South Oxfordshire
Held at 7.00pm on Thursday 15th April 2021 via an e-conference system.
In attendance:- Cllrs B Shaw (Chairman/BS), P McLaughlin (PM), Neil Thorp (NT). E Cooper (Clerk/EC).
Cllr D Beckles in advance of the meeting. Cllr B Heneghan was not present.
None.
Council agreed that the situation in relation to holding meetings virtually & in person had been made clear by the Clerk regarding holding the annual meeting in May. It is not feasible to bring the meeting forward to before 6th May. Council unanimously agreed that in the interests of the health & safety of its members & employee, it was too soon to meet face to face & the May meeting would be held virtually. This decision included comments made to the same effect by email from both absent councillors.
The situation will be reviewed prior to the meeting in July.
Clerk confirmed that the meeting room in the village hall was booked for council meetings from July. The chairman asked that these meetings be held in the main hall if it was not already booked. Clerk to confirm.
The meeting ended a 7.14pm.
Date of next full council meeting:-
Thursday 20th May at 7.30pm. To be held via an e-conference system.
In attendance: – Cllr Ben Shaw (Chair/BS), Miss E Cooper (Clerk/EC), Cllrs David Beckles (DB), Neil Thorp (NT) & Brendan Heneghan (BH). County Cllr Mike Fox-Davies, District Cllr Sarah Medley. Four members of the public.
Cllr Peter McLaughlin
None
UPC 14.01.21
Council agreed to the following amendment for item 13.3 Pump Track, to remove the word
‘move’ from line one.
UPCX 11.02.21
UPCX 18.02.21
Kieron Humphreys attended the meeting to present his Upton Nature Garden proposal. He
explained the creeping removal of wildlife habitats & losing biodiversity, & the government’s
strategy for biodiversity across England (Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and
ecosystem services). BS explained that the council had not had sufficient time as yet to
consider the proposal, but would do so prior to the next meeting in May.
Village wide support remained ongoing with regular updates on the Upton WhatsApp.
meetings: –
| No. | Actions from this meeting | When by |
| 1. | PC to meet to discuss Upton Nature Project. | ASAP |
| 2. | Clerk to action £75 donation to CAB. | Actioned 23.3.21 |
| 3. | Clerk to start Lloyds debit card application process again. | ASAP |
| 4. | Clerk to create indemnity form. | ASAP |
| 5. | Clerk to gather annual reports for publication. | ASAP |
| No. | Actions from previous meetings | When by |
| 1. | PMcL to complete procedural documents for web site | Ongoing |
| 4. | Council to agree donation to CAB
See agreement under Finance & Administration. |
Cleared |
10.1 To agree:-
10.1.1 P20/V2094/FUL3 Amend 2, 3 Fieldside, Upton
Proposed extensions to side & rear & subdivision of plot to create new
one-bedroom dwelling.
Deadline 17.03.21
UPC majority agreed to object (1 abstention).
10.1.2 P20/V3104/HH Amend 1, Conifers, Stream Road, Upton
Single storey front extension & raising roof to provide additional room in loft +
internal alterations.
Deadline 8.4.21
UPC unanimously agreed no objections.
.
10.2 To ratify:-
10.2.1 P21/V0228/HH Thistledome, Stream Rd, Upton
Erection of single storey & two storey side extension & single storey rear
extension. New porch to principal elevation & widening of existing driveway.
Associated internal reconfigurations.
UPC no objections 4.3.21
10.2.2 P20/V2773/LB Amendment no 1 Owlscote Barn, High Street, Upton
Regularisation of unauthorised work to LB.
UPC no objections + narrative 24.2.21
10.2.3 P21/V0231/HH
Park View, Station Road, Upton
Single storey extension at rear, demolish existing conservatory & alterations to
enlarge kitchen.
UPC no objections
10.3 Note Planning Permissions granted: –
P20/V3064/HH Pottengers, Chilton Road, Upton
11.1 UPC agreed to a payment of £1450 +VAT for the decommissioning of the old toddler
play area. This is being carried out at the same time as the installation of the new toddler
play area.
11.2 Agree the appointment of Mrs R Caffyn as internal auditor for the year
2020/21.
UPC unanimously agreed.
11.3 Agree the following payments & who to authorise: –
PM agreed to authorise.
| Date | Payee | £ |
| 28.02.21,
28.03.21 |
Clerk’s salary SO
Inc additional hours (8) as agreed [LGA1972 s112(2)] |
Not publicly disclosed |
| 09.03.21 | Clerk’s expenses [LG(FPA)1963s5] | £11.34 |
| Feb, Mar | HMRC PAYE SO (£46 – Feb, £46.00 Mar £46.00) | £92.00 |
| 29.02.20, 29.03.21 | Microsoft Office365 Feb&Mar DD @£3.80pm
[LGA1972 s111] |
£7.60 |
| 19.03.21 | OALC Annual Subscription [LGA1972 s143] | £146.16 |
| 23.02.21 | Giffords Recycling Cushionfall bark (adventure play area – paid to be ratified) [PHAAA 1907 s76(1)] | £1908.00 |
| 09.03.21 | KOMPAN – new toddler play area equipment (paid to be ratified)
[PHAAA 1907 s76(1)] |
£9130.48 |
| 18.03.21 | Krystal Hosting [LGA 1972 s111]
Council agreed to add payment. |
£9.59 |
| TOTAL | £11295.58
+ Clerk’s salary above |
11.4 Receipts
Bank interest Feb 10p, March 10p
SSE wayleave annual payment £2.00
11.5 Sign off bank reconciliation to date
Provided in advance of the meeting. To be physically signed at a later date
11.6 Any other financial or administration updates
11.6.1 Council reiterated agreement of CAB donation of £75 from January meeting, to be
donated this financial year.
11.6.2 Clerk informed council that the Lloyds Bank application for debit cards had not
been received by Lloyds Bank & would be starting the process again.
11.6.3 Oxfordshire Protocol document
Council agreed that there would be no significant actions on the PC.
12.1 Toddler play area
Work on the installation of the new toddler play area was underway. Decommissioning
of the old toddler play area is taking place at the same time.
12.2 Adventure play area
Thanks to much appreciated help from villagers, the surface of the adventure play area
was turned over prior to the delivery of new bark chippings on 17.3.21. Distribution of
the chippings was scheduled for 20.3.21.
12.3 Pump Track
The funding for the refurbishment of the pump track is being looked into, particularly with
a view to extending the longevity of this area.
13.1 Current maintenance of grounds
Following the delivery of bark chippings to the adventure play area, some damage was
caused to the ground by the lorry. Consideration is being given to the restoration of the
damage.
13.2 Current volunteer situation
With no current volunteer rota, it was reported to council that Bob Lott has agreed to
take this on. Clerk to create an appropriate indemnity form for all volunteers.
13.3 Replacement fence
Currently on hold due to other considerations.
No update this month.
No update in the absence of PM.
To include play area information new/old/adventure.
Council agreed that having viewed the position of the tree, it presented no immediate problem
& would not do for some years to come. Therefore no action would be taken.
18.1 To agree that there will be no Annual Parish Meeting this year
Council unanimously agreed. Clerk to gather reports for publishing.
18.2 Next full council meeting Thursday 20th May 2021 at 7.30pm
Via an e-conference system or face to face TBC
The meeting finished at 8.45pm.
APPENDIX A
REPORT UPTON PARISH COUNCIL MARCH 2021
FROM CLLR MIKE FOX-DAVIES
Oxfordshire update
In the seven days up to 5 March, there has been a total of 220 confirmed new COVID-19 cases in Oxfordshire. This is a decrease from 405 new cases in the previous week. This is equivalent to a weekly rate of 31.8 per 100,000 residents and a reduction of 46 per cent over the last seven days.
The figures are summarised in the table below. This includes the number of new cases for this week compared to the previous week (up to 26 February) across the county and its five districts.
Cases of COVID-19 by district
| Cases in 7 days up to
26/02 |
Rate per 100,000 population | Cases in 7 days up to
05/03 |
Rate per 100,000 population | |
| Cherwell | 108 | 71.8 | 56 | 37.2 |
| Oxford | 125 | 82.0 | 46 | 30.2 |
| South Oxfordshire | 65 | 45.8 | 41 | 28.9 |
| Vale of White Horse | 79 | 58.1 | 48 | 35.3 |
| West Oxfordshire | 28 | 25.3 | 29 | 26.2 |
| Oxfordshire | 405 | 58.6 | 220 | 31.8 |
Data correct as at 5pm on 9 March.
COVID-19 dashboard
There is a COVID-19 dashboard on our website where you can access daily COVID-19 statistics.
Schools Return
Last week saw schools welcome back all pupils. We are not yet able to see how this first step in the easing of lockdown affects our COVID-19 cases, but the good news is that new cases are down across the county. All districts now have rates below 50 per 100,000, which puts us in a much better position than previous weeks for this return to school. We have also seen a continued decline in new cases in the over 60s, which is resulting in far fewer hospital admissions.
Home testing kits to support the return to school
The government has announced that all households with primary and secondary school and college-aged children and young people, including childcare and support bubbles, will be encouraged to start regular twice-weekly rapid lateral flow testing as schools return from 8 March.
Tests are available for adults in these households to order online, which can be delivered to their home or collected at a local symptomatic PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test site. These PCR sites are where people go to get tested when they have symptoms of COVID-19 and because of that, collection of these home test kits is set for 1pm – 7pm when testing of symptomatic people will not be taking place.
The PCR local testing sites (LTS) and regional testing site (RTS) offering the collection of home testing kits (referred to as LTS-collect and RTS-collect) in Oxfordshire are:
Regional testing site (drive-through)
Local testing sites (walk-through)
Parents do not need to make an appointment, but they can check online if the location is open or busy before they go. A reminder collection is 1pm – 7pm.
In Oxfordshire, home tests kits cannot currently be collected from the county council’s symptom-free testing sites, which are Spiceball Leisure Centre (Banbury), The Beacon (Wantage), The King’s Centre (Oxford). We will keep you posted if this changes.
Symptom-free testing for key workers
Testing plays a key role in helping stop the spread of the virus and our symptom-free testing programme includes everyone across the council and also open to public-facing workers across the county who need to leave home to work or volunteer. As before, this also includes childminders.
Testing for people who have COVID-19 symptoms
Across Oxfordshire, we have a range of testing sites for people who have COVID-19 symptoms, including drive-through and walk-in sites. We also have a number of mobile testing units operating in the county and the latest dates and locations for these are below. Booking is required for all testing sites.
Mobile testing units including
Dalton Barracks, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 6JB
Large majority of Oxfordshire parents and children offered first school choice
Parents and children across the county have been offered their first choice of secondary school for 2021/22 in the vast majority of cases. A total of 89.99 per cent (6,371) of applications have been awarded their first choice, and our school admissions team has done an excellent job in achieving this. You can read more about this in our news story on our website.
Target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions exceeded
Oxfordshire’s aim of becoming a zero-carbon county by 2050 has received a boost with news that our target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions was exceeded last year. We cut our corporate carbon emissions by eight per cent from April 2019 to March 2020, beating our target of six per cent. The replacement of boilers and streetlighting with more energy-efficient models, the installation of solar panels and the purchase of more electric vehicles were all factors in the reduction and more savings are soon on the way with the rollout of LED street lighting. The full story is published in the news section of our website.
Topping the table for recycling and composting
Residents in Oxfordshire have helped the county top the table nationally when it comes to recycling and composting for the seventh year in a row. I am delighted to say that Oxfordshire County Council has once again been named the best performing county council waste disposal authority in England, according to new government figures released on 3 March 2021. For more information and the statistics, read the news story on our website.
Consultation launched on Oxfordshire’s draft transport blueprint
Residents and organisations across the county are being offered the chance to help shape the transformation of transport and digital connectivity across Oxfordshire in a consultation on a draft blueprint for the future, which runs until 29 March. The new local transport and connectivity plan (LTCP) sets out a vision for Oxfordshire that will contribute to developing a zero-carbon economy for the county and transform the health and wellbeing of residents. Residents can have their say by visiting the county council’s consultation site. To find out more, see the news story on our website.
Government commits to supercharge the Oxford-Cambridge Arc
The government has this week announced an ambitious plan to transform the Oxford-Cambridge Arc into the UK’s fastest-growing economic region. The Arc is a globally significant area between Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge, made up of the five counties of Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. It supports over two million jobs, adds over £110 billion to the economy every year, and houses one of the fastest-growing economies in England.
The aim is build a better economic, social and environmental future for the area, with high-quality, well-connected and sustainable communities. With the right interventions and investment, analysis suggests that by 2050 economic output could double to over £200bn.
To achieve this ambition, the government will work with local partners to:
You can read the announcement on gov.uk.
Census update
Census day is 21 March. Currently our communications focus on reminding residents of the date, to watch out for their census letter in early March and the benefits of completing the census. If you have any questions contact Lisa Stead at lisa.stead58@field.Census.gov.uk or on 07452 942723 (Cherwell, West Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse) and Sinead Leach at sinead.leach49@field.Census.gov.uk or on 07452 948074 (South Oxfordshire and Oxford City).
APPENDIX B
Upton Parish Council, Thursday 18th March 2021
Report from District Councillors Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne and Cllr Sarah Medley
Coronavirus Update and Community Support
Community Support Hub
The Community Hub continues to be available to help people access support and essentials during the lockdown if they have nobody else to turn to and can be contacted on the usual details below. The councils’ Housing Needs team are available to help people who are at risk of being made homeless or who are sleeping rough – for more details visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/housing. Support is also available to residents who are experiencing financial difficulties – to find out more please visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/benefits. If you are having difficulty paying your council tax please visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/counciltax or call 0345 302 2315.
To contact the Community Support Team: call: 01235 422 600 Monday to Thursday 8.30-5pm and Fridays 8.30-4.30pm email: communitysupport@southandvale.gov.uk
fill in an online form at: www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/communityhub
Remember, for the most up-to-date coronavirus information relating to district council support and any changes to services, please take a look at the dedicated Vale webpage for updates: www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/covid19
COVID-19 rates across Oxfordshire
The number of positive cases in Oxfordshire overall is still falling but more slowly than it has been recently, with a five per cent reduction in cases over the last week. The “R” rate in Oxfordshire is currently between 0.6 and 0.8. We’ve seen a very slight increase in weekly infection rate in the Vale, which is 61 cases per 100,000 – up from 59.6 last week. The rate in South Oxfordshire has gone down again this week and is currently at 54.2 cases per 100,000.
Vaccinations
The latest figures are updated on the county council’s interactive dashboard on a daily basis. It’s important we continue to stay vigilant and stick to the rules to protect ourselves and others. The ‘hands, face, space’ rules remain important to follow even for those who have been vaccinated. We are continuing to promote the help and support available for those who have to self-isolate or who are facing financial difficulties due to COVID.
The Beacon now an asymptomatic test centre
From 23rd February, The Beacon in Wantage became a COVID-19 testing site for public-facing workers and volunteers who are not displaying symptoms. The capacity for regular testing for public-facing workers is good, with testing now expanded to include everyone who needs to leave home to work or volunteer and cannot access workplace testing from their employer. This includes taxi drivers, independent retailers, and tradespeople such as plumbers and electricians.
People in these roles who cannot work from home and do not have access to workplace testing can book a free test at the centre via the county council’s online booking system. Tests take only 15 minutes with results available within an hour. South and Vale district councils have worked closely with partners across Oxfordshire to help set up this rapid symptom-free testing site to help stop the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and vital social care services, and ultimately to save lives. Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 have no symptoms but can still pass it on and so regular testing of public-facing workers will help to stop the spread of the virus.
Garden waste collections have resumed We have good news for garden waste customers – collections resumed from 15th Feb. Please share this news far and wide and with any friends and family in the district. The service will happily collect any real Christmas trees from garden waste customers if they still have them. We’re just asking them where possible to cut the tree up and pop it inside the bin. Otherwise it can be put out for collection next to the brown bin. There are more details on the service resuming on our garden waste webpage . We had to delay the restart of the service as many of our bin crews were off sick or were having to self-isolate due to COVID-19. While we are pleased to say that we now have enough crew members to complete the rounds we are still working on tight staffing levels and cannot rule out more disruption if those levels dip suddenly as they did before.
Business support during the pandemic
The government has confirmed details of the next payment period for the Local restrictions support grant (closed) addendum, which provides ongoing funding for rate-paying businesses that have been forced to close due to the national lockdown.
The second payment cycle covers 16 February to 31 March 2021:
So far, we have paid out more than £2.6million from the first payment cycle of this grant, covering 5 January to 15 February, supporting more than 1,000 businesses across South and Vale. All eligible businesses should have received an email confirming their payment arrangements for this period.
The Vale will now begin the process of preparing the new grants in advance of payment, subject to us receiving final clarification, including grant funding, from the government. We expect to be able to email eligible businesses confirming the payment process and their grant allocation week commencing 8 March if not before. Businesses in receipt of this grant do not need to take any action, they will continue to receive the money automatically without having to apply again. For more details about the grants available to businesses visit svbs.co.uk.
Budget 2021 – Restart grants for businesses
In the Budget this week, the Chancellor announced that pubs, restaurants, shops and other businesses hit hardest by the pandemic will be able to access a £5 billion grant scheme to help them reopen as lockdown is eased. Non-essential retailers will get help to reopen and trade safely with the new ‘Restart grants’, of up to £6,000 per premises. Hospitality, hotels, gyms, as well as personal care and leisure firms, will be eligible for up to £18,000 per premises – a larger grant as they are due to open later in the roadmap than retailers. We will have responsibility for distributing these grants and will receive the funding in April. We’ll have more information on the processes for this in due course once we’ve had the full details from the government.
Local News
Valley Park We were very pleased with the outcome of Vale of White Horse District Council Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday 16th February – the committee agreed unanimously to DEFER the decision on the Valley Park planning application! This is great news, as it means there is now more time available for residents and councillors to really push for our own local vision of what Valley Park should be. Deferring the application was voted for on the basis that further clarity needs to be sought on the following key issues with the Valley Park proposal before a decision can be made: B4493 Roundabout between Harwell and Didcot – committee asked council officers to look at this design again and consider alternative options to make this monstrous 5-arm roundabout safer and more accessible for cyclists. Thank you to the HarBUG – Harwell Bicycle Users Group and Sustainable Harwell for your excellent speeches on this issue, and special shout out to local resident Kate Stevenson Weal for your Facebook comment about an underpass on the roundabout – this sparked an entire debate the possibility of an underpass, bridge or another alternative solution to be explored in the design! Healthcare Provision – the committee asked council officers to go back to the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group – OCCG once again to obtain a proper answer regarding the medical provision for Valley Park. This site would bring 10,000 new residents to the area and yet there is no provision in the plans for a GP surgery or any Primary Medical Care, primarily because the OCCG didn’t even respond to the consultation in the first place! Thank you to Patient Participation Group (PPG) chairman Stewart Lilly for speaking on behalf of all 3 Didcot Medical Centres – we’re certain that your eye-opening statistics about the pressure our local services are under was key in influencing this decision. Biodiversity – massive well done to Sally Povolotsky for your fantastic speech raising the issues with biodiversity considerations on the site, including the protection of red kites. Thanks to you, the committee asked for the financial contributions from the developer relating to biodiversity off-setting (totalling £200,000) to be brought forward from a staged payment (after 1000th house is occupied) to a full amount paid upfront prior to commencement of the development. A brilliant win for protecting the natural environment before the first house is even built! The link below contains our extensive written statement that we submitted to the committee in advance of the meeting – we used this to clearly lay out our objectives, with the council policies to back them up. Two different members of the committee commended us for the high quality of our statement!
If you didn’t catch the meeting, you can catch up any time on the YouTube link below to see the speeches and debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xZR4Ks-N3o Updates since the planning committee meeting on 16th February:
Finally thank you to everyone who attended our residents’ feedback session on Valley Park last week. It was great to hear your views, it is clear that there are still a lot of concerns and questions around the roundabout design, the healthcare and biodiversity/sustainability. We plan to organise further feedback sessions in future to focus on these topics, so watch this space! In the meantime please feel free to email us your ideas and thoughts about the roundabout design, we can pass these on to the planning officers for consideration by the developer. • The news of the decision on Valley Park was featured in a recent edition of the Didcot Herald: https://www.heraldseries.co.uk/news/19111212.plans-4-000-homes-valley-park-near-didcot-delayed/?fbclid=IwAR2itsHerQwA3Ghqs8J1xdgNZGn1zMsK6nW0GPI6Zz6cnDVmPQ_8IwK9iVE
Neighbourhood plans
Chilton Parish Council has submitted its draft neighbourhood plan to the council and the council is now carrying out a consultation which launched on Wednesday 17 February and will run until midnight on Wednesday 7 April 2021.
Council News
2021/2022 Budget at Full council 10th February
The most recent meeting of Full Council was on Wednesday 10th February – the agenda and link for viewing online can be found at http://democratic.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=108&MId=2722
The key agenda item for discussion was the proposed budget for 2021/2022. The council set out budget plans which protect front line services, continue to support local residents and businesses through the pandemic and help stabilise the council’s finances for the medium term. The budget would result in an increase of less than 10p per week on Band D Council Tax. Annual council tax will be £141.69 for services provided by the district council, up from £136.69 this year. The Vale currently has the 15th lowest council tax in the country for a shire district and significantly lower than the national average of £194.22. Since the pandemic began, the district council has re-allocated significant resources in order to provide vital support for residents and businesses across the district. This has included: administering more than 3,300 Covid-19 grant payments to local businesses totalling £21 million. We provided the new Community Support Hub, supporting 5,208 vulnerable residents, including providing direct assistance for 785 people. It is currently expected that this work will need to continue well into 2021. The council’s income also remains significantly affected by the Covid-19 restrictions. Like many councils, the Vale still faces significant financial challenges which have been caused by years of reduced funding from government, and the lack of clarity about the future of local authority financing. Along with the other Oxfordshire councils, the Vale has repeatedly called on the government to urgently provide additional funding to help ensure the future of vital public services. To see the full press release on the budget proposals, please visit https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/budget/councils-2021-22-budget-report-addresses-covid-19-challenges/ Councils looking into the possibility of a joint South and Vale Local Plan The two district councils in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse are looking into the possibility of developing a joint Local Plan for the area to significantly reduce costs and help the councils meet their ambitious targets for making the two districts carbon neutral. Local Plans are used to help determine planning applications and set out how and where new housing developments should take place, along with identifying the infrastructure needed to support them. They also set out policies on what kind of housing is appropriate and acceptable; what the local requirements for affordable housing are; and can even set requirements on the energy-efficiency levels of new developments. These are all key themes and aspirations that are addressed in both councils’ recently adopted new Corporate Plans, which set out their visions for their districts. Both councils have also committed to do everything they can to address the climate emergency. According to reports being seen by the councils’ Scrutiny Committees next week, the significant consensus on these issues makes this a rare opportunity to create a joint Local Plan. The reports were discussed by the two councils’ Scrutiny Committees on 8 and 9 March in South and Vale respectively and will then be debated at the Vale’s Cabinet on 17 March and South Oxfordshire’s on 18 March. Any recommendations from the Cabinets would then be debated and voted on at the full Council meetings on 24 and 25 March at Vale and South respectively.
Low carbon leisure centres
Faringdon leisure centre is to get a £400,000 refurbishment with the potential to reduce its carbon footprint by 500,000 kwh over a year – the equivalent of the annual energy use of 135 houses.
The Vale of White Horse District Council has been awarded a £361,746 grant from the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme. The rest of the funding needed will come from S106 money. The refurbishment will enable centre to use low carbon and renewable energy by replacing gas boilers with air source heat pumps powered with new solar panels.
In February 2019 the council joined a growing number of local authorities and other organisations in declaring a climate emergency. The council is calling on the government to support action on climate change locally. All councils in Oxfordshire are signed up to carbon reduction targets through the Oxfordshire Energy Strategy and are committed to a 50 per cent reduction in carbon emission between 2008 and 2030.
The Climate Emergency Advisory Committee (CEAC) recommended that the Vale of White Horse reduce carbon emissions by 75 per cent by 2030. The council has also committed to becoming a carbon neutral district by 2045. In their Corporate Plan, published last year, Vale Cabinet members identified Tackling the Climate Emergency and Building Healthy Communities as two of their key priorities. The work on this project will start this month and be completed by the end of March 2022. The council’s officers are now commissioning studies to help them seek further funding for the decarbonisation of more leisure centres.
New waste calendars
Residents will shortly be receiving their new waste collection calendar for the coming year – it’ll be included in with the council tax bills hitting doormats this month. Residents who get their council tax bills electronically will get a link to an online version of the calendar in their email bill. The new calendar which runs from April 2021 – March 2022 is available here – www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/waste-calendar
South and Vale residents are top recyclers in the country… again
We’re very pleased to reveal that in the latest government figures, our environmentally conscious residents in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse are the second and third best recyclers in England. South Oxfordshire recycle 64 per cent of its waste, with the Vale recycling 63.3 per cent. This puts the two districts way above the national recycling rate of 45.5 per cent and they are also two of only 11 local authorities in the country with a recycling rate above 60 per cent. Both districts have consistently been in the top ten in the past five years. As the figures cover the period from the beginning of April 2019 to the end of March 2020, they only include the very first week of the national lockdown last year. So the impact of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns on the collection of household waste in the districts will not be revealed until next year’s figures.
Call for people to help at the elections
We are looking for people to take on paid work at this year’s elections. On Thursday 6 May our residents will go to the polls to vote in the Police and Crime Commissioner and Oxfordshire County Council elections. Some areas will also have local by-elections and neighbourhood plan referendums. The various counts will then take place over the following days. To help ensure the smooth running of this event, we need to recruit as many people as possible. There are lots of roles available, paying a flat rate or from £14 per hour, and plans are being put in place to ensure all staff can work in a Covid-19 safe environment.
If you know anyone who may be interested in working at the elections, please encourage them to visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/electionjobs to find out more and to register their interest.
Census packs to arrive from 3 March
Some residents will now have started receiving their Census 2021 pack, which will be dropping on doormats until 13 March. There is a lot of information on the Census website.
Two district councils join Oxfordshire Greentech to help local businesses tackle the climate emergency
As part of their commitments to help the districts become carbon neutral, Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire District Councils have struck up a brand-new partnership to help local businesses reduce their carbon footprint. As Strategic Partners, the councils will be working with Oxfordshire Greentech to help connect businesses with specialist suppliers, customers and support organisations, and access funding streams and networking opportunities to help them minimise their emissions and impact on the environment.
Launched in 2019, Oxfordshire Greentech brings together a wide array of businesses, academia and other organisations to encourage innovation, collaboration and knowledge transfer. The growing network now has over 100 members as more companies see the benefits of sustainable business and new, circular economy focused business models.
For businesses wanting to take advantage of the discount in membership, visit Oxfordshire Greentech for more information via http://oxfordshiregreentech.co.uk/
Changes to Vale parking arrangements confirmed following public consultation
Following a public consultation, Vale of White Horse District Council’s Cabinet have approved several changes to parking arrangements to help reduce vehicle emissions. Last November almost 200 people commented on proposed changes to the parking arrangements. At their meeting on Friday 5 February, the council’s Cabinet considered the consultation results, and approved that the following measures which will now be included in the district’s new parking policy:
Reducing vehicle emissions
In Abingdon, lorries will no longer be able to park in Rye Farm car park and specific spaces will be allocated for a coach and campervans in Hales Meadow car park. This popular move to free up more spaces in Rye Farm for smaller vehicles, should encourage people visiting from the A415 to park here on edge of town rather than joining the traffic in the town centre, helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
Encouraging electric vehicle use
The Vale is currently working with Oxfordshire County Council with a view to introduce electric vehicle charging bays in some district council car parks. If this happens then, under the new policy, parking enforcement officers will have new powers to fine motorists who park non-electric vehicles in electric charging bays, or who leave an electric vehicle parked in a charging bay when it’s not charging.
Tackling the car parks deficit
The Vale’s car parks, in Abingdon, Faringdon and Wantage, collectively cost more than £700,000 a year to run. Once the income from parking fees has been taken into account, there is an average shortfall of over £300,000 a year, which is currently subsidised by council tax.
To help address this deficit, Cabinet agreed that the price of resident permits, which provide significant discounts on daily parking rates, would need to go up by 10 per cent each year until 2023. This decision was taken after carefully considering feedback from the public and taking the potential impact on individual residents and families into account. Members rejected options to implement a price increase of up to 100 per cent, in favour of a 10 per cent increase per year over the next three years.
In attendance:- Cllr B Shaw (Chair/BS), Miss E Cooper (Clerk/EC), Cllrs N Thorp, P McLaughlin. Four members of the public.
None received prior to the meeting. Cllr D Beckles joined the meeting at 7.50pm. Cllr B Heneghan was not present.
None.
Those present reiterated their thoughts & responses formed in the Working Group.
Council unanimously agreed to accept the Working Group’s summary findings, which were confirmed in terms of the consultation responses & associated narrative.
Clerk to submit response on 19.02.21 (deadline).
The meeting finished at 8.12pm.
Date of next full council meeting:-
Thursday 18th March at 7.30pm, via an e-conference system.
In attendance:- Cllr B Shaw (Chair/BS), E Cooper (Clerk/EC), Cllrs N Thorp (NT), P McLaughlin (PM), B Heneghan (BH), D Beckles (DB). One member of the public.
None.
NT declared that he lived in Chilton Road.
Cllr Thorp was told by the Clerk that he would not be able to vote on anything
specific to Chilton Road. This has subsequently been corrected & apologies made to
Cllr Thorp.
None made.
4.1 Council agreed that under normal circumstances a meeting would have been
held for all villagers to attend to discuss the consultation. As this had not been
possible, a questionnaire (with a question on the road closure) had been
completed and a small working group had met to put together a response.
4.2 BH agreed to create a series of questions for the council to agree & for those questions to be put as appropriate to the County Council, District Council & Sustrans to fully establish the status of the Chilton Road closure – before the deadline of 19.02.21. Other councillors offered assistance in this endeavour.
4.3 Council agreed that the closure had been accelerated under the pandemic situation, to meet a larger objective of increasing the ability to more easily cycle/walk in the wider area.
4.4 Council also agreed that all issues surrounding the road closure were not being addressed in the consultation & that all other issues must be addressed. This included the state of Hagbourne Hill & it’s unsuitability to carry increased traffic. Council agreed that the plan for this area is a priority.
The formation of Working Groups is currently covered in the council’s Standing
Orders, para 27, Advisory Committees.
BH to propose an amendment to this para.
P20/V3363/HH Owlscote Barn, High St, Upton
Retrospective – External Sunken seating area and patio
Deadline 12 noon on 12.02.21
The council agreed no objections to this consultation, noting that it was another
retrospective application from this property.
7.1 OALC, GDPR & Data Protection training, Cllr PM £60
7.2 OALC, GDPR & Data Protection training, Cllr BH £60
7.3 OALC, Finding New Councillors training, Clerk £60
7.4 OALC, Finding New Councillors training, Cllr BS £60
Council unanimously agreed to all payments above. PM agreed to authorise.
The meeting finished at 21.38.
Date of next meeting:-
Full council meeting Thursday 18th March at 7.30pm, via an e-conference system.
In attendance: – Cllr Ben Shaw (Chair/BS), Miss E Cooper (Clerk/EC), Cllrs Peter McLaughlin, David Beckles & Brendan Heneghan. County Cllr Mike Fox-Davies, District Cllr Sarah Medley. Mrs J West (JW) on behalf of the PCC, Mr N Thorp (NT) and one member of the public.
None.
Mr Neil Thorp was proposed & seconded as a new councillor, which was unanimously agreed by
the council. Mr Thorp duly signed his Declaration of Office and Register of Interests forms and was
formally welcomed to the council.
NT declared an interest in the Chilton Road closure as he lives there.
UPC 26.11.20
UPC 03.12.20
Both sets of minutes were unanimously accepted as true representations of those meetings.
8.1 Mr K Humphries joined the meeting to talk about a proposal to plant a ‘tiny forest’ on the Upton
recreation ground. This would be about the size of a tennis court & contain c600 native trees. The
proposal was received with interest by the council & the council awaits a fully formed case from Mr
Humphries for its consideration.
8.2 Mrs J West joined the meeting on behalf of the PCC.
JW state how positive the new bus service was for all, with more frequent buses in both directions &
a Saturday service. However, usage remains low due to the pandemic. JW was thanked for her
attendance & it was hoped that this would continue in future.
9.1 In the village, inc Whatsapp help group
The Whatspp group continued to work well in the current lockdown. BS to add a message regarding
available funding.
9.2 Under Lockdown 3
As play areas remain open under this lockdown, all & every user of the recreation ground must
continue to observe social distancing rules at all times.
meetings: –
| No. | Actions from this meeting | When by |
| 1. | PMcL to complete procedural documents for web site | March meeting |
| 2. | BS to confirm working groups for village | Actioned |
| 3. | BS to add message to WhatsApp group regarding COVID funding available. | Actioned |
| 4. | Council to agree donation to CAB | March meeting |
| No. | Actions from December meeting | When By |
| 1. | EC to compile next Upton News update (Jan21) | Actioned |
| 2. | EC to compile ‘red folder’ x 2 & present to council on completion | Actioned |
| 3. | BS to contact Kompan & authorise start of new play area work. | December |
| 4. | EC to obtain quote for wood chippings. | Actioned |
| 5. | EC to speak to BH re. equipment required for ground work on adventure play area. | Actioned |
| No. | Actions from November meeting | When by |
| 1. | BS to ensure information on DC support & supermarket vouchers goes out to the village. | ASAP |
| 2. | All to consider the remedial work on benches. | Jan meeting |
| 3. | EC/BS to examine documents held in VH meeting room filing cabinet. | Actioned. |
11.1 To ratify:-
11.1.1 P20/V2868/FUL The Croft, Prospect Rd, Upton
Single-storey detached annex to provide accommodation & care
for a relative.
Deadline 19.12.20
UPC objected with comments 18.12.20
11.1.2 P20/V2993/HH Sunnyside, Newmans Close, Upton
Proposed outbuilding addition & re-landscaping of the front garden.
Deadline 04.01.21
UPC had no objections to this consultation.
11.1.3 P20/V3064/HH Pottengers, Chilton Rd, Upton
Replacement annex, extensions & remodelling of existing house.
Deadline 04.01.21
UPC had no objections to this consultation.
11.1.4 P20/V2094/FUL Amendment no.1 3 Fieldside, Upton
Proposed extensions to side & rear & subdivision of plot to create
new 2-bed accommodation.
Deadline 08.01.21
UPC objected to this consultation 04.01.21.
11.2 Agree response:-
11.2.1 P20/V3104/HH Conifers, Stream Rd, Upton
Extend ground floor into new double garage with limited internal
reordering, add three bedrooms & family bathroom to new first floor.
Deadline 17.01.21
UPC agreed to object to this consultation, with 3 in agreement, 1 against & 1
abstention.
11.3 Planning Permissions received
P20/V2137LB & P20/V2138/HH
Planning permission 23.12.20
12.1 Approve the level of precept for the council for the next financial year
The council unanimously resolved to accept the recommendation to increase the precept
by 20% to £12,163.
12.2 Agree the amendments to the UPC budget for the next financial year
The council unanimously resolved to accept the budget as presented for 2021/2022.
12.3 Agree the following payments: –
| Date | Payee | £ |
| 28.12.20,
28.01.21 |
Clerk’s salary SO
Inc additional hours (8) as agreed [LGA1972 s112(2)] |
Not publicly disclosed |
| 14.01.21 | Clerk’s expenses [LG(FPA)1963s5] | £16.80 |
| Dec, Jan | HMRC PAYE SO (£46 – Dec, £46.00 Jan TBC) | £92.00 |
| 29.12.20, Jan 21 | Microsoft Office365 Dec&Jan DD @£3.80pm
[LGA1972 s111] |
£7.60 |
| 25.11.20 | Kompan – In Depth Operational Inspection (paid to be ratified) [PHAAA 1907 s76(1)] | £285.60 |
| 10.12.20 | Kompan – Quarterly Operational Inspection (paid to be ratified) [PHAAA 1907 s76(1)] | £950.40 |
| 08.12.20 | SLCC Membership (paid to be ratified)
UPC £47, BPC £93 (to be reimbursed) [LGA 1972 s143] |
£140.00 |
| 15.01.21 | Dark White Digital [LGA 1972 s111] | £332.50 |
| 15.01.21 | OALC Clerk Training (paid to be ratified) [LGA 1972 s111] | £60.00 |
| 14.01.21 | Chairman expenses [LG(FPA)1963s5] | £118.20 |
| TOTAL (+ Clerk’s salary above) | £2003.10
|
12.4 Receipts
Bank interest December .11p
12.5 Sign off bank reconciliation to date
Provided in advance of the meeting. To be physically signed at a later date
12.6 Agree potential end of year donations (Home Start/CAB)
Council unanimously agreed to support the CAB with a donation of £75 & declined to support
Home Start this year.
12.7 Any other financial or administration updates
12.7.1 Q3 VAT return submitted 04.01.21 for £216.00
12.7.2 PAYE was short by £20.80, so an additional payment would be made.
12.7.3 An additional £65.91 in VAT would be claimed by the end of the year.
12.7.4 Debit cards for use by the RFO & two other nominated councils was formally proposed &
unanimously agreed by council. This is for emergency use only, to reduce the risk of the
council being unable to make payment. EC to complete paperwork & return to Lloyds Bank.
13.1 Toddler play area
Council had formally accepted the proposal from Kompan for the supply & installation of a new
toddler play area. Consideration is being given to siting this where the pump track is currently
located, & to move the pump track over.
13.2 Adventure play area
This area is now maintained by Kompan, who installed the equipment. New wood chippings will
be ordered shortly for delivery in March.
13.3 Pump Track
Council confirmed that discussions are underway regarding the best way to move/upgrade the
pump track. Assistance in making this happen has been offered by villagers.
14.1 Current maintenance of grounds
No update.
14.2 Current volunteer situation
New volunteers identified themselves through the village questionnaire.
14.3 Replacement fence
Original Land Registry documents have revealed that the council is legally obliged to have a fence
along the north west side of the recreation ground. Investigations are now underway as to the most
appropriate fence & funding.
15.1 Survey results data issued 7.1.21
BS highlighted key results from the questionnaire. All to familiarise themselves with the results &
respond to BS as necessary.
15.2 Setting up of working groups
BS to confirm in due course.
PMcL confirmed that the web site is now compliant with accessibility regulations. He is now working
on procedural documents for updating & maintenance of the web site.
See 14.3 above. Examination of documents is ongoing.
Deferred till further notice due to other priorities.
19.1 UPC Aims & Objectives
Formally adopted by council.
19.2 UPC Strategic Plan
Formally adopted by council.
19.3 UPC Roles & Responsibilities
Formally adopted by council. NT agreed to take on coordination of planning consultation
responses.
Recreation ground fence
Cushion fall spreading on adventure play area
Questionnaire highlights
Date of next meeting: –
Thursday 18th March 2021 at 7.30pm via an e-conference system
The meeting finished at 10.25pm.
In attendance:- Cllr Ben Shaw (BS/Chair), Miss E Cooper (EC/Clerk), Cllrs Peter McLaughlin (PM) and David
Beckles(DB)
Cllr B Heneghan was not present.
None declared.
3.1 Toddler play area
BS stated that estimates for the decommissioning of the old toddler play area and the
ground work & installation of a new toddler play area had been identified. Council
unanimously agreed that work should proceed with the company who had quoted and had
previously supplied play equipment for Upton.
Estimated costs in financial year 20/21 £8000.
Total estimated costs £14255 (ex VAT).
BS to contact contractor & authorise work.
3.2 Adventure play area
Play equipment identified as remaining under warranty. Quarterly inspections in place for 2021.
Clerk to obtain quote for new wood chippings in this area.
Council also agreed that the existing surface must be turned over prior to new chippings. Agreed to
schedule for Saturday 6th March (weather & volunteers dependent).
EC to speak to BH re. Supply of equipment needed for ground work.
4.1 Grounds maintenance
The lead volunteer for grounds maintenance is no longer coordinating maintenance on the
recreation ground or around the village. A new volunteer list is being created which the council
hopes to see by the end of January.
4.2 Replacement fence
It has come to light that the council has a legal obligation to have a fence in place on the north-west
boundary of the recreation ground. Owners of the land adjoining the recreation ground are also
keen to stop trespassers on their land. This project will be pursued in early 2021.
4.3 Litter / bins
This matter is a part of the recent village-wide survey & results will be published in January.
4.4 Signage
This matter is a part of the recent village-wide survey & results will be published in January.
4.5 Wild flower area
A meeting had taken place to discuss this matter, or a ‘micro-woodland’ in place of the old toddler
play area. This will be subject to further discussion once the play area is fully decommissioned.
5.1 Questionnaire via Upton News
109 responses had been received to the questionnaire & results will be published in
January.
5.2 Next stage (Parish Plan)
A new Parish Plan will be formed from the results of the survey, with a current intention of
presenting a draft plan at this year’s Annual Parish Meeting (TBC).
6.1 Village web site
PM confirmed that both the updating & compatibility requirements were nearing completion with
an external contractor, in order to conform with web site accessibility legislation.
6.2 Any other IT related update
PM agreed to compile procedures for updating protocols on WordPress for the village web site.
7. Update from the EC & BS on information gathered on the history of the rec & village hall & any
subsequent actions required
EC reported that verbal & email requests had drawn a blank & that papers stored by the council would
be examined shortly & reported to council in January.
8.1 What we do on UPC
BS created a structure with councillor responsibilities & this was agreed by those present.
8.2 Internal emails and email structures going forwards
A system of highlighting the importance of emails & actions required was discussed & agreed by
those present.
8.3 Work Flow Tracker – Monday.com to help us communicate better and give confidence to progress
things
Council unanimously agreed that after investigation, this system would not suit needs.
8.4 Red Folder / Parish Council Bible – what is it and when can it be in place?
Clerk to arrange both an e-folder & physical folder, containing all key council documents &
processes. To present to council on completion.
8.5 Clerk weekly catch up with the Chairman
Agreed a weekly phone call of no more than one hour.
BS explained the benefits of a Neighbourhood Plan & was investigating the possibility for Upton.
BS had issued the Aims & Objectives prior to the meeting & these were unanimously agreed by council.
BS had issued the Strategic Plan prior to the meeting & this was unanimously agreed by council.
12.1 New Councillor Pack
EC had provided details of the content of the new councillor pack & this was accepted by council.
12.2 Recruiting new councillors
A potential new councillor was highlighted. EC to contact.
Council unanimously agreed PC content for next Upton News. Clerk to compile in conjunction with
PMcL.
Date of next meeting: –
Thursday 14th January 2021 at 7.30pm via an e-conference system
| Action Points from this meeting | ||
| No. | Action | When By |
| 1. | EC to compile next Upton News update (Jan 21) | Actioned |
| 2. | EC to compile ‘red folder’ x 2 & present to council on completion | Actioned |
| 3. | BS to contact Kompan & authorise start of new play area work | December |
| 4. | EC to obtain quote for wood chippings | January |
| 5. | EC to speak to BH re. equipment required for ground work on adventure play area | January |
| 6. | PM to compile procedures for updating WordPress/web site | January |
| 7. | EC to contact potential new councillor | Actioned |
| 8. | BS/EC to report on historical papers stored by the council | January |
In attendance:- Cllr Ben Shaw (Chair/BS), Miss E Cooper (Clerk/EC), Cllrs Peter McLaughlin, David Beckles & Brendan Heneghan. County Cllr Mike Fox-Davies, District Cllr Sarah Medley. One member of the public.
None.
None declared.
UPC 17.09.20
UPCX 20.10.20
UPC unanimously agreed to approve the previous minutes with no changes.
Cllr MF-D highlighted the 20s Plenty Campaign, regarding the potential introduction of 20mph speed
limits in Oxfordshire villages.
The Chairman highlighted the Chilton Road closure notices came after the road was physically closed &
asked for better communication in future. He also requested better signage regarding the road closure
than there is at present. Cllr MF-D to look in to this.
Cllr SM highlighted the continues support for communities and businesses from the DC. Also
supermarket vouchers available via the CAB. BS to ensure this information communicated to the village.
Didcot Garden Town – BS confirmed he now represents Upton & Blewbury on the Resident Sounding
Board.
SM highlighted bids for climate emergency change initiatives deadline 11.1.21.
BS asked about grants for decarbonisation of public buildings. SM to supply more information if
available.
A member of the public asked for the council’s help in the restoration of 2 benches in the
Upton parish on the Sustrans route. UPC agreed to consider the offer of a local artist to do the work and
to consider the price.
WhatsApp help group
The Chairman confirmed he had joined the WhatsApp group & that it was still going strong. He also
confirmed that fortunately there was no one in the village in need of financial support. So further
support was going to people in Didcot.
| No. | Action from this meeting | When by |
| 1. | BS to ensure information on DC support & supermarket vouchers goes out to the village. | ASAP |
| 2. | All to consider the remedial work on benches. | Jan meeting |
| 3. | EC/BS to examine documents held in VH meeting room filing cabinet. | Actioned. |
| No. | Actions from September Meeting | When By |
| 1. | MF-D to see if more information is available on C-19 testing in the area following reports of problems from BH | C’fwd Jan meeting |
| 2. | BS to obtain quote for remedial work on zip wire, chain cover & seat | Cleared |
| 3. | BH to look in to benefits of two types of fence on the rec | Cleared |
| 4. | Clerk to send historic documents found to date to BH. | Cleared |
9.1 P20/V2094/FUL 3 Fieldside, Upton
Proposal to erect 2 storey building to side of existing property to offer 2 bed
accommodation. Inc parking space.
UPC objected to this consultation.
9.2 P20/V2138/HH Owlscote Barn, High St, Upton
P20/V2137/LB Owlscote Barn
Proposed demolition & rebuilding of existing outbuilding. Raising boundary
wall & building gable in brickwork.
UPC objected to these consultations.
9.3 P20/V2389/FUL Land off Hollow Way
Construction of new digestate storage lagoon, perimeter soil und, hard
surface turning pad & security fencing.
UPC objected to this consultation.
9.4 P20/V2773/LB Regularisation of unauthorised works to listed building known
as Owlscote Barn
Deadline 28.11.20
UPC objected to this consultation.
9.5 EC & BS agreed to start an examination of papers held in the filing cabinet in the meeting room of
the village hall, with the objective of removing planning papers that do not need to be kept and
uncovering any historical documentation.
10.1 Outcome of Clerk’s appraisal
Regular weekly telecon with the Chairman.
Recognised time for CiLCA.
Highlighting importance of communications for response from councillors.
Discussions between councillors to take place ahead of meetings in order to come
to meetings with agreements, thereby reducing time spent in meetings.
10.2 Agree any remedial actions to the Clerk’s hours/hourly rate
10.2.1 Confidential – agreement on pay as agreed in performance review???
10.2.2 Clerks agreed working hours & days
The already agreed 20 hours per month would stand, & would primarily be
carried out on a Monday, Tuesday & Thursday. Additional hours up to 8 per month. Council
unanimously agreed.
10.3 Clerk’s new Job Description
The job description was unanimously agreed.
10.4 To agree the following payments: –
| Date | Payee | £ |
| 28.10.20,
28.11.20 |
Clerk’s salary SO
Inc additional hours (8) as agreed [LGA1972 s112(2)] |
Not publicly disclosed |
| 25.11.20 | Clerk’s expenses [LG(FPA)1963s5] | £0 |
| Oct, Nov | HMRC PAYE SO (£52.20pm – Oct, £46.00 Nov) | £98.20 |
| 19.10.20, 19.11.20 | Microsoft Office365 Sept & Oct DD @£3.80pm
[LGA1972 s111] |
£7.60 |
| 10.11.20 | Royal British Legion Donation [LGA1972 s137]
Agreed by email, to be ratified. |
£200.00 |
| 12.11.20 | Survey Monkey Response Fees [LGA1972 ss15(5)&34(5)] | £200.00 |
| TOTAL | £505.80
+ Clerk’s salary above |
10.5 Receipts
Bank interest October .11p, November .11p
10.6 To sign off bank reconciliation to date
Provided in advance of the meeting. To be physically signed at a later date
10.7 Update on UPC budgets
The Chairman explained the updated budget layout to the council. This was now more in keeping
with professional standards. Council unanimously agreed to move forward with this format in
principle. BS to produce final version for formal agreement at January’s meeting.
10.8 Any other financial or administration updates
10.8.1 Recreation ground fencing – BH confirmed following discussions with the owners of the
land adjoining the recreation ground, the conclusion is that they do not want people to
continue to trespass on their land & would welcome a fence on the rec. This therefore
needs to be formally accounted and planned for within the UPC budget. Council
unanimously agreed that future budget meetings should be conducted as standalone
meetings, with recommendations reported at the next full council meeting.
10.8.2 It was noted that the CC are reviewing the dog bin situation & are not currently installing
any new ones.
NOTE:- Council agreed to close the meeting at this point as it was 11pm.
All other agenda items were deferred to a continuation meeting to be held at 7.30pm on Thursday 3rd December 2020.
Date of next full council meeting: –
Thursday 14th January 2021 at 7.30pm via an e-conference system
APPENDIX A
REPORT UPTON PARISH COUNCIL NOVEMBER 2020
FROM CLLR MIKE FOX-DAVIES
Oxfordshire update
As I am sure everyone is now aware, a four-week national lockdown has been introduced for
England, which ends on 2nd December. This move comes in the wake of rapidly rising infection levels across the country and a significant rise in hospital admissions. More information on the national restrictions and what it means can be found on the government’s website.
What are the new restrictions?
Detailed information about the new restrictions is available on the gov.uk website.
What public services will remain open?
Under the new national restrictions, a greater number of public services can remain open than under the previous lockdown. This includes schools, colleges, and early years settings; household waste recycling centres; and registrar’s offices. Public outdoor spaces including parks, gardens and playgrounds will remain open. Outdoor markets will also be able to continue, although trade will be limited to food and other essential items.
The overwhelming majority of Oxfordshire County Council’s services will still be delivered without interruption. We will continue to provide care and support to vulnerable residents through home visits and our community support services; and our formally organised support groups that provide mutual aid or therapy will continue, with a maximum of 15 participants.
Our registration services will continue to provide birth registration and notices face to face in
COVID-secure offices, while death registration will continue by phone. However, weddings and civil partnerships will be paused, in line with national guidance.
What will temporarily close?
The government has confirmed that entertainment venues, including museums and galleries, must temporarily close. This means that the Oxfordshire Museum and the Oxfordshire History Centre have closed until 2 December. Libraries have also closed, although the home library service will continue to operate, as will the online library service. A potential new click-and-collect service is being investigated for the libraries, together with limited access to public network PCs across a small number of
branches.
All OCC staff have been asked to work from home if at all possible and it is only in exceptional circumstances that they should go into the office. Staff working in frontline services will continue to do so in line with the COVID-compliance measures.
Support for extremely vulnerable people and self-isolating residents
The over 60s and the clinically vulnerable people have been recommended by the government to minimise their contacts with others during the lockdown period. Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible, including working from home.
If anyone has a received a letter from the government about receiving additional support, they have been identified as being extremely vulnerable. In order to benefit from this support, they need to register themselves on the national system if they have not already done so. If they require additional support their district council will be informed and will make contact with them to identify their needs in more detail. If they need urgent support then they can contact their district council directly.
If residents do not have the means to register and have no one who is able to assist, they can
call us on the number below.
Closed Saturday – Sunday and Bank Holidays
#StopTheSpread
We coninue to work closely with our partners in health, the district councils, police and the universities to issue extended #StopTheSpread communications, including urging people to follow the new restrictions, communicating the symptoms and ensuring understanding and reminding children and young people they must wear face coverings on school transport.
Vaccine News
News that possible COVID-19 vaccines could be on the horizon continue to make headlines,
including the update on the Oxford vaccine from earlier this week, which is showing an encouraging immune response in older adults. Whilst this continues to bring cause for hope, it remains very early days for all the vaccine trials and we must be patient. All the vaccines need to be reviewed and any potential safety hurdles cleared.
New lockdown funding available for businesses
District council colleagues are now processing applications for the new government funding available to businesses that have been forced to close in the current lockdown. Known as ‘Local Restrictions Grant Support Grant (Closed) Addendum’, this grant may also be distributed to businesses which have had to adapt their business model because of the measures, for example to provide a reduced service such as takeaways or click and collect.
To qualify for this grant, businesses must have been:
▪ open as usual on 4 November 2020
▪ providing services in person to customers from the premises
▪ required to close the main part of the business, due to the national lockdown
restrictions imposed by government
▪ liable to pay business rates for the premises on 5 November 2020 (even if they have not paid their business rates this financial year due to a relief or exemption).
We want all eligible businesses to benefit from this financial support, advising them to visit their city council or district council website to find out how to apply.
Residents warned against COVID-19 scams
Our trading standards team is continuing to warn residents to be on their guard against criminals and scammers exploiting the pandemic. The team has received numerous reports of scams targeting people by email, text messages, and on the doorstep. More information is in our recent news release about some of the scams the team are aware of. Please do share this important information with residents, groups and organisations in your division.
Oxfordshire wins £2.98 million to transform active travel
This is 25 per cent more than our indicative allocation for tranche 2 and recognises the ambition of our active travel plans. It brings the total amount we have been awarded to £3,283,500.
The scale of this second award reflects the bold proposals we submitted. The five schemes we put forward – three in Oxford, one in Bicester and one in Witney – are designed to have the greatest impact in terms of air quality, physical activity and environmental benefit. They are projects which go to the heart of supporting healthy and vibrant communities and will help enable a sustainable and safe recovery from the pandemic. In addition to the funding from the DfT, we have been given £1.4m in funding from OxLEP – subject to sign-off by the OxLEP Programme Subgroup next Wednesday – which has been allocated to the schemes in Witney and Bicester. This funding combined with the award from the DfT will enable us to fully fund all five of the tranche 2 active travel schemes. Read
our news story for more.
New speeding taskforce group aims to save lives
Residents will be given more of a say on how to stop drivers speeding in their neighbourhoods, thanks to a new organisation set up to tackle the problem in Oxfordshire. The speeding taskforce group is a joint initiative involving Oxfordshire County Council, Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, Thames Valley Police and the Thames Valley Police & Crime Commissioner. Announced to coincide with Road Safety Week, its aims include educating drivers about the dangers of breaking the speed limit and helping communities to tackle the issue. Councillor Liam Walker, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Delivery and Operations, who sits on the taskforce, said “Speeding is rightly one of the top issues that residents in Oxfordshire are concerned about and this is an opportunity for us to
all work closer to explore new ways to reduce it. We all have a responsibility as drivers to play our part and through this new taskforce I hope we can work closely with communities to start looking at solutions to reducing speeding on our roads. “This may involve more enforcement from Thames Valley Police or the county council changing the layout of roads or reducing speed limits in areas, but the key point of this group is to bring us together so we can start to have these conversations and focus on the
changes needed so we can save lives.” The speeding taskforce group is made up of Cllr Walker, Paul Fermer (Oxfordshire County Council’s Assistant Director of Community Operations), Matt Barber (Deputy Police & Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley), Superintendent Colin Hudson (Head of Roads Policing Unit for Thames Valley Police) and Andy Ford (Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue
Service’s Road Safety Manager). Matt Barber, Deputy Police & Crime Commissioner, said: “Speeding and road safety is a legitimate concern for almost every community in the Thames Valley. By taking a strategic approach, which involves improving Community Speedwatch, more targeted, intelligence-led
police enforcement and safer road management by councils, we can cut speeding, reassure
communities and, ultimately, save lives.” Initial virtual meetings have been held to identify how the different organisations can share data about key accident and speeding hotspots. The group wants to focus on more awareness campaigns, alerting drivers to the effects and consequences of speeding and giving the issue as much attention as drink-driving or not wearing a seatbelt. It also aims to support communities that want to help tackle speeding by ensuring they have the support to set up Community Speedwatch groups in their area to monitor motorists who break the limits.
Pandemic won’t stop Oxfordshire’s roads from being gritted
As temperatures start to dip, the county council’s winter weather response springs into action, becoming one of our key frontline services that keeps almost half of the roads across Oxfordshire free as possible from winter hazards. The pandemic will not stop our efforts – we are ready to go. This year we have trained 15 extra drivers, will have 25 gritter lorries on the road at any one time, and will use approximately 220 tonnes of salt per treatment. For more information about our winter service, please read our news story.
Launch of zero emission zone consultation
Together with Oxford City Council, yesterday (Friday 20 November) we pressed go on our final consultation on proposals for the pilot stage of the Zero Emission Zone for Oxford. This first stage covers an area of central Oxford and is due to be launched in August 2021. It aims to help cut vehicle emissions in the city and improve local air quality. The consultation runs online until 17 January 2021 and can be found here.
Oxford-Cambridge Arc event, recording now available
Earlier this week, the Leaders Group of the Oxford-Cambridge Arc hosted an online event which outlined the economic vision for the Arc, set out the big themes for innovation-led growth in the area and provided an opportunity for public conversation about the Arc’s recently launched economic prospectus. For those councillors unable to attend the live online event or for those wishing to recap on the session, a recording is now available online. This is approximately 80 minutes in length and is introduced by Councillor Barry Wood, Leader of Cherwell District Council, in his role as Chair of the Arc Leaders Group.
Hand it back campaign
As part of our joint ‘hand it back campaign’ with Oxford Health, Oxford University Hospitals and supplier NRS Healthcare, please encourage residents in your division to return any unused health and social care equipment loaned to them so others can take advantage of it.
Worldwide manufacturing of items including bed rails, pendent alarm equipment/sensors (telecare) and mattresses has slowed because of the pandemic, meaning new ones may be harder to come by. The pieces of unused equipment being sought are:
▪ chairs, beds, bed rails and mattresses
▪ wheeled commodes
▪ any electrical items
▪ walking and toilet frames
▪ pendent alarm equipment/sensors (Telecare)
▪ slings.
Anybody wanting to give back equipment can arrange a collection by calling NRS Healthcare on 01869 225420 or by sending their details to enquiries@oxfordshire.nrsuk.net
APPENDIX B
District Councillor Report Upton Parish Council Thursday 26th November 2020
hayleigh.gascoigne@whitehorsedc.gov.uk Page 1 of 4 sarah.medley@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Upton Parish Council
Thursday 26th November 2020
Report from District Councillors
Cllr Hayleigh Gascoigne and Cllr Sarah Medley
Coronavirus Update and Community Support
Councils providing vital community and business support through the second lockdown
The new national lockdown restrictions, in place from 5 November to 2 December mean:
The council is very aware that the winter lockdown will be tough on some of our residents and businesses, but we’re
here for anybody who urgently needs our help.
The councils’ Community Hub, which has been up and running since the first lockdown in March, is on hand to
answer calls and emails from people struggling to access support and essentials during the lockdown and have
nobody else to turn to. The Community Hub can put people who need help getting essentials in contact with
community groups and volunteers providing doorstep support in their neighbourhoods. The councils also have some
practical support available for eligible people facing financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.
This helps provide a vital lifeline to a way to access basics like food and prescriptions for those who are vulnerable or
isolated, as well as a friendly voice at the end of the phone for those who need it. The message to anybody who is
unsure if they need help, or if they’re unsure if the councils can help, is if in doubt, get in touch! It can sometimes
take a day or two for support to reach people, so anybody who thinks they’ll be in need should not wait until they’ve
run out of supplies before getting in touch.
To contact the Community Support Team:
call: 01235 422 600 Monday to Thursday 8.30-5pm and Fridays 8.30-4.30pm
email: communitysupport@southandvale.gov.uk fill in an online form at: www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/communityhub
Remember, for the most up-to-date coronavirus information relating to district council support and any changes to services, please take a look at the dedicated Vale webpage for updates: www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/covid19
Business Support: the councils also provide a local support service for businesses in the districts worried about the impact the lockdown will have on their operations, providing helpful guidance and pointing them in the direction of the support that is available – see svbs.co.uk.
District council services: for the time being, the majority of our public-facing services are operating as normal. We will let you know if anything changes in the coming weeks. Regardless, the best way for people to access our services now, throughout the lockdown and beyond, is via our websites, which are also the best place to get the most up to date information on the pandemic and any impact it is having on our services: whitehorsedc.gov.uk . The council offices on Milton Park remain closed to the public, as they have been since March. Gyms and leisure centres are closed to the public (for more formation go to the Better UK website – better.org.uk), as are all community centres.
Local News
Projects moving forward for Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board
Members of the Didcot Garden Town Advisory Board met recently to hear about the latest developments for Didcot
Gateway and other key initiatives around the town. You can watch the meeting in full via https://youtu.be/QfXTrFSOKGo. The board were updated on the district councils’ plan to build their new offices at
Didcot Gateway, which will be located opposite the railway station. During the meeting Homes England’s proposal
and online community engagement, which took place during this summer, to redevelop the Gateway area was
discussed. The district councils are pleased to be working with Homes England to ensure the new councils’ offices
provide an important part of the overall sustainable redevelopment of the site.
Members were updated on a range of initiatives, including plans for a new health centre and a county council led
project to improve roads and cycle paths for the wider garden town area. The board obtained feedback from
councillors who had attended the first meeting of the Parish Council Sounding Board. The virtual session was
chaired by Cllr Ian Hudspeth and was attended by eight parish councillors from the garden town’s surrounding
villages. Their views on housing quality, maintaining green buffers between town and villages, transport links and
infrastructure plans for residents living in more rural areas will be used to inform projects which will benefit the
area.
The Didcot Garden Town team will be engaging with local residents and businesses, through resident and business
led Sounding Boards, which will provide further information on the projects with the opportunity to feedback on the
new proposals. If you’d like to hear more about the latest developments in Didcot Garden Town or are interested in
joining one of the resident or business sounding boards, you can sign up to the latest newsletter here.
The first-ever Didcot Garden Town residents and community groups sounding board meeting is taking place online
at 5.30pm on Monday 30 November You have until midnight tonight to register for. Register and get involved with
the projects happening in and around Didcot via www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/didcot-garden-town
Climate and Environment
Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme
We’re looking into applying for government funding that could help make some of our buildings across both districts
more energy efficient. The recently announced Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme focuses on low-carbon heating
and improvements to help reduce energy consumption like insulation, glazing and ventilation.
The scheme offers grants to finance up to 100 per cent of the costs of capital energy-saving projects for nondomestic
public sector buildings. It could provide very welcome resources to help both councils meet their own
Climate Emergency targets. The timescales for applying for the funding are tight, with bids required by 11 January
2021 and we’re now looking into putting forward bids for a priority list of sites for both councils.
This work will involve input from a number of different teams, including Property and Active Communities and will
link into other work going on like the Strategic Property Review. We will keep you up to date with progress on this
exciting initiative. Parish councils are also eligible to apply to this scheme.
Tree Planting Guide introduced by Climate Emergency Advisory Committee
As suggested by the Vale’s Climate Emergency Advisory Committee, the council’s Specialist Planning team have
created a handy Tree Planting Guide for Community Groups. This can be found on the following dedicated webpage,
alongside useful advice on Tree Protection Orders: https://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/vale-of-white-horse-districtcouncil/planning-and-development/wildlife-trees-and-landscape/trees/
Council Matters
Full council
At a Special Meeting of Council on 22nd October, the Vale’s new Corporate Plan was considered and formally
adopted. The Corporate Plan sets out the strategy and overarching projects for the Council, so councillors welcomed
the incorporation of targets to address the climate emergency and to build healthy communities. The minutes of the
meeting, including reports on the Corporate Plan, can be found here:
http://democratic.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=108&MId=2822
Planning
Councils raise objections to Government’s proposed reforms to the planning system
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils have written separate letters to Robert Jenrick objecting
to many of the Government’s proposed reforms to the current planning system. The Government’s proposed
changes were outlined in the Planning for the Future white paper. You can read our full response here: Vale letter
Oxford to Cambridge Arc prospectus
The Oxford to Cambridge Arc is a strategic area incorporating the ceremonial county areas of Oxfordshire,
Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The Arc Leaders Group is a body comprising
most of the local authorities, local enterprise partnerships and universities from across the Arc.
On 17 November the key figures behind Oxfordshire-Cambridge Arc are hosting a virtual event to launch the Arc
Economic Prospectus and to give people a chance to find out more about the what it means for the region.
The event takes place online from midday until 1.30pm and is the first in a series which will explore different aspects
of the Arc’s development, including how it intends to unlock investment, promote world-class research and drive
innovation-led growth. To find out more and to register please visit the event’s the event’s webinar page.
Parking Policy Consultation
Your chance to comment on proposed changes to off-street parking in the Vale
People in the Vale of White Horse have the chance to comment on some proposed changes to parking arrangements
in the district council’s off street car parks. Over the summer Vale of White Horse District Council’s Cabinet agreed to
amend the district’s parking policy, including measures to encourage the use of electric vehicles in order help tackle
the climate emergency, and changes to parking in Rye Farm and Hales Meadow car parks in Abingdon.
The council is now giving people the chance to have their say before the new parking policy is finalised early in
town and parish councils.
The following changes are being proposed:
charging bays, or for leaving an electric vehicle in the bay when it’s not charging
vehicles
To find about more about the proposals and to take part in the consultation please visit
www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/parking. The consultation is open until Thursday 19 November.
UK terror threat level
We’ve been advised by Thames Valley Police that, as precautionary measure following recent events in France and
Austria, the UK’s terror threat level has been changed from Substantial to Severe. There is no specific intelligence to
suggest any threat to our communities at this time, but Thames Valley Police has said that it means we should all be
more vigilant.
Work starts this week, Monday 8th March, on the new junior play area which will be situated close to the existing adventure area and the pump track. The works are expected to take 2 weeks and as part of this work the old junior area behind the hall will be decommissioned and out of use from Monday. Also as part of this work an additional layer of chippings will be added to the adventure area to keep the surface nicely cushioned.