Charlbury Town Council report - November 2015
Town Council elections 2016 - your chance to make a difference
In May 2016, elections will be held for all the seats on Charlbury Town Council.
Please do think about standing! It's important for the Town Council to represent all ages, backgrounds and viewpoints in Charlbury. The time commitment is typically two evening meetings a month, though councillors can also volunteer to represent the Town Council on other bodies and committees.
If you are interested, any current town councillor will be happy to explain what's involved. Our monthly meetings are open to the public if you'd like to get a first-hand view. Several current councillors have indicated a likely intention to stand down so there is a real opportunity for fresh blood on the council. The meetings are welcoming and (usually!) good-tempered, and offer a real chance to help make your town better.
Full details of the nomination process will be on the Charlbury website and in the Chronicle nearer the time.
Weight restrictions
There is a 7.5-tonne weight limit on all roads in Charlbury town centre (except for access and scheduled buses), and across the river bridge. 7.5 tonnes covers most small delivery/self-drive vehicles but not medium or large lorries.
Oxfordshire County Council can and does prosecute offenders - most recently in November 2014 - but can only do so if people report them. Please help to keep unsuitable traffic off our narrow streets by reporting any traffic you see breaking the limit.
You can do this online at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/weight-restriction-orders (or search for 'oxfordshire weight restrictions'). For your own safety, don't attempt to follow or stop any vehicle.
Permissive paths
The permissive path across Nine Acres Recreation Ground will be closed all day on Wednesday 6th January 2016. We understand that the Wychwood Project will be closing the permissive paths across the Wigwell Nature Reserve on the same day.
Streets and paths
As the autumn draws to a close, please take a few moments to check your boundaries and cut back overhanging branches and excessive growth so that the pavements are kept clear for pedestrians. It would also be a great help if you could sweep up fallen leaves outside your homes as wet leaves can become a major hazard, particularly to those who are older or infirm.
Then as winter approaches, be aware of the hazards of icy pavements and roads. Please look out for any of your neighbours who may find it difficult to get out and about in such weather. The salt bins are now full and the town council does also have a further supply of salt available, so if you become aware of bins becoming empty during severe weather, please contact the Town Clerk for replenishments. (This salt is, of course, only for use on the public highways and pavements.)
As at all times of the year, we remind dog owners to "scoop it, bag it, bin it"; and in the interests of the health of all, especially children, please respect the notices prohibiting dogs from the Playing Close, and keep them on a lead in public spaces such as Nine Acres. Thank you.
'Oxfordshire Together'
Oxfordshire County Council is seeking to engage town and parish councils in providing more of the services traditionally provided by the county, such as grass-cutting beside highways. (OCC's budget pressures are well-known and its council tax increase is effectively capped at 1.99%, whereas town/parish councils are not currently capped.)
Charlbury Town Council has engaged with this 'Oxfordshire Together' initiative and, after much discussion, is not averse to it in principle - indeed, providing more services locally could result in better results for residents. On the downside, it's unlikely that a small council can achieve the economies of scale that the county can.
The Town Council is setting up a working group to consider possibilities, and, as ever, would be interested to hear the views of Charlbury people.
In brief
- The Town Council sends its congratulations on another excellent event to all those involved with organising and staging Street Fair.
- Cllr Peter Kenrick laid the Town Council's wreath at the War Memorial in St Mary's Church on Remembrance Sunday, 8th November.
- We are disappointed with the recent spate of vandalism to cars in Charlbury. Please do report all such incidents on the non-emergency number, 101, to help Thames Valley Police put an end to this.
- The waste/recycling collection calendar for 2016 can be downloaded from www.westoxon.gov.uk/waste; you can request one by calling 01993 861000; and you can pick up a copy at the WODC shop on Welch Way, Witney, or from the Guidhall in Chipping Norton.
- WODC no longer posts notices of planning applications to affected neighbours. Notices are still posted on lampposts etc., but in two cases recently these have not been in locations where neighbours would look. Please do check the Charlbury website for latest plans (posted every Monday morning) and sign up for alerts at www.westoxon.gov.uk.
- And, of course, Charlbury Town Council wishes everyone in the town a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
Contacting your Town Council
All our meetings are open to the public. Full council meetings will be held in the Corner House at 7.30pm on Wednesday 25th November and 16th December, with Planning & Correspondence two days before (8pm unless there is a speaker).
The next open 'surgeries' will be in the Corner House from 10am-12pm on Saturday 5th December, 6th February and 2nd April.
You can email Roger Clarke, the Town Clerk, at charlburytc@btinternet.com or phone 01608 810608 (9am-5pm weekdays, not weekends or bank holidays).
(Report no. 77. This report also appears in the Charlbury Chronicle.)
Richard Fairhurst · Thu 12 Nov 2015, 22:07 · Link