Full Council

Parish Council Meetings – 2024

Minutes of the Meeting of Standlake Parish Council, held in the Youth Club, Church End, on 9th January 2024 at 7.30pm

Present:

          Mr. B. Parnham               Chairman

          Mr. J. Rippin                   Vice Chairman

          Mrs. A. Knipe

          Mrs. J. Macdonald

          Mr. D. Jeffcoat

          Mr. J. Clements

          Mr. B. Smith

          Mr. D. Bevan                   Clerk

OCC Cllr Mr. D. Levy, WODC Cllrs. Mr. C. Maynard & Ms. L. Nicholls. Mr. A. Edge and colleague – representatives of Edgars Ltd. Planning Consultants, Mr. Humphries and 8 members of the public

1. APOLOGIES – None
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – There were no declarations of interest.
3. PUBLIC ITEMS – Mr. Parnham closed the meeting at 7.40pm.

Mr. LeHuray spoke in objection to planning application 23/03179/FUL on the grounds that the proposal would involve encroachment on to greenfield space and noted that a previous application to do this has already been denied by WODC. The clerk noted that this current application could be built under permitted development rules once the main buildings had been completed. Cllr. Nicholls said that this would still have to be the subject of another application.

Mr. Edge and colleague gave a presentation on the development at Malthouse Livery and stables (23/03179/FUL). Councillors asked several questions on matters of, inter alia, access (vehicular and pedestrian), long term maintenance of access roads, increased traffic flows both for dwellings and the commercial building, parking bays at the commercial building versus expected number of jobs, and housing type. The answers received were sometimes vague and incomplete. Mr. Edge did however confirm there was no provision for social housing, but councillors welcomed the provision of some 2 bedroom dwellings in the mix.

Mr. Humphries spoke on behalf of Brighthampton residents objecting to the above application. He began by pointing out that the developers had ignored the fact that Brighthampton was a small separate hamlet within Standlake and that this had coloured some of their assumptions as to access for pedestrians and the proximity to shops and other services. Mr. Humphries then presented objections under the following headings: inappropriateness of a large, overbearing commercial development in this rural setting; traffic and pollution; security of the site; precedent; sewage and flooding risk.

Mr. Parnham thanked those who had spoken and reopened the meeting at 8.10pm.

4. COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS – see Cllr. Maynard’s report attached to these minutes.

Cllr. Levy said little had changed from his report in December 23. Work on the budget continues, though at present there is a difference of £11m between the anticipated requirement and anticipated income. He also said that, once the floods have subsided, OCC will carry out a survey of maintenance of local road drainage.

Cllr. Nicholls reported that the appeal against the WODC decision to refuse the application at 48 Abingdon Road has been dismissed. She also reported that the application to build on land on Chapel Lane has been deferred by the Lowlands Planning Committee so that objectors can consider a late drainage survey by the developers: it will come back to council in due course.

PLANNING – 23/03179/FUL: Redevelopment of site to provide mixed-use business and storage space (Classes E(g) and B8) and 8 dwellings with associated demolition, access and parking, landscape and drainage works: Malthouse Livery and Stables Aston Road Brighthampton. Object: negative impact on area; overdevelopment of the site; scale and lack of need for the commercial building; access; traffic; drainage and sewage.

23/03183/S73: Variation of condition 2 of planning permission 21/01497/FUL to allow design alterations to Plots 1, 2 and 3 and changes to site layout. 21/01497/FUL: Conversion of former pub into 4 bedroom dwelling and erection of two new 5 bedroom dwellings and carport to the rear with associated landscaping and parking areas.: The Old Bell 21 High Street Standlake: Object encroachment on greenfield site.

5. MINUTES – Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday, 9th January 2023, copies of which had been previously circulated to all members, were agreed as a true record, and were signed by the chairman.
6. MATTERS ARISING

Sewage/Flooding – Mr. Parnham said that he had been hoping for more details prior to this meeting but none was forthcoming.

To summarise, the Thames Water situation in Standlake is unacceptable.  It is so disappointing when taking into consideration all the works that have taken place over the past 2 years.

TW have finally admitted there are serious problems at the High Street Pumping Station and the Sewage Treatment Works leading to the continuous discharge of raw sewage into the river over an extended period.  I would like to thank Charlie Maynard for taking the lead on this one as very often the replies from TW lead to more questions.  Once we have the answers to the latest round of questions and importantly the way forward, I will put forward a summary report.  It must be remembered however that TW are only responsible for providing clean water to properties and then sewage / grey water.  Issues where surface water is not draining, for example in High Street, are the responsibility of OCC.

I have also engaged with Robert Courts on these issues.  Further updates will be provided in due course, but I would like to assure residents of Standlake that the Parish Council are working very hard on these issues.

Roads/Speedwatch/20mph – Mrs. Knipe reported that: Despite reduced operating hours and weather challenges 10 Speedwatch sessions were held, 4 in the new 20mph zones and 6 in the 30mph zones.  77 speeding drivers were reported to TVP.  In the 30mph zones we are seeing typically a 1% offender rate (maximum 49mph) whereas in the 20mph zones 25% offender rate (maximum 37mph).  Hopefully as awareness grows and more roadside sessions take place this will drop.

OCC are aware of the damage to the signs and chevrons at the ‘Golden Balls’ A415/Aston Road junction and a works order has been issued for contractors to attend and replace.

As we come into January discussions will be picked up with OCC regarding additional SID devices, traffic calming, and safe crossing points and progress will be reported at Parish Council meetings.

Playground/Recreation Ground – Rack End – Mr. Rippin will replace the warning tape on the carousel which has been vandalised. He also suggested that the damaged section be replaced by using an original part from the manufacturer – Wicksteed Leisure – who still can supply the part: the cost would be £580 + VAT. This was discussed and agreed unanimously. Mr. Rippin will contact Mr. Pascoe and discuss ensuring the correct part is ordered and obtaining a quote for installation. Windrush Way- Mr. Clements reported that there was little to report, but the board on the climbing frame is rotting around the edges and should be replaced during the spring refurbishment.

Environment/Nature Recovery Network – Mrs. Macdonald reported the following. • Plug Plants. The team received some locally propagated wild flower plug plants from the Eynsham Nature Recovery group and planted them out on the wildflower bank at the Village Hall in November.

Hedge Laying. SNRN would like to express gratitude to Stuart Bridger and the team from the Wychwood Forest Project for completing the excellent work at the new burial ground at the Church. The hedge laying work has been much admired and will enhance the burial ground for years to come. Brash. The brash will be disposed of shortly when the weather is better.

Fruit Trees. The team are investigating where in the village there are public access areas where fruit trees might be planted.

Coronation Planters. When the weather improves, the 2 planters bought from the Coronation fund will be prepared, positioned, and planted.

Spring Litter Pick. We are planning to do another litter pick in the Spring to keep the levels of litter under control.

Car Park Potholes – the potholes at the entrance have been filled. However, it will not be clear whether this will be sufficient until the floods recede.

7. CORRESPONDENCE – Invitation by WODC to discuss Oxfordshire Council’s Charter. No councillors were available to attend.
8. ACCOUNTS – The clerk reported that the accounts remained in a satisfactory state and were within budget.

The following accounts received were approved: (paid*)

B Parnham – chair expenses                              £83.00*

Wileman – bus shelter cleaning.                        £30.00*

CPRE – subscription                                           £36.00*

Cottsway – Windrush Way playground rent     £10.00*

9. DEFIBRILLATOR PADS AT VILLAGE HALL – Mr Barber has informed the council that the defibrillator pads will need to be replaced in February: he has received a quote of £138. Mrs. Macdonald suggested a quote be obtained from Wellmedical, the company that replaced the unit at the school. This was agreed and Mrs. Macdonald will do this and report at the next meeting.
10. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – Mr. Parnham said that the next meeting will be held in the Youth Club on Tuesday 13th February 2024 at 7.30 pm.
11. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.55pm.

Chairman   …………………………………………………………..  Date …………………………………………………

District Councillor update – Charlie Maynard 9 Jan 2024

1. Flooding

The water is high. This link has lots of useful tips, including where to pick up sandbags from – https://westoxon.gov.uk/environment/flooding/what-to-do-during-a-flood.

2. Sewage / Thames Water

As of this evening, Standlake Sewage Treatment Works (“STW”) has dumped sewage non-stop for more than a month. Below is a summary of its performance for the last three months. I’m working with your Chair to access flow and depth meter data from Thames Water so we can assess directly where infiltration is worst and what segments are the highest priority to fix.

3. Taking on the Planning role at WODC

I’ve accepted the Planning & Sustainable Development Executive role at WODC. Various people have asked why I would want such a poisoned chalice. I’m taking it on because I’m in politics to get stuff done and this is an opportunity to do that. Opportunities include maximising the probability of keeping the district inside its five-year housing land supply and therefore away from rapacious developers; helping steer a Local Plan which genuinely serves West Oxfordshire’s residents and environment; working towards a better transport solution for our area; and grappling with thorny issues such as the Botley West solar proposal.  I’ve got a list of issues seven pages long and getting longer. Lots to do.

Minutes of the Meeting of Standlake Parish Council, held in the Youth Club, Church End, on 13th February 2024 at 7.30pm

Present:

          Mr. B. Parnham               Chairman

          Mrs. A. Knipe

          Mrs. J. Macdonald

          Mr. D. Jeffcoat

          Mr. B. Smith

          Mr. D. Bevan                   Clerk

WODC Cllrs. Mr. C. Maynard & Ms. L. Nicholls. Mrs. P. Gaffney, Mr. M. Lee and 6 members of the public.

1. APOLOGIES – Cllr. D. Levy, Mr. J. Rippin, Mr. J. Clements.
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – There were no declarations of interest.
3. PUBLIC ITEMS – Mr. Parnham closed the meeting at 7.35pm.

Mrs. Gaffney, on behalf of residents of Chapel Lane, gave a comprehensive objection to the amended plans (23/02849/FUL). In her opinion nothing had changed their previous objections. The results of further hydrology surveys, on behalf of residents, had reinforced their opinion regarding the underlying objection and contradicted the recent results by the applicant’s consultants which formed the basis of the amended plans. Mrs. Gaffney answered councillors’ questions.

Mr. Lee asked which authority, OCC or Thames Water, was responsible for drainage on the High Street. Mr. Parnham explained that OCC were responsible for road drainage and TW for sewage.

Mr. Parnham thanked those who had spoken and reopened the meeting at 7.49pm.

4. COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS – see Cllr. Levy (by email) and Cllr. Maynard’s reports attached to these minutes. Cllr. Maynard asked Mr. Parnham if there had been any response from Robert Courts MP’s office regarding sewage. Mr. Parnham said there had not nor from TW regarding the flow and water levels in the village sewage monitoring sites. A discussion took place concerning using a Freedom of Information (FoI) request to obtain this information. While TW is not a public body and therefore not subject to the FoI regulations, Cllr. Maynard thought there were certain circumstances in which the Act did apply; Mr. Jeffcoat will investigate.

Cllr. Nicholls reported that there would be more consultation on the Local Plan, and she confirmed that planning guidance was still within the current 5-year plan. She announced that small grants were available to those properties that were affected by the flooding between 2nd and 12th of January. The Old Bell development was now subject to the restriction that no further changes would be allowed under permitted development rights. Mr. Smith asked for how long this would remain in place and Cllr. Nicholls said that it would end with the sale of the properties to new owners.

5. PLANNING – 23/02849/FUL: Erection of a dwelling with double garage, adapted vehicular entrance point and related landscaping: Land South West of Chapel Lane Standlake: NPES Developments Ltd. Amended Plans. Object – recent submissions by applicant’s hydrology consultants do not change the council’s previous objections.

Planning application by FCC Environment, for planning permission: Section 73 application to continue development approved under 13/1062/P/CM (MW.0097/13) (Proposed development and operation of a Waste Transfer Station including ancillary development) without complying with conditions 1 and 5, to extend the end date of the existing Waste Transfer Facility from 31st March 2029 to 31st March 2050 and restoration from 31st December 2030 to 31st December 2051 at Dix Pit Waste Transfer Station, Dix Pit Quarry and Landfill Site/ Former Con Bloc Works, Lynch Hill, Stanton Harcourt, OX29 5BB. No Objection.

24/00153/HHD: Erection of single storey rear extension: 92 High Street Standlake Witney: Mr and Mrs Dalton. No objection.

24/00234/FUL: Conversion of three agricultural buildings to two dwellings and associated external works: The Stone Barn High Street Standlake: James Jennings. After a majority vote it was agreed no objection.

24/00158/HHD: Erection of garden building: Myrtle Cottage 60 Rack End Standlake Mr Mark Wallbutton. No objection.

6. MINUTES – Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday, 9th January 2024, copies of which had been previously circulated to all members, were agreed as a true record, and were signed by the chairman.
7. MATTERS ARISING

Sewage/Flooding – Mr. Parnham said the only update available from Thames Water is that due to adverse weather conditions tankers need to continue to operate. To the best of his knowledge neither Cllr. Maynard nor he have received any further update from Thames Water to the outstanding questions.  It remains however that we have a ludicrous situation where Thames Water approve any new development but, operationally, they admit the system cannot cope. There is continuous discharge into the river and customers unable to use domestic facilities and have raw sewage in their gardens and driveways.   This is a matter he has previously raised with our MP Robert Courts, yet the situation continues. As a Parish Council trying to look after the interest of residents it is so frustrating that our voice is not heard.

Roads/Speedwatch/20mph – Please see the report attached to these minutes.

Playground/Recreation Ground – Rack End – Mr. Rippin reported (by email) that the following items need attention: Remove graffiti from the boulder and the teenage shelter; Paint over the graffiti in the castle turrets; Remove fallen branches from the small child’s play area; Repair the car or remove; Remove the bramble from the small child’s play area; Update the sign posts with relevant contact details.

I ordered the roundabout footplate the day after our last meeting – it is on 4-to-6-week delivery – Mr. Pascoe is aware regards fitting etc.

Generally, I’m sure you’ve all seen that the equipment is looking a little tired so there will be a need to spend some money on it this year.

Windrush Way – Mr. Clements reported (by email) that there was nothing to report except that the litter bin needs emptying.

Environment/Nature Recovery Network – Mrs. Macdonald reported the following. Coronation Planters – the planters have now been treated with wood preservative and will be sited and filled with soil – and plants – shortly; Spring Litter Pick -A date for this will be decided soon; All other plans are on hold until the weather improves!

Car Park Potholes – the potholes at the entrance have been filled. However, it will not be clear whether this will be sufficient until the floods recede.

8. CORRESPONDENCE. Community First: delivering housing needs in rural communities. Members considered that this was not relevant to Standlake as we have no land available.
9. ACCOUNTS – The clerk reported that the accounts remained in a satisfactory state and were within budget.

The following accounts received were approved: (paid*)

 HMRC – clerk PAYE                                        £393.80*

Guideposts – planters                                    £245.00*

Absolute Solutions -willows trimming           £390.00*

AGM – Hi Viz jackets                                         £30.00*

10. DEFIBRILLATOR PADS AT VILLAGE HALL – Mrs. Macdonald has received a quote from Welmedical Ltd. of £59.95 for 2 defibrillator pads. It was agreed that this should be accepted, and the clerk will order.
11. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – Mr. Parnham said that the next meeting will be held in the Youth Club on Tuesday 12th March 2024 at 7.30 pm.
12. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.45pm.

Chairman   …………………………………………………………..  Date …………………………………………………

Speedwatch/Traffic Calming – Mrs. A. Knipe

Speedwatch Congratulations to our two new volunteers who have passed their training and are now Operators! A big thank you! If you would like to become part of the team helping make our roads safer please drop an email to speedwatch@standlakepc.org.uk – even if you can only give up an hour a month that would be great!

During January 16 sessions were held.  105 offenders reported to TVP including 1 with no MOT and 3 no TAX; this information is then passed to DVLA.  We are still seeing an average of 1% offenders in the 30mph zones and 19% in the 20mph zones which is down from 25% in December – hopefully this decrease will continue as awareness continues.

SID Devices [Speed Indicator Devices]: Confirmation has been received from OCC that the units on Aston Road which are currently set to 30mph will be re-visited as part of the VAS/ SID replacement project.  If a unit cannot be re-calibrated there will be an option for it to be re-deployed to a 30mph zone.  Updates to follow. There has been a request for additional SID Devices on the Abingdon Road, similar to those in Kingston Bagpuize/Southmoor.  A solar device is circa £3k plus siting/ongoing maintenance.  Locations have to be approved by OCC.  Whereas the benefit is understood, funding is a major issue. Further discussion to be held on this subject.

‘Golden Balls’ Junction: it is very disappointing to see the signage has not been replaced.  Apparently, there has been a problem in getting the new signage but this should be resolved shortly. The Parish Council continues to monitor.

Aston Road Weight Restriction: An inquiry has been made about the possibility of having a Weight/Width Restriction for HGV’s on Aston Road, Brighthampton.

 This has been pursued with OCC and the [edited] summary is as follows:

Introduction of environmental weight limits need careful consideration. Ideally survey information regarding vehicle numbers and proposed destinations for HGVs. Should a restriction be deemed to be necessary to protect the environment, suitable alternative routes must be available so vehicles can avoid the restriction without causing disruption in surrounding areas, nor unfairly disadvantaging the road haulage industry. The process to introduce a restriction involves drafting of a Traffic Regulation Order which is the legal document that will describe the restriction in detail. This will go out for a widespread consultation with responses being summarised and presented before the appropriate Council Committee for consideration. The County have no funding for this process but if an external source is made available then it may be possible to proceed.  This cost is currently £3652. In addition to this cost would be the cost of signing to highlight the presence of the restriction. I would however dare to say that this figure could well run into 10’s of thousands. We would likely have to involve national Highways in developing a signing scheme too. 

Traffic Calming: A number of draft proposals have been prepared however the fundamental issue is no funding is available from OCC for the implementation of such measures even after a local consultation and ultimately formal consultation.  Further discussion needs to be held on this as well as SID Devices.  Initial thought is a Parish Sub-Committee led by residents needs to be formed to work with the Parish Council to move this forward including funding.

County Council report, Dan Levy 13 February 2024

 

Key activity at County Hall has been handling the floods, preparing the budget and continuing the transformation of the service provided to children with special educational needs. In my role as Cabinet Member for finance, I have been coping with the failure of central government to provide the levels of funding it claimed it was providing, which meant that we had an even larger set of challenges than we had expected. We followed this by identifying savings and efficiencies we could make. The government then, last week, announced more money would be available, which is nice, but it would be better to have a system of funding that enabled sensible planning. The current methodology is shambolic, and councils of all political persuasions have been pointing this out. The budget meeting at County Hall is on 20 February.

Flooding

Although the Eynsham Division was mostly unscathed by the recent floods, with the exception of a few areas, other parts of the county were less fortunate. It is a wake up call about building in places that can’t be kept dry. The response in West Oxfordshire was better than in some other places, in part because WODC takes a more active role working with Oxfordshire than other districts. There will be a cross-agency process to improve on our flood preparedness and responses.

As you will be very aware, one of the key places that did get flooded was the High St in Standlake.

Clearly something is wrong with the drainage system here. I have asked the flood team at the County Council to investigate. Our budget proposals include additional money for flood alleviation activity.

A40 update.

Homes England, who are the source or the bulk of the funding for the A40 scheme, are still in discussions with the County Council about the level and timing of that funding, and hence the project appearing to be making no progress. I share the frustration, not least because the Park and Ride is making such rapid progress. The whole scheme was over-ambitious, and it is a regret that when the current administration came into office it took over those plans rather than starting again from scratch.

Botley Road.

We are in continual discussion with Network Rail. We are told that the works are still on schedule to permit the reopening of Botley Road to motor vehicles in October.

Fix my Street.

It is very likely that the recent wet weather and the current cold spell will lead to an increase in the number and size of holes. Please use Fix my Street to report these. As mentioned frequently, we estimate that it would take around £45m per annum to keep the roads in a decent state. The government provides £20m. The Fix my Street website has been improved to make it easier to use.

Botley West Solar Farm

As you know, the current phase of consultation is reaching its conclusion. The County Council will be providing comments to the developer, as required. This will focus on those areas for which the County Council has primary responsibility, including highways and flooding. I think it safe to say that, among other things, it was noticeable that the consultation evidence provided by PVDP was inadequate. I was particularly unimpressed by the vagueness of cable routing options.

The District Council will be the main local authority delivering evidence, although as we all know it is the planning inspectorate and central government which will decide the application.

District Councillor update – Charlie Maynard 12 February 2024

Thames Water – as I write this, your local sewage treatment works at Standlake has been dumping sewage non-stop for 182 hours. Steve Barclay, the Environment Minister was going to attend a private meeting at Standlake village hall last Saturday 10th but cancelled. Residents have had their bills hiked, but shareholders and their bankers have not had to pay their share. Nor are the government’s regulators ensuring that the water companies, Thames Water included, are doing what they need to do. I have still not received answers from Thames Water as to what monitors they have previously installed where and what data those monitors generated, nor have I received information on any plans to install monitors in the Standlake / Northmoor sewage network. Monitors matter as the catchment is large (Northmoor to Brighthampton), the network is old and the area is low lying. This leads to massive infiltration of groundwater into the network which quickly overpowers the treatment works. Monitors will tell us where are the worst leaks and therefore what to address first. Despite Standlake STW’s woeful sewage dumping record, Thames Water has no public information as to any upgrade plans for this works, which means that there currently are no plans to upgrade this works before 2030. Terrible.

Local Plan consultation – the results of last year’s Local Plan consultations are now public and available at this link – https://meetings.westoxon.gov.uk/documents/g2258/Public%20reports%20pack%2014th-Feb-2024%2014.00%20Executive.pdf?T=10. More than 2,000 responses were made. Residents gave their views see on the various Scenarios proposed. Aggregating online, email and letter responses, Scenario 8 focussing on locating development around public transport, particularly a new rail line, received approximately double the positive responses of the next nearest scenario. Importantly, many of the eight scenarios are complementary to each other and overlap. Focussing development around villages or village clusters garnered by far the most negative votes, perhaps predictably. Also of note are the list of ideas (p97 of the pdf link) for improving the district and the 126 site submissions by landowners and/or developers of where parties would like to develop. This is just a list of submissions received. In the next few weeks an online map will be made available of all the sites so that we can all see graphically where all these sites are.

A balanced budget – the district council has produced a budget with a very small surplus. Given the cuts to local government spending that’s a pretty impressive result.

Minutes of the Meeting of Standlake Parish Council, held in the Youth Club, Church End, on 12th March 2024 at 7.30pm

Present:

          Mr. B. Parnham               Chairman

          Mr. Rippin                      Vice Chairman

          Mrs. A. Knipe

          Mrs. J. Macdonald

          Mr. D. Jeffcoat

          Mr. J. Clements

          Mr. D. Bevan                   Clerk

OCC Cllr. Mr. D. Levy WODC Cllr. Mr. C. Maynard. Mrs. P. Gaffney, Mr. C. Naylor, Ms. J. Watson, Mr. P. Hudson, and Mr. S. Cosier

1. APOLOGIES – Cllr. L. Nicholls, Mr. B. Smith.
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – There were no declarations of interest.
3. PUBLIC ITEMS – Mr. Parnham closed the meeting at 7.35pm.

Mrs. Gaffney, on behalf of residents of Chapel Lane, thanked the council for their support in opposing the Chapel Lane application which was refused by WODC. Mrs. Gaffney particularly thanked Mrs. Macdonald for representing the Parish Council and speaking at the Lowlands Planning Committee.

Mr. Cosier introduced himself as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the district council elections in May and said he was attending just to make himself known.

Mr. Naylor said he understood there was no financial support available from local authority sources. He was concerned as to the absence of traffic calming on the Abingdon Road and stressed that any physical measures being considered should be outside the entrances to the village. Residents were concerned that any measures in the village would cause congestion and traffic building up outside properties. Mr. Jeffcoat noted that, as a volunteer driver for First and Last buses, it was frequently difficult to use the bus stop layby adjacent to The Orchard because of parked cars.

Ms. Watson spoke as a resident of Aston Road and was concerned about the safety of residents in view of the lack of footpaths along the road. This was not helped by vehicles which were frequently parked blocking the footpath. She also spoke on behalf of a resident of Witney Road who is concerned about the speed of cars on the road and the lack of any traffic calming and wants to know what can be done.

Mr. Hudson said he was primarily addressing OCC Cllr. Levy and then spoke at length regarding the lack of safety features on the Abingdon Rd. which were being pursued in other areas of the county such as the possibility of average speed cameras. In summary: no 20 mph limit; no double white lines for the length of the road; no marked safe pedestrian crossing; no SIDs. He highlighted the limitations of Speedwatch statistics sent to OCC and TVP – more checks required outside morning and evening rush hours. Mr. Hudson questioned why other localities had these features and not Standlake when the answer is always ‘there is no money’. Cllr. Levy replied that he agreed with 99% of the comments but said that he had asked for 20 mph on Abingdon Rd. but was overruled by officers. He said that on the question of possible average speed cameras, the police were simply not interested unless they would generate revenue. Cllr. Levy concluded that the shortage of money was real and accepted there was frustration at the situation, but he would investigate the possibility of some funding towards the provision of SIDs, for instance.

Mr. Parnham said that the way to increase the number of Speedwatch checks was to recruit more volunteers and he expressed his thanks to those who were already in the scheme. He reiterated that the provision of SIDs needed funding (also see ‘Matters Arising) and was actively investigating the possibility of releasing money from WODC. Some money was allocated to Standlake as a result of contributions by a housing developer and Mr. Parnham was seeing if any of this could be released for traffic calming. The clerk pointed out that this money (known as a Section 106 agreement between the developer and WODC) had been earmarked for the specific purpose of contributing to affordable housing anywhere in the district. Other localities, such as Kingston Bagpuize/Southmoor, had benefited from the Sect.106 contributions derived from the large developments there and, no doubt, provided for traffic alleviation measures in the agreement.

Mr. Parnham thanked those who had spoken and reopened the meeting at 8.03pm.

4. COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS – see Cllr. Levy and Cllr. Maynard’s reports attached to these minutes.
5. PLANNING – no planning applications have been received this month.
6. MINUTES – Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday, 13th February 2024, copies of which had been previously circulated to all members, were agreed as a true record, and were signed by the chairman.
7. MATTERS ARISING

Sewage/Flooding – Mr. Parnham said he had had no further update from TW. Neither Mr. Jeffcoat nor Cllr. Maynard have had any updates to their queries; Mr. Jeffcoat will raise a formal statutory request to TW if Cllr. Maynard has no further success.. Nothing further has been received from OCC regarding the High St. flooding.

Roads/Speedwatch/20mph – Mrs. Knipe reported the following: SpeedWatch:  If you would like to become part of the team helping make our roads safer, please email speedwatch@standlakepc.org.uk – even if you can only give up an hour a month that would be great! During February 12 sessions were held with weather conditions causing a number of sessions to be cancelled.  100 offenders reported to TVP including 1 with no MOT; this information is then passed to DVLA by TVP.  We are still seeing an average of 1% offenders in the 30mph zones but 22% in the 20mph zones; hopefully this decrease will continue as awareness continues. SID Devices [Speed Indicator Devices]: Confirmation has been received from OCC that the units on Aston Road which are currently set to 30mph will be re-visited as part of the VAS/ SID replacement project.  If a unit cannot be re-calibrated there will be an option for it to be re-deployed to a 30mph zone.  We are still waiting for an update from OCC. There has been a request for additional SID Devices on the Abingdon Road, similar to those in Kingston Bagpuize/Southmoor.  A solar device is circa £3k plus siting/ongoing maintenance.  Locations have to be approved by OCC.  Whereas the benefit is understood, funding is a major issue. Further discussion to be held on this subject. Abingdon Rd./Aston Rd./Witney Rd Junction: signage has now been replaced. High Street Pot Hole: this was marked ‘red’ earlier this week [w/c 4th March] which, according to the information we have from OCC, means it will be repaired within a 2-24 hour window.  This has not happened and been logged with OCC. Traffic Calming: A number of draft proposals have been prepared however the fundamental issue is no funding is available from OCC for the implementation of such measures even after a local consultation and ultimately formal consultation. 50mph on Downs Road: enquiries have been made on how we get a reduction on Downs Road to say 50mph – it is a ludicrous situation where you come off the 50mph from the A415 to 60mph Downs Road where there is residential, light business, holiday park and the road is narrower than the A415!  The response from OCC is detailed but, in essence it says that the process is defined by national guidelines and is expensive which would have to be paid for by the parish, OCC not having any funds for this.

Playground/Recreation Ground – Rack End – Mr. Rippin reported that the repair to the roundabout has now been completed. Mr. Rippin was able to obtain an original part at the lower price of £84.94 ex VAT plus £40 fitting; this was welcomed by councillors. Windrush Way – Mr. Clements said that there was nothing to report since last month. Mr. Parnham will coordinate with Mr. Rippin, Mr. Clements and Absolute Solutions for an inspection of both playgrounds this month.

Environment/Nature Recovery Network – Mrs. Macdonald reported the following. Pollinator Patch. The team have tidied up the pollinator patch at the entrance to the Village Hall, and it is growing well. The insect house sited on the wall is also showing signs of being well used. Village Hall wildflower bank. We plan to cut the grass again soon, when the weather is drier, to allow the wildflowers to establish. Tree guards have been repaired on the bank. • Brash removal. We have had a quote from Mark Pascoe and the brash in the carpark at the Church should be removed and disposed of w/c 11th March – this has now been done. New Burial Ground There is evidence of native species beginning to grow on the new burial ground. We have mown again an area ready for wildflower seed planting, and Chris Cleland is planning to scarify the ground for us on Friday 8th March, weather permitting. Spring Litter Pick. Again, in collaboration with the Parish Council, the WI and SNRN, a litter pick will be organised in the village on Saturday 20th April 10-12. Pickers and sacks have been ordered and posters going up soon. Coronation Planters. The planters have been sited and filled with soil, on the Downs beside the bus stop, and at the entrance to Heyford Close and will be planted, hopefully on Monday 11th March. These have now been planted and it was agreed that the cost of the plants, soil, etc. would be paid from the Coronation Fund surplus.  Dog / waste bin emptying. I have been in contact WODC twice (4th and 7th March) to ask, as a matter of urgency, for the bin at Martins Lane and Downs junction to be emptied. It has been overflowing with dog bags and seemingly not on the recent rota for emptying. WODC are dealing with it. Cllr. Maynard asked Mrs. Macdonald for details and will follow this up.  Bramble Bush at Rack End Recreation Ground. Following Mr. Rippin’s request for the removal of brambles in the playground, SNRN recommend that rather than removing the bramble bush, it would be preferable to prune it back and tidy it, so retaining the bush, but making it less encroaching on children’s play area. This will be further discussed after the inspection this month.

Defibrillator Pads – Mrs. Macdonald has passed the pads to Mr. Barber for installation at the Village Hall.

8. CORRESPONDENCE. – LWTC – invitation to Parish Council for formal opening of club house 20th April.

Mr. N. Evans – complaint re council’s planning application objection comment Chapel Lane. Mr. Parnham said he had responded to Mr. Evans on two occasions but received no acknowledgement or reply. Advice had been sought from WODC and OALC which amounted to that there was no wrongdoing by the council, and this had been communicated to Mr. Evans. However, Mr. Parnham asked the council to validate this action, and this was agreed unanimously.

9. ACCOUNTS – The clerk reported that the accounts remained in a satisfactory state and were within budget. The figures, assuming no significant expenditure prior to 31st March, corresponded closely to the end of year situation forecast in the budget; a detailed expenditure for FY23/24 will be provided by the April meeting.    The clerk said that the risks for the coming year were no different to the current year given that the council owned no land, buildings or vehicles and were adequately insured for playground equipment gates and fences; this view was supported by the council.

The following accounts received were approved: (paid*)

Welmedical – defib pads                                    £79.08*

PWLB – car park loan                                     £2142.96*

D C Bevan – clerk salary                                £1648.70*

HMRC – clerk PAYE                                          £393.80*

Wicksteed -roundabout part                           £101.93*

Absolute Sols – roundabout repair                   £40.00*

10. CAR PARK SECURITY – Mrs. Carter of St. Giles church has again written regarding the car park once again suggesting camera surveillance and also that the car park gate be closed (by church personnel) in the evening and opened in the morning. Mr. Clements will further investigate the matter of a camera and report back. There was some discussion regarding the gate closure, both for and against, but no decision was reached and this will be discussed again at the next meeting.
11. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – Mr. Parnham said that the next meeting will be held in the Youth Club on Tuesday 9th April 2024 at 7.30 pm.
12. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.45pm.

Chairman   …………………………………………………………..  Date …………………………………………………

County Councillor’s Report – Dan Levy

Tuesday 20 Feb was the Full Council meeting of the County Council at which we set a budget for the next financial year. The administration at County Hall, of which I am the Cabinet member with responsibility for finance, does not have an overall majority, after the departure of Labour from the Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance. We therefore ended up with a very long meeting, trying to get agreement across the parties. And finally ended up adopting a slightly more expansive budget than I had thought ideal, but still well within the parameters of what is safe.

We agreed above inflation increases in spending on Adult Social Care and Children’s services, and additional money going into flood defences and roads. We are offsetting this with a set of savings in areas such as reducing the layers of management and putting effort into ensuring that our children can be looked after in Oxfordshire rather than elsewhere. The County Council remains financially robust, but there are limits to what can be done within the funding available.

It has been a complex path to get to this point, involving really useful consultation exercises, and grappling with the government producing its “final” settlement, in two parts, so that we only discovered our final expected income earlier this month. It is a ridiculous process, and I hope that any incoming government, at the very least, commits to multiyear settlements so we can plan our spending and delivery and increase our ability to provide the services residents rightly demand, and the end to bidding in competition with other authorities for individual time limited pots of money for specific projects.

Flooding

As we have all noticed, the wet weather has continued for the past few months, and demonstrated the vulnerability of many places to flooding. The County Council is the lead flood authority, and works closely with the Emergency Services and WODC to respond to floods and try to prevent them. There will be a full cross-agency debriefing in the spring, and I would expect the input of parish councils will be sought.

The flooding in Standlake, particularly on the High Street, was substantial, and we need to respond appropriately to prevent it happening. I was pleased to see that the planning application for a property in Chapel Lane was rejected on drainage grounds (and with my WODC councillor hat on, was part of the committee that made that decision).

This is mostly a separate issue to the issues with Thames Water and sewage, and we will continue to put effort into putting pressure on them and on the Environment Agency. As part of this process, the County Council has appointed the leaders of West Oxfordshire and of Vale of White Horse District Councils, Councillors Andy Graham and Bethia Thomas, who are both also county councillors, to act as joint County Council water champions.

Roads A40 update.

No further progress to report. Discussions with Homes England continue. The public enquiry on the other HIF scheme, based in Didcot, commenced on 20 Feb.

You may have seen that the A40 cycle route is being scraped, to restore it to its original width after decades of neglect. It makes a huge difference.

Before After

The section near Cassington and the Barnard Gate to Witney section has now been completed.

Traffic Filters.

As you may have read, once Botley Road is reopened to motor traffic, when National Rail finish their work, in October, the traffic filters in Oxford City Centre will be going live. They are designed to speed up buses and give bus passengers confidence that they will arrive quickly and on time.

Everywhere that you can currently drive to in Oxfordshire will still be accessible to drivers. The only difference is that you can’t use the city centre as a through route. So if you wanted to go, let’s say, from Standlake to Cowley Road, you would use the ring road and come up the Cowley Road from the BMW plant or via Donnington Bridge, just as you probably would today.

Our expectation is that nearly all people living outside the ringroad will notice no difference, although they might be more tempted to use public transport as the services improve.

As ever, please contact me on dan.levy@oxfordshire.gov.

District Councillor’s Report – Charlie Maynard

District Council passes balanced budget

On Wednesday 28th February, WODC passed a balanced budget. Given that local government funding has been cut 23% in real terms since 2011, that’s quite an achievement. The Conservatives did propose any amendments to the budget, but voted against it.

Police front desks

The local Lib Dems are launching a campaign to bring back the front desk at Witney’s police station. The police front desk was closed during Covid and has not re-opened since. This means that if a resident wants to go and meet a police officer, they need to travel to either Oxford or Abingdon to do this. While some people are comfortable discussing issues either by phone or online, many people are not and want to be able to meet face to face. We understand that the police force has a deep commitment to serving and protecting the public. Part of this commitment is about ensuring that the public has direct, physical access to the police, which is both practically useful and helps maintain and build trust. Police front desks have re-opened in Covid in various places around the country, such as Devon and Hampshire, and we are keen that Thames Valley Police chart a course towards re-opening Witney’s front desk.

Sewage

The overall picture remains dire. Water bills have been increased. This will likely prevent the water companies from going bust until at least after the general election and helps out shareholders and their bankers, but residents are taking the hit. Operationally, there is no sign that Thames Water is grasping the enormity of the challenge to get our sewage network and works up to scratch. As I write this, it has not rained for six days and Standlake’s works has been dumping for 722 hours straight.

I still have not received answers to my January questions. I am chasing hard to get them.

Thames Water just state the following about their plans for Standlake “We expect this location to meet all government targets for storm overflows by 2030”. Nothing more, despite the terrible dumping record of the works. What is needed – and there is no sign of it actually happening – are: a) improvements and capacity upgrades to Standlake’s works, and b) for TW to seal the worst leaking sections of the Standlake and Northmoor network.

Minutes of the Meeting of Standlake Parish Council, held in the Youth Club, Church End, on 9th April 2024 at 7.30pm

Present:

          Mr. B. Parnham               Chairman

          Mr. Rippin                      Vice Chairman

          Mrs. J. Macdonald

          Mr. D. Jeffcoat

          Mr. B.Smith

          Mr. D. Bevan                   Clerk

          WODC Cllr. Mr. C. Maynard. Cllr. L. Nicholls, Mrs. E. Welch.

1. APOLOGIES – Cllr. D. Levy, Mr. J. Clements, Mrs. A. Knipe.
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – Mr. Jeffcoat, Mr. B. Smith. Both regarding 24/00594/HHD.
3. PUBLIC ITEMS – Mr. Parnham closed the meeting at 7.33pm. Mrs. Welch briefed councillors on the application no. 24/00594/HHD. Mrs. Macdonald asked what the ground surface under the panels would be. Mrs. Welch said that the drawings showed the area being cleared and shingle laid, but she was aware that this was not necessary and could be left to grass. Mrs. Macdonald welcomed this from an environmental perspective.

Mr. Parnham thanked Mrs. Welch and reopened the meeting at 7.37pm.

4. COUNTY & DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS – see Cllr. Levy, Cllr. Nicholls and Cllr. Maynard’s reports attached to these minutes. Mr. Parnham thanked Cllr. Maynard for his information from Thames Water and his suggested further questions. However, Mr. Parnham said he had not had time to read it in depth but would do so and reply in due course.

PLANNING – Notice of Appeal – Former Magdalen Farmyard Abingdon Rd.

24/00594/HHD: Installation of 56 ground mounted solar panels: Yew Tree Farm 49 Abingdon Road Standlake: Mrs Emma Welch. No objection.

5. MINUTES – Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday, 12th March 2024, copies of which had been previously circulated to all members, were agreed as a true record, and were signed by the chairman.
6. MATTERS ARISING

Sewage/Flooding – Nothing further to report beyond that raised in Cllr. Maynard’s report.

Roads/Speedwatch/20mph – Mrs. Knipe reported the following by email:  SpeedWatch:  If you would like to become part of the team helping make our roads safer please drop an email to speedwatch@standlakepc.org.uk – even if you can only give up an hour a month that would be great! During March 18 sessions were held.  102 offenders reported to TVP including 4 with no MOT; this information is then passed to DVLA by TVP.  We are still seeing an average of 1% offenders in the 30mph zones but 27% in the 20mph zones; hopefully this decrease will continue as awareness continues.

SID Devices [Speed Indicator Devices]: Dialogue continues with OCC about the units on Aston Road.  Additional units will require funding by the Parish Council.  As we come into the new financial year this can be reviewed.

White Lining/Dragon Teeth Marking: Ongoing dialogue with OCC.  Some may be funded by OCC; others will need to be funded by the Parish Council.

Traffic Calming: anything in this area needs to be funded by the Parish Council as no funds available from OCC. As frustrating as it is, no funding is available from OCC so will need to be funded by the Parish Council but of course any measures need to be approved and implemented by OCC.

Playground/Recreation Ground – On 30th March Mr. Parnham, Mr. Clements, and the clerk carried out an inspection of the playgrounds in company with Mr. Gary Pascoe. A large number of areas were identified for repair and refurbishing and an estimate of £904.76 has now been received from Absolute Solutions. Mr. Parnham proposed that this be accepted and this was agreed unanimously.

Environment/Nature Recovery Network – Mrs. Macdonald reported the following – Village Car Park. Gary Pascoe (Absolute Solutions) has successfully removed the brash and brambles from the car park. He did an excellent job, and the car park is now tidy. Paid for from SNRN funds.

New Burial Ground This new/extension burial ground is now being used. SNRN funds paid Chris Cleland to scarify an area in the burial ground, and the team have done further work here, and planted a variety of wild flower seeds.

Spring Litter Pick Saturday 20th April 10am -12pm in collaboration with the WI and the PC. Advertising is going out and posters displayed around the village. All volunteers welcome to participate!

Dog/Waste bin (Martins Lane, The Downs junction). Cllr. Maynard has successfully been in touch with WODC, who have confirmed that this well used bin is to be emptied and monitored on a weekly basis. Mrs. Macdonald said that there was a contact number to call WODC if bins were seen to be overflowing between scheduled emptying and she would be attaching a notice on the bin with that information..

7. CORRESPONDENCE. – no correspondence.
8. ACCOUNTS – The clerk reported that the accounts for FY2023/24 were completed and ready for audit. He thanked Mr. Jeffcoat for his help in producing an accurate opening statement for FY 2024/25.

Received: VAT refund £814.50

The following accounts received were approved: (paid*)

Chris Cleland – churchyard mowing               £372.50*

OALC – subscription                                       £318.71*

OPFA – subscription                                          £47.00*

9. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – Mr. Parnham said that the next meeting will be held in the Youth Club on Tuesday 14th May 2024 at 7.30 pm.
10. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.20pm.

Chairman   …………………………………………………………..  Date …………………………………………………

 

County Councillor’s Report – Dan Levy

New special schools: The county council is planning two new special schools in the Didcot area to serve southeast Oxfordshire. One will specialise in educating children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) needs. Another special school is due to be built within the Valley Park development, and will specialise in educating children with Profound & Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and other needs. In addition, as many people know, we are building or acquiring small children’s homes to provide care in the county for those who would otherwise have to go somewhere else. This will provide better care for the children, at substantially lower cost. The home in Aston opened recently, and one is planned in Sutton.

Taking on potholes: OCC is launching a £7m programme this spring to refurbish nearly 100 roads across the county this spring from 8 April to 3 June. It is the biggest surface dressing programme for 20 years. The £7m is made up of £2.6m from the department for transport and additional budget for highways agreed in the 2024/2025 Lib Dem/Green budget (which was not supported by the Tories). This is good, but it will not make up the approximately £20m gap per annum between what we need to maintain our roads and what the government awards us. And as the weather gets worse, as appears to be the case, the pressure on our roads will continue to grow.

Money for cycling and walking: Oxfordshire has been awarded £2.384 million for improving walking and cycling infrastructure. The award will be used for expansion of the school streets programme countywide and projects in Abingdon and Witney.

Tenants welcomed into supported housing: Adults with learning disabilities and autism have moved into new accommodation in Witney, purchased by OCC. A further four homes are planned, including in Horspath.

EV chargers: Oxfordshire has won another £3.6m to upgrade EV infrastructure. This is of course a bit chicken and egg. Most people who buy electric cars only do so when they can charge them at home, but we need to make provision for those who are away from home or who can’t charge at home. And we need excess capacity so that nobody turns up in urgent need of charging to discover there is no space.

Elections.

Not County Council related, but there are elections for WODC on 2 May. There is one seat up in the Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt ward and one in Eynsham, Cassington and South Leigh. Can I remind people that they will need to take ID to the polling station, or else get an Voter Authority Certificate, or apply for a postal vote.

All the details are on the WODC web pages.

Elections and voting – West Oxfordshire District Council (westoxon.gov.uk)

It has been a pleasure working with the two district councillors who are up for re-election.

District Councillor’s Report – Lysette Nicholls

Planning Related Issues: Eagle Farm – There is no planning application for Eagle Form, the officers confirmed again with me despite activity. Boreholes have been observed in the field and trees chopped down. Currently speaking with the TPO officer as a request has been made to have two trees assessed for TPO status.

Appeal lodged Magdalen Farmyard APP/D3125/W/24/3337046

5 Year Housing Supply & New Local Plan Consultation. 5-year housing supply already mentioned in the report by Cllr. Maynard. This is the second time in two years we have seen the 5-year housing supply challenged successfully and the only time in West Oxfordshire to my knowledge. Officers are looking at ways to ensure this is defended, however this places more pressure on the District to ensure the New Local Plan being consulted on is scrutinised something I highlighted very vocally on last year when we were consulted on the possible ideas for development, two of which were cluster and dispersed villages (Standlake and Brighthampton) which I was against as we need build houses in the right place with the right infrastructure.

Flood Risk Management Funding Opportunity OCC Should have had an email – grant available 5-50K. Expressions of interest should be submitted by 30th April.

District Councillor’s Report – Charlie Maynard

Thames Water

As I write this, Standlake sewage treatment works has been discharging raw sewage for the 308 hours non-stop – https://www.thameswater.co.uk/edm-map I received today some replies from Thames Water to the questions I asked them regarding the Standlake catchment in January. I’ve forwarded on those questions, TW’s responses and some proposed draft responses separately to the parish council. Standlake STW’s sewage dumping record is abysmal and more than justifies installing monitors, as have been installed at Aston and Brize Norton with the goal of better understanding where the worst infiltration is.  sewage network. The obvious massive problem is that Thames Water is fast heading towards Administration (i.e. bankruptcy) and the probability of Thames Water spending the money required to fix this problem is low.

West Oxfordshire District Council has been shortlisted for a national award for its work campaigning on sewage. I am ambivalent about this. We have made groundbreaking strides over the last two years since taking over the administration by bringing in conditions linking development to upgrades in treatment works and networks. We’ve also taken apart Thames Water’s extremely poor quality data and have forced changes in how they calculate the capacity of their treatment works. We’ve persuaded them (or forced them through strength of argument?) to change how they calculate catchment population, per capita consumption and the all important Environment Agency’s “multiplier”, with Thames Water now agreeing to apply a 3.0x multiplier with no exceptions when considering upgrades in sewage treatment capacity. This has all be achieved with the district council having zero statutory power over Thames Water. On the (very large) downside, it’s been a miserable couple of years seeing sewage endlessly spew into our rivers, with absolutely no end in sight. We need a government who is serious about addressing this issue, our current government certainly is not.

 

National Planning Inspector’s decision

A national planning inspector has ruled against the unanimous view of West Oxfordshire District Councillors, allowing a 120 unit housing development just west of Minster Lovell. This is very disappointing, doubly so as the inspector found that the District Council was not forecast to meet its Five Year Housing Land Supply. This highlights the extremely difficult task of staying within the 5YHLS and the multiple ways that developers are able to win at appeal, even if we are within the 5YHLS. There is lots of work being done to shore up defences. We will see down the track how successful these efforts prove.

Local elections on May 2nd

Please vote! Please also remember to bring ID as that is now a requirement nationally.

Minutes of the Meeting of Standlake Parish Council, held in the Youth Club, Church End, on 14th May 2024 at 7.30pm

Present:

          Mr. B. Parnham               Chairman

          Mr. Rippin                      Vice Chairman

          Mrs. A. Knipe

          Mrs. J. Macdonald

          Mr. D. Jeffcoat

          Mr. B. Smith

          Mr. D. Bevan                   Clerk

          OCC Cllr. Mr. D. Levy, WODC Cllrs. Mr. C. Maynard, Mr. S. Cosier, Mr. & Mrs. J. Ling, Mr. C. Potter

1. APOLOGIES –Mr. J. Clements.
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – Mr. B. Smith. regarding 24/00884/S73.
3. PUBLIC ITEMS – no members of the public wished to speak.
4. COUNTY and DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS Newly elected councillor Steve Cosier said he was looking forward to working with the council. He was welcomed by Mr. Parnham and the council. Please see Cllr. Levy and Cllr. Maynard’s reports attached to these minutes. It was noted a meeting has been arranged with with TW on the 20th May and a report from the meeting is looked forward to.
5. PLANNING –

24/00511/LBC: Internal and external alterations to replace front and rear dormer windows, two ground floor and one first floor windows on northwest elevation, and a door on southwest elevation: Bracken Cottage 63 High Street Standlake: Mrs Caroline Power. Mr Jeffcoat commented that this application had been approved earlier in the day by WODC.  Therefore no further discussion or decision was needed.

24/00732/HHD: Erection of garden room/gym: 86 High Street Standlake Witney: Georgina Crumlish. No objection.

24/00884/S73: Variation of condition 2 of planning permission 20/03451/FUL to allow design changes to Plot 1. 20/03451/FUL: Construction of two, 4 bed dwellings. 138 Abingdon Road Standlake Witney: Mr and Mrs Ling. No objection.

24/00925/FUL Construction of car port. (Retrospective). The Old Bell 21 High Street Standlake Mr T Fletcher. No objection.

6. MINUTES – Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday, 9th April 2024, copies of which had been previously circulated to all members, were agreed as a true record, and were signed by the chairman.
7. MATTERS ARISING

Sewage/Flooding – Nothing further to report other than Cllr. Maynard’s report.

Roads/Speedwatch/20mph – Mrs. Knipe reported the following:  Speedwatch: During April 18 sessions were held.  153 offenders reported to TVP.  We are still seeing an average of 1% offenders in the 30mph zones but 26% in the 20mph zones with one offender recorded at 50mph. We do need additional volunteers and a recruitment campaign will take place shortly.

White Lining/Dragon Teeth Marking: OCC has confirmed that ‘Dragon Teeth’ lining as you come into the 20mph zones has been approved and will be undertaken shortly.

Dialogue continues with regard to other traffic calming measures but of course funding is the major issue.

Playground/Recreation Ground – Mr. Clements (not present) has identified two minor items in the Windrush Way play park; a quote will be obtained from Absolute Solutions. The clerk and Mr. Clements met with a representative of Redlynch Leisure to examine the safety surface around the climbing boulder in the Rack End recreation ground. The surface is in poor condition, much patched and it has shrunk around the edges thus causing a trip hazard. The clerk described the options for edging repair and a new surface which would not involve complete removal of the existing base and presented a quote of £3907.00 to carry out this work. This was accepted and the clerk will put a S106 request to WODC to fund the work.

Mr. Rippin said the old goalposts needed replacing with more modern posts and nets. It was agreed this needed doing and Mr. Rippin will obtain a quote.

Mr. Jeffcoat said that a panel on the roundabout in the Rack End playground was damaged and needed replacing. It is the same type of panel that was recently fitted on another part of the roundabout and Mr. Rippin was asked to order the replacement.

Environment/Nature Recovery Network – Mrs. Macdonald reported the following – Nature Recovery nationally are recommending “No Mow May” as an initiative to protect and encourage food sources for insects and invertebrates.  We would like villagers to embrace this initiative.  The Coronation planters are settling well and will be replenished with new plants shortly. LWVP (Lower Windrush Valley Project) is currently without a project officer.  Dan Levy has pursued this matter with WODC, who state that the role is being restructured, and that advertising for a new member of staff will happen soon.  The project Officer will have responsibility for managing the Bird Hides etc in Standlake and at Rushy Common. This post has been vacant for approximately 10 months, and we hope to see the post filled soon. Dog/litter bins are now being emptied on a regular basis. The village litter pick produced 30 sacks of litter and Mrs. Macdonald thanked all who took part – 30 residents in all.

Car Park – Mr. Parnham noted that the police had increased the frequency of vehicle patrols in response to his request.  After discussion it was decided that no further action was needed at this time, but the matter will be kept under review. Regarding the surface at the entrance to the car park, no further action was possible yet due to the continuing rainy weather, but this will be kept under review.

8. CORRESPONDENCE. – no correspondence.
9. ACCOUNTS – The clerk reported that the accounts were in a satisfactory condition and within budget.

Received: Precept 1st Half -£15,000; WODC S106 grant for playground repairs and refurbishing. – £904.76

The following accounts received were approved: (paid*)

Amazon – speed gun case                                               £25.94*

Absolute Solutions – playground refurb                       £904.76*

Absolute Solutions – mowing                                        £370.00*

C Cleland – churchyard mowing                                    £372.50*

Absolute Solutions – mowing                                       £370.00*

10. AUDIT FY 23/24 – The clerk formally presented the Annual Governance and Accountability Report (AGAR) which had been distributed to councillors beforehand. This was accepted unanimously, and the relevant sections were signed by the clerk and the chairman.
11. VILLAGE HALL S106 MONIES – As Village Hall representative on the council, Mr. Jeffcoat presented a list of proposed future expenditure on improvement projects at the Hall. He asked the council for their support in approaching WODC to ascertain if any of the proposals would qualify for support from the S106 money allocated to Standlake. It was agreed that this be done, and the clerk will liaise with Mr. Jeffcoat in approaching WODC.
12. WRITE OFF OLD LAPTOP The clerk asked the council to approve the write off of the old laptop which has been replaced. This was agreed unanimously.
13. SCOUTS FIREWORKS SATURDAY 2 NOV 24 Request to hold this annual event was approved unanimously subject to the usual conditions.
14. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – Mr. Parnham said that the next meeting will be held in the Youth Club on Tuesday 11th June 2024 at 7.30 pm.
15. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.20pm.

Chairman   …………………………………………………………..  Date …………………………………………………

 

County Councillor’s Report – Dan Levy.

Spring appears finally to have arrived, after what seems like non-stop rain.

Can I take the opportunity to thank everyone for voting in the district council elections on May 2, and welcome Steve Cosier as your new district councillor alongside Charlie Maynard. Lysette Nicholls was an excellent champion for residents in her 4 year term, and I am sure Steve will live up to her example.

Roads The dry weather means that much needed work can be done, and there will be a set of road closures and road works. I know that there are numerous areas where road surfaces need to be fixed, and there is a huge backlog. As you may recall, we estimate it would cost in excess of £40m per annum just to keep things from getting worse. We have received approx. £22m from central government, added an additional £5m in the recent County Council budget, and so there is still a large annual shortfall. Please keep reporting on FixmyStreet.

We are still waiting for confirmation of funding from government agency Homes England for the HIF2 scheme for the A40. Unfortunately, the previous administration assumed that this funding would automatically appear at the same time as funding for the “Science Corridor” which paid for the Park and Ride. It has not. No County Council council taxpayers money has been spent on the Park and Ride.

In order to complete the Park and Ride, and build the bus lanes, we need government to step up. It is clearly extremely annoying to have the P&R nearly complete but unusable, but the buck stops at Whitehall.

Strategic Active Travel Network OCC has approved its map for a ‘Strategic Active Travel Network (SATN)’. The map anticipates key direct walking and cycle routes between settlements in Oxfordshire and

towns/villages in neighbouring counties. Cabinet approved progressing to ‘stage 2’ – translating the straight-line network into on-the-ground alignments, design and costing. An example is ensuring that there is a useable, direct, safe route between Brize Norton and Witney, which is currently a scary prospect for people who would prefer to cycle.

Vision Zero. Mission to eliminate road deaths: A package of measures aimed at eliminating deaths and serious injuries on Oxfordshire’s roads by 2050 (‘Vision Zero’) have been approved. Each 2 year there are currently approximately 30 deaths and 245 serious injuries on Oxfordshire’s roads. The programme has £4 million in funding for projects to be delivered by 2026.

Community transport grants 2024-25: OCC is inviting parish/town councils to bid for community transport grants from a pot of £150,000. Applications from successful bidders in 2023- 2024 will not be considered to give opportunity for other areas to benefit also.

Oxford United Stadium: ‘Heads of terms’ and subsequent legal agreements have been agreed between Oxfordshire County Council and OUFC for the lease of land near Kidlington owned by OCC and proposed to be the site of OUFC’s new home. This was not a straightforward negotiation as we needed to ensure the club could never again face the sort of situation that it and other clubs have faced when the playing and ownership interests are separated. The club has made a number of valuable pledges to the community and these have been included in the contracts. The next step is for the football club to get planning permission from Cherwell District Council.

As ever, please contact me with any queries, issues, complaints and anything else.

District Councillor’s Report – Charlie Maynard

Local district election results Thank you everyone who voted on May 2nd. The results were as follows:

Steve Cosier                     Liberal Democrat            860

Lysette Nicholls               Conservative                    672

Marion Harley                 Labour                              97

Alma Tumilowicz             Green                                48

I’m delighted that Steve won and that the Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt ward now has two Liberal Democrat councillors. We will both do our very best to serve you all. I’d also like to give Lysette my thanks for her good work to everyone in the ward over the last three years. It’s highly likely that alliance between the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Greens will continue. We believe that residents support having parties and councillors working together to achieve results.

Chapel Lane Many congratulations to everyone who gave input into the proposal to build at Chapel Lane. Particular congratulations to Paula Gaffney for her intelligent and resourceful approach of digging boreholes and renting an automated water logger which took water level readings every 15 minutes, 24/7. This was key to the decision made and I expect will now be replicated in many other places.

Thames Water We will be meeting with them on Monday 20th May. A key priority is to get some better feedback to our questions than we have to date and to get a date set for monitors to be added throughout the Standlake catchment. That will not be easy.

Minutes of the Meeting of Standlake Parish Council, held in the Youth Club, Church End, on 11th June 2024 at 7.30pm

Present:

          Mr. B. Parnham               Chairman

          Mrs. A. Knipe

          Mrs. J. Macdonald

          Mr. D. Jeffcoat

          Mr. J. Clements

          Mr. B. Smith

          Mr. D. Bevan                   Clerk

          OCC Cllr. Mr. D. Levy.

1. APOLOGIES –Mr. J. Rippin, WODC Cllrs. S. Cosier, C. Maynard.
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None.
3. PUBLIC ITEMS – no members of the public were present.
4. COUNTY and DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS See Cllr. Levy and Cllr. Cosier’s reports attached. Cllr. Levy asked how the recent top dressing of the A415 was perceived and this produced different reactions. Mr. Parnham said the announcement of the closures was chaotic and should be improved while Mr. Jeffcoat’s opinion was that, given the weather conditions, in general OCC had completed the work in a satisfactory fashion. Mr. Smith observed that there was an area of the road adjacent to the Rose Revived that appears to be missing the top dressing all together. Cllr. Levy said he will pass on these comments, and reminded councillors that the work was carried out by contractors not OCC directly.
5. PLANNING –

24/01039/FUL: Replacement of existing cottage (self-build). Gaunt Mill Cottage Standlake Oxfordshire: Mr and Mrs Glynn. No objection.

24/01143/LBC: Internal and external alterations to include the replacement of all existing solid wood windows and the two French doors on North East elevation, along with replacement of the three Velux windows on rear roof slope. Pear Tree House 23 High Street Standlake: Mrs Mary Anne Florey. No objection.

24/00946/FUL: Creation of new track and access to farm buildings: The Old Farmhouse 33 Abingdon Road Standlake: Mr Ed Gillard. No objection.

6. MINUTES – Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday, 14th May 2024, copies of which had been previously circulated to all members, were agreed as a true record, and were signed by the chairman.
7. MATTERS ARISING

Sewage/Flooding – Nothing further to report.

Roads/Speedwatch/20mph – Mrs. Knipe reported the following: Despite a number of operators being on holiday, 10 sessions were held during May resulting in 135 offenders being reported.  Of these, 4 had no Tax, 2 no MOT and 1 on SORN; this information is passed by TVP to DVLA.

We are still seeing an average of 1% offenders in the 30mph zones but 30% in the 20mph zones.  Hopefully the ‘Dragon Teeth’ white lining will help increase awareness that drivers are coming into a 20mph zone.  We are still waiting for a date from OCC as to when this will be completed – unfortunately there is a backlog of white-lining jobs no doubt not helped by all the road dressing taking place.

Many thanks to all the Speedwatch Operators who continue to give up their time including those who also work as well!  A recruitment campaign will be held during June to hopefully bring on more operators. Mrs. Knipe added that, while people were quick to post adverse comments on Facebook, they were not coming forward to join the Speedwatch team which was still operating with the core group of individuals who had formed Standlake Speedwatch 3 years ago.

Playground/Recreation Ground – The clerk reported that the Rack End recreation ground climbing boulder new safety surface has now been laid; he has also ordered the spare part for the roundabout in the Rack End playground. The vehicle gate into the recreation ground is beyond repair and needs replacing as does the young children’s step walker in the Rack End playground: the clerk has a quote for this work from Absolute Solutions for the sum of £543.37 including parts and labour. This was accepted and the clerk will make a claim on the S106 monies held by WODC.

Environment/Nature Recovery Network – Mrs. Macdonald reported the following – No Mow May – No mow May has been embraced by many of the residents in the village, which has been very beneficial for the insects and pollinators, however a number of verges have now been mown to the relief of road users.  Burial Ground The new burial ground is now in use and the mowing regime is being implemented in order to promote the growth of wild flowers. The SNRN team have been mowing around the new grave and the path used by the children in order to maintain a mutually beneficial environment. Village hall – The flower beds at the Village Hall are flourishing, although the flower bed now enclosed by the building work screens will need to be restored when the work is finished.  Dog litter bins – The well used bin at Martin’s Lane is being closely monitored and is now regularly emptied every Tuesday.  Coronation Planters – The planters have now had the daffodils replaced with geraniums, and the plants are growing well.  LWVP –No information as yet as to the appointment of a new officer to fill the role ably filled by Lucy Kennery. We hope that this will happen soon, as there are many projects that need to be continued, and ongoing work that has been neglected. Litter picking – with the cutting of the verges, a lot of litter has been exposed and I have litter picking tools and High Viz “Village Volunteer” jackets if anyone would like to pick this litter.

Village Hall S106 – Mr. Jeffcoat, as the council’s Village Hall representative has been in touch with WODC, both by telephone and email, regarding the use of S106 money for hall improvements. Unfortunately, it would seem that the only likelihood of support would be for the resurfacing of the hall floor (approx. £1100) as it is considered that this is used for sport activities. This was discussed at length, and it was reluctantly agreed that this was an unfortunate result but, under present rules governing the use of contributions by developers, it was legally very difficult for WODC to deviate from the strict conditions agreed with developers when those conditions were signed.

8. CORRESPONDENCE. – no correspondence.
9. ACCOUNTS – The clerk reported that, generally, the accounts were in a satisfactory condition and within budget with the exception of the mowing budget. This was due to an exceptionally fast growing season which, hopefully, would decrease shortly. The clerk proposed that the recreation/playgrounds continue to be cut as necessary but the cuts around the village be done on a monthly basis. It was agreed that this be done on a trial basis.

The following accounts received were approved: (paid*)

Absolute Solutions – Butts cut, rec repairs     £191.49*

Gallagher insurance                                      £1170.25*

D Wileman – bus shelter cleaning                     £30.00*

Absolute Solutions – mowing                          £370.00*

C Cleland – c’yard mowing                              £372.50*

Absolute Solutions – mowing                         £370.00*

D C Bevan – clerk salary and expenses         £1752.70*

HMRC – clerk PAYE                                          £419.80

10. DATE OF NEXT MEETING – Mr. Parnham said that the next meeting will be held in the Youth Club on Tuesday 9th July 2024 at 7.30 pm.
11. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.30pm.

Chairman   …………………………………………………………..  Date …………………………………………………

 

County Councillor’s Report – Dan Levy.

Roads and Railways.

Work continues through the drier weather to try to get as much done as possible. There is of course far too little money available to enable the County Council to fix all the potholes and resurface every road as frequently as required. As I may have mentioned before, we estimate that £45m per annum would be required to reach a “steady state” with the roads, and the government block grant is approximately £20m.There will be a series of road closures to facilitate repairs. The road closures are usually advertised over a longer period than will usually be needed, to allow for overruns at other works. I am sorry that there will be congestion and inconvenience at times. Discussions are ongoing with government agency Homes England about the A40. You will recall that the HIF2 scheme to link the park and ride at Eynsham to Oxford was launched by the previous administration – we are still awaiting the money to finish the job.The County Council continues to support the restoration of a railway between Carterton, Witney, Eynsham and Oxford, and has committed to additional funding for further feasibility studies. It also supports a new station at Wantage and the reopening of the Cowley branch line, all of which are under consideration by Network Rail.

Water

Thames Water have launched a consultation on the massive reservoir planned between Abingdon and Wantage. New reservoir in Abingdon | Water resources | Thames WaterThe proposed facility is many times larger than Farmoor reservoir. You may be interested to know that Farmoor has been kept underfilled because TW can’t often pump water in from the Thames because Thames Water have been putting sewage into the Thames upstream.

Performance

The annual report of the County Council for the year past will be published shortly and will demonstrate a significant improvement in service delivery, in areas such as SEND provision, as well as improved financial metrics. The administration at County Hall is determined to ensure that residents get the best services they can, within the constraints that all local authorities face.

And finally:

Regardless of your political persuasions, please do vote in the upcoming general election. Electors need to be registered to vote by Tuesday, 18 June. This can be done on line. Details on the WODC website. Postal vote applications need to be submitted by 5.00pm on Wednesday, 19 June, while proxy vote applications should be submitted by 5.00pm on Wednesday, 26 June. Photo ID is mandatory to vote at a polling station. If you do not have photo ID, you must apply for a free voter ID by 5.00pm on Wednesday, 26 June.

District Councillor’s Report – Steve Cosier

Firstly, can I thank residents for voting for me in the recent District Elections. As a local resident, I am humbled and extremely proud to be representing the ward of Standlake, Aston and Stanton Harcourt.

Roads:

Though not part of my responsibility as a District Councillor, the condition of the roads, and the way the County Council completes roadworks in the ward has taken up some of my time recently. I have had numerous emails from residents upset at the lack of clarity about the way the County Council deals with the potholes and resurfacing. I have been in contact with County Officers, and I am still pursuing answers to why certain parts of the ward are fixed and other are left to fall into disorder. At the time of writing this report, I am still waiting for a meeting with Chris Grain from Oxford County Council to arrange a tour of the roads around our ward.

Overview and Scrutiny:

As part of the monitor and review process the Overview and Scrutiny Committee recently voted to support the Council’s recommendation to upgrade CCTV provision in WODC owned public spaces. West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) owns and operates a public open space Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) system in the district, consisting of 63 cameras. The upgrading covers the economic well-being of public spaces and the prevention of disorder or crime, but most importantly to reduce violence against women and girls.

Planning

As the local ward member, I have asked that the Planning Department to review Green Infrastructure and maintenance/stewardship of community assets. At the present time there are many amenities and open spaces which are not being well maintained by developers. I have asked officers to look at how the council can adopt and maintain community, and green spaces in the future, including taking over the legal cost of liabilities and amemding106s agreements. Officers are now looking at mechanisms and remedies to see how they might consider adoption of community assets. A report is to follow.

Damage to footpath

Dan Levy and I are still endeavouring to chase up the Highways Agreement Team. I have sent images of the damaged highway to County Officers and have today spoken to Abby Fettes (WODC Planning) to ask her to furnish a telephone number of the officer at the County who might be able to help me with this problem. Please see below a recent email sent to me from WODC and then forwarded to the Chair:

‘Manor Bungalow The extensions were approved under certificates of lawfulness and prior notification applications so limited conditions and controls could be attached to them. There was no S278 required as they were not proposing off site works to the highway. The footpath is outside of the site area and therefore we have no recourse as a Local Authority on damage to the Highway so it will need to be taken up with OCC as Highway Authority.’ Now, understandably this is not the answer you or I wanted. So, Dan Levy is aware of the response and is seeking a response and action from the relevant CC officer. I did try once again this morning to speak to the planning officer but I’m still waiting a call back. I’m going to keep pushing for WODC to take some responsibility. Sorry not the answer you wanted but we’ll keep pressing on this issue until we get the correct outcome.

Minutes of the Meeting of Standlake Parish Council, held in the Youth Club, Church End, on 10th September 2024 at 7.30pm

Present:

          Mr. B. Parnham               Chairman

          Mr. D. Jeffcoat               Vice Chairman

          Mrs. A. Knipe

          Mrs. J. Macdonald

          Mr. J Rippin

          Mr. B. Smith

          Mr. D. Bevan                   Clerk

          OCC Cllr. Mr. D. Levy. WODC Cllr. S. Cosier

1. APOLOGIES –Mr. J. Clements.
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None.
3. PUBLIC ITEMS – no members of the public were present.
4. COUNTY and DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS See Cllr. Levy and Cllr. Cosier’s reports attached. Cllr. Levy referred to the publicity surrounding the Eynsham Park and Ride and its lack of connection to the A40. He stressed that no OCC public money was involved, and it was the lack of coordination with the various funding agencies central government and others. Cllr. Cosier said that he would forward Stanton Harcourt’s draft response for information.
5. PLANNING – 24/02170/S73: Variation of conditions 2 and 3 of planning permission 22/01456/FUL to allow for amendments to the hours of opening and size of classes: Dormer House 26 Aston Road Brighthampton: Mrs Theresa Harvey. Objection; jurisdiction for extension of hours, parking.

24/01341/FULL Change of use of land to increase domestic curtilage along with erection of 2m high boundary fence (retrospective): 138 Abingdon Road, Standlake, Witney: Mr & Mrs Geoffrey and Victoria Ling.  Mr Jeffcoat stated that, following the agreement at the meeting on 9th July to object to this application, he had understood that the WODC planning had decided upon a delegated powers refusal.  He asked Mr Cosier about the current position.  Mr Cosier agreed to follow up with the planning department.

6. MINUTES – Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday, 9th July 2024, copies of which had been previously circulated to all members, were agreed as a true record, and were signed by the chairman.
7. MATTERS ARISING

Sewage/Flooding – Mr. Parnham has finally received an update from Thames Water. TW have identified a problem near the school and are obtaining quotes from contractors. TW have agreed that they will be monitoring flows and levels during the coming winter. Nothing has been received from OCC regarding the flooding in the High Street but Mr. Parnham will continue to request answers.

Roads/Speedwatch/20mph – 24 Speedwatch sessions were held during July and August including some early morning and evening sessions and over the Bank Holiday Weekend resulting in 263 offenders being reported.  Of these, 3 had no Tax, 1 no MOT and 1 on SORN; this information is passed by TVP to DVLA.  A slight increase in the numbers speeding – 2% overall in the 30mph zones and 23% in the 20mph zones. The Standlake / Brighthampton Speedwatch Group still has a reputation of being very active at different locations at different times so hopefully the slight increase is just a blip and we will see this come down again. We are pleased to report two new volunteers have come forward and thanks to all operators who continue to give up their time.

On other matters, we continue to engage with OCC about the conditions of the roads and traffic calming measures.  A lot of patching work has taken place on Aston Road but we are pushing for this and High Street to be re-surfaced.  ‘Dragon Teeth’ white lining has also been completed at the various entry points to the village which seems to help make drivers aware of the changing speed limits.

An email has also been sent to the school including the PCSO Team about inconsiderate parking including stopping/parking on the ‘zig-zag’ lines; this is so frustrating considering we have a Public Car Park as few minutes walk away!  The situation continues to be monitored and Mrs. Macdonald said she had chased this up with the school.

Playgrounds/Recreation Ground –.See Correspondence and Agenda item 11.

Environment/Nature Recovery Network – Mrs. Macdonald made the following report: •     Burial Ground – areas of the new burial ground are now being mown in sections in collaboration with Eco Church, and there is collaboration into an ongoing management plan for the area. A survey was carried out recently, and a very encouraging diversity of plants were now becoming established in the wild flower area.

Coronation Tree – a slow-release water bag has now been fitted around the tree to help the tree establish in the very dry weather. Coronation Planters – much appreciated by villagers, these are doing well and being regularly watered. Village Hall – the flower bed damaged by the building work is now being restored. Wildflower bank at Village Hall – In previous years with support from LWVP the bank has been cut with scythes to promote the growth of the wildflowers. As there has been no support from LWVP in recent months, this has not been possible, so we are planning to have the long grass cut with strimmers, so cut grass can be removed. We are planning to ask Absolute Solutions if they can carry out the work and are seeking help with the payment for this work. LWVP – we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Martyn Lane, in his appointment as LWVP project manager, and for remedial work to begin in earnest. Bird hides, footpaths and bird boxes all need urgent attention. The LWVP Steering Group has not met for at least 2 years, and some original members have resigned. Local residents have great interest in the maintenance of the nature reserve, and are hopeful that WODC local councillors can investigate the LWVP plans on our behalf. Sales of bird hide keys seems to have been discontinued, although many existing key holders visit the hides regularly. It would be interesting to record footfall in the bird hides over the next few months. The litter bin at the LWVP picnic area continues to be emptied regularly by volunteers. School Leavers – the team worked with 22 school leavers at the end of July, and each pupil took home their own bird box made from a kit. The event was hugely enjoyed by all. Autumn Litter Pick – another village litter pick is planned for Saturday 26th October, 10 – 12. Equipment will be available in the Village Hall. Volunteers warmly welcomed to help with this useful initiative to keep our village clean and tidy. Mrs. Macdonald asked if Cllr. Levy would press the matter of LWVP with OCC and he agreed to do this.

8. CORRESPONDENCE. – RoSPA report on Rack End playground. Mr. Jeffcoat said that he felt there were some items in the report on the Rack End playground that needed to be addressed. After looking at the actual report the clerk said that there were no red items but some yellow ones. Mr. Parnham suggested that he and Mr. Jeffcoat meet at the playground in the near future and examine the site; this was agreed.
9. ACCOUNTS – The clerk reported that the accounts were in a satisfactory state and noted that the second half of the precept (£15000) was due in October.

Received: WODC (S106 Village Hall floor) £1100

For payment/approved: (* already paid)

SNRN – grant                                                    £500.00*

Abs Solutions – mowing                                  £370.00*

Abs Solutions – p’ground repair                        £45.00*

Abs Solutions – mowing                                  £300.00*

C Cleland – c’yard mowing                              £372.50*

Microsoft 365 – subs                                         £59.99*

Wicksteed – r’about spare                               £104.04*

Abs Solutions – r’about repair                          £55.00*

RoSPA – p’grounds inspection                        £319.20*

Moore – audit fees                                           £252.00*

Chris Cleland – c’yard mowing                        £372.50*

S’lake VH – S106 grant                                   £1100.00*

PWLB – car park loan repayment                  £2142.96*

 D C Bevan – Salary                                        £1752.70*

10. COMPLETION OF 23/24 AUDIT – The clerk presented the result of the 23/24 audit (previously circulated to councillors). The only adverse comments regarded the non-publishing of the 22/23 audit on the council’s website; the clerk apologised for this oversight and had now corrected the omission. The council unanimously approved the audit report.
11. RACKEND PLAYGROUND FENCING TREATMENT – It was becoming clear that the Rack End playground fencing needed treatment. Absolute Solutions have quoted £390 + treatment fluid (£70) and it was agreed that, given the amount of work required for that length of fencing, this quote be accepted. Mr. Parnham suggested that this work be carried out in the early spring; this was agreed unanimously.
12. SCOUTS FIREWORKS 2ND NOVEMBER 24 – Permission to hold the annual event has been requested by the scouts. Mr. Parnham suggested that this be granted subject to the usual conditions of insurance, turf removal for bonfire and restoring the site after the event. This was agreed unanimously.
13. EXTENSION OF RECREATION GROUND – Mr. Rippin suggested, that now the Eagle Farm land was on the market, the council might explore purchasing part of the land beyond the western boundary of the recreation ground with a view to providing a full-size football pitch for which Mr. Rippin claimed there was an existing need. There was some discussion, with the clerk pointing out the obstacles he foresaw. Among other things: the existence of the wildflower bank and drainage ditch along the boundary; the willingness or otherwise of the vendors to release a portion of the sale land and the price; the justification of borrowing more money while the council was already paying £4K + per year (for the next 8 years) for redeeming the car park construction loan; the cost of turning an agricultural field into a football pitch which would require ongoing maintenance. After more discussion, Mr. Parnham suggested Mr. Rippin should investigate the feasibility of his suggestion and report back; Mr. Rippin agreed to do this.
14. PUBLIC TRANSPORT UPDATE – Mr. Jeffcoat noted that the recent changes to bus timetables now meant that there would be a half hourly X15 service to Witney and a through service to Oxford via Abingdon, albeit taking 75 minutes from Standlake. Mr. Jeffcoat also said that the First and Last service was becoming more and more popular.
15. DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS – Mr. Parnham said that the next meeting will be held in the Youth Club on Tuesday 8th October 2024 at 7.30 pm. It was agreed that due to future commitments the November meeting be brought forward to Tuesday 5th November at 7.30pm.
16. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.55pm.

Chairman   …………………………………………………………..  Date …………………………………………………

 

County Councillor’s Report – Dan Levy.

Roads

Oxford

You will I am sure have read that Network Rail have failed to meet the timetable they committed to as Oxford Station is rebuilt. That is, to put it mildly, extremely disappointing. Botley Road remains closed to motor vehicles at the railway bridge, and we await NR telling us the new expected opening date. In the meantime, the current bus arrangements, which

work well, are continuing to be in operation.

A40

Discussions with Homes England continue relating to the A40 improvement project. Once Homes England release the money promised, the Park and Ride junctions and bus lanes can be completed. You may recall that the P&R itself is financed by a different government agency, as part of the Science Corridor project which is largely paying for the junctions at Oxford North and in Witney. The new government has promised a more joined-up way of funding projects, and that is to be welcomed. It is worth stressing that the P&R was built prior to the other funding being released in order to ensure that it wasn’t affected by inflation, and to ensure that no Oxfordshire Council Taxpayer money has been used on the project. That includes the current maintenance costs, which are bundled into the government funding. The fundamental issue has been that the project used two unconnected pots of money, and neither government pot was inflation indexed. That is what was inherited by the current administration, and although the situation is frustrating, it is the best that could be done with what we were given.

Buses – Reliability measures

As Botley Road is one of the key routes into Oxford, the knock-on effect of the closure is that the bus improvement schemes which were due to commence have had to be postponed. It is vital that bus movement in Oxford is prioritized, along with active travel, and it is a shame that there will be a delay in being able to put the filter scheme in place. The filters will permit people to drive to anywhere that they currently can drive to, but cleared key routes for buses.

New capped multi-company fares With support from the County Council, the bus companies in Oxfordshire have agreed to combined booking, with a maximum daily or weekly fare. The daily cap is £6.50 for adults and £3.50 for under 18s. A weekly ticket is £25.00 and £14.50. That includes local buses from more rural areas, as well as routes in the city, and between the major towns. The First and Last Bus services from Standlake to Eynsham and Pulhams services from Standlake to Abingdon and Witney are included. Find out about MyBus Oxfordshire tickets at mybusoxfordshire.org.uk The government will be announcing that local authorises will be able to franchise buses services in their areas. They are unlikely to provide funding that would enable this to make a substantive difference to local services, but we will keep the situation under review.

Democracy

The Electoral Commission has completed its final report on Electoral arrangements for the County Council, which Parliament will approve in time for the May 2025 elections. This has redrawn the county divisions, to reflect population movements since the last review. There will be a new Carterton South and Bampton division, which will contain Aston, Yelford and Standlake, while Northmoor and Stanton Harcourt will be part of the new Eynsham Division. This of course follows closely after the first parliamentary election under the new boundaries, and will be followed by an Electoral Commission review of the district boundaries in the next year or so.

District Councillor’s Report – Steve Cosier

Overview and Scrutiny committee – Proposed reforms to the NPPF and other changes to the planning system. The Overview and Scrutiny committee have scrutinised the Government’s series of proposed changes to national planning policy. The new series includes several specific changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and several broader reforms relating to planning fees, local plan intervention and the thresholds used for determining applications under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime. The consultation finishes on 24 September 2024 and the Government has indicated that a new version of the NPPF will be published before the end of the year.

The consultation includes several changes which are intended to further encourage the re-use of previously developed (brownfield) land. In short, the NPPF is to be amended such that development involving brownfield land is to be generally regarded as acceptable in principle.

WODC Planning: Community Infrastructure Levy: https://yourvoice.westoxon.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/cil-dcs WODC administration are asking parishes and interested parties to put forward their opinions on CIL. CIL is intended to complement the current system of Section 106 planning obligations. WODC are currently preparing proposals to introduce CIL to the West Oxfordshire district. The money generated from CIL will be used alongside Section 106 is used to contribute to funding infrastructure to support development growth in West Oxfordshire.

The Community Infrastructure Levy is a planning charge, introduced by the Government through the Planning Act 2008 to provide a fair and transparent means for ensuring that development contributes to the cost of the infrastructure it will rely upon, such as schools and roads.

Taking account of updated viability evidence, the Council is now prepared a new CIL draft charging schedule which is the subject of an 8-week public consultation finishing on Friday 27 September 2024. Previous administrations have previously produced draft CIL charging schedules in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2020 however these have not been through examination and have therefore not been formally adopted. The new alliance is going to introduce the CIL to benefit all communities.

Documents

08 Oct 24 draft v2

PDF, 95 KB

10 Dec 24 draft v2

PDF, 78 KB