News
Major planning consultation
West Oxfordshire District Council is consulting on the "Core Strategy" of the West Oxfordshire Local Development Framework.
The Core Strategy will guide where and what development is located in West Oxfordshire through to 2026. This interim position statement (at http://tinyurl.com/buc83s) presents the likely approach to key strategic issues facing West Oxfordshire but particularly the housing and employment strategy and the response to climate change. The content will form the basis of the Core Strategy.
You are able to read the strategy on line or print it out, and answer questions. Printed copies are available in public libraries as well as council offices and shops. Planning and employment priorities, housing, transport and sustainability issues are covered.
Under its Sustainable Community Strategy, the council is already committed "to encourage a wide range of businesses and employment, a range of commercial property that meets business needs, promote home based business and home working, support new business development in villages whilst maintaining their rural nature, maintain a wide range of shops in the main towns and villages and achieve a prosperous and sustainable tourism economy."
You have until April 6 to make your views known. A lot of important decisions will be made in the future on matters that will greatly concern local people, and anyone who complains at that stage will likely be told that there was a comprehensive consultation process and that they had the opportunity to take part.
Jon Carpenter ·
Sat 21 Feb 2009, 20:17 · Link
Charlbury Charity Wins National Award
Young Charlbury charity SpecialEffect has this week been awarded a national award for their work with disabled young people and computer games at the national IT volunteering awards.
The SpecialEffect Games Roadshow project for young people with disabilities in Oxfordshire (initially funded by Fox FM and the V Charity in 2008) won the Best IT Volunteering Project (Innovation category) and a £500 prize.
This is a huge boost to such a small charity with a number of trustees and volunteers coming from Charlbury.
www.specialeffect.org.uk
specialeffect ·
Sat 21 Feb 2009, 13:09 · Link
Garden waste scheme to expand
West Oxfordshire District Council is relaunching its Garden Waste Scheme to give twice as many residents the chance to get their green waste collected.
The fortnightly collection scheme has proved extremely popular since it was introduced in 2006 and is currently running at full capacity with 4,000 households signed up, and several hundred more on a waiting list. The Council is now doubling the scheme to give a total of 8,000 households the opportunity to join.
This scheme will start in May and runs until the end of September 2010, when a new waste collection contract comes into force in West Oxfordshire. The charge is £51 per household - equivalent to just £3 per month. As well as a fortnightly collection service, this fee includes provision of a wheeled bin.
As with the current scheme, which runs until the end of April, all garden waste will be composted to reduce the pressure on landfill sites and help the environment. Since April last year, 1,477 tonnes of garden waste has been collected and composted. This already exceeds the total amount collected (1,408 tonnes) the previous year.
Cllr David Harvey, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We are running the Garden Waste Scheme at full capacity and know that many more people would like this service as we have several hundreds on a waiting list. The Council wishes to give all households the chance to have their garden waste collected, but this requires detailed planning and will take time to arrange. In the meantime, we are pleased to be offering this extended service. It will mean that even more garden waste can be diverted from landfill and turned into an environmentally-friendly and beneficial product.”
Garden waste that can be collected varies from grass cuttings and tree prunings to hay and straw. This type of green waste can be harmful if sent to landfill as it can break down to form leachate, a liquid that can pollute water and soil, and produces methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
Residents can sign up for the scheme now and are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Anyone wishing to join, or find out more information, can do so online at www.westoxon.gov.uk/garden, by calling 01993 861020 or emailing garden.waste@westoxon.gov.uk.
(from a WODC press release)
Richard Fairhurst ·
Wed 18 Feb 2009, 14:43 · Link
Cornbury Park visiting arrangements for 2009
Cornbury Park is open to the public free of charge on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 8 months of the year. A permit must be applied for in advance of a visit. The details below are taken from the English Heritage website www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/conGap.1128. Owners of properties grant-aided by English Heritage have to provide for public access. (Note that access is to the park, not the house.)
Cornbury Park, Charlbury, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX7 3EH
400 acre deer park adjacent to Wychwood Forest containing newly restored/replanted beech avenues, ancient English oak trees and several ancient monuments.
Website Address: www.cornburypark.co.uk/
Grant Recipient: The Lord Rotherwick
Access Contact: The Lord Rotherwick
Telephone: 01608 811276 Fax: 01608 811252
Email Address: estate@cpark.co.uk
Opening Arrangements: 1 March - 31 October: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10am - 4pm.
Please note that a permit is required for access to the Park; permit must be applied for in advance. Organised educational access walks for groups by prior arrangement.
Jon Carpenter ·
Tue 17 Feb 2009, 22:30 · Link
Green garden waste collections
Green waste collections are back to the normal schedule this week. The next green waste collection in Charlbury is on Thursday 26 February.
For householders that missed their garden waste collection, crews will collect excess garden waste left alongside their green bin on the next scheduled collection.
(Info from WODC website: see www.westoxon.gov.uk/furtherinfo/whatsnew.cfm/584 )
Jon Carpenter ·
Tue 17 Feb 2009, 18:44 · Link
Bus service on Monday 9th.
In company with many others (!) have spoken to Stagecoach about the lack of buses, and lack of information concerning the services. They were also asked why, if they avoided icy roads in Stonesfield and Fawler, they couldn't run a direct route to Oxford via the Woodstock road, but by lunchtime they still hadn't confirmed whether that would happen. However, they did promise to improve on their communications, as it was pointed out that if someone was actually in Charlbury, checking road conditions, then they could also leave notes on the bus shelters, advising of up to date plans. It was pointed out that not all bus users have internet or listen to Fox FM!
Helen Bessemer-Clark, PTR Charlbury Town Council
Helen Bessemer-Clark ·
Mon 9 Feb 2009, 15:38 · Link
Now POSTPONED - FGW to hold Cotswold Redoubling Roadshows
PLease note that FGW have today POSTPONED the Meet the Manager Roadshows planned for Evesham, Kingham, Noreton-in-Marsh & CHarlbury owing to the continued adverse weather conditions.
These will be rescheduled once the weather situation has improved, and I will post the revised dates here.
Chris Bates ·
Mon 9 Feb 2009, 12:05 · Link
Charlbury makes the national BBC news
BBC film crews were reporting from Charlbury today on the extreme weather conditions.
See the 6 O'Clock News here - the Charlbury segment is around 5 minutes in.
Richard Fairhurst ·
Fri 6 Feb 2009, 20:22 · Link
Oxfordshire cuts back on road salting
Oxfordshire County Council has said it will only salt its "Priority One" roads, to conserve salt stocks.
This means:
- B4026 to Spelsbury/Chipping Norton on salting list but reported to be almost impassable
- B4022 to Enstone salted
- B4022 to Witney salted
- B4437 to Burford not salted
- B4437 to Woodstock not salted
All A roads should - in theory at least - be salted.
More details on the Oxfordshire Highways website.
Richard Fairhurst ·
Fri 6 Feb 2009, 14:27 · Link
FGW Leaflet Update on Cotswold LIne ReDoubling
FGW are shortly to release an updated leaflet concerning the REdoubling works - AS requested on the forum, I release the text here:
/QUOTE
North Cotswolds Line Improvement between Charlbury and Evesham
Following our December leaflet about Network Rail’s plans to restore the single line between Charlbury and Evesham to a double track, we can now provide more detail about the impact this work will have on First Great Western train services this summer.
Phase one of the engineering work is planned for the six weeks of the school summer holidays, and during this time the railway line will be closed:
18 July (00:10) – 3 August (05:00) 2009:
Oxford – Worcester
3 August (05:00) –24 August (05:00) 2009: Moreton – Evesham
24 August (05:00) – 1 September (05:00) 2009:
Oxford – Worcester
During this time, we will provide a train service whenever possible but where we can't we will provide an alternative.
We welcome the long-term benefits this engineering programme will bring to our service, such as easing congestion and improving punctuality along the route .
However, we do appreciate the inconvenience it will cause you in the short-term and we will do everything possible to keep disruption to a minimum. We will also keep you up-to-date with details of alternative transport arrangements.
To receive email updates on the North Cotswolds line improvement project, please register online at www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/northcotswolds
/ENDS
Chris Bates ·
Tue 3 Feb 2009, 14:14 · Link
