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Annual Town Meeting Agenda
SPRING 2023 NEWSLETTER & RESIDENTS SATISFACTION SURVEY,
New Hedgerow planned for Snipe Meadow
Annual Town Meeting
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
THE CORN EXCHANGE WITNEY
WEDNESDAY 15TH MARCH 7:30pm
JOIN THE CONVERSATION -The meeting is an important part of local democracy and is open to all registered electors in the town.
The Annual Town Meeting is facilitated by the Town Council on behalf of the electorate.
It’s not a Council meeting, but an opportunity for residents to raise and discuss matters affecting the town.
Reports are presented by the Mayor and Town Council committee chairs to let you know what the Council has been working on for the last year, and about the Council’s future plans.
The evening also includes a display by charities and organisations that have received financial grants from Witney Town Council.
Tea and coffee will be available before the meeting.
Residents are encouraged to take part in the public question session. If you have any questions you would like to raise it would be helpful, but not essential, if they could be submitted in advance of the meeting.
Questions asked in advance can be researched in order that a more informed discussion can take place and a comprehensive answer may be provided at the meeting. Submit your questions by letter or email to the Town Clerk: townclerk@witney-tc.gov.uk
For those who might be a bit shy about speaking at the formal meeting or who would like a more in depth chat, there follows an opportunity for residents to speak with the Town Councillors in small groups.
Corn Exchange Refit is Officially Unveiled
Volunteers Needed to Help With Hedgerow Planting
Coronation Bunting
We are looking for volunteers to make bunting for Witney’s Coronation celebrations.
We are asking you to make 3m lengths of red, white and blue bunting from fabric that you might otherwise throw away.
Almost half of us in the UK put unwanted clothing in the dustbin, where it currently goes to landfill and it would be lovely to see old clothing, fabric scraps and charity shop bargains upcycled and recycled into beautiful bunting to decorate the town!
We have a template of a flag that is 15.5cm wide and 21 cm deep and some instructions that you can download from our website.
Our recommendation is to use a cotton or cotton mix type fabric rather than anything stretchy which isn’t easy to sew. Oh, and your bunting must be red, white and blue, of course. 😊
Sadly, knitted and crocheted bunting won’t work as it will be very heavy if it gets wet.
We will need your finished bunting back by Friday, 7th April so we have enough time to put up the bunting by the beginning of May.
Please bring it to our Reception on Market Square.
We still remember the fun we had a few years ago creating the poppy mile with our incredibly enthusiastic community army of crafters and hope that you will all enjoy our Bunting Challenge.
Instructions and templates below.
Bunting challenge Instructions.pdf
Interlocking the flags as much as possible maximises the number of flags you can get from your material. Doubling the material over will obviously make cutting out quicker.
Witney Town Council Precept 2023
Witney Town Council Precept 2023
Witney Town Council has voted to freeze its Council Tax precept for the 2023-24 municipal year, ensuring Witney residents won’t pay any more tax to the town council in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. The decision to freeze the precept payment was agreed at its Full Council meeting on Wednesday 4th January 2023.
The Town Council offers a range of community and recreational services to residents, many of which do not generate any income, and which include Allotments, Cemeteries, Civic and Community Events, Grants to Voluntary Organisations, Sports Pitches, Public Halls, eleven Recreation Grounds, Planning Matters (consultee on planning applications for the planning authority), The Town Hall and Street Scene. In the current inflationary environment, it has also seen its own costs increase significantly.
At the budget-setting meeting this week, it was explained that the Town Council finances are in a strong and healthy position and the current administration has made enormous progress towards achieving its objectives, with additional funds earmarked for future projects.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Vicky Gwatkin stated “With the challenging economic climate hitting everybody hard and Town Council finances able to absorb some cost increases, it makes total sense to freeze the precept at its current rate. It is a small gesture but the welfare of our community is our highest priority and it will at least go some way to easing the burden for the people of Witney.”
Citizen of the Year Nominations are now open
Who are Witney’s unsung heroes? Who does amazing things for the people of the town?
Flood Alert Witney Area
Rearranged Full Council Meeting due Mon 12 December will now be held Wed 4 January 2023
Agenda will be published the week before the meeting.
The date of the meeting of Full Council that was scheduled for Monday, 12th December, 2022, 7.00 pm has now been rearranged.
It will now be held on Wednesday, 4th January, 2023, 7.00 pm in the Gallery Room, The Corn Exchange, Witney.
Please contact the Committee Clerk derek.mackenzie@witney-tc.co.uk if you have any questions.
To see the publicly available information, follow the link: Meeting details on public web site
Cost of Living Support from West Oxfordshire District Council
See the pdf link for a full list of available support and organisations that can help.
Read information on support with the cost of living
Witney Mayor’s Carol Service 2022
There’s a warm welcome at the Mayor of Witney, Cllr Liz Duncan’s Christmas Carol service on Friday 9th December at 7pm at St Mary’s Church on Church Green. The service contains familiar and well loved carols and readings. There are also performances from West Oxfordshire Academy of Performing Arts, Witney Town Band and Wood Green School Chamber Choir.
Some Leys Pitches to Be Back In Play Before January
Some Leys Pitches to Be Back In Play Before January
Witney Town Council is delighted to announce good news about the pitches at the Leys. Protective fencing which had been in place around the renovation work being undertaken on The Leys pitches was removed on Tuesday 29th November. The grounds team have commenced mowing the field. They aren’t making a traditional autumn cut but completing a full cut and collect to help keep the thatch level under control and ensure the new sward has the best chance to further enhance its root strength. The Autumn weather has been much milder than usual, so the new grass has germinated better than expected.
The Council is able to open up a portion of the field for football earlier than expected. It is proposed to mark out two 7 x 7 and a 5 x 5 pitch that could be bookable as early as this weekend. The rest of the area will require some additional work but is still on target to be in play in January.
In addition to this, as a result of the Council bringing its grounds maintenance contract in house it has been able to invest in a Shockwave linear decompaction machine that will enable the team to perform more frequent decompaction work on all its football pitches. This will allow for decompaction work to be carried out more frequently during the out of season maintenance periods, which will greatly improve the condition of all of the Town Council’s sports pitches.
Witney Town Council Expresses Delight at District Playing Pitch Strategy
The news that West Oxfordshire District Council has adopted a Playing Pitch Strategy that both seeks to protect existing provision and looks to provide additional facilities, has been warmly welcomed by Witney Town Council.
The District Council’s commitment to addressing the longstanding and undeniable shortfall of sports pitches matches the Town Council’s ambition to improve residents’ ability to take part in sports activities across our town by providing good quality, safe facilities for players of all ages. This is a great opportunity to work together to achieve this.
Leader of Witney Town Council, Cllr. Vicky Gwatkin commented,
“I really welcome WODC’s Cabinet decision to adopt the Playing Pitch Strategy (PPS) 2022.
Numerous and increasing demands are placed on all Witney’s green spaces which creates significant challenges for our staff and has inevitably resulted in difficult decisions having to be made and some unwelcome compromises.
We have been pushing for action for years to help relieve the pressure on our available sites – through expansion, facility improvement and a transfer of management to Witney Town Council to take advantage of economies of scale and a regular maintenance regime. We are pleased the new administration is willing to work with us to achieve this goal and that there is a desire for the 2022 strategy to not just to be a tick box exercise, as evidenced by WODC’s agreement to appoint a dedicated resource to see projects through.
This will inevitably take time – funds need to be realised, pitches need to be established or renovated and planning permission may be required. From a regrettably standing start, in the last six months we have already made significant progress working alongside a receptive WODC and with the long-awaited strategy now in place, we have a prioritised reference point and stimulus to help bring about future change.”
Witney Town Council acknowledges the huge difference and positive impact sport has on the community and continues to prioritise work to reinstate the football pitches at The Leys. Latest work has included a slow-release fertiliser. There is more maintenance and repair work to be done but the pitches look to be on track to be back in use in the New Year.
CORN EXCHANGE THEATRE SEATING TO BE INSTALLED
Witney Town Council’s renovation of the town’s Corn Exchange is entering the final phase as new, retractable, tiered seating is about to be installed in the main hall.
The installation will provide comfortable seating for an audience of around 130 people and has been designed to maximise the remaining space where possible, while still ensuring accessibility is a priority.
Installation will start on 5th December. The work will be carried out by Hussey Seatway Ltd at a cost of £69,673.00.
Witney Town Council has funded the seating with money set aside for the refit of the Corn Exchange and has also been fortunate in securing a Community Facilities Grant from West Oxfordshire District Council.
Cllr Mel Jones, Chair of Halls, Cemeteries and Allotments said,
“I am delighted that the Corn Exchange refurbishment is going to make such a huge difference for the residents of Witney. I would like to thank the officers at the town council for all their support and work on this but would especially like to thank Councillor Owen Collins for his valuable input.
Cllr Owen Collins, Chair of the Corn Exchange working party commented
“I’m delighted that after numerous delays and doubts, the long-awaited retractable seating for the Corn Exchange finally has an installation date. Following the audio-visual equipment, this is a massive milestone in our journey to returning the Corn Exchange to an affordable, accessible arts centre for the people of Witney and beyond.
The modern seating will help make the Corn Exchange an even more appealing venue for local and touring productions, and will add to the versatility of the hall. Thanks to its retractable nature, we will continue to be able to accommodate a wide and varied programme of events, bringing creativity and culture back into the very heart of our town.”
This final phase brings to fruition the aspirations for the Corn Exchange to be a significant community arts and performance venue for the town.
YOUTH SERVICES GRANTS AWARDED
Oxfordshire County Council (Witney Area) (Speed Limits) Order 2022
Children’s Christmas Card Competition
- Design the illustration for the official Witney Town Council Christmas card. The winning design will be used as the Mayor’s official card. The Town Council will also use it and we will provide the winner with their own copies to send out too.
- Closing Date is 5pm on Friday 28th October to allow us time to select the winner and get the cards printed.
- This year we are looking for a square design and we have provided a template for you to use
- Please return your entries by email or post to:info@witney-tc.gov.uk or by post to Witney Town Council, Town Hall, Witney OX28 6AG.