Our office is closed this morning for training until midday. Apologies for any inconvenience
Town Hall Office closed for Training
Election of a Councillor – North Ward
Planning and Development Committee – Agenda 13 August 2019
Email Fixed
We are back to normal now, thank you for your patience.
ELECTION OF A COUNCILLOR FOR THE TOWN OF WITNEY (NORTH WARD)
Posted on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council – Advance Notice Roadworks – Thorney Leys
TRAFFIC REGULATION NOTICE
ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT, 1984
A request has been received from Oxford Direct Services for a temporary road closure to apply to a section of Thorney Leys, Witney whilst carriage way resurfacing works are carried out.
A temporary Notice is being made to implement the temporary closures and will operate from the 22 August 2019 19:00 to and including the 24 August 2019 06:00 (night time only).
Access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles and for those frontages within the closure area, subject to the progress of the works and liaison with the works supervisor.
A copy of the drawing showing the extent of the closure and also the alternative routes for traffic is attached.
Further information regarding the works may be obtained by contacting Dave Tidball, Oxford Direct Services on 07879885448.
T6939/SJ
Planning Applications 23 July 2019
Planning and Development Committee Agenda 23 July 2019
Witney Town Council issues call to arms with Climate Emergency Public Meeting
Witney Town Council declared a Climate Emergency at the Council meeting on 26th June. Keen to address this enormous challenge, they have now issued a call to arms by inviting residents to a public meeting at the Corn Exchange on the afternoon of Sunday 28th July.
Residents wanting to help Witney find real solutions to combat our climate emergency will be recruited at the meeting to join a working party. This working party will report back to the Full Council with proposals and recommendations.
Witney Town Council is committed to ensuring that the town does everything possible to become carbon neutral and to ensure a cleaner and better future for its residents.
The meeting will be chaired by the Leader of Witney Town Council, Cllr Rosa Bolger who stresses that the meeting is open to everyone;
“Our climate emergency is the most pressing issue we will face in our lifetime, it’s critical that all levels of council show real ambition in working to tackle this disaster. This public meeting is just the first step in our commitment to actively involve the public, consult with experts and create a plan that uses the powers of the council to work for real solutions. We must think global and act local.”
The meeting will feature some key speakers and experts and encourage questions and suggestions from those attending. Ideas gathered at the meeting will be used to inform the working party and ultimately shape and form policy.
The audience can expect to hear from the following:
- Oxford City Council
- Friends of the Earth
- Extinction Rebellion and others
Anyone who wishes to volunteer but cannot make the meeting can register their interest by emailing: info@witney-tc.gov.uk.
Policy, Governance and Finance Committee Agenda 15 July 2019
Stronger Communities Agenda
Witney Town Guide Calls to Local Businesses
Witney Town Council would like to assure local businesses that have been contacted by Local Authority Publishing stating that they are calling from or on behalf of Witney Town Council, that we have not commissioned a Witney Town Guide. This company does not have a contract with us and should not be using our name to persuade businesses to advertise. We have no affiliation with the guide or with Local Authority Publishing. We have officially complained and asked them not to use our name in any further calls.
Halls & Green Spaces Agenda 1 July
Mayor Takes the Park Run Challenge
On Saturday 22 June our Mayor, Cllr Duncan Enright, ran the Park Run during the Wood Green School takeover. Takeovers happen regularly to support and promote worthy organisations and charities. His first run was this time last year in support of a national takeover by the NHS. We asked him how well he did and he revealed that he came 249th but 8th in his age bracket!
The takeover by Wood Green PTA is in support of their 50k challenge, for more resources for library, sports, well-being and drama.
If you feel like running 5k, you only have to register once with them to do so and if you don’t feel like a run yourself, Witney Park Run relies on volunteers to make it happen. So, if you can spare a few hours on a Saturday morning, do get in touch with them.
https://www.parkrun.org.uk/witney/
Planning Committee Agenda 2 July 2019
Full Council Agenda 26 June 2019
NOTICE OF VACANCY IN OFFICE OF COUNCILLOR – NORTH WARD
Refugee Flag To Fly From Town Hall
The Refugee Nation flag will fly from Witney Town Hall to mark World Refugee Day.
Witney Town Council announced this week that the orange and black flag will be hoisted on the morning of Thursday the 20th of June as a gesture of solidarity with the refugee community across both the town and the world. The flying will also mark Refugee Week, which takes place across the globe from the 17th to the 21st of June.
Since the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, six families have been resettled in Witney and West Oxfordshire under the Government’s Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, with several others also making their home here after fleeing the war-torn country. The Council has said it is thought Witney Town Council will be one of the first local authorities in the country to fly the flag.
Deputy Mayor Joy Aitman, who is also Vice Chair of the Stronger Communities committee which passed the motion, said;
“It is easy to forget the plight of 60 million refugees and internally-displaced people when you live in rural Oxfordshire. We want our local refugee families to know we are thinking of them and their friends and families who have not yet found a safe home.
I am a strong believer that if you have plenty, you make your table longer and you add more seats,” Cllr Aitman added.
The flag takes inspiration for its striking orange and black design from the similarly-coloured lifejackets, which have become synonymous with refugees crossing the Mediterranean since the ongoing humanitarian crisis began earlier this decade. It was created by Yara Said, a Syrian artist and refugee, who now lives in Amsterdam as a response to the participation of a refugee team in the Rio de Janiero Olympic Games in 2016.
Members of Witney Town Council Planning Committee display the flag of the Refugee Nations“Black and orange is a symbol of solidarity with all these brave souls that had to wear life-vests to cross the sea to look for safety in a new country”, the artist explained. “Since I had to wear one, I have a personal engagement with these life-vests, and these two colours.”
Town Councillor Liz Duncan, a member of Witney Refugee Action Group which has helped settle the six Syrian families in the town, said; “Many people in our town have worked hard to support the needs of refugees both here in Witney, and around the world, and we should be proud of the difference we have made. Their plight continues, and the flag reminds us never to stop caring or helping.”
THE FLAG WILL BE RAISED AT 8.45 IN THE MORNING AND ALL ARE WELCOME
Policy, Governance and Finance Committee Agenda – 17 June 2019
Witney’s new Mayor vows to be “A Mayor for Everyone”
At the full Council meeting on May 15th among the business transacted was the election of Witney’s Mayor and Deputy Mayor; Councillor Duncan Enright will serve as Mayor and Councillor Joy Aitman as Deputy Mayor. His wife Sally- Ann will be his consort for the 2019/20 Mayoral year of office.
Councillor Enright, who lives in and represents the East Ward of Witney, became a Town Councillor in 2011 and a member of West Oxfordshire District Council a year later and previously spent 4 years as an Oxfordshire County Councillor. He has stood for Parliament three times and has been a Labour candidate in European Elections.
Duncan has lived in Witney since 1996 having previously lived in Pontefract before moving to Oxfordshire in the early 80s as a physics student at Wadham College where he gained an MA (Hons) and a teaching qualification.
Following a career in scientific publishing, Duncan now runs his own specialist publishing firm in Witney providing expert consultancy and publishing books to improve cancer care.
Alongside this Councillor Enright spent ten years, mostly as vice – chair on the Board of the Oxfordshire Learning Disabilities Trust, providing health and social care services and has been a governor of several schools including; The Blake School, Springfield School and Wood Green which his children have attended. Duncan’s oldest daughter, Katy, had profound and multiple disabilities and attended Springfield School which he says was ‘exactly what she needed’.
During his time as a Town & District Councillor Duncan has focused on various local issues including campaigning to keep the Cogges Surgery open and the state of Witney’s roads. As Mayor, Cllr Enright has his own mission statement to fulfil ;
“A Mayor for everyone, a council for the town and a town open to the world”
Cllr Enright is looking forward to a full programme of events and has vowed to represent Witney at as many as he can. He attended his first event, the anniversary concert of the Brize Norton Singers in The Corn Exchange just 2 days after becoming Mayor and followed this up by joining the Pride Picnic and the May Dancing on Church Green a few days later.
He says;
“It is an honour to serve as Mayor for Witney this year. Thank you for voting for me, and to my fellow councillors for placing their trust in me. My role is to bring the town together and celebrate all that is great about Witney, making sure we all look after each other. I also represent our town to the outside world, along with others, including to our twin towns whose partnership we value particularly at this time of international upheaval. We would I’m sure all like Witney to be a confident, welcoming, happy market town, in the Heart of the United Kingdom and Europe, no matter what the bigger politics brings.
I hope this year will be one where everyone can enjoy becoming involved with the Town Council. Please come along to our meetings, become a partner through town organisations, or bring friends or family to town events. Or invite me along to any get-togethers you have. It will be a pleasure to see you.”
Duncan has chosen three charities to support during his tenure.
The first of these is Friends of Springfield School, “championing our treasured special school in Witney”, the second is Witney Woodland Volunteers and The Wychwood Project, “to help green our town and make the air cleaner “ and thirdly, Oxfordshire Mind, “who provide support for people with mental health issues from their centre on Moorland Road”.
