Planning Applications 23.07.19

Witney Town Council declared a Climate Emergency at the Council meeting on 26^th 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 28^th 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.

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/

 

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 20^th 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 17^th to the 21^st 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

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”. 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council

Oxfordshire County Council has a legal duty to coordinate road works across the county, including those undertaken by utility companies. As part of this duty we can designate certain streets as ‘traffic-sensitive’, which means on these roads we can better regulate the flow of traffic by managing when works happen. For example, no road works in the centre of Henley-on-Thames during the Regatta.

Our last full review of the county’s traffic-sensitive streets was undertaken over 10- years ago and this now needs to be updated to ensure that the designations we have set are fit for purpose and effective.

 

Have your say

 

At this half way point in the consultation I am writing to encourage further views to be submitted on the proposals. To have your say, please visit our consultation portal, read the documents supplied and complete the online form. The deadline for your response is Friday 14^th June 2019.

 

If you have already responded, thank you. Please have your say, even if it is a “no comment”, as views from all stakeholders are greatly appreciated.

I have also attached the link to the consultation below.

https://consultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/consult.ti/trafficsensitivestreets/consultationHome

 

The documents uploaded to the portal provide:

• the criteria a street needs to meet for it to be designated as traffic-sensitive
• a list of the streets that we propose should be designated as traffic-sensitive – highlighting any changes in status for specific streets
• maps showing the location of the proposed traffic sensitive streets

 

Posted on behalf of Oxfordshire County Council

This morning at 11am the Witney Branch of the Royal British Legion laid a wreath at Witney War Memorial on Church Green to mark the 75th Anniversary of the D Day Landings.

 

Planning Applications 11.06.2019

 

Former Witney Town Mayor, Brenda Churchill has raised just over £2500  for her charity fund. In a break from tradition, rather than choosing to support one or two local charities, Brenda created a charity pot from which some of the town’s smaller charities and organisations were able to apply for small grants to benefit people in the town.

During her term of office, Mrs Churchill raised the money at various events including a quiz night with fish and chips, a charity fashion show hosted by M&Co, collections made at her carol service at St Mary’s Church and a photography exhibition by the talented members of Witney Photo Group. She also raised money from ticket sales to her Civic dinner.

Her charity fund was given a big boost by students of West Oxfordshire Academy of Performing Arts who raised an incredible £1222.10p by making and selling cakes and charging a small fee for their  Easter end of term performances (usually free to attend).

Brenda has expressed her delight with the amount raised for her fund and is thankful for the efforts of all those who helped raise money by putting on events or attending her own events.

Among those that have benefitted from the pot of money are:

• Guideposts Trust (£390.00)
• The Barrowers at Springfield School (£390.00)
• Witney Radio (£390)
• Witney Fire Brigade Heritage Trust (£390.00)
• Madley Park Resident’s Association (390.00)
• Witney Day Centre (£300.00)
• Witney Parkrun (£179.00)
• Volunteer Link-Up (£100.00)
• Witney Community Fridge (£50.00)

Brenda Churchill formally handed over the Mayoral chain to Cllr Duncan Enright at the Town Council’s annual meeting on May 15th. Cllr Enright, as new Mayor, is expected to announce his chosen charities in the next week or so.

 

Here are some photos from the Annual Council meeting last night. This is the first meeting of the new 4 Year term for Witney Town Council. Cllrs Duncan Enright and Joy Aitman were elected as Mayor (Chairman) and Deputy Mayor respectively and Cllrs Rosa Bolger and Luci Asbourne as Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council. Committee chairs were also selected.

A calendar of all future meetings is available on the town council’s website and a full press release will be issued shortly.

OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

 

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – Section 14(1)

 

 

Notice of Temporary Traffic Order

Witney, Corn Street

Footway Closure and Parking Suspensions

Date of Order: 19 November 2018

Came into force: 28 November 2018

End date: 25 June 2019

 

 

This Order is being introduced because of building development works which was planned to be completed by 6 months – with work time from 07:30 hrs to 17:30 hrs including weekends.

 

But due to bad weather condition the work needs an extension of 4 weeks. Now the anticipated completion date of the work will be 25^th June 2019.

 

The effect of the Order is to close temporarily the footway and suspend some parking in Corn Street, on the north side of the road east of Corn Bar for approximately 250 metres.

 

The bus stops will be relocated during the period of work time to the eastern end of the works.

 

 

Exemptions are included for emergency services and for the works and for pedestrian access to premises which are only accessible from the closed section of footpath.

 

 

Appropriate signs will be displayed to indicate when the measures are in force.

 

 

Traffic Regulations Team (Ref T5977/MR) for the Director for Infrastructure Delivery, County Hall, Oxford OX1 1ND. 0345 310 1111.

 

Here are lists of your newly elected Town and District Councillors that represent the Witney Wards. Congratulations to them all.

Town Councillors

District Councillors

‘With regret, the Mayor’s Big Band Evening in conjunction with the Oxfordshire Youth Music Service on Friday 10^th May has been cancelled due to low ticket sales. We apologise for any inconvenience and will be contacting those who have purchased tickets for a full refund.’

 

Each year part of the budget setting process undertaken by Witney Town Council entails reviewing expenditure from previous years and calculating an expected cost for the year ahead.

Predicting the cost of vandalism and associated anti-social behaviour is very difficult since it fluctuates so much, year on year.

The figures for the municipal year 2018/19, so far, record 21 incidents of damage or theft costing in total, just over £4,000. Twelve of these occurred in play and sports areas, four in bus shelters, three in our cemeteries and a further one each at the Lake and Country Park and Lakeside allotments.

Newland bus shelter has been targeted 3 times with panels being burned, resulting in the need to replace both the Perspex and the community art work displayed.  More recently, the inside of the shelter has been subjected to graffiti.  This has added £480 to the cost of the original refurbishment of the shelter and installation of the art work. 

The implementation of risk management measures by Witney Town Council helps to reduce the impact and cost associated with vandalism to some extent, but repairing and replacing damaged equipment still takes money away from other areas where it could be usefully spent.

It is easy to dismiss vandalism as a minor offence, but actually it has a big impact on communities and distorts the perception of a cared for and safe environment for both residents and visitors to the town.

A spokesperson for Witney Town Council said,

“Witney  has a great community spirit.  However, there is a small but determined minority who choose to ruin things for others. The council cannot afford to continue endlessly replacing and repairing at the expense of the council taxpayer. We would far rather spend money on enhancing our town’s existing facilities and investing in future projects to meet the needs of our growing town. “

Although the Town Council operates a policy of regular inspection and is quick to repair, remove or prevent access to damaged equipment, the repeated destruction is disheartening when hardworking community groups within the town are fundraising to provide new play areas where they live. 

The chair of the Community Services Committee commented,

“At each Community Services Committee meeting we receive a number of reports and sadly the vandalism report is one that isn’t getting any shorter. That being said our works team are quick to respond and will always prioritise making areas safe to use. “

In the latest incident the dry stone wall separating Tower Hill Cemetery and Fieldmere Play area has an extensive hole where the wall has been kicked down over the Easter Weekend. This will cost around £1000 to repair. A good deal of this cost will be offset as the town council’s own works team are skilled in dry stone walling.

The Town Council reports all incidences of vandalism to the Police. If anyone has witnessed any acts of vandalism or has information about those responsible they are asked to contact Witney Town Council on 01993 704379 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800-555111. If you witness vandalism actually taking place please call 101 to report it. 

Here is the the list of candidates for each ward and the Polling Station you will vote at