Administration:

• Ensure successful adoption of new document storage and archiving procedure;
• Review Clerk’s salary to ensure it is commensurate with the duties undertaken.

Finance:

• Produce clear and accurate documents that effectively communicate our financial situation;
• Set a precept and budget that ensures the on-going work and commitments undertaken by the council are adequately resourced and insured;
• Ensure proper practices are followed at all times, in accordance with the adopted financial regulations.

Training:

• We will encourage the development of all councillors and clerk through attendance of appropriate training courses when available.

Planning:

• Seek to maintain the village character as a small village in a rural setting, through proper understanding and use of the planning system;

Parish Plan:

• A committee will be established to review how far we have progressed against the current Parish Plan and commence work on a revised Parish Plan with the aim of publishing by the end of 2015.

Amenities:

• Support UVHAT in the upkeep of the village hall and enhancement of its facilities;
• Support the continuation of services at St. Mary’s Church and it’s upkeep;
• Maintain the recreation ground and playground equipment to a high standard;
• Ensure routine safety inspections of the playgrounds;
• With the support of the Volunteer Group, improve and maintain communal village areas.

Services:

• Lobby for the maintenance of current bus service levels;
• Continue financial support for printing of the Upton News, ensuring the continuation of the hardcopy circulation.
• Ensure the Parish Council pages on the village website are complete and correct.

Roads and Footpaths:

• With the support of the Volunteer Group, continue cut the grass on village footpaths;
• Lobby to ensure our roads are maintained and as safe as possible. Specifically lobby for a pedestrian crossing on the A417;
• Continue efforts to establish a cycle route to Blewbury, which satisfies the requirements of all interested parties.

Dr. Robert Lott
Chairman Upton Parish Council
20th May 2014

Upton Parish Council Aims and Objectives 2010 -2011

Finance:

• Produce clear and concise documents that set adequate budgets. The budgets together with the council’s financial regulations will strictly control all financial transactions.

Training:

• Encourage the development of all councillors and clerks through appropriate training, experience and succession management.

Planning:

• Strive to maintain the village character, whilst balancing improvements with the requirements of a rural village.

Amenities:

• Continue to support UVHAT in the on going improvement of the village hall
• Improve and extend the parking facilities for the village hall in conjunction with UVHAT
• Maintain the grass cutting rota for the recreation ground and playground
• Carry out routine safety inspections of the playground
• Establish a working group to acquire funding for and develop a new play ground
• Create a bicycle jumps cycle track to one side of the recreation ground
• Continue to identify projects, support and work with the volunteer group relating to improvement and maintenance of communal village areas

Services:

• Strive to maintain the current bus service levels and local transport infrastructures
• Support the First Responders group where possible.
• Support the George and Dragon Public House where possible.

Roads and Footpaths:

• Enter into a contract with OCC for the grass cutting of village footpaths and maintain a rota for the grass cutting of the footpaths
• Continue to work with the Highways Dept to ensure the roads in the Parish are well maintained and as safe as possible
• Continue efforts to establish an improved footpath or cycle route to Blewbury which satisfies the requirements of all interested parties.

Youth and Clubs:

• Support and encourage these clubs where possible to sustain and assist their growth.

Promotion of the village:

• Promote the Upton into the future whilst preserving the balance of private village life through creating more enjoyable, traditional events for families such as the annual fete.

John Dickens 19^th May 2010

Chairman Upton Parish Council

Adopted at Parish Council meeting of 26^th May 2010

Aims and Objectives

Finance

• To produce clear and concise finance documents that set adequate budgets and that together with the council’s financial regulations will strictly control all financial transactions.

Training

• To seek out advantageous training courses and spend a reasonable sum on improving the skills and knowledge of both councillors and clerk.

Planning

• Seek to maintain the village character and balance, whilst assisting parishioners who wish to develop or improve their properties.

Amenities

• Continue to provide all possible support for the village hall extension
• Establish and maintain a grass cutting rota for the recreation ground and playground.
• Carry out monthly safety inspections and obtain an annual ROSPA report on the playground and where it is practical implement any recommendations
• Install a hard playing surface for one side of the recreation ground ball wall

Services

• To do all possible to maintain the present level of Bus service.

Roads and Footpaths

• To continue to work with the County Highways Dept to ensure that the roads in the parish are well maintained and as safe as possible. Present project to agree a program of speed reduction work for the bottom end of Chilton Road.
• Ensure that footpaths and bridleways in the parish are adequately maintained. Discuss with the County Council the possibility of the Parish Council taking responsibility for maintaining all footpaths in the parish.
• Investigate possibly ways of allowing the school children from Upton to cycle to school in Blewbury.

Others

• Achieve and retain a full compliment of Parish councillors.
• Encourage all parishioners to keep the parish clean and tidy and to organise an annual litter pick.

2008 – 09 Aims and Objectives

Finance

– To produce clear and concise finance documents that set adequate budgets and that together with the council’s financial regulations will strictly control all financial transactions.

Training

– To seek out advantageous training courses and spend a reasonable sum on improving the skills and knowledge of both councillors and clerk.

Planning

– Seek to maintain the village character and balance, whilst assisting parishioners who wish to develop or improve their properties.

Amenities

– Continue to provide all possible support for the village hall extension

– Establish and maintain a grass cutting rota for the recreation ground and playground.

– Implement playground safety improvements by obtaining and laying safety mats. Carry out monthly safety inspections and obtain an annual ROSPA report on the playground and where it is practical implement any recommendations

– Install a hard playing surface for one side of the recreation ground ball wall

Services

– To do all possible to keep the village Post office open.

– To do all possible to maintain the present level of Bus service.

Roads and Footpaths

– To continue to work with the County Highways Dept to ensure that the roads in the parish are well maintained and as safe as possible. Present project to agree a program of speed reduction work for the bottom end of Chilton Road.

– Ensure that footpaths and bridleways in the parish are adequately maintained.

– To investigate the possibilities of setting up a voluntary environmental improvement project in the Frog Alley area.

– Investigate possibly ways of allowing the school children from Upton to cycle to school in Blewbury.

Others

– Achieve and retain a full compliment of Parish councillors.

– Set up an energy saving committee in the village

– Continue with attempts to restore the field at the back of the G&D to an acceptable standard as befits an AONB

– Encourage all parishioners to keep the parish clean and tidy and to organise an annual litter pick.

– Enter the village into the Oxfordshire village of the year competition.

All of us who live in Upton can think of aspects of our village that we value and would like to preserve, and other features that we would like to change or improve in some way. And we all deserve an equal say in the future of our village.

Recognising this, the Parish Council supported the creation of a Parish Plan in 2005 in order to establish what we want and how to achieve it.

This Parish Plan is intended to:

• Reflect the views of all interested residents
• Identify features and characteristics of Upton that we value
• Identify opportunities and threats relevant to our village
• Document how we want Upton to develop in the future

Most importantly, the Parish Plan sets out an Action Plan. This encompasses actions that we can undertake to make life in Upton even better, and further actions that will need the assistance of outside bodies or authorities.

The process of creating this Parish Plan has been truly inclusive, and could not have been achieved without the hard work and support of many people within Upton. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have worked on or supported the Steering Group and assorted Working Groups. We are also grateful to the Parish Council, the Countryside Agency and the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council for financial support, encouragement and advice.

Of course, this is not the end of the process. There is still much to be done – our Parish Plan will only be useful if it is used as a basis for action. We should expect our Parish Council and other village bodies to refer to this plan, and to implement its recommendations. In return, we owe them our support and our appreciation.

Download the Parish Plan 2005 (PDF)