and minutes are on the Vale website, and the recording of the meeting is on our YouTube channel. If you have any questions regarding something on the agenda, or another climate related topic, please reach out to Hayleigh, who is the chair of the committee. Remember, that any member of the public is also permitted to speak at public council meetings (virtually or in person, where applicable) and just needs to register by emailing Democratic Services at democratic.services@southandvale.gov.uk

Council News

Government pledges £100,000 of support for two local garden villages

The government has allocated £100,000 for two garden communities based in South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts. Berinsfield Garden Village will be receiving £50,000 towards the costs of work to help develop the village. The other £50,000 will go to Dalton Barracks Garden Village to help put together a masterplan for a new community to be built that includes a variety of new homes, shops and business buildings, community facilities and green spaces that will help to enhance local wildlife.

Alderman honour awarded to three ex-councillors

Three former Vale of White Horse councillors who served the district for a combined total of 52 years have been honoured as Aldermen. Jim Halliday, Jerry Patterson and Reg Waite were awarded the title at a recent special Council meeting in recognition of the service they provided to the council and the district.

More help for people to pay food and energy bills

More help is on the way for people who are struggling to pay their food, energy and other related bills. Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils have opened a voucher scheme to support households who can’t afford to pay for life’s essentials.

Revised focus for Didcot Garden Town 

Revised plans to help improve the lives of residents living in and around Didcot Garden Town have been approved at two Cabinet meetings. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have approved a renewed, ambitious delivery plan for Didcot Garden Town. It will focus on providing community benefits, a special retail recovery strategy, encourage healthy lifestyles and help to tackle climate change.

The Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board worked together to simplify priorities, which will bring significant community and environmental benefits to the area. While reprioritising the delivery plan, the advisory board also took into consideration feedback received from their Residents, Business and Parishes Sounding boards.

Work can now progress on looking at what improvements can be made to existing community open spaces and public walkways to create more attractive areas using plants and public art. A cycling network plan will be delivered to build more connections between various existing routes and to look at where new paths can be built. This will help reduce congestion and make residents feel safer while travelling between home, the town centre, business parks and surrounding villages.

New Design Guide website adopted to help create high-quality, sustainable development

An online guide that helps create high-quality and sustainable development in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse has been improved and extended following feedback from users. The Joint Design Guide is an up-to-date, innovative, concise, engaging and interactive document that acts as a tool for anyone undertaking a development to ensure it fits with the character of the local area.

In attendance:- E Cooper (Clerk/EC), B Shaw (BS), P McLaughlin (PM), N Thorp (NT). Also in attendance K Fletcher (KF), PCSO G Kirby (GK), District Cllr S Medley . B Heneghan joined the meeting at 8.10pm.

 

1. To elect a Chairman

Ben Shaw was nominated, seconded & all in favour to carry on as Chairman of the Parish Council.

 

2. To elect a Vice Chairman

Neil Thorp was nominated, seconded & all in favour to carry on as Vice-Chairman of the Parish Council.

 

3. To complete Declaration of Acceptance of Office forms

BS & NT duly completed their acceptance of office forms.

 

4. To complete the Register of Members’ Interests forms

BS & NT confirmed no changes to their member’s interests.

 

5. To receive apologies for absence

          County Cllr S Povolotsky, Parish Cllr D Beckles

 

6. To record any declarations of interests relating to this meeting

BS declared an interest in the Nature Garden as he is a neighbour. Otherwise, none declared.

 

7. To receive the County Councillor’s report

Received in advance of the meeting & circulated to Council.

 

8. To receive District Councillor’s report

Received in advance of the meeting & circulated to Council.

 

9. To receive a report from the PCSO

PCSO Gary Kirby attended in person. He reported no crimes of note in Upton & no ongoing issues in the village. He is still carrying out patrols in the village. BC reported that the previous anti-social behaviour in the car park & recreation ground had reduced. GK reported that further afield they continue to deal with rural crime: farm breaks & car break ins. There is now a Rural Crime Task Force in action. GK advised if there was anything to report to call 101 or go online.

 

10. Open Forum

To receive representations from members of the public if present.

None present.

 

 

11. To hear an update from the PCC

Paul Batho had confirmed to the Clerk there was no update following the report issued at the APM.

 

12. To hear an update from UVHAT representative(s) on village hall operations

          No apologies or report were received from UVHAT.

 

13. To hear an update from the Nature Garden representative on progress

13.1 KF asked for the following update to be included:-

The initial garden creation phase is complete save for commissioning the sign. Work commitments

of the volunteers are delaying the final copy, which will be circulated asap.

The meadow is shown and watered. The gates into the garden are completed and the fire escape

path has been realigned to improve safety. There have been regular maintenance visits during

April and May by the Nature Group members to water the new plants and shrubs, and a volunteer

day where the meadow area was prepared for seeding and the areas around the new plantings

were weeded.

A social celebration event for all the volunteers is being planned.

The five-year maintenance plan for the garden is in preparation, drawing on best practice

documents from conservation and horticultural bodies.

The nature group would like to thank the Parish Council for their support over the past year, and

look forward to next.

13.2 BS asked as an immediate neighbour of the nature garden that the compost area be moved from

the other side of his fence, due to the smell & increased level of insect affecting his property. KF

agreed to arrange this.

13.3 NT raised concerns about the large amount of cow parsley that appeared to be overtaking much of

the garden. He was particularly concerned that this would restrict the growth of other items

planted. KF to report back the Nature Garden group.

 

14. To approve the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on:-

UPC 15^th March 2022

The minutes were approved as being a true representation of the meeting.

 

15.    Planning

15.1 To agree / ratify the council’s response to the following consultations

15.1.1 P22/V0899/FUL Dulcina, Newmans Close, Upton

Erection of dwelling & sub-division of existing plot

Deadline 15.05.22

Although this deadline had been missed, Council agreed a response of ‘no objections’ should

still be submitted, along with a comment as to the siting of the condenser.

15.1.2 P22/V0802/HH Winterset, Newmans Close, Upton

Proposed replacement porch extension, first floor addition to front elevation, new dormers,

changes to windows & doors, 2 storey rear extension etc.

Deadline 28.04.22

Although this deadline had been missed, Council agreed a response of ‘no objections’ should

still be submitted.

 

15.1.3 P22/V0524/HH South Spring, Stream Road, Upton

Double garage

Deadline 29.03.22

UPC no objections, plus comment.

 

15.2 To note planning permissions received during the month

15.2.1 P22/V0105/HH Jasmine, Chilton Road, Upton

Single storey extensions & alterations.

Planning permission 15.03.22

 

16. Finance & Administration

16.1 To receive an update on the Audit preparations for 2021-2022.

16.2.1 To receive an update on the internal audit

EC reported that the IA continued to ask for documentation & no feedback had as yet been

received.

16.2.2 To agree the accounting statements

The accounting statements were sent to Council ahead of the meeting & all agreed that they

should be signed off. Clerk & Chair duly signed the appropriate documents.

16.2.3 To note the start of the period for the exercise of public rights

EC explained the parameters around the Notice of Public Rights & intended to issue this as

soon as the IA had completed their report.

16.3 To agree the authoriser for this month’s payments.

EC confirmed all payments awaiting authorisation through Lloyds Bank. PM to authorise.

16.4 To approve payments to be made noted spending powers and within budgeted amounts

Council agreed to the addition of the last 9 payments listed.

 

DATE	Description /Payee	Amount
28.4.22 / 28.5.22	Clerk’s salary since last meeting [LGA1972 s112(2)]	Not publicly disclosed
28.4.22 / 28.5.22	HMRC PAYE	£180.00
27.4.22 / 27.5.22	Microsoft subscription [LGA1972 s111]	£7.60
16.03.22-17.05.22	Clerk expenses [LG(FP)A 1963 s5]	£35.64
18.05.22	P McLaughlin expenses [LGA 1972 s37]	£43.92
18.05.22	Kalehurst – Motor Mower service [LGA 1892 s8(1)(I)] (paid to be ratified)	£758.12
18.05.22	Siochi – cemetery fence repairs labour only (paid to be ratified) [LGA 1972 s214 (6)]	£208.32
18.05.22	Gallagher local council scheme insurance (yr3 of 3yr agreement) [LGA1972 s111]	£727.02
04.05.22	PBC Plant Ltd – Pump track top soil (paid to be ratified) [PHAAA 1907 s76(1)	£300.00
10.05.22	MP Property Services – bus shelter refurb [LG(MP)A1953s4/PCA1957s1]	£1362.00
18.05.22	Webbs Fencing – fencing supplies (cemetery fence – paid to be ratified) [LGA 1972 s214 (6)]	£176.33
13.04.22	Rustic Summerhouse – banana bench for nature garden (paid to be ratified) [LG(MP)A 1976 s19(3)]	£792.00
14.04.22	R Traynor expenses (paid to be ratified)	£15.58
31.03.22	B Rippon expenses (paid to be ratified)	£94.50
31.03.22	Krystal Hosting (paid to be ratified)	£59.99
18.05.22	SCS Pump track resurface	£9366.00
18.05.22	OALC – course BS W2108	£132.00
18.05.22	OALC – course BS W2109	£66.00
18.05.22	OALC – course BH W2120	£132.00
18.05.22	OALC – course BH W2121	£66.00
18.05.22	OALC – course PM W2135	£66.00
Total		£14,589.02 (plus salary above)

 

Receipts	Description	Amount
VoWH	Precept 1st half	£12163.00
Lloyds	Interest (April/May)	.24
Total		£12163.24

 

 

16.5 To sign off bank reconciliation to date

Provided to the Chair in advance of the meeting & signed at meeting

16.6 To hear / agree on any other financial or administration updates

Treasurers Account balance at 28.04.22 £15,405.79

Business bank instant balance at 28.04.22 £13,073.88

Total funds held as at 28.04.22 £28,479.67

16.7 To hear & consider a case for a deputy Clerk (in training) & Lengthman to be employed by the Council

16.7.1 BS explained how work levels for the Clerk had risen & the difficulty in completing the Clerk’s

tasks in less than one hour a day. Together with the shortage of trained Clerk’s, BS proposed

that a ‘Clerk in Training’ be sought by the Council who would be trained to take over from the

existing Clerk at some point in the future. Council unanimously agreed to the proposal.

BS & EC would work on a job description & advertisement.

16.7.2 BS explained how the work previously carried out be a single volunteer, largely on the

recreation ground, but also around the village, was no longer being carried out. A volunteer

mowing rota was in operation for the recreation ground. It has become clear that the level of

work required cannot be carried out by volunteers (no matter how willing) & a contractor(s)

would need to be engaged. BS proposed to the Council that a Lengthman, similar to the

person employed by Blewbury PC, should be engaged by Upton PC. Council unanimously

agreed.

BS & EC would work on a job description & advertisement.

 

17. To hear an update on any aspect of the recreation ground play areas

17.1 Toddler play area

Minor repairs recently completed by the play area contactor.

17.2 Adventure play area

Minor repairs recently completed by the play area contractor.

17.3 Pump track

The resurfacing of the pump track was recently completed.

 

18. To hear any updates on the maintenance of the recreation ground

       18.1 The volunteer mowing rota is suspended during May to support ‘no mow May’.

18.2 The new nets are due to be fitted to the goal posts. PM to organise.

18.3 Discussions have taken place regarding the use of the recreation ground for the Uptonogood?

Mountain Bike Challenge on Saturday 18^th June & a full event management plan is in place.

 

19. To hear and consider proposals for upgrading the car park extension & for discouraging parking on the

       recreation ground

       The Parish Council will be setting up a working group to cover all elements of parking for the village hall

& recreation ground.

 

20. To hear an update from PM on UPC IT

       PM confirmed that all is currently working well.

 

21. Risk Management

21.1 To receive an update on Compliance & GDPR

No update this month.

21.2 To receive any other updates relating to risk

An incident involving the motor mower, the gate to the recreation ground & a car is being dealt with

by the Council. This was considered to be an unfortunate incident & no further action to mitigate             risk is required.

 

22. To agree the content for the next council update for Upton News

Council agreed to highlight all play area actions, Council meeting updates, Bus shelter repainting & car

park working group.

 

23. To set the date and venue of the next full council meeting & next year’s AGM.

Full council meeting Tuesday 19^th July at 7.00pm, meeting room in the village hall

AGM (provisional) Tuesday 16^th May 2023 at 7pm, meeting room in the village hall

 

 

The meeting finished at 8.30pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix A – Actions from previous meetings

No.	Actions from May meeting	By when
1.	KF to arrange removal of NG compost area to elsewhere on the site away from neighbour’s fences.	ASAP
2.	EC to complete Notice of Public Rights at earliest opportunity.	June
3.	BS & EC to work on Clerk in Training  Lengthman job descriptions & ads	July
4.	PM to organise fitting of nets to goal posts	June
5.	NT to ensure all agreed PC items are included in Upton News
No.	Actions from March meeting	By when
3.	KF to produce Nature Garden maintenance plan.	July meeting
7.	BH to provide quote for rec ground posts & chain.	ASAP
8.	BS to invite Commissioner of Police for photo op following funding for new nets & wheels on goal posts.	ASAP post installation

 

 

Appendix A

County Councillor Report

Weekly update for councillors: 16th May
This week, we bring you news of some changes to senior roles in environment and place, share that we are providing food vouchers for eligible young people this May half-term and link you to resources to support residents this Mental Health Awareness Week. As usual, we update you on progress for the Homes for Ukraine scheme, including an internal news article with reflections from individual colleagues about their contributions.    Finally, we have attached the latest vaccination programme update from the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) integrated care system. With regards to the division, it’s been a busy time the last few weeks and some changes happening ahead of our Full Council tomorrow. However my focus the last 2 weeks has been highways, and escalated the following; 11.        Chilton Footpath issues / surface / ownership 12.        Hagbourne Hill 13.        Steventon – Didcot cycle path next steps 14.        Hanney Road – multiple issues 15.        Harding Vale footpath (again) and estate entry / S278 works 16.        Steventon Hill Speed limit now changed on an eTRO from 60mph to 40mph and 30mph to 20mph as communicated within the community 17.        Mill Lane East Hendred – surface 18.        Pot Hole repair time 19.        Training for FMS for community member ‘super users’ – still escalating 20.        TVP and Speedwatch kit – communication with PCC 21.        Byway 16 Steventon – surface review 22.        Thames Water issues (throughout division) 23.        Stonebridge Road / Path 24.        This week the sidings on A4130 Rowstock to Packhorse are underway 25.        Harwell High Street engineering works – design and Active travel concerns – also chased the 20mph roll out Remember you can check any permits anytime at https://one.network Ive also had a few enquiries about Rights of Way, and you can check these anytime at – https://publicrightsofway.oxfordshire.gov.uk
Homes for Ukraine
We continue to evolve our partnership approach to responding to the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme and that includes acting on new guidance or finding solutions to better ways of working. Overall, accommodation and safeguarding visits are working well with, this week, proof of residency letters beginning to be issued to guests. This enables guests to open bank accounts and relieves pressure from GPs being the only route for providing this confirmation.   We are currently putting into place arrangements for the city and district councils, in addition to us, to hold pre-paid payment cards that are used to issue £200 payments to guests. This is part of our collective approach to supporting those in need quickly through whoever has the first face to face contact with our guests. The process for issuing the £350 thank-you payments to hosts will be in place as of today. As mentioned last week, we expect to receive the first grant funding from government for these payments in June.   We are also working at pace on a proposed process and procedure for rematching guests with hosts following the guidance we shared last week. This requires a system wide approach and will only take place where it is unviable or unsafe for the sponsorship relationship to continue.   Applications for school places are being successfully progressed with additional resource helping to process these quickly. The process is in line with government guidance and is the same for all children requiring a school place. A reminder has been sent to schools who manage their own admissions to inform the county council if they have accepted, or plan to accept, any Ukrainian children onto their school roll.   We are working on identifying activities, and accompanying funding support, for those waiting for a school place. Children who are eligible to receive free school meals will be able to access any activities funded through the government’s Holiday Activity Fund. This will include children in hosted families.   Our work with Asylum Welcome to expand the community liaison officer resource available in each district and the city is going well. Shortly, these additional officers will all be in place across the county to coordinate, advise and refer guests to the support that is available to them, including across housing, education and health.   We are also beginning to see community organisations and groups offering meeting spaces for hosted families in all districts and Asylum Welcome is working on coordinating and promoting these offers.   As always, we will keep you updated on progress.   A reminder, councillors can direct general Ukraine queries to: ·         Website: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ukraine ·         Oxfordshire Ukraine helpline: +44 1865 966444 / 01865 966 444 (opening hours: 8.45am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. Closed weekends and bank holidays). ·         Email: ukraineresponse@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Food & Energy Poverty – Working Together in Hendreds & Harwell
The Food and Energy Crisis continues to worsen, and I am picking up more cases and needs by the week. In response to this, apart from raising my voice at County Hall around concern and action, we need to be pragmatic on the ground. 26.        We have the HEG Community Larder, people can sign up for this and working together (like we are in Steventon) we can get a network of distribution drops sorted for those in need – just contact me for more information 27.        Please see the news below about the £15 food vouchers for half term, although £15 is hard to stretch these days. 28.        The wonderful Emma from East Hendred has a brilliant You Tube Channel, and she has a meal voucher menu planner here – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZw0bNAGKwni_cM1OkdsfM70nlpQE8WvE 29.        I am looking into funding streams and financial help packages that may be available at District or County Council and will share asap when known. 30.        The £150 rebates from Council Tax at VOWH have started to appear for those on Direct Debits, I am informed for those without bank details stored, the Districts are corresponding accordingly, please liaise with your District Councillor. 31.        Knowing who is in need is something that Parish Councils have done so well since Covid restrictions, and maybe check in with those individual’s and see how they are ? 32.        There is some helpful information here – https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/budgeting/what-to-do-if-worried-about-energy-bills-rising 33.        More news to come….
Latest news
Celebrating recognition for our zero emissions zone Six years of collaboration is set to cut pollution levels, increase active travel and improve the environment thanks to our work to set up the UK’s first zero emissions zone in Oxford. The ambitious project contributes directly to our vision to work in partnership to make Oxfordshire a greener, healthier and fairer county. It has now been recognised as an example of sector best practice with an article in the Local Government Chronicle, which you can read online.   Foster care fortnight from Monday 9 May Foster care is an important topic throughout the year. People often rule themselves out before they have even spoken to the fostering service, but our recruitment team is on hand to answer questions and provide further information about fostering. Read our news story to hear from one of our residents who has been fostering for the county council for 35 years and you can check out our refreshed webpages, which help people navigate through any questions they might have.   Half–term food vouchers for eligible young people This May half-term we are again providing resources to early years settings, schools and further education colleges for eligible children and young people to receive £15 free school meal equivalent support. In most cases this will be provided as a supermarket voucher.   In other news: ·         Climate action survey – closing on 13 May ·         Our partnership with The Care Workers’ Charity to provide grants ·         New technology could support Oxfordshire residents with additional needs ·         Plans to improve cycle safety.
Consultation and engagement activities
We are currently running two major consultations for residents. Please encourage your constituents to have their say by sharing the relevant links. For details of all other live consultations visit Let’s Talk Oxfordshire.   Consultation Link to consultation Closing date Parking Spaces – Disabled Changes https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/southvale_dppp2022 20 May Keeping safe in open water Let’s talk Oxfordshire   31 May
COVID-19
Latest statistics At 7 May, the weekly case rate for Oxfordshire was 119.4 per 100,000. You can view the latest figures on our COVID-19 dashboard.   Vaccination update There are still 64,000 people who are eligible for the spring booster but have yet to come forward and they are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Boosters are available through the national booking service at various locations including GP-led sites, community pharmacies and the large vaccination centres. To book visit the NHS website or call 119 free from mobiles and landlines. Lines are open every day from 8am – 8pm, and 119 can provide support in 200 languages. You can read more in the attached update from the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) integrated care system.
Council meetings and information
Upcoming meetings The following are scheduled next week: ·         Tuesday 17 May, County Council, 10.30am ·         Wednesday 18 May, Confirmation Hearing for Chief Finance Officer of the PCC, Thames Valley Police and Crime Panel, 10.30am ·         Thursday 19 May, Health Improvement Partnership Board, 2pm.
And finally…
Professor Irene Tracey has been nominated as the next Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford. A renowned neuroscientist, Professor Tracey is currently Warden of Merton College. The professor has led the college since 2019. She is also Professor of Anaesthetic Neuroscience in the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, a department she led for several years. She will take up her new role in 2023 – you can read more in the University of Oxford’s press release.   For the latest news and information from the council, check your emails regularly and keep an eye on our website. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram and sign up for our residents’ newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.   With best wishes,   Sally Povolotsky Hendreds & Harwell Division County Councillor

 

 

Appendix B

 

Monday 9th May 2022 – Monthly Parish Update – Vale of White Horse District Councillors

Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne and Cllr Sarah Medley

 

Hello from Hayleigh & Sarah

We hope everyone enjoyed the extended Easter weekend, and had the opportunity for some family time, time to relax or time away – however you please! And ‘Eid Mubarak’ to those who were fasting over the month of Ramadan and celebrating Eid.

The month of April was a reasonably quiet one for council meeting, but the work of the council officers carries on and we have included the latest press releases in this update as well as some more information on how the council is supporting Ukrainian refugees, and a link to the latest planning application for a parcel of homes on Valley Park (please submit your comments!).

The next full council meeting is our AGM on 18th May. Should you wish to speak at this (or any) meeting, please email democratic services democratic.services@southandvale.gov.uk by 12noon on the working day before the meeting. You can also attend meetings in person or watch the stream on YouTube – details about this are here.

Hope the month of May brings everyone some sunshine and some fun as we look forward to the Queen’s jubilee celebrations locally, and the start of summer.

Council tax rebate

All households living in properties which are in council tax bands A-D are entitled to a £150 payment. The government is providing this money, also known as the ‘council tax rebate’, to help people with the rising costs of energy bills with the payments being made by local councils. The Council can pay the money directly to someone’s bank account if they are the person responsible for paying council tax at the property. A letter will be sent to all remaining eligible households (those not on direct debit, or whose bank account can’t be matched to those liable for the council tax at the property) asking them to complete an online form to confirm their bank account details so they are able to receive the money. Anyone who is not able to complete the form online will be able to call a special customer service team for assistance.

Community Support

The Community Support Hub, originally set up by the council in 2020 in response to the pandemic, is still available for anyone in need of help: if you have COVID-19, or if you are struggling financially, or if you are just finding life difficult due to the pandemic. Whether it’s practical support or just advice, get in touch. Call: 01235 422 600 (Mon to Thurs 8.30-5pm and Fridays 8.30-4.30pm) or visit www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/communityhub.

Financial Support Helplines

With rising energy prices and the cost of living increasing, it is a difficult time for many residents. Anyone who is struggling financially can contact Citizens Advice on 0808 278 7907, Vale Community Impact on 01235 765348 or the council’s own community support hub – details below.

We use these monthly updates to keep you updated on our activities, general council news and any COVID-19 developments. We also post regularly on our councillor Facebook Page: Cllrs Hayleigh Gascoigne & Sarah Medley Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any issues or concerns, either via Facebook message or email: hayleigh.gascoigne@whitehorsedc.gov.uk and sarah.medley@whitehorsedc.gov.uk.   Vale and South Oxfordshire councils step up to support Ukrainian refugees

The system is working and in full swing across Oxfordshire to support the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Whilst, there is still limited government guidance in some areas, all partners across the county are working together to find solutions and put guests at the heart of any action required. The accommodation and safeguarding checks are progressing well, with the backlog of home checks almost completed, and with no significant concerns raised.

The government is providing funds to provide support to families to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities, which the councils will be the administrators of.

The county council has continued to process school place applications and is recruiting an additional admissions officer to manage demand and avoid administrative delays.

You may have also seen that the Department for Work and Pensions has laid emergency regulations so those arriving in the UK from Ukraine, as a result of the Russian invasion, can access Universal Credit and jobs support immediately. Families can therefore claim for free school meals in the usual way under the usual eligibility criteria.

And as we approach half-term, the council are working to identify what holiday activities could be offered for children and also activities for children waiting for a school place.

For more information

General Ukraine queries: · www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ukraine

• Oxfordshire Ukraine helpline: +44 1865 966444 / 01865 966 444 (opening hours: 8.45am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. Closed weekends and bank holidays). · Email: ukraineresponse@oxfordshire.gov.uk

For housing and community support in South and Vale: · www.southoxon.gov.uk/ukraine · www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/ukraine

• South and Vale helpline: +44 1235 422600 / 01235 422600 (press option one). Opening hours: 8.30am-5pm Monday to Thursday, 8.30am-4.30pm Fridays, Closed weekends and bank holidays. Email: communitysupport@southandvale.gov.uk

Finally, as we work hard to support the government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, it’s important to recognise that we are continuing to work collectively across the county to support people of all immigration status, including refugees, whatever their country of origin.

In recent years, all councils across Oxfordshire have established specific support arrangements for those from Syria and Afghanistan working together with our voluntary and community sector partners to deliver wrap-around support for those temporarily accommodated in hotels. We will all continue to support relocating refugees and work with Thames Valley Police and other agencies to identify and prevent modern slavery.

Local News

Valley Park Update The planning application for the first ‘parcel’ of 246 homes on Valley Park has now closed for consultation on the online planning portal – reference P22/V0539/RM. The decision will take at least 6 weeks as the planning officers at the Vale read all the comments submitted, and look at how the application complies to national as well as local planning policies. They may go back to the developer with changes to make, meaning the decision could take longer.

In the meantime, another planning application for a parcel of houses by Persimmon as been submitted, and can be viewed and commented on here – reference P22/V0907/RM. The deadline for a response here is 1st June. Witness the thrill of elite cycling in Oxfordshire

People will be able to witness the thrill of elite professional cycling when the Women’s Tour returns to the Vale of White Horse on Saturday 11 June.

Following successful events in 2019 and 2021, this will be the final year that The Women’s Tour will visit Oxfordshire, following a three-year partnership with race organiser SweetSpot. For 2022, the county will host the sixth and final stage of the Tour in what promises to be a spectacular finale.

On the day, you will be able to see the riders pass through Harwell and Didcot. The full timetable will be published closer to the time.

Communities across the district are being encouraged to mark the occasion – this could be as simple as lining the route to cheer the riders on, putting up bunting, flags, or cycling inspired artwork, creating a cycling themed window display or having cycling themed events. To learn more visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/womenstour.

New cinema nights at The Beacon

New film nights will start at The Beacon from Saturday 21 May with a matinée of Encanto and an evening screening of Belfast. Later screenings include Sing 2 and West Side Story. More info here.

Cornerstone’s summer of fun

Cornerstone’s summer programme is now in full swing with a line-up of shows and activities from science extravaganzas to live blues music. With classes, workshops, and gallery exhibitions including ‘Oxfordshire Artweeks: Inspired By Nature’ from 3 May – there’s something for everyone. More here.

Climate & Environment News Councils to let wildflowers bloom during No Mow May

Wildflowers could bloom in more public areas next month after South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils pledged their support for No Mow May.

The two councils already designate wildflower meadows which they only cut two to three times a year but this year they will trial leaving several additional areas of land uncut for No May Mow, a national campaign which encourages people to not mow gardens and public areas during May.

For more information about how the council carry out grass cutting visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/NoMowMay For more information about No May May, visit the Plantlife website.

Council News Didcot Garden Town

A wide range of improvement projects and facilities in the Didcot Garden Town area will be prioritised to ensure climate change and pandemic recovery are tackled first.

The Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board discussed the actions set out in 2017’s Delivery Plan to identify the projects they thought were the most important to bring more community improvements and assist recovery for the garden town area following the pandemic. More information on the Didcot Garden Town can be found here. You can read the full minutes of the Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board meeting here. Have your say on a new technology park development in Didcot Garden Town

Residents and businesses can give their views on how greener commercial buildings can be built at a Didcot technology park.

Hill Farm, in Appleford and near to Didcot, is the site of a proposed Local Development Order (LDO), something that local planning authorities use to set out the overall design of a site. It also helps speed up the planning process for preferred types of development there, such as industrial buildings with energy efficient measures. This LDO design includes a data centre, waste management, a wood recycling organisation and a battery storage facility. The formal consultation is now open until midday 25 May 2022 via this link to the planning application page. Street naming consultation

The government is asking people to comment on proposals to alter process for changing street names. This includes replacing the current system with a single requirement for a residents’ vote on any changes to street names and some changes to regulations and statutory guidance for councils. To find out more and to have your say visit the government’s consultation

Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting of Upton held in the Village Hall at 7pm on Wednesday 4^th May 2022, facilitated by the Parish Council.

 

Present:- Mr B Shaw (Chair / BS), Miss E Cooper (Clerk / EC). Also present:- District Cllr H Gascoigne (HG),               County Cllr S Povolotsky (SP) and approximately 50 Upton residents.

 

Reports received from various groups were made available to view from 6.45pm.

 

 

1. Welcome and opening remarks – Parish Council Chairman Ben Shaw

BS noted the number of attendees in the hall & thanked everyone for attending.

 

2. Apologies for absence

No apologies were received in advance of the meeting.

 

3. Chairman’s Report

BS covered the main points of his Parish Council Chairman’s report. He also stated that the other

reports were available to read at the back of the hall.

 

4. Open Forum

Questions from those present to the Parish Council or other groups represented.

A list of 9 questions were submitted by J Fidgen, with other resident nominated to speak on the

subjects.

 

4.1 To discuss traffic calming measures on the A417 (Di Rabetts/DiR)

DiR highlighted concerns regarding the speed of traffic through the village. County Cllr S

Povolotsky updated as follows:-

20mph in the village – Upton is in the second tranche which currently is the end of 2022,

beginning of 2023.

A417 crossing – this is scheduled for September/October of 2022.

DiR was particularly concerned about how traffic calming might be introduced at the Blewbury end

of the village.

SP added that there is a bigger picture ‘safety review’ with a push for other alternative transport

methods, as roads need to be made safer for all.

SP advised people to continue to use Fixmystreet as they have a 28 day response.

 

4.2 To discuss plans to erect a fence along the end of the Rec (proposed by Brian Rippon/BR)

BR expressed his opinion that a palisade fence would be completely unsuitable.

Other suggestions included a gate at that end of the field. BS stated that the other side is

private land. Also the purchase of a strip of land to enable access. This would involve major costs,

works & maintenance.

BS confirmed that previous quotes for a fence were in the region of £16k. He also confirmed the

need for a fence (the land the other side is private/Council should be legally compliant with

covenant) & that no decisions had as yet been made.

 

4.3 To discuss the viability of a cycle path between Upton & Blewbury (Kieron Humphrey/KH)

County Cllr S Povolotsky confirmed that work to change Coffin way from a footpath to a bridleway

started last September. This is a long process & SP hoped to have the next update in June. An

estimate for creating a ‘banded surface’ route is c£250-295k. SP stated again this is part of the

bigger decarbonisation picture.

 

4.4 To discuss improving verges in the village for wildlife (Kieron Humphrey/KH)

KH explained he had spoken to County Cllr S Povolotsky regarding verges at the village end

of Chilton Road, Upton, which he would like to fill with wild flowers. KH stated that wilding is a

science backed way to promote diversity. The verges are the responsibility of the county council &

he indicated that the Parish Council could take on responsibility for the verges from the County

Council. A case would need to be put forward to the Parish Council detailing how the verges would

be planted & cared for now & into the future, together with any potential costs involved,

immediately & in the future.

 

4.5 To discuss plans to erect a fence around the toddlers’ playpark (Guilia Rippon/GR)

GR asked about plans to place a fence around the new toddler play area. This has been

discussed by the Parish Council, but no decisions yet made due to the high costs. The fence must

meet child friendly regulations & consideration will be given to a wooden fence (cheaper to install,

but required maintenance) or a recycled plastic fence (twice as expensive as wood, but no

maintenance).

Derek Whitmell said there was a Magnox socio economic fund that may help.

Bins on the rec were also raised at this point. Replacement bins are in the budget for this year, but

consideration also needs to be given to the emptying of the bins, which is under investigation.

Placing 2 or 3 wheelie bins around the rec was suggested. A volunteer would then need to move the

bins to the gate on waste collection days.

 

4.6 To discuss overflow parking in the Rec (Jacqui Reid/JR)

JR acknowledged that additional parking was required for specific events, & that the level of

matting used for the overflow was not designed for the level of use. BS explained that part of the

precept increase was to make improvements to the overflow parking. This needs to be revisited by

the Council, but this may not be this year due to a lack of resource.

JR said that the village hall would be happy to contribute to ideas & solutions.

 

4.7 To discuss maintaining access to the Rec (Duncan Reid/DR)

DR thought the closing of the gate to the rec at night was preposterous. BS explained that ‘out of

hours/anti-social behaviour’ use of the car park was why the gate had been closed at night &

opened early in the morning. Anti-social behaviour was reported to the police & patrols had been

increased. D Whitmell said traditionally the gate was always locked at night.

A new combination lock was suggested.

 

4.8 To discuss the near-doubling of the precept (Jo Fidgen/JF)

JF complained that the increase of the precept had not been discussed ahead of residents receiving

their council tax bills. BS explained that everyone was welcome at Parish Council meetings.

Clerk’s note:- UPCX Meeting 7.12.21, item 5.1.1 re precept refers.

JF requested that all plans are published in all the usual places. Also requested more information in

minutes. The Clerk said that more information could be included in the minutes.

BS explained that this was a two-way street & that residents can contact Councillors outside of

meetings.

 

4.9 To discuss plans for the installation of CCTV in the Rec (Rob Traynor)

Mr Traynor was not present at the meeting.

B Heneghan (BH) explained that with CCTV came the problem of GDPR. BH will look in more detail

at potential funding for such systems & whether it is worth investigating.

 

5. BH gave an update on Speed Watch

5 volunteers are undergoing online training.

Teams of 3 are required.

Requested more volunteers to put themselves forward (please contact the Clerk).

BH is teaming up with Harwell & Blewbury who have Speed Watch up & running.

 

6. The Chairman again thanked all for attending & brought the meeting to a close at 9.40pm.

 

7. Date of the 2023 Annual Parish Meeting – Wednesday 26th April 2023

 

 

 

 

Reports received from:-

 

UPC Chairman

UPC Finance

County Councillor

District Councillor

Blewbury Primary School

Downland Village Transport Group

Harwell Stakeholders Group

St Mary’s Church

United Charities

Upton Nature Garden

In attendance: – Cllrs B Shaw (Chairman/BS), P McLaughlin (PM), Neil Thorp (NT), D Beckles (DB), B Heneghan (BH). Also present E Cooper (Clerk/EC), County Cllr S Povolotsky (SP), District Cllr S Medley (SM). PCC representative P Batho (PB), Nature Garden representative K Fletcher (KF)

 

1. To note or receive apologies for absence

None.

2. To note any declarations of interest in the items on the agenda

None.

To approve the minutes of the following meeting & note any matters arising: –

UPCX 07.12.21

Council unanimously agreed minutes to be a true record.

To hear a report from the County Councillor

Received in advance of the meeting & included at Appendix B below.

In addition SP stated that the OCC separation from Cherwell Council had begun. SP to

provide BH with scrutiny papers.

SP also gave a synopsis of the situation with the Steventon reservoir following a

request by BH. SP confirmed any go-ahead would affect surrounding infrastructure,

traffic, housing etc. Also that the reservoir was not for local consumption, but was

intended for the London area. SP confirmed that OCC was firmly behind GARD & would

provide meeting information via the Clerk.

 

5. To hear a report from the District Councillor

Received in advance of the meeting & included at Appendix C below.

 

6. To hear a report from the PCSO

Received in advance of the meeting & included at Appendix D below.

BS had also spoken to the PCSO regarding anti-social behaviour centring on the

recreation ground & car park. The PCSO agreed to increase patrols of this area.

 

7. To hear representations from the public

None present.

 

8. To hear an update from the UVHAT representative

Report received in advance of the meeting & included at Appendix E below.

 

9. To hear an update from the PCC representative

PB gave an update on activities in & around St Mary’s church.

Services are currently twice a month in person on the 2^nd & 4^th Sundays.

The PCC has been working on raising funds to increase the size of the vestry, with dual

access, & install a disabled toilet. The church could then be used for a wide range of

village activities/events. £38k has been raised so far, but £68k is needed (as of early

2021). Alternative grants are being looked at by the PCC & UPC will assist as far as

possible.

 

10. To hear an update on the Upton Nature Garden Project

10.1 Working Group report

Received in advance of the meeting & circulated to Council.

Approval was given by Council in principle for the following:-

10.1.1 Entire perennial purchase on presentation of 2 quotes from the working

group.

10.1.2 Purchase of a gate from StowAg.

10.1.3 Proceed to artwork stage of signage & provide details to Council for

approval.

10.1.4 Obtaining best prices for purchases through the opening of trade accounts

– further information will be provided by the working group.

10.2 Receipts to date £6137.91. Payments to date £3472.97.

Balance (as of 10.01.22) £2664.94.

 

11. To report on outstanding actions carried forward from previous meetings: –

See Appendix A below

 

12. To ratify or agree the council’s response to the following planning applications: –

12.1 To agree:-

P21/V3453/HH Chynoweth, Church St, Upton

Erection of new balcony above existing garage. Installation of new double doors &

internal rearrangements.

Deadline 22.01.22

Council agreed no objections to this consultation.

 

12.2 To note Planning Permissions received:-

P21/V3206/HH Lavender House, Fieldside, Upton

Planning permission 10.1.22.

 

13. To receive an update on UPC Finances and Administration

13.1 To hear an update on Lloyds Bank: –

13.1.1 As at 10.01.22 Treasurer’s Account £9009.83

As at 10.01.22 Business Bank Account £13073.44

13.1.2 Debit card application

The Clerk reported there was no further correspondence from Lloyds Bank

since December & she would pursue.

 

13.2 Receipts

13.2.1 Bank interest December 11p, January 10p

13.2.2 Lloyds Bank compensation £75.00 received due to their poor service.

13.2.3 £110.66 share of SLCC membership received from Blewbury Parish

Council

 

13.3 To sign off bank reconciliation to date

Provided in advance of the meeting. Agreed by the Chairman at the meeting. To

be signed at the next meeting.

 

13.4 To hear any other financial or administration updates

13.4.1 Q3 cashbook scrutiny sent to BS 10.1.22

Q3 scrutiny completed by the Chairman & no queries raised.

13.4.2 UPC Precept form returned 11.01.22

 

13.5 To agree the following payments & PM agreed to authorise: –

 

Date	Payee	£
28.12.21, 28.01.22	Clerk’s salary SO [LGA1972 s112(2)]	Not publicly disclosed
18.01.22	Clerk’s expenses [LG(FPA)1963s5]	£26.80
Dec/Jan	HMRC PAYE SO (£83.40 December, £83.40 January £93.80)	£177.20
24.12.21, 29.01.22	Microsoft Office365 Dec/Jan DD @£3.80pm [LGA1972 s111]	£7.60
	Payments sub total	£211.60
	Nature Garden sub total	£0
	TOTAL	£211.60 + Clerk’s salary

 

 

14. To hear an update on the recreation ground Play Areas

14.1 Toddler play area. No update this month.

14.2 Adventure play area. EC to speak to Kompan regarding their inspections &

remedial work. BH to provide details of equipment & materials required to repair

play area surround to BH.

14.3 Pump Track

Remedial work to the pump track scheduled for 22/23. BH & BS to discuss

remedial work required & potential solutions.

 

15. To hear an update on the maintenance of the recreation ground

BS to contact Kalehurst re cost of collection & repair of motor mower.

 

16. To hear any update on UPC IT (PM)

PM had worked on securing a back-up through CloudAlly to ensure all data used by

Clerk is regularly backed up off site.

 

17. To hear an update on Speed Watch & 20s Plenty for Upton (BH)

17.1 Speed Watch

The Council is aware that a crossing is scheduled to be installed across the A417

in Upton near to the George & Dragon & Chilton Road. Council therefore

questioned setting up Speed Watch activity on this road. However, Council

agreed to look at setting up a Speed Watch trial. BS to provide list of previous

volunteers for BH to contact.

BH also reported that upgrading the existing speed signs to record data would

cost in the region of £2k per sign. To discuss with BS.

17.2 20s Plenty

Cllr Povolotsky stated there is potential for speed reduction on the A417 through

20s Plenty & would provide more information when it was available.

 

18. To agree the council content for the next online Upton News (NT)

Council agreed that latest Nature Garden news should be included, together with

information regarding speed control mechanisms on the A417.

 

19. To agree the date of the next meeting

Next full council meeting Tuesday 15^th March 2022, at 7.30pm, in the village hall.

 

 

The meeting finished at 9.06pm.

 

Appendix A – List of Actions

No.	Actions from December meeting	By when
1.	Clerk to confirm Risk Management policy is up to date & issue to all.	Actioned
2.	Clerk to add meeting duration caveat to SOs	Actioned
3.	BH to investigate upgrading speed signs in village to record speed data.	Actioned
4.	BS to contact Kalehurst & obtain quote for mower repair.	C’fwd
5.	BS to formally present details of grounds maintenance proposal.	C’fwd
6.	Clerk to confirm new bin requirements & order.	C’fwd
7.	Clerk to look at signage copy & report back to BS.	Actioned
8.	BH to write an article for the next Upton News on Speed Watch for Upton.	C’fwd
No.	Actions November meeting	By when
7.	BS to 1. put together a welcome pack proposal & 2. look at ways of engaging volunteers. Also spk PM & NT re technical options.	C’fwd
8.	BS to look in to engaging other local chairs to meet informally	C’fwd
16.	PM & Clerk to discuss findings on bus shelter noticeboard	Actioned
19.	Recreation ground northern boundary fence – BS to approach contractors	ASAP

 

 

Appendix B

Update for Parish councillors: 18 January

Welcome to the bulletin for councillors within Hendreds & Harwell Division Starting with COVID-19, this week we provide you with an update on changes to self-isolation rules and remind you the Kassam Stadium in Oxford has resumed walk-in vaccinations. We also share some fantastic work our staff are doing to step up and respond to the pandemic. As always, we have included the latest COVID-19 public health data and information for Oxfordshire. Appointment of interim deputy director of public health In December, OCC announced Dr Adam Briggs had been appointed Deputy Director of Public Health (DPH) for the county. As Adam will continue to work in a national role at the UK Health Security Agency for half the week, we have appointed an interim Deputy Director of Public Health, David Munday, to work alongside Adam to ensure we can deliver the desired outcomes supporting the vision of public health services across Oxfordshire. David joined the team last August as a consultant focusing on health and wellbeing, health inequalities and COVID-19 surveillance, and he will continue to do part of that role alongside his new deputy director role. Adam and David will be taking up their new appointments on 1 February – I am sure you will join me in wishing them well in their new roles.

COVID-19: public health data

The statistics In the seven days up to 7 January, there has been a total of 10,095 confirmed new COVID-19 cases in Oxfordshire. This is a decrease from 10,431 new cases in the previous week and is equivalent to a weekly rate of 1,448.6 per 100,000 residents. Cases in the over 60s have decreased from 1,313 to 1,147, which is equivalent to a weekly rate of 680.1 per 100,000 residents. You can view the latest figures on our COVID-19 dashboard. Cases of COVID-19 by district Cases in 7 days up to 31/12/21 Rate per 100,000 population Cases in 7 days up to 07/01/22 Rate per 100,000 population Cherwell 2,634 1,734.7 2,427 1,598.3 Oxford 2,056 1,356.3 2,199 1,450.7 South Oxfordshire 2,106 1,464.7 1,987 1,382.0 Vale of White Horse 1,982 1,437.2 2,032 1,473.4 West Oxfordshire 1,653 1,479.1 1,450 1,297.4 Oxfordshire 10,431 1,496.8 10,095 1,448.6 Data correct as at 5pm on 11 January.

COVID-19: guidance and advice

New self-isolation guidance for people with COVID-19 The health secretary has announced the self-isolation time for people who test positive from COVID-19 is being cut to five full days. This will come into effect from Monday 17 January, with people being able to leave isolation after negative lateral flow tests on days five and six. Changes to testing rules People in England who test positive from a lateral flow test and do not have symptoms are no longer required to take a follow-up PCR test. They should self-isolate immediately and report their result on gov.uk. Following this, NHS Test & Trace will contact them to identify their close contacts. Anyone experiencing any of the three main symptoms must self-isolate immediately and arrange a PCR test on gov.uk. Latest international travel advice Check gov.uk for the latest information about travelling overseas from the UK and entering the UK from overseas. Communications campaigns We are continuing to run regular messaging highlighting the new rules to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and supporting our NHS partners in sharing messages about vaccinations and boosters. APOLLO Pharmacy – Milton Park Ive been contacted by allot of residents about the availability of LFT on the Government Website, I have found as have some helpful residents that Apollo does tend to have stock when others don’t due to their location. I also found out they do prescription deliveries throughout most of Steventon, Harwell, Chilton and GWP. Just a nugget of info to share. Of course you still need to obtain a code from the Gov Website for the LFT kit to collect.

COVID-19: vaccination update

Reminder: walk-in vaccinations at the Kassam Stadium The mass vaccination centre at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford has resumed walk-in vaccinations, catering for first, second and booster doses. This means anyone eligible – including 12 – 15 year olds – can get a jab without the need for an appointment. It is anticipated this offer will be available between 9am and 7pm most days, except when Oxford United is playing at home at the weekend. People are advised to check opening times on the NHS Grab A Jab website before travelling to the stadium. The website lists vaccination sites that offer walk-ins and opening times. Residents can also continue to book appointments at the Kassam by visiting the NHS website. Booster vaccinations Everyone over the age of 18 is strongly encouraged to get a booster vaccination if they have not already done so. Bookings can be made on the NHS website. As always, your help in promoting vaccination messages to residents is much appreciated.

COVID-19: our staff step up to respond

We are enormously proud of the way our staff continue to respond to the ever-changing challenges COVID-19 brings. Throughout the pandemic, we have shown a real commitment to working collectively across our services, and the wider partnership system, to support our communities in the most challenging of circumstances. Our teams have stepped up to respond to resource issues caused by more of us getting COVID-19. Staff from across our organisation and Cherwell District Council are currently backfilling roles and providing additional capacity in children’s and adult social care to help keep frontline services operating. This includes backfilling for the reception teams in children and family centres so these vital facilities can remain open for residents who rely on them, helping maintain the systems for safeguarding and brokerage, and working alongside adult care teams in non-personal care roles to increase the capacity of trained staff. And finally, we would like to recognise our children’s education team for everything it is doing to support schools. A member of staff from a local school recently wrote to Councillor John Howson to express how valuable their weekly online briefings have been during the pandemic, noting that the team has “been incredibly supportive, upbeat and friendly throughout”.

News in brief

Steventon Reservoir – The Final Push I have been working very hard on this issue with fellow councillors, GARD and members of stakeholder groups over the last 5 months. We have been in a process with OFWAT called RAPID which as I have spoken about before has been a frustrating and less than open process. Now the regional plan has opened for an 8 week consultation and the SESRO scheme is back again…now we have two consultations and forms of approach – https://wrse.uk.engagementhq.com/about-our-consultation You can find the GATE 1 submission decision here – https://www.ofwat.gov.uk/regulated-companies/rapid/the-rapid-gated-process/gate-one-submissions-and-final-decisions/ Coverage – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-60021422 Oxford United request land near Kidlington for a new stadium Oxford United Football Club has requested land to develop a new 18,000-capacity football stadium, with linked leisure and commercial facilities, on land owned by us near Kidlington. The club has asked to lease 18 hectares of land at Stratfield Brake for 250 years. Alongside the stadium, the club’s proposal also includes facilities such as a hotel, retail, conference facilities, and training and community grounds. Cabinet will discuss the proposal at its meeting on 18 January. You can read more about the proposal online. Joan embarks on a new chapter of independent living and volunteering Joan has learning disabilities and never thought she would be able to live on her own. Now, as well as having her own home, she’s flourishing in new volunteering roles. This fresh start is thanks to the support of our Community Connections support services, which works with people aged 18 and over who have learning disabilities and additional needs. You can learn more about Community Connections on our website and find out more about Joan’s experience on our news pages. Oxfordshire Employment transforms Tim’s life In 2016, Tim was living with anxiety and had been struggling to find work for some time. But now he can look back on five years in a steady job and an increase in his skills and independence thanks to Oxfordshire Employment – a service we run to support those with health or disability needs in finding a job. Read more about Tim’s story online.   A40 improvements programme update Drainage surveys and vegetation clearance works are due to start on 17 January between Hill Farm Junction on the A40 (east of Witney) to the Duke’s Cut bridge. The surveys, which will help inform the drainage strategy for the A40 road improvements programme, are expected to take up to four weeks to complete, subject to weather and site conditions. Find out more online. In other developments, the planning application for the A40 smart corridor is now live. Residents and stakeholders can view and respond to the planning application on the planning register, under reference R3.0151/21. Read more in our news story.

Budget and business planning for 2022/23

The consultation on our budget proposals for 2022/23 has now closed and feedback can be found on our website accompanying both the budget papers that have been published for the Performance and Corporate Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee 17 January and for Cabinet 18 January. This feedback will be considered by both the scrutiny committee and Cabinet alongside our updated budget proposals. The budget will be agreed by full council on 8 February, alongside a new strategic plan and outcomes framework. Service plans are being developed or revised in line with this process.

Council meetings and information

Council meetings In line with the current government health measures, we are continuing to work with the chairs at OCC to take a pragmatic approach to holding our formal meetings. Parish Council meetings Please do let me know your plans for meetings in January and February whether hybrid / in person. COMET Scheme – Rural Transport There was a meeting yesterday 17th January around Rural Transport opportunities working on the basis of the Comet – details here. Only one PC member came, and I would like an indication if you would like me to rearrange this for discussion?

And finally…

We wanted to let you know that Dr Bruno Holthof, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford University Hospitals, has announced he will be stepping down after almost seven years in post at the end of June 2022. Further details can be found on the NHS website. I am sure you will want to join me us all in wishing him all the best in his future endeavours. Staying up to date For the latest information about the council’s response to COVID-19, regularly check your emails, visit the council’s website oxfordshire.gov.uk and follow our social media accounts. All the best, see you soon, and I hope you and your families have stayed safe and well. Sally Povolotsky Elected Member for Hendreds & Harwell

 

Appendix C

Monday 10th January 2022 Monthly Parish Update Vale of White Horse District Councillors

Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne and Cllr Sarah Medley

Hello from Hayleigh & Sarah

Happy New Year to all our residents. We hope that everyone had a restful break with family and friends, and that you are keeping healthy and safe during the recent rise of the omicron variant of COVID-19. If you haven’t had your booster vaccine yet, we encourage everyone to get their booster as soon as possible – you can book an appointment or find a walk-in centre via the NHS national booking system.

Our last full council meeting of 2021 was in December. As always, we were pleased to see motions passed on a range of issues, including retrofitting homes and opposing the proposal for the new reservoir in Steventon. However, we are particularly proud that the latest meeting took very positive steps forward in terms of addressing diversity and inclusion at the council – something that we are very passionate about.

Sarah proposed a motion – which passed – on supporting the transgender & non-binary community. Council also formally adopted a new parental leave policy for councillors. We think this is excellent news, as it goes a long way towards making the role of councillor more accessible and ultimately more representative of the community.

We use these monthly updates to keep you updated on our activities, general council news and any COVID-19 developments. We also post regularly on our councillor Facebook Page: Cllrs Hayleigh Gascoigne & Sarah Medley Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any issues or concerns, either via Facebook message or email: hayleigh.gascoigne@whitehorsedc.gov.uk and sarah.medley@whitehorsedc.gov.uk.   

COVID-19 Update

Get your booster vaccine

• Getting vaccinated and boosted remains the best thing you can do to protect yourself, your family and friends against getting seriously ill from Covid-19. You can
• There are plenty of appointments across several sites this week. Please go to the National Booking Service to book a slot or you may be able to bring your appointment forward that you had previously booked.
• If you’ve had a positive COVID-19 test, you need to wait a number of weeks before getting any dose of the vaccine. You need to wait:
  • 4 weeks (28 days) if you are aged 18 years old or over
  • 12 weeks (84 days) if you are aged 12 to 17 years old
  • 4 weeks (28 days) if you’re aged 12 to 17 years old and at high risk from COVID-19
• If you are unable to attend your vaccination appointment for any other reason, please cancel or rebook it at soon as possible so your space opens for someone else.
• Information on the walk-in clinics available in Oxfordshire are available here.

The latest COVID-19 figures are updated on the county council’s interactive dashboard on a daily basis. We continue to encourage residents to test regularly and, if you feel unwell, book a PCR test.

Funds available for local businesses

The new Hospitality and Leisure Grant announced by Government on 21 December will support the hospitality and leisure sectors that have been affected by the latest pandemic variant, Omicron. Visit our dedicated webpage for further details.

Small and medium-sized businesses will be able to claim money from the government through the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme. Find out how you can claim.

Our Winter Support Grants are now closed for applications. Check out our anticipated timeline for administration.

Community Support

Contact the Community Support Hub

A reminder to all residents that the councils’ Community Support Hub continues to operate for anyone who needs any assistance, either as a result of COVID-19 or just for anyone who needs signposting towards the appropriate support channel. There are multiple ways to get in touch with the Community Support Hub:

• Call: 01235 422 600 Monday to Thursday 8.30-5pm and Fridays 8.30-4.30pm
• Email: communitysupport@southandvale.gov.uk
• Online Form: whitehorsedc.gov.uk/communityhub
• Website whitehorsedc.gov.uk/covid19

Residents can also contact:

• Citizens Advice – 0808 278 7907
• Vale Community Impact – 01235 765348

Household Support Fund Available for anyone in need

• The government’s Household Support Fund (HSF) is now open, offering a very important lifeline for households who may struggle to afford life’s essentials over winter.
• The money will primarily be used to help pay for food, energy, and water bills for residents, but other costs can also be covered.
• The fund is open to any resident who is struggling and can’t afford basic household essentials.
• To find out about the scheme or seek help, call Citizens Advice on 0808 278 7907.
• See more information here.

Homelessness Support

If you or someone you know are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, please click here for advice.

Domestic Abuse

Do you feel like you are walking on eggshells? Are you afraid of your partner? Are you worried about someone you know being controlled?

• Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Service Helpline: 0800 731 0055 (Mon-Fri 10-6 Sat 10-4)
• Find help and advice at Reducing the Risk’s website org.uk

Local News

Council leaders thank vaccine clinic while urging people to get booster jab

Council leaders urged people to get their Covid booster jab as they praised the people delivering the vital vaccine at a clinic in Faringdon.

Help to make night-time safer in Abingdon and Didcot

Residents are being asked to help make areas of Abingdon and Didcot safer at night. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils want to hear from anyone who has felt unsafe in either town on a night out, or when returning there after an evening out elsewhere, such as Oxford.

Climate & Environment News

Wondering what to do with your waste post-Christmas? Take a look at the Vale’s site.

If you have a garden waste collection, you can leave your Christmas tree out with that. If not, take a look at a list of our collection sites. Be sure to check the last date to leave trees.

Council News

Full Council

Vale of White Horse Full Council was held on 8^th December at the Milton Park Offices. You may catch up with the content here. The full agenda is here.
For more information on outcomes, see press releases below.

Changes to planning rules to focus more quickly on potential harm to communities

Changes to enforcing planning rules will allow two district councils to focus on cases with the most potential to cause harm to local communities much more quickly.

Leaders Statement – 8 December 2021

Cllr Emily Smith, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, delivered her Leaders Statement to Council at the meeting on 8 December 2021.

Councillors call on the government to support ambitious local climate action

Leader Emily Smith will write to Whitehall to urge the government to establish a programme for domestic retrofitting.

Council re-affirms commitment to support War Pensioners

The War Pension scheme was established to compensate those veterans who suffered injured or illness while serving their country, while the War Widow(er)’s Pension is for those whose spouse died while serving.

More research needed before Abingdon reservoir plans can be approved

More evidence has been demanded by Vale councillors over the need for a reservoir in Abingdon and its environmental impact.

Vale of White Horse District Council – a trans inclusive council

Vale of White Horse District Council has a commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive organisation and council members have strengthened that commitment at its December Council meeting.

New parental leave policy for councillors

Our new Parental Leave Policy sets out councillors’ entitlements to maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave and relevant allowances.

The policy aims to provide a positive environment for members with family responsibilities.  It will help to ensure members are representative of our community, contribute towards increasing the diversity of experience, age and background of councillors, and also help us to retain experienced councillors and make public office more accessible to those who might otherwise feel excluded.

You can find the policy here, on the councillor allowances area of the Vale website.

Vital work to help vulnerable people praised by councillors

Work to protect vulnerable residents and those who are most at risk from criminal activity has been recognised by councillors in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse.

Councils face another cut in government funding

Public services could be at serious risk if the government fails to provide long-term financial support, the Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council has warned.

2021 reflection statement from Cllr Emily Smith, Leader of the Vale of White Horse District Council

 

Appendix D – PCSO Report

We continue to get reports of off-road vehicle being used in an anti-social manner causing criminal damage in the Lowbury Hill Ridgeway area. 4 persons were arrested in December after vehicles were used on private land causing criminal damage. The investigation is ongoing. We continue to patrol the area and encourage people to report anything like this to us.

 

Appendix E – UVHAT Report from J Reid

• Bookings: 2022 looks positive from a bookings perspective already.  All regulars have rebooked including gymnastics, yoga, karate, Brownies, Wine Club, Tea Birds, Short Mat Bowls and the ever popular dog classes etc.  Enquiries for ad hoc event bookings – particularly to allow small groups or family events to have more space due to COVID-19 – have picked up and the hall remains a COVID-secure venue for the activities permitted.
• Maintenance: In terms of maintenance a few projects need to be undertaken in 2022. The kitchen floor has now nearly dried out following the water leak and will be re-laid. Some of the gutters need to be mended where they have broken or sagged. There remains one blocked soakaway which was not replaced in the recent work. This lies under the patio, which will need to be lifted and re-laid in the process. It will be preferable to site the new soakaway under the grass, subject to permission from UPC.  The trustees will consider whether to replace the fittings in the ladies’ toilets which are now dated at their next meeting
• The trustees hope to hold their next meeting and AGM at the in January/Feb and will be confirming a date on this as soon as possible.

In attendance: – Cllrs B Shaw (Chairman/BS), P McLaughlin (PM), N Thorp (Vice-Chairman/NT), D Beckles (DB), B Heneghan (BH). Also present: – E Cooper (Clerk/EC),

K Fletcher (Nature Garden/KF), County Cllr S Povolotsky (SP).

 

1. To note or receive apologies for absence

District Councillors H Gascoigne, S Medley

 

2. To note any declarations of interest in the items on the agenda

None.

 

3. To approve the minutes of the previous meeting & note any matters arising: –

3.1 UPC 18.01.22

Unanimously agreed as a true record.

3.2 To agree an amendment to the minutes from 16^th November 2021 as follows:-

Item 9.3 – it has subsequently been confirmed that the Nature Garden group were

to pay 40% (£335.44) of the plant hire in September, with UVHAT & UPC each

paying 30% (£251.56).

Unanimously agreed as an amendment to the November minutes.

 

4. To hear a report from the County Councillor

Report received & distributed in advance of the meeting.

SP confirmed the A417 crossing was scheduled to start in the next 3 months.

Also the formal process of applying for bridleway status on Coffin Way had begun.

The CC had opened a climate grant scheme where any small group could apply for a

grant on climate change activity.

SP had pushed back on the LCTP5 consultation as there was no consideration for rural

communities, only Oxford City.

 

5. To hear a report from the District Councillor

Report received & distributed in advance of the meeting.

 

6. To hear a report from the PCSO

PCSO reported via email that there were no incidents of note in the area.

 

7. To hear representations from the public

None present.

 

8. To hear an update from the UVHAT representative

Not present. The UVHAT AGM will take place on Wednesday 23^rd March. Council

agreed BS should speak to UVHAT re notice of the AGM.

 

 

9. To hear an update from the PCC representative

BS had attended a PCC meeting. The PCC will scale back on its plans for improving

facilities in the church. The funding falls short of that required. Alternatives will now be

considered.

 

10. To hear an update on the Upton Nature Garden Project

10.1 Working Group report

10.1.1 Received and distributed in advance of the meeting. KF asked Council for

approval in principle to:-

• the purchase of a wooden seat
• the purchase of seeds from meadowmania
• the purchase of the sign (once copy & artwork approved by Council)

The purchase of plants from Rupert Gooddy & a gate & associated items from Oxford Fencing were approved by council.

KF also asked for next TOE fund contribution form to be completed.

 

10.1.2 And in addition from KF:-

Since the last parish council meeting, the Upton Nature Garden project has

held two successful volunteer days. At the first January event the trees,

shrubs & hedging were planted; at the second March event the perennials

were planted – 400 in an hour! The mid-morning tea break became the end

of planting celebration. The project planting plan is back on track. The

information sign design has been finalised after research on similar project

signs around this area. R Traynor has painted original artwork for the

board. The remaining tasks for this garden creation phase of the project are

to commission the sign, the wooden bench, to sow the wildflower meadow,

& install the new meadow entrance gate by the bus stop. The project costs

are well under control. The TOE grant budget was £3624; to date £2388

has been reclaimed. The overall project budget has £3130 remaining

(allowing for perennials & gate order recently placed). Remaining planned

expenditure March – April on benches, signs & seed mix of c£1355. The

balance after this provides towards the ongoing costs of maintenance &

garden development.

 

10.1.3 And from BH as part of the working group & on behalf of the Council:-

The Nature Garden team have done a really good job of design & planting.

Even in the rough, you can visualise how good it is going to be when the

plants start to grow & bloom. So thank you to the team for a great project.

BH also requested a forecast from KF for the Nature Garden maintenance

plan by the UPC July meeting.

 

10.2 Receipts to 28.02.22 £6641.25

Payments to 28.02.22 £3591.76

Balance £3049.49

 

11. To hear updates on outstanding actions carried forward from previous meetings: –

See Appendix A below

 

 

 

12. To ratify or agree the council’s response to the following planning applications: –

12.1 To agree:-

P22/V0524/HH South Spring, Stream Road, Upton

Amendment no.1 – double garage

Deadline 29.03.22

UPC agreed no objections, but with comment.

 

12.2 To ratify:-

P22/V0168/HH Rowlands, Church St, Upton

Replace existing single storey extension with single & two-storey extensions.

External & internal alterations & a proposed detached garden room.

Deadline 09.03.22. UPC no objections.

 

12.2 To note Planning Permissions (or otherwise) received:-

12.2.1 P14/V2873/O Great Western Park Development

Planning permission 21.02.22

12.2.2 P21/V3107/FUL Land to the south of Main Street, West Hagbourne

Application withdrawn 26.1.22

12.2.3 P22/V0087/HH Lonicera, Station Road, Upton

Planning permission 10.3.22

 

13. To receive an update on UPC Finances and Administration

13.1 To hear an update on Lloyds Bank: –

13.1.1 As at 28.02.22 Treasurer’s Account £6956.31

As at 28.02.22 Business Bank Account £13073.66

13.1.2 Debit card application

Currently on hold.

 

13.2 Receipts

13.2.1 Bank interest February 11p, March .10p.

13.2.2 SSE annual payment £2 (pole on rec)

13.2.3 Payment from UVHAT of £251.56 for share of plant hire.

 

13.3 To sign off bank reconciliation to date

Provided in advance of the meeting & signed by the Chairman at the meeting.

 

13.4 To hear any other financial or administration updates

13.4.1 UPC Internal Audit 2021/22

13.4.1.1 Council to confirm exemption from external audit

Council unanimously agreed that it is exempt from an external

audit & that a certificate of exemption should be issued by the

Clerk to the external auditor as soon as possible after the end of

the financial year.

13.4.1.2 Council to confirm internal auditor

IAC confirmed they would carry out the internal audit for a fee of

£285 + vat. Council unanimously agreed. Clerk to inform IAC.

 

 

 

 

13.4.2 SLCC/NALC Clerk’s Pay Increase

OALC confirmed in an email dated 01.03.22 that following a national pay

award agreement, the Clerk’s pay (remaining on SCP26) would increase

by 1.75% with effect from 01.04.21. This will be applied, with back pay, from

March 2022.

 

13.4.3 Risk Management Policy & internal audit controls review

The Council unanimously ratified the updated version of the Risk

Management Policy, including internal audit controls.

 

13.4.4 Following a training seminar from the Oxford History Centre on the storage

of Council documents (attend by the Clerk & Cllr Thorp), the Clerk asked for

agreement in principle that all Council papers suitable for storage should be

removed to the Oxford History Centre at a point to be agreed in the future.

Council unanimously agreed.

 

13.5 To agree the following payments & who to authorise.

Council agreed to all payments below. Clerk confirmed payments awaiting

authorisation through Lloyds. PM to authorise.

 

Date	Payee	£
28.02.22, 28.03.22	Clerk’s salary SO [LGA1972 s112(2)]	*Not publicly disclosed
15.03.22	Clerk’s expenses [LG(FPA)1963s5]	£210.17
Feb/Mch	HMRC PAYE SO (£88.60 February, £TBC March (+ back pay)	* £88.60
24.02.22, 29.03.22	Microsoft Office365 Dec/Jan DD @£3.80pm [LGA1972 s111]	£7.60
15.03.22	Expenses PM (revised from agenda)	£117.26
15.03.22	OALC course EC & NT	£12.00
16.03.22	Krystal Hosting – 1328201	9.59
16.03.22	Krystal Hosting – 1316674	9.59
	Paid to be ratified:-
17.02.22	OALC course BH	66.00
17.02.22	Mr P Zagyva – installation of new noticeboard	90.00
08.02.22	Krystal Hosting – 1303536	9.59
09.02.22	Mark Harrod – goal nets & wheels	377.20
16.03.22	OALC annual subs	150.00
	Payments sub total	£1147.60
11.02.22	Rupert Gooddy – nature garden plants	1166.65
17.03.22	Oxford Fencing (confirmed post meeting)	153.46
	Nature Garden sub total	£1320.11
	TOTAL	£2467.71 + * above

 

 

14. To hear an update on the recreation ground Play Areas

14.1 Toddler play area

BS reported that the play area was in good order.

14.2 Adventure play area

Remedial work to the play area was highlighted by Kompan in their January 2022

inspection report, although this was not received by the Council until March. The

Clerk is in touch with Kompan regarding the works.

14.3 Pump Track

Remedial work to the pump track scheduled for 22/23.

Council are considering a proposal to tarmac the pump track to improve & extend

it’s usage & await a quotation. Estimate £5-10k.

 

15. To hear an update on the maintenance of the recreation ground

15.1 Motor mower repair/service (BS)

The Council awaits recommendations from Kalehurst on the repair or otherwise

of the motor mower, which was damaged during usage.

15.2 Any other updates on the recreation ground maintenance

The Council is disappointed by the amount of damage to the recreation ground by

vehicles driving over the grass. Council is therefore considering the installation of

posts & a chain to stop this activity. Council voted 4 for with one abstention (due

to a conflict of interest) to look at this option. A quote for the potential installation

of posts & a chain is expected from BH.

15.3 PM reported that the goal posts have new wheels & with the new nets yet to be

installed. BS will invite the Commissioner of Police (following funding) & the

Amazons football teams for a photo op.

 

16. To hear any update on UPC IT (PM)

Office 365 back up in place & domain names secured for another year.

 

17. To hear any update on Speed Watch & 20s Plenty for Upton (BH)

BH requested that information be included in Upton news regarding the training of

volunteers for Speed Watch.  BH to provide copy to NT.

 

18. To agree the council content for the next online Upton News (NT)

– Speed Watch information (see 17 above)

– Goal posts wheels & nets

– Plans for 22-23

– Move to stop driving on the rec

– resurface pump track

– village blocked storm drains & big pot holes all reported to fixmystreet by BS

& PM

 

19. To agree the date of the next meeting

19.1 Annual Parish Meeting – Council to agree date & arrangements

Council agreed to a provisional date of 28^th April. Clerk to check hall availability &

start process to arrange meeting at 7pm in the village hall.

Clerk’s note:- 28^th April may not be available. Other dates under consideration.

 

 

19.2 Next full council meeting

Annual meeting of the Parish Council Tuesday 17^th May 2022, at 7.00pm, in the

village hall meeting room.

 

 

The meeting finished at 9pm.

 

 

Appendix A – List of Actions

 

 

No.	Actions from March meeting	By when
1.	BS to speak to UVHAT re notice of their AGM	ASAP
2.	Clerk to complete next TOE contribution form.	ASAP
3.	KF to produce Nature Garden maintenance plan.	July meeting
4.	Clerk to complete EA exemption form at earliest opportunity.	After end of financial year
5.	Clerk to confirm IAC as internal auditor.	Actioned
6.	Clerk to confirm with Kompan plan for play area works	ASAP
7.	BH to provide quote for rec ground posts & chain.	ASAP
8.	BS to invite Commissioner of Police for photo op following funding for new nets & wheels on goal posts.	ASAP post installation
9.	BH to provide copy to NT for Upton News re speed watch volunteers	ASAP
No.	Actions from January meeting	By when
2.	BH to provide details of equipment & materials to repair play area surround.	Actioned
4.	BS to provide BH with previous list of potential Speed Watch volunteers	Actioned
5.	BH & BS to discuss upgrading existing speed signs	Actioned
No.	Actions from December meeting	By when
5.	BS to formally present details of grounds maintenance proposal.	Actioned
6.	Clerk to confirm new bin requirements & order.	C’fwd
8.	BH to write an article for the next Upton News on Speed Watch for Upton.	Actioned
No.	Actions November meeting	By when
7.	BS to 1. put together a welcome pack proposal & 2. look at ways of engaging volunteers. Also spk PM & NT re technical options.	Ongoing
8.	BS to look in to engaging other local chairs to meet informally	Organised by SP
19.	Recreation ground northern boundary fence – BS to approach contractors	Actioned

 

 

 

Appendix B

County Councillor Briefing 8^th March 2022

Welcome to your latest news briefing, apologies for a few days delay, it’s been rather busy on the reservoir front, or as I now call it a ‘Megavoir’. I am hoping to start surgeries as of April, in main places in every village, and will let each Parish know and communicate of course through facebook and emails.

 

Today is IWD and I am pleased to have instigated this small video and want to thank all women members, chairs and clerks for #breakingthebias this year and pushing for gender equality.

The video is available for your viewing pleasure at https://vimeo.com/685802506/9797582bc8

 

Covid 19: Information & Advice

Latest public health advice

On 21 February, the prime minister set out his plan for living with COVID-19. As our Director of Public Health, Ansaf Azhar, has emphasised, this doesn’t mean the virus has gone away. He sets out three simple steps we can all take in the coming months that will make a difference:

• Be considerate – if you feel ill, you should stay away from others and remain at home while you have symptoms.
• Be aware – there will be many in our communities and work places who will be extremely nervous about the recent news, so be conscious of other people’s situations and adjust your behaviour accordingly.
• Be cautious – make sensible decisions, such as wearing a face covering in crowded places and letting fresh air into indoor spaces.

 

You can listen to Ansaf’s advice in his latest video.

 

Communications campaigns

We are now focusing on reinforcing the ‘be cautious and considerate’ message, in line with changes to rules around self-isolation and testing. We are also supporting our NHS partners in sharing messages about vaccinations and boosters.

 

COVID 19: The statistics

You can view the latest figures on our COVID-19 dashboard.

 

 

 

Latest News

Storm Eunice response

This week we have said a huge thank you to staff across the council who were involved in the response to storm Eunice, as well as all those who continued to deliver services for residents in extremely challenging conditions 2 weeks ago.

 

A number of teams were involved in our response, but we would like to name a few specifically. The customer services team dealt with an exceptionally high number of calls that day – four times the usual volume – while the highways team responded to more than 180 incidents on Friday alone. These included removing fallen trees and large branches, which were blocking roads and footpaths.

 

A significant council-wide team effort also supported our schools – helping with communications, ensuring our school transport was safe, responding to property damage and making phone calls to headteachers. And a special mention also to the emergency planning and communications teams, who co-ordinated our response and kept our website and social media channels updated.  We are still running behind on standard jobs in the pipeline, but we are getting there!

 

Bad weather is the perfect storm for rogue traders

Our trading standards team is warning residents to be wary of cold callers or leaflets offering to do work on roofs after the recent storms. The team believes it’s a perfect opportunity for rogue traders to take advantage of residents who have a leaking roof or broken tile. Many traders will be booked up, so the advice is to be wary of traders who can arrive to start the work the following day and push for a quick agreement to use them. Find out what to look out for in our news story.

 

Oxfordshire’s climate action heroes recognised

Some of Oxfordshire’s inspirational climate action heroes were honoured at an awards ceremony on Monday. Eighteen groups, social enterprises, individuals, businesses and other organisations picked up the High Sheriff’s Climate Action Heroes Awards for their schemes, ranging from wildlife restoration work to renewable energy projects. Read all about it online.

 

Our bid to deliver 159 electric buses

This month we applied for £32.8 million from the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme. Along with £6m from the council and £43.7m from bus companies Go Ahead and Stagecoach, the scheme could deliver 159 electric buses and the infrastructure to charge them in a package worth £82.5m. If successful, the electric buses would operate in an area stretching from Kidlington in the north to Sandford in the south, and from Cumnor in the west to Wheatley in the east. They would save an estimated 9,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year – the equivalent of taking more than 6,000 cars off the road. Find out more in our news story.

 

Proposal to improve consistency of parking enforcement

We are planning to bring consistency to highway parking enforcement around the county by taking over responsibility for fining motorists who break the rules in West Oxfordshire. West Oxfordshire District Council currently carries out parking enforcement on our behalf in the area. Go online to read the full story.

 

Budget passed invests in residents: In February, the first budget of the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance was passed. The Conservatives failed to present any amendments to the budget. The budget increases investment to support some of the most vulnerable residents in our county, including in SEND provision, adult social care, and youth and children’s services. Other priorities to receive boosts were the climate emergency, buses, traffic enforcement, and road safety. The budget also takes into account a backlog of underfunded major infrastructure projects. The budget deals with the hospital pass from the Conservatives, who had failed to fully cost major projects, including replacement of the Kennington Bridge and projects around Didcot.

 

Government support extended after OCC demands: Buses continue to be under financial strain, with passenger numbers down on pre-pandemic levels. Following Lib Dem calls to the government extend pandemic grants, the government announced additional funding. Bus companies will still face a potential cliff edge in 6 months’ time however, unless passenger numbers begin to rise or the government steps in again.

 

Oxford Zero Emissions Zone (ZEZ) pilot launches: A pilot of a small area of central Oxford has begun to test out the technology that will be used for the Zero Emissions Zone. The full ZEZ will come into force in 2023 (subject to a public consultation)

 

Police and Crime Commissioner grant applications close: The Community Fund, administered by the Police and Crime Commissioner has closed for applications. This appears to have been badly promoted, however, applications open twice a year. Sign up to the mailing list here: opcc.comms@thamesvalley.police.uk

 

Councilor Priority Fund: Upon being elected, I said I wanted to see the councilor priority fund for Hendreds and Harwell Division being used early in the community. The £15,000 has now been fully allocated, supporting amazing projects across the division, I will be doing a roundup and news on them all in May 2022.

 

Consultations close soon:

• SEND: 10^th March
• Local Transport and Connectivity Plan: 16^th March
• Libraries: 18^th March

 

Consultation & Engagement Activities

The following consultations are currently live. Please encourage your constituents to have their say by sharing the relevant links for further information.

 

 

Consultation	Link to consultation	Closing date
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)	Let’s Talk Oxfordshire	10 March
Library and heritage services	Let’s Talk Oxfordshire	18 March
WRSE	WRSE Page	14th March

 

Local Information

Rowstock Relief

Affected Parish Councils contacted around a meeting, communication has been poor and complaints raised to officers and senior managers.

 

Verges Biodiversity experiment

We have identified some zones, one of which is the Oxfordshire County Council Highway between East and West Parishes. We are working with the Highways and Ecology teams, as well as local environment group HEG for the civic ecology side. To ensure any invasive species like Ragwort are still pulled during this experiment.

 

SIDS – East Hendred / Rowstock

The SID Data is showing a very positive turn, and the speed reduction is clearly notes, and alongside the implementation of more speed reductions with the 20mph scheme is definitely key to continue to make our communities safer and reducing speeds, without us ending up with signage every 20m!

 

ESSO Application

I worked with local residents on this case and spoke at the Planning Committee, of course its probably well known that now that it was refused, but many believe it will come back through appeal so we need to watch this space. Well done to all local groups, local businesses, parish councils and the Rowstock residents association for work on this.

 

Pension Committee

As a new member on the pension committee I am very pleased to announce we heard from Brunel Pension Partnership and they are working to divest from Russian entities, and the committee endorsed this action.

 

Harwell High Street works

I attended the CMD for Highways as was hugely concerned officers, despite constant communications from my side, had pushed through for a CMD on the works despite Parish comments. Final decision is here

 

FrogLife / Ardington and Lockinge Crossing Signs

You may have noticed the signage warning of our amphibian friends crossing the roads, patrols are in full action currently and there is allot of action already thanks to some warmer days and wetter evening!

 

Steventon – Reservoir

Link below in consultations and thank you to those Parishes who have already submitted, every response to the reservoir counts, you can even send two per household with different email addresses. Any questions please come back to me or email – gard.secretary@gmail.com

I did attend the Public meetings run by GARD in Steventon and East Hendred and spoke to residents to urge the response, also to voice my concerns. I also attended the Thames Water meeting and was very disappointed but I guess not hugely surprised that not a single straight question was answered, if there was ever a call to arms to respond and make voices heard that time is now!

 

HEG Community Larder

I am pleased to announce that we have now had our second larder and already we have moved on 467kg of Food Waste, with around 40 members actively, and we are constantly communicating alongside the support of East Hendred Parish Council what we are doing. Our local scheme is in partnership with Didcot Based SOFEA, and if your interested in creating a Larder in your Parish you can read more about it here – www.sofea.uk.com

 

The second annual Food Waste Action Week begins today and will highlight the huge impact household food waste has on climate change.

Oxfordshire County Council – along with the district and city councils in Oxfordshire – is supporting Food Waste Action Week, a national campaign set up by the charity WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme). It runs from Monday 7 March until Sunday 13 March.

The campaign will share practical advice, food savvy behaviours and tips on how people can easily reduce the amount of food that is wasted in our homes.

 

The UK throws away 6.6 million tonnes of household food waste a year. This food waste is responsible for nearly 25 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to 5.4 per cent of the UK’s territorial emissions.

The majority, 4.5 million tonnes, is food that could have been eaten and is worth approximately £14 billion (or £60 a month an average family with two children). It requires an area almost the size of Wales to produce all the food and drink currently wasted in the UK.

Throughout the week the campaign will be sharing tips to make the most of leftovers, how to defrost frozen food, store food properly and how to shop more effectively by planning your meals.

 

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, said: “The average family wastes the equivalent of eight meals every single week. Reducing food waste can save families an average of £700 per year, reduce the amount of edible food that ends up in our bins to be disposed of, and fight climate change.

“The Food Waste Action Week campaign will highlight simple actions we can all take to reduce the amount of food we throw away each week.”

Look out for videos and messages which will be released during Food Waste Action Week on Oxfordshire Recycles Facebook and Twitter. The Replenish Project – run by Oxfordshire’s community action groups – will be running a competition to win ‘The Canny Cook: freezer & store-cupboard meals on a budget’. Oxfordshire residents are encouraged to share their #RescueRecipes ideas to be in with a chance of winning one of five of these books! People are encouraged to use the hashtag #FoodWasteActionWeek when they get involved.

Everyone can make a difference, and something as small as saving your leftovers to eat for lunch the next day and encouraging friends and family to do the same means you’re doing your part. Visit Love Food Hate Waste to find out how you can get involved, help the planet – and save money too. Look out for its great video at the beginning of the week, which will be posted and shared on social media, and to find out who its celebrity is!

Think you’re pretty good at eating what you have at home? Help reduce food waste even more, by using your local community fridge, or apps like Too Good To Go and Olio.

Click Sign up to hear from us and receive the latest news and updates thanks to our fortnightly newsletter, Your Oxfordshire.

 

A Few Last Reminders

Support for Ukraine

Information about help relating to the situation in Ukraine. We undertook a small collection in East Hendred at the weekend, which has gone straight to a distribution centre 80km from the Polish / Ukraine Borders. However our advice now that humanitarian aid is kicking in is as follows;

Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people at this time. Like all councils and communities throughout England, we are ready to help people in Ukraine and any refugees that may come here.

 

We will be guided by central government as to the best ways that we can help as the situation continues to develop. In standing with the people of Ukraine we and partner organisations will support and give a warm welcome to refugees locally should our help be needed.

 

Government support schemes

Guidance on government support available to Ukrainian nationals and their family members, including the Ukraine Family Scheme.

 

Making a donation

Many people in the county want to do whatever they can to help, and one way is to make a donation.

The Disasters Emergency Committee, a coalition of 15 leading UK charities, has launched a collective appeal to provide emergency aid and rapid relief to civilians suffering during the conflict.

Many registered charities are also helping to provide vital life-saving services to those caught up in the conflict, including those forced to flee to neighbouring countries. These include:

• Red Cross
• Save the Children
• UNICEF
• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)

 

 

Staying up to date

For the latest information about the council’s response to COVID-19, regularly check your emails, visit the council’s website oxfordshire.gov.uk and follow our social media accounts.

 

With best wishes,

 

Sally Povolotsky FRSA

Hendreds & Harwell Division

 

Appendix C

Monday 7th March 2022 Monthly Parish Update

Vale of White Horse District Councillors

Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne and Cllr Sarah Medley

 

Hello! Firstly, we just want to say how deeply saddened and shocked we are by recent events in Ukraine.

The Vale of White Horse District Council stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine in these horrific times. Council leader Emily Smith has issued a statement giving further information on what we can do to support those people caught in this conflict or escaping from the area. We have been heartened to see the efforts of many local residents in donating and collecting essential items for those affected – once again, our kind and caring community stepping up to help in times of crisis.

 

Locally, we are very aware of the many issues faced by residents in accessing healthcare in the Didcot area. Working alongside the Patient Participation Groups of the three medical centres, we have been calling on the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning group (CCG) to provide transparency and clarity on the timescales for delivering the long-overdue healthcare centre on Great Western Park. We are pleased to say that the CCG are now engaging, and they have kindly agreed to provide an update for the public at the Great Western Park Residents’ Association Meeting at 8pm on Monday 9^th May. The meeting will be held in a hybrid in-person and online format, at Boundary Park Sports Pavilion and on Zoom. Please keep an eye on the GWP Residents’ Association website for more details, and note that this meeting will also be their AGM, for anyone wishing to volunteer with this excellent community organisation.

 

We use these monthly updates to keep you updated on our activities, general council news and any COVID-19 developments. We also post regularly on our councillor Facebook Page: Cllrs Hayleigh Gascoigne & Sarah Medley Please do not hesitate to get in touch with any issues or concerns, either via Facebook message or email: hayleigh.gascoigne@whitehorsedc.gov.uk and sarah.medley@whitehorsedc.gov.uk.    

COVID-19 & Community Support

Keep up to date with latest government guidance via gov.uk/coronavirus. The latest COVID-19 figures are updated on the county council’s interactive dashboard on a daily basis.

Contact the Community Support Hub

A reminder to all residents that the councils’ Community Support Hub continues to operate for anyone who needs any assistance, either as a result of COVID-19 or just for anyone who needs signposting towards the appropriate support channel. There are multiple ways to get in touch with the Community Support Hub:

• Call: 01235 422 600 Monday to Thursday 8.30-5pm and Fridays 8.30-4.30pm
• Email: communitysupport@southandvale.gov.uk
• Online Form: www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/communityhub
• Website www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/covid19

Residents can also contact:

• Citizens Advice – 0808 278 7907
• Vale Community Impact – 01235 765348

 

Better Housing Better Health offers support and advice for those struggling to stay warm and well at home and can refer people to services which offer free home energy advice visits and financial and benefit advice. For more info see bhbh.org.uk

Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant

On 21 December 2021, Government announced the introduction of a one-off grant support scheme for hospitality and leisure businesses in England. The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) scheme is now open for applications from eligible businesses – Vale of White Horse businesses apply here. Please note that the closing date for applications is Friday 18 March 2022. Applications will be processed, and checks made until the final payment date of 31 March 2022.

Local News

The Harwellian Club reopens after £47,500 makeover

The Harwellian Club has recently reopened after receiving £47,571 from the Vale of White Horse District Council for a major refurbishment. Harwell residents are flocking to see the changes made to the club since they applied for developer contributions via the district council.

Boundary Park’s tennis and games area officially opened by local MP

Hundreds of keen sports players can enjoy new facilities on Great Western Park after they were officially opened recently by David Johnston local MP, Vale councillors and Boundary Park Sports Association for local families and sports groups to use.

Great British Railways Headquarters could be built in Didcot

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils will be entering a bid for Didcot to be the home of the new Great British Railways headquarters.

Refusal of former Esso site planing application

A brief note from us (Hayleigh & Sarah) to inform residents that the planning application for the distribution centre at the former Esso site on Milton Hill was refused by the planning committee in February. Although this site is not directly in our ward, we know this application caused concern for many Harwell and Rowstock residents, particularly due to the increase in HGV traffic it would cause. Sarah wrote to committee members in advance of the meeting, highlighting the concerns of local residents. At the meeting itself, the combined efforts of the Roads to Rowstock Residents’ Association and local councillors at parish, district and county levels succeeded in persuading the committee – well done to all involved. Visit YouTube to watch the meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Climate & Environment News

£50,000 fund to boost community climate action in the Vale

Communities in the Vale of White Horse looking to tackle climate change could soon receive support from a new council grant. Vale of White Horse District Council’s new Climate Action Fund will offer a total of £50,000 to help local groups, with up to £5,000 on offer for individual projects.

Work on major EV charging scheme in the Vale is close to completion

The installation of the Park and Charge Electric Vehicle charging scheme in Vale of White Horse looks close to completion as work is due to start on the last car park later this month.

More than 150 volunteers support major tree planting effort

More than 150 volunteers joined a major tree planting event in Abingdon over two sessions on Saturday 26 February to help tackle climate change. Members of local community group Abingdon Carbon Cutters and other volunteers from across the area planted 420 trees at Rye Farm Meadow.

Council News

Vale’s 2022/23 budget protects frontline services, ensures important environmental, leisure and safety improvements and keeps Council Tax increase to under the rate of inflation

Despite a 6.2 per cent reduction in funding from government, Vale of White Horse District Council is set to agree a balanced budget for 2022/23 and, for the first time in several years, is projecting to have surplus general reserves at the end of its 5-year reporting period.

Leaders Statement – 16 February 2022

Cllr Emily Smith, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, delivered her Leaders Statement to Council at the meeting on 16 February 2022.

Important changes for Vale car parks to start on 4 April

Motorists parking in district council car parks in Abingdon, Faringdon and Wantage are advised that from Monday 4 April:

• Free parking will still be available but reduced to one hour a day
• New fees will apply if you want to stay for more than one hour
• Other fees will go up by 40p
• New and renewed permits will be valid for the specific car park they are issued for and will not be transferable.

Sessions to help hair and beauty staff support victims of domestic abuse

Free training is now available to help ensure hair and beauty staff know what to do if they suspect a client or colleague is at risk of or suffering from domestic abuse.

Vale gives more than £300,000 to build affordable homes in the district

Vale of White Horse District Council has pledged to provide grant funding of more than £300,000 towards the cost of creating affordable homes in Botley, in the parish of Cumnor.

In attendance:- Cllrs B Shaw (Chairman/BS), P McLaughlin (PM), N Thorp (NT),  B Heneghan (BH). Also present E Cooper (Clerk/EC).

1. To note or receive apologies for absence

Cllr D Beckles.

2. To note any declarations of interest in the items on the agenda

None.

3. To approve the minutes of the following meeting & note any matters arising: –

UPC 16.11.21

Minutes unanimously agreed as a true record, with the exception of charges

attributable to the Nature Garden in respect of rubble removal, which do not apply.

4. To review & agree the response to planning consultations:-

4.1 P21/V3206/HH Lavender House, Fieldside, Upton

Proposed ground floor front extension to existing garage.

Deadline 14.12.21

UPC agreed no objections to this consultation.

5. To receive an update on UPC Finances and Administration

5.1 To hear an update from the Finance committee meeting held on 22.10.21 &

formally agree recommendations

5.1.1 Proposed precept for 22/23

Council unanimously agreed to apply for a precept of £24,326.

5.1.2 Proposed budget for 22/23

Council unanimously agreed the proposed budget.

5.1.3 Clerk’s salary review inc. other work considerations

Council unanimously agreed the proposed increase in the Clerk’s

Salary to SCP26 with effect from 1.11.21.

The Clerk also informed the Council that her annual leave increased

by 2 days wef 01.09.21 (5 years service).

5.1.4 Outgoing grants

UPC agreed to continue to support CAB & RBL.

5.1.5 Capital projects for 22/23

Council agreed that the major projects for next year were:-

1. Recreation ground fence
2. Play area fencing & ground works on new toddler play area

iii. Work to improve the pump track

5.1.6 Other financial considerations from the Finance Committee Meeting

5.1.6.1 Council were satisfied that all assets were accounted for & up

to date.

5.1.6.2 Council were generally satisfied with the extent of its Risk

Management policy, but asked the Clerk to check & issue to

the Council.

5.1.6.3 Council were satisfied with the extent of its Insurance

5.1.7 Ratify reviewed & updated Standing Orders

Council agreed to add a caveat to the meeting time of 2 hours. This to

read that subject to council’s agreement, an additional half hour will be

permitted in order to conclude the meeting’s business as necessary.

5.1.8 Ratify reviewed & updated Financial Regulations

Council unanimously agreed.

5.2 To hear an update on Lloyds Bank: –

As at 11.11.21 Treasurer’s Account £8257.22

As at 11.11.21 Business Bank Account £13073.33

5.3 Receipts

Bank interest October 11p, November 10p

5.4 To sign off bank reconciliation to date

Provided in advance of the meeting& duly signed at meeting.

5.5 To hear any other financial or administration updates

5.5.1 To agree a budget for a village Christmas event (BS)

Council agreed that due to the shortness of time & lack of response

from the community, this event would take place next year. Council also

agreed to contribute c£50 towards a Christmas tree on the

village church next year.

5.5.2 To agree that Upton village is included in the 20mph proposal for

Oxfordshire Communities

BH had spoken to SP re upgrading existing speed signs. SP

recommended  recording data via signs & this data will dictate the next

course of action. BH to investigate upgrading signs.

5.6 To agree the following payments & who to authorise

Clerk asked for the following additional payments to also be considered & Council

unanimously agreed:-

i. Mr R Lott – Mowing petrol expenses £90.64

ii. StowAg (Nature Garden) – purchase of fencing £295.20

iii. OALC – Experienced Clarks course £66

PM agreed to authorise.

 

Date	Payee	£
28.10.21, 28.11.21	Clerk’s salary SO [LGA1972 s112(2)]	Not publicly disclosed
11.11.21	Clerk’s expenses [LG(FPA)1963s5]	£39.40
Oct/Nov	HMRC PAYE SO (£83.40 October, £83.40 November (tbc))	£166.80
29.10.20, 29.11.21	Microsoft Office365 Oct/Nov DD @£3.80pm [LGA1972 s111]	£7.60
Oct 21	M Amos expenses for work on car park soakaway & removal of rubble [LGA1972 s137 ] (Paid 2.12.21 to be ratified).	£769.13
Oct 21	SLCC membership renewal wef 1.12.21 [LGA1972 s143] Note:- UPC portion £55.34. £110.66 to be reclaimed from BPC.	£166.00
Nov 21	UPC donation to Royal British Legion (paid to be ratified) [LGA1792 s137]	£170.00
	Payments sub total Plus additional items above & salary	£1770.77
17.11.21	Boston Bulbs order [LGA1972 s137]	£238.00
Nov 21	Nature Garden share of machinery hire (Note:- revised figure to include UVHAT share. Aw UVHAT refund of £251.56).	£503.12
	Nature Garden sub total	£741.12
	TOTAL	£2511.89 + Clerk’s salary

 

6. To hear an update on the recreation ground Play Areas

6.1 Toddler play area

6.1.1 To hear any update on the installation of a fence around the new play

area

BS reported the toddler play area was in good condition. The mound

had been seeded & was growing, & would remain off limits for the time

being.

6.1.2 To hear any other updates on the toddler play area

Council noted that the addition of a fence around this area may also

require funding to be raised.

6.2 Adventure play area

6.2.1 To hear any updates on the adventure play area

6.2.1.1 Funding of £5000 has been received from the OPCC

Community Fund which will go towards improving the goalposts

& pump track.

6.2.1.2 Minor repairs to wooden structures would continue to be

actioned by members of the Council.

 

6.3 Pump Track

Remedial work to the pump track scheduled for 22/23. See also 6.2.1

above.

 

7. To hear an update on the maintenance of the recreation ground

7.1 Mowing, Trees, hedges, other

Council acknowledged that the only maintenance work carried out by the

volunteer group was the mowing of the recreation ground. Tree work has

been carried out by a contractor & other work to keep the recreation ground

tidy by members of the Council. BS had obtained a quote for general

maintenance of c£5k for a year & Council unanimously agreed for BS to

formally present a proposal at the next meeting. BH offered to do a walkabout

with the contractor covering all aspects of work required & to establish

credentials.

7.2 To hear an update on the current volunteer / rota situation

7.2.1 It was reported to the Council that the motor mower was damaged & in

need of repair. BS to obtain a quote for repair of the mower from

Kalehurst. Council to consider costs before any work is carried out.

7.3 To hear any other recreation ground updates

7.3.1 New bins

Council unanimously agreed to purchase new bins. Clerk to confirm

requirements.

7.3.2 Additional benches

Council acknowledged this was in the budget for next year at c£250 for

wood-effect, recycled plastic benches for the recreation ground.

7.3.3 New noticeboard on side of bus shelter

A new noticeboard has been ordered.

7.3.4 Goal posts – nets & wheel replacements

Following receipt of funding, BS had sourced a quote for c£500. 3

councillors agreed to go ahead with the purchase, with one abstention.

7.3.5 Fence to northern boundary

Capital project for 2022/3 unanimously agreed by Council.

7.3.6 New signage update

BS has obtained a quote for new signage at the entrance to the

recreation ground. EC to check the sign details.

7.3.7 Bus shelter renovation update

A competition has been launched for village children to submit ideas for

repainting the inside of the bus shelter. As of the date of this meeting,

no entries had been received.

 

8. To hear any update on UPC IT (PM)

No update.

 

9. To hear an update on Speed Watch & 20s Plenty for Upton (BH)

9.1 Speed Watch

BH reported he had spoken to Blewbury Speed Watch following their

successful implementation. Following recruitment of volunteers & training, this

could be implemented on the A417 in Upton, but only when entering/exiting

Upton from the west. BH to write an article for the next Upton News on Speed

Watch for Upton.

9.2  20s Plenty

BH had actioned.

 

10. To agree the council content for the next online Upton News (NT)
11. Budget for play area fence

ii BH Speed Watch update

iii Bus shelter competition – get entries in

iv New noticeboard

 

11. To agree the date of the next meeting

Next full council meeting Tuesday 18^th January 2022, at 7.30pm.

Clerk’s note:- Due to increased Covid restrictions & following guidance from

NALC, how this meeting is held & where, will be decided nearer the time.

 

Council unanimously agreed to add item 12 to the agenda as this had arisen post issue of the agenda.

 

12. Letter received from UVHAT

A letter as received from the UVHAT Chairman, Rob Traynor, stating no confidence in the

UPC Chairman for reasons which were alluded to in the letter & also asking that Cllr Shaw not

join the UVHAT committee. This was discussed at a reconciliation meeting held on 6.12.21

with Mr Traynor, Mr Rippon (UVHAT) & Cllr Shaw & Cllr Thorp (UPC).

Cllrs Thorp & Shaw will provide a written response to the reconciliation meeting.

 

The Council unanimously agreed its full support of Cllr Shaw. Also that Cllrs Shaw &

Heneghan will attend the first available UVHAT meeting as previously requested.

 

UVHAT has moved its AGM from 6^th December to either January or March & the Council

awaits confirmation of the new date.

 

 

The meeting closed at 9.05pm.

 

 

Appendix A – List of Actions

No.	Actions from this meeting	By when
1.	Clerk to confirm Risk Management policy is up to date & issue to all.	January meeting
2.	Clerk to add meeting duration caveat to SOs	Actioned
3.	BH to investigate upgrading speed signs in village to record speed data.	January meeting
4.	BS to contact Kalehurst & obtain quote for mower repair.	January meeting
5.	BS to formally present details of grounds maintenance proposal.	January meeting
6.	Clerk to confirm new bin requirements & order.	January meeting
7.	Clerk to look at signage copy & report back to BS.	January meeting
8.	BH to write an article for the next Upton News on Speed Watch for Upton.	ASAP
No.	Actions from November meeting	By when
4.	BS to store blue benches & bin until re-sited	Actioned
7.	BS to 1. put together a welcome pack proposal & 2. look at ways of engaging volunteers	Actioned
8.	BS to look in to engaging other local chairs to meet informally	Actioned
12.	BS to consider plan for removal of weeds on pump track	cfwd
19.	Recreation ground northern boundary fence – BS to approach contractors	cfwd
22.	BS to confirm with KH actions re fence / hedge in cemetery extension	cfwd
23.	PM to report back to council on work allocation system trial	cfwd
26.	BS to contact potential proof reader for Upton News	Actioned
27.	PM & Clerk to discuss online meeting date updates	cfwd

Upton Parish Council

Minutes of the meeting of Upton Parish Council held at 7.00pm on Tuesday 16^st November 2021 in the village hall.

In attendance:- Cllrs B Shaw (Chairman/BS), P McLaughlin (PM), N Thorp (NT), B Heneghan (BH). E Cooper (Clerk/EC). Nature Garden Working Group representatives K Humphrey & K Fletcher. Three members of the public.

 

1. To note or receive apologies for absence

Cllr D Beckles in advance of the meeting. County Cllr S Povolotsky, District Cllrs S

Medley & H Gascoigne.

 

2. To note any declarations of interest in the items on the agenda

None declared.

 

3. To approve the minutes of the following meeting & note any matters arising: –

UPC 21.09.21

UPC Finance Committee 22.10.21

Approved by those present at the meetings as a true record.

 

4. To hear a report from the County Councillor (see Appendix B below)

 

5. To hear a report from the District Councillor (see Appendix C below)

 

6. To hear a report from the PCSO

Clerk’s note:- The PCSO was on sick leave.

 

7. To hear representations from the public

Members of the public were in attendance specifically for a planning matter.

 

8. To hear an update from the UVHAT representative

Not present. BS to speak to UVHAT representative.

 

9. To hear an update on the Upton Nature Garden Project

9.1 To ratify the Upton Nature Garden Terms of Reference

Taken as ratified as no further comments submitted.

9.2 Working Group report

9.2.1 KF submitted a report on 11.11.21.

Quotes for postcrete & Stowag approved.

A future plan will introduce regular maintenance.

Hedge work had proceeded well.

Perennials not used will be stored for future use.

9.2.2 KH said a trial run of timber supports on the cemetery field fence was working

well & one stretch of fence had been completed in preparation for hedge

planting. KH to report back as to any further work that may be required on the

fence.

9.3 Receipts to date £6137.91. Payments to date £2369.64. Plus payments to be made

since last meeting:-

• Boston Bulbs £238.00
• Didcot Plant (50% hire) £419.27
• Rubble removal £110.00

Total:- £767.27

Balance £3001.00

 

10. To hear an update from the PCC representative

Not present. BS to spk PCC representative re attending meetings.

 

11. To report on outstanding actions carried forward from previous meetings: –

Deferred to next meeting.

 

12. To ratify or agree the council’s response to the following planning applications: –

12.1 To agree:-

12.1.1 P21/V3107/FUL Land to the south of Main Street, West Hagbourne

New 4 bed house with parking.

Deadline 27.11.21

Council agreed to object on similar line to the previous application.

12.1.2 P21/V2077/HH Dulcina, Newmans Close, Upton

Partial demolition of existing dwelling. Erection of new front & rear

extensions. Conversion of existing loft space in to habitable accom.

Refurbishment & associated internal reconfiguration.

Deadline 27.11.21

Council agreed it could not object to this consultation, but would add a

narrative in support of the neighbouring parties.

 

12.2 To ratify:-

None outstanding.

 

12.3 To note planning permissions/withdrawals received since the last meeting:-

P21/V2488/HH Owlscote Barn, High Street, Upton

Planning permission 25.10.21.

 

Clerk’s note:- Council agreed to bring forward the next item:-

 

15. To hear an update cemetery extension field (Clerk)

The Clerk explained that following information gained on the existing Upton church

cemetery, the extension field would not need to be in use for a minimum of 5 years, but

probably longer. In discussion with the Chairman, it was felt that the fence repairs &

hedge planting around the field should be actioned as soon as practicable. Also that the

ground would be prepared to make it suitable for burials levelled, grass seed,

maintained), although no timing has been put on this action. The Council agreed in

principle to these actions.

The Clerk also explained that prior to the field coming in to use, the Council would

become a Burial Authority, administering all aspects of managing burial requests.

The Nature Garden team would continue with the hedge planting as discussed.

The Council wished to extend it’s thanks to Mr D Bartlett for his work on repairing the

fence around this field.

The Council is to arrange either repairs to, or replacement of, the gates.

 

 

The meeting was brought to a close at this point. Clerk was asked to set up a further meeting as soon as possible in order to complete the rest of the agenda.

 

The meeting finished at 9pm.

 

Date & venue of next meeting TBA (December 2021).

Date of the first full council meeting in 2022 – Tuesday 18^th January 2022, at 7.30pm, in the main hall.

 

 

Appendix A – List of Actions

No.		Actions from this meeting	By when
1.		BS to speak to UVHAT representative re attending PC meetings.	ASAP
2.		Clerk to spk D Bartlett re cemetery field gates.	Actioned
3.		Clerk to set up extraordinary meeting to cover remaining agenda items.	Actioned
No.		Actions from this meeting	By when
1.		Clerk to email PCSO re November meeting	Actioned
2.		Clerk to email R Traynor / J Reid re UVHAT / UPC meetings	Actioned BS
4.		BS to store blue benches & bin until re-sited	Actioned
7.		BS to 1. put together a welcome pack proposal & 2. look at ways of engaging volunteers.	Ongoing
8.		BS to look in to engaging other local chairs to meet informally	Actioned
9.		BS to arrange top soil & grass seed for play area mound	Actioned
10.		ALL to consider fencing or other options for play areas	C’fwd
11.		BS to organise volunteer turning over bark in play area	C’fwd
12.		BS to consider plan for removal of weeds on pump track	Actioned
16.		PM & Clerk to discuss findings on bus shelter noticeboard	Clerk to order
19.		Recreation ground northern boundary fence – BS to approach contractors	Actioned
20.		DB / BS to investigate new signage across the recreation ground	Actioned
21.		DB to contact the head of the Brownie group re bus shelter redecoration. Brownie group not interested.	Actioned
22.		BS to confirm with KH actions re fence / hedge in cemetery extension	Actioned
23.		PM to report back to council on work allocation system trial. PM to report via email to council.	Ongoing
26.		BS to contact potential proof reader for Upton News	Actioned
27.		PM & Clerk to discuss online meeting date updates	Ongoing
No.	Actions from previous meetings		By when
7.	KH to report back to council on recommendations for the two benches in situ in the nature garden area.		Actioned
8.	KH to provide formal proposal & timescales for fence development around the new cemetery area.		Actioned
6.	BS to issue rota forms. Deferred to Clerk to issue.		Ongoing

 

Appendix B – County Councillor Report November

Cllr Upcoming meetings:

2nd Nov – Full Council @ County Hall

2nd Nov – Steventon Parish Council

3rd Nov – Meeting officer around the Milton Heights Permit (ongoing issue)

4th Nov – Place Scrutiny Working Plan Group

4th Nov – East Hendred Parish Council

9th Nov – ANOB Meeting (virtual)

9th Nov – Harwell Parish Council

10th Nov – Cabinet Debrief – Culture

10th Nov – Chilton Parish Council

10th Nov – Blewbury Parish Council

10th Nov – Ardington and Lockinge Parish Council

11th Nov – West Hendred Parish Council

11th Nov – Cabinet debrief Health

19th Nov – Budget Prep

24th Nov – Place Committee

25th Nov – Upton Parish Council Meeting

26th Nov – Rowstock Relief Debrief – CC and Officers

If there are meetings you would like to invite me to please get in touch:

sally.povolotsky@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Upcoming publications:

If you have a village publication – please put me in touch so I can connect and it would be great to have the standard ‘text’ in each one as per the following;

Find Latest News and Information online here – https://hendredsandharwell.mycouncillor.org.uk

Find Daily updates / news and events on Facebook here – @sally4hendredsandharwell

Share your community news on our new GROUP on Facebook – SEARCH – Hendreds & Harwell Community Official – where we can share events / news and ideas together

You can whats app / call me on – 07939 912997

You can email me on – sally.povolotsky@oxfordshire.gov.uk

OCC news:

New 20mph policy approved: OCC has finally launched its much-anticipated new 20mph policy.

The policy has been widely welcomed by campaign groups, parishes, and residents. A website has been launched with more information on how the policy will work.

Bid for government funding for buses:

The county will bring forward an ambitious new plan to improve buses in Oxfordshire. The plan includes proposals for South and Vale, funding for these services will be dependent on the bid for£56 million from the government being successful.

New Local and Transport Connectivity Plan:

A new plan was approved at cabinet to promote cycling, walking and low-carbon transport in the county. It sets a goal of replacing one in every three car trips by 2040. Nestled within the plan is anew freight strategy that includes proposals for reducing inappropriate movements of HGVs through villages. The next step for the plan is to hold a public consultation, with final adoption scheduled for spring 2022.

Rough sleeping plan:

A new homelessness prevention strategy was approved by Cabinet. The strategy involves rapid response when someone becomes at risk, and a focus on individual needs and circumstances to provide greater levels of support. I also would like to thank those of you who sponsored my ‘Big Sleep’ at the Tower of London, we raised £760 for homeless veterans.

Warning on social care funding:

Cllr Calum Miller, cabinet member for finance has issued a warning that unless the chancellor provides more money for adult social care and special educational needs councils will have no choice but to raise council tax so that we can continue to provide the care needed for vulnerable residents. Rather than ‘solving’ the crisis in care, the national insurance hike announced by the government will increase costs for local authorities.

Civil parking enforcement: OCC enforcement of on-street parking offences comes into play this month, from 1st November (today) – do let me know if you need any assistance, several emails and documents have been sent.

Full Council 2nd Nov:

I have successfully managed to get my first motion tabled for Full Council around COP26 as follows;

https://mycouncil.oxfordshire.gov.uk/documents/g6492/

Public%20reports%20pack%20Tuesday%2002-Nov-2021%2011.00%20County%20-

Council.pdf?T=10

“In 2018, at COP24, the UK Government signed up to ‘domestic institutional arrangements, public participation and engagement with local communities’ so localities can play their part in delivering the UK’s ‘Nationally Determined Contributions’ in the Paris Agreement.

In May 2021 the Rt. Hon. Alok Sharma MP, President of COP26, said collaboration would be a key objective of the COP26 climate summit; “Governments, business and civil society (sometimes called ‘non- state actors’ and including local government) need to work together to transform the ways we power our homes and businesses, grow our food, develop infrastructure and move ourselves and goods around.”

Despite these agreements and statements there is still no formal relationship for partnership working between Local and National Government on climate action.

This Council:-

(a) notes that Cabinet has already adopted the recommendations of the ‘Pathways to Zero Carbon Oxfordshire’ report(1), the most detailed plan ever made for the decarbonisation of Oxfordshire’s economy;

(b) adds its voice to calls by the Local Government Association and others for a joint local and national government Task Force to work towards ‘net zero’ emissions, able to set appropriate regulations, benchmarks and targets and create long-term funding mechanisms to support local communities and economies to decarbonise; and

(c) asks the Leader to write to Alok Sharma MP, President for COP26, the Prime Minister, and the

Leadership Board of the LGA, informing them of our support for such a Task Force and asking for one to be established as soon as possible.”

(1.) https://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/news/2021/0629-pathways-to-zero-carbon- oxfordshire.html

Lets hope we have enough time to get onto it!

Parish round up

Meanwhile the reservoir issue is upon us again, and stronger than ever! There are various consultations out and please please do reach out to GARD for any help, advice and documents / evidence

– email Derek Stork on – Gard.chair@gmail.com

I welcome a 1:1 with any Parish Chairs, to really get a grip on local issues, and where these have happened (Steventon, Harwell) we have got allot done / going in a short period of time. Please do reach out. Clerks I am happy to get these booked in, so far these have only been with Harwell and Steventon Chairs, and its really helped move casework forwards and get results! Working together we can achieve our goals.

You, and your residents can report any pathway, overgrown verges, pot holes or signage issues

to FIX MY STREET – https://www.fixmystreet.com

As a reminder I now sit on the following committees / councillor responsibilities / champion….

1. Verges and BioDiversity Group (Lead)
2. Armed Forces Champion – Locality – Shrivenham Defence Academy
3. OCC Adoption Panel Member / Representative
4. AONB OCC Member / Representative
5. New PLACES Scrutiny committee member (this has now commenced)
6. Environment Spokesperson for Alliance – assisting Cabinet Member for Climate on Verges and Biodiversity Projects
7. Currently ‘Acting’ Group Chair (Chair is on Holiday), but also now the Group WHIP and Deputy Chair.

 

CLERKS – can I please ask you send me ONLINE meeting invites for the Parish Council meetings, as then I can manage these in my diary, as leading up-to Christmas its getting rather busy.

General Issues

Councillor Surgeries – dates to be released on Facebook and sent to Parishes accordingly. These will be via zoom for the foreseeable and individual groups / residents face to face accordingly as needed.

Parish Updates

Rowstock Relief Project

Please note these meetings are now every 2 weeks with officers, and the SID data being collated is hugely helpful. We are no further forwards at present, however I am pushing for the following

1. 40mph buffer from before Rowstock Manor down to current 30mph
2. Safe Crossing for Active Travel – Harwell Campus Side
3. Safe Crossing for Bus Stop and a need for a covered bus stop on the Garage side.
4. Connecting the Golden Mile on Active Travel with a Bonded Surface
5. Connecting Rowstock on Safe Active Travel to Harwell Campus, Harwell Village and

 

East Hendred

Packhorse ‘Road Works’

FYI not a week has gone by since August when I haven’t spoken to Highways about these non existent works – have an officer meeting on Thursday at 10am to show the lack of any works and to try and get permit cancelled!

Esso Development Site

I know this is causing allot of angst, at time of writing the VOWH Planning committee agenda is not out as yet, but keep your eyes open!10.11. Please do remember you can send in statements and request to speak (time limit on latter) – and please liaise with your District Councillor accordingly.

East Hendred – 2 Current Cases.

1:1. Recent call with Chair, and discussed Thames Water works (pending meeting), White Road Parking and Safety as well as Mill Lane Surface and Safety.

Adopting Verges Biodiversity net gain trial on A417 (between East and West Hendred) with HEG, OCC and local residents – more details in January 2022

Harwell – 4 Current Cases.

Chasing Reading Road / Also asked for investigation into the S106 Crossing Funds for Route 1 / Reading Road (near Winnaway).

Looking into S106 funding around GWP on the traffic calming for High St, Burr Street, Blenheim Hill. Have questioned trigger points and actions / plans. Sent to contracts team for clarification.

Grove Road Consultation open

Steventon – 5 Current Cases.

Received several contacts through social media, issues around Anti-Social Behaviour, Parking and Illegal Parking, Drugs Offences, Driving and Speeding. Signposted residents to Police, Parish Council and District Councillor where appropriate.

Talking to residents about Air Quality Survey starting after bridge survey

Bridge Survey Part 1 has commenced, managed to change access to allow pedestrians and cyclists GARD and the Motion to FC – this is on as an emergency item and will be read at the start of the FC as follows;

Motion by Councillor Richard Webber

“On 10 July 2018, Council passed a motion unanimously calling on the Leader of the Council to write to Thames Water, Defra, the Environment Agency and Ofwat, requesting that a second consultation on the proposed Oxfordshire Reservoir be undertaken due to incomplete information or errors on the information used to base their recommendations.”

As information in the latest consultation remains incomplete, and what has been provided to support the proposal contains many errors, Council now confirms its position on the TW proposed Reservoir agreed at the Council meeting on the 10 July2018 in that it remains opposed to the proposal, at least until the case for need has been clearly demonstrated by taking into account and answering the concerns of the whole scientific community.

To this end, Council will be including and taking full account of discussions with and opinions of all sources of independent scientific expertise including the Group Against Reservoir Development (GARD) when considering its response to Thames Water proposals.”

Upton – No New Casework, wrote letter supporting 20mph for the area for new OCC speeding regulations.

Chilton – No New Casework – Chasing buses and reinstatement, no further news on Chilton Fields adoption (still with Land Registry)

Blewbury – No New Casework – Continued discussions over cycle path needs!

West Hendred – No New Casework

Ardington and Lockinge – No New Casework, chasing the school crossing signs, delays due to lack of materials for poles.

 

Appendix C – DC Report

Monday 8th November 2021 – Monthly Parish Update

Vale of White Horse District Councillors – Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne and Cllr Sarah Medley

Hello from Hayleigh & Sarah

Hello! It’s that time of year again – colder nights and shorter days, complete with all the coughs and colds this time of year brings. If anyone is in need of support over the winter months, financial or otherwise, remember that the councils’ community support hub is still available as a first point of contact for getting the help you need. COVID-19 is still very much with us, and councils are encouraging residents to continue to follow the guidelines of handwashing, mask-wearing and social distancing.

On the subject of health, we are grateful that the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning group agreed to join a recent meeting of the Great Western Park Residents’ Association, in order to provide an update on the long-awaited healthcare facility on the GWP site. More on this in our report – needless to say, it is good to see the CCG are now in a position to be providing public updates on this much-needed facility.

In council news, we’re pleased that ahead of COP26, Cllr Emily Smith – leader of the Vale – has joined UK100: a national network giving council leaders greater influence and resources in tackling the climate emergency. This follows a motion passed at our last Full Council meeting in October, seconded by Hayleigh. The Vale also now has a new deputy leader, Cllr Bethia Thomas. Bethia was also a newly-elected councillor back in 2019, same as us, so it’s great to see her now in this leadership role. We look forward to working with Bethia, and we would like to thank Cllr Debby Hallett, the previous deputy leader, for all her guidance and hard work.

The Christmas season is nearly here, and there are lots of craft and gift fairs taking place in the local villages. It’s great to see these events happening again after a difficult winter last year in lockdown. Times are still very tough for local businesses, so we encourage residents to shop local and shop small this Christmas. There are plenty of wonderful independent retailers based in Didcot, Wantage and the surrounding villages – perfect for locally sourced, sustainable gift ideas.

We will use these monthly updates to keep you updated on our activities, general council news and any COVID-19 developments,. We also post regularly on our councillor Facebook Page: Cllrs Hayleigh Gascoigne & Sarah Medley – please do not hesitate to get in touch with any issues or concerns, either via Facebook message or email: hayleigh.gascoigne@whitehorsedc.gov.uk and sarah.medley@whitehorsedc.gov.uk.

COVID-19 Community Support

A reminder to all residents that the councils’ Community Support Hub continues to operate for anyone who needs any assistance, either as a result of COVID-19 or just for anyone who needs signposting towards the appropriate support channel. There are multiple ways to get in touch with the Community Support Hub:

• Call: 01235 422 600 Monday to Thursday 8.30-5pm and Fridays 8.30-4.30pm
• Email: communitysupport@southandvale.gov.uk
• Online Form: whitehorsedc.gov.uk/communityhub
• Website whitehorsedc.gov.uk/covid19

Residents can also contact:

• Citizens Advice – 0808 278 7907
• Vale Community Impact – 01235 765348

Remember that the latest figures are updated on the county council’s interactive dashboard on a daily basis. Given the recent colder weather and rising case rates, we encourage residents to get tested regularly and, if they feel unwell, book a PCR test, as Covid-19 is still very much around.

Local News

Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group update on GWP Healthcare Centre

Summary by Cllr Sarah Medley:

On Monday 8^th November, representatives from the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) kindly agreed to our invitation to speak at the Great Western Park Residents’ Association (GWPRA) public meeting, to update residents on the progress of the new healthcare facility planned for Great Western Park.

Julie Dandridge, CCG Deputy Director of Primary Care, and Jo Cogswell, CCG Director of Transformation, attended the meeting and explained that the process for setting up new GP facilities is complex; it is not something which happens automatically when new developments are built. The CCG requires GPs, which are independent businesses, to commit to the provision of services for a new development. This is either done through working together with existing GP practices, or seeking a completely new provider.

In the case of the long-awaited GP surgery on Great Western Park, the CCG have been working together with the Didcot medical practices. The main issue is the need for a suitable building – various options have been considered over the past few years, to determine the best fit for GWP. The good news is that the CCG have now identified a suitable developer with experience of building medical facilities. The next stage of the process is for an appointed District Valuer to determine whether the proposed facility is value for money for the CCG, and the next stage after that is to apply for planning permission.

It appears that there is still some way to go in the process, however the CCG are pleased to be able to report back to the public that significant progress is now being made. They are not yet able to state a timescale for when the new GP facility on GWP will be open for patients, however they are very aware of the urgent need to alleviate the pressure on GP services in the Didcot area – an issue raised by many at the meeting. We questioned whether a temporary or pop-up surgery could be established on GWP in the meantime, for example in one of the community centres or similar, and the CCG representatives agreed to investigate this option. This is promising – and something that we will be chasing up.

Hayleigh and I would like to thank Julie and Jo from the CCG for providing this useful update. Thank you to the many local residents who attended and asked very pertinent questions about the funding, timescales and service provision. The CCG have kindly agreed to provide further updates for the public as the project progresses, and we will ensure that these are shared with residents through our newsletters and social media.

Council News

Garden Waste: Normal Service Resumed

We’re pleased to announce that our garden waste service has now returned to its normal fortnightly collections. That means your next garden waste collection will take place on your usual collection day as scheduled in our normal annual waste collections calendar. Every time it’s recycling week you’ll be able to put your brown bin out when you put your green wheelie bin as normal.

We’d like to apologise once again for the disruption to the service and to thank you for your patience and understanding. We have extended your subscription by three months to make up for the disruption.

Garden waste is an optional paid-for garden waste service. For £51.50 per year customers get their garden waste such as hedge clippings, grass cuttings, dead leaves etc collected regularly from their home using one of our brown wheeled bins. Garden waste is collected on the same day as your recycling. To check when this is please see waste calendar.  If your bin was not emptied – please click here to report a missed bin collection.

Councils urge global leaders to agree urgent climate action at COP26

Find out what this hugely important climate conference means for you.

Vale’s Emily Smith joins other local leaders in putting net zero ambitions ahead of government targets

Just over a week before the United Nations Climate Change conference COP26, Cllr Emily Smith, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, has joined dozens of other local authority leaders from across the UK in signing up to UK100’s ‘Net Zero Pledge’, reaffirming the Vale’s commitment to meeting Net Zero carbon emissions.

Good causes in the Vale benefit from White Horse Community Lottery

Since its first draw in September the White Horse Community Lottery has already started to raise money for good causes across the Vale, enabling them to continue and expand their work with vulnerable residents and communities in the district.

Businesses based in Southern Oxfordshire given support to widen their network

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are supporting local businesses by offering a discount to join a new online networking group.

New Vale of White Horse District Council Deputy Leader announced

Councillor Bethia Thomas has been announced as the new Deputy Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council.

New council building concept design gets the go ahead

The concept design for the new district council building at Didcot Gateway has been approved, and the detailed design process is now getting underway. The project and building are owned by South Oxfordshire District Council, although the facilities are planned to be shared with the Vale – as was the arrangement at Crowmarsh, the previous council building.

You could win a Nando’s or Costa voucher as new campaign highlights that laughing gas is #NoLaughingMatter

A new campaign has started across South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse to highlight the issues and dangers of Nitrous Oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas. The campaign will see #NoLaughingMatter stencils painted across the districts and there is a short online quiz, with a £25 Nando’s or Costa voucher.

Consultations

Views sought on future development at airfield at Dalton Barracks, Abingdon

We’re asking your views on how future development at the airfield at Dalton Barracks near Abingdon should look and feel, and how it should contribute to the area.

Minutes of a meeting of Upton Parish Council held at 7.30pm on Tuesday 21^st September 2021 in the village hall.Continue Reading Minutes of the Upton Parish Council Meeting held on 21st September 2021

Upton Parish Council

Minutes of the meeting of Upton Parish Council held at 7.30pm on Thursday 15^th July 2021 in the village hall.

Continue Reading Upton Parish Council Minutes July 2021