Latest issue of the Parish Notes
The latest issue of the Parish Notes is soon to drop through letterboxes. It’s also available online now at https://www.astonrowantparishcouncil.gov.uk/parish-notes.
Polling station work in South Oxfordshire
/in News/by Adam BernsteinSouth Oxfordshire District Council is appealing for more people to come forward to work as poll clerks and presiding officers to help run polling stations on Thursday 2 May for the Police and Crime Commissioner Election.
Hundreds of people have already signed up to work at the elections in South Oxfordshire. However, there are still around 40 vacancies at polling stations across the district and the council needs to confirm arrangements as soon as possible. Officers are particularly keen to hear from people who are available to work in Henley and the surrounding area.
The following positions are available to those who are 18 or over and entitled to work in the UK:
- Presiding Officers: (previous experience preferred): £251.00 – Thursday 2 May, 6.15am to 10.30pm
- Poll Clerks: £200 – Thursday 2 May, 6.15am to 10.30pm
Mark Stone, Returning Officer for South Oxfordshire, said: “We need to fill these roles as quickly as possible, so if you are available on 2 May and interested in working at the elections, please get in touch with our Elections team.”
The council would also welcome expressions of interest from people who would like to hear about job opportunities for the general election which is expected to take place later this year.
For more information, including details on how to apply, visit southoxon.gov.uk/electionjobs or call 01235 422528.
Please note, the council is unable to offer these roles to people who work for or are connected with a political party.
Ramblers walks programme
/in News/by Adam BernsteinThe April to June programme of walks from the Thame and Wheatley branch of the Ramblers is now available. See attachment below for more details.
Elect the next Police and Crime Commissioner
/in News/by Adam BernsteinResidents living in South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse will be able to vote for their next Thames Valley Area Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) on Thursday 2 May.
The PCC election will give residents across the Thames Valley the opportunity to select the individual who will be responsible for overseeing how crime is tackled and that the policing needs of communities across the region are met.
The list of candidates standing for election will be published on Monday 8 April, then electors will be able to read the PCC candidates’ manifestos from 10 April at choosemypcc.org.uk
Anyone registered to vote will be eligible to have their say in the election. The voter registration deadline for the PCC election is 11:59pm on Tuesday 16 April. Registering to vote only takes five minutes at gov.uk/register-to-vote
To vote at a polling station you must bring photo ID with you – a wide range of photo ID will be accepted, including passports, driving licences and cards with a PASS Mark – you can see the full list of accepted ID on the Electoral Commission website.
If you don’t have the accepted photo ID – apply NOW for a free voter ID document known as a Voter Authority Certificate on the Electoral Commission website. The deadline for applications for this election is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April.
The result of the election will be announced on Saturday 4 May at Newbury Racecourse.
For more information:
Residents in South Oxfordshire should visit – southoxon.gov.uk/PCCelection2024
Residents in the Vale of White Horse should visit – whitehorsedc.gov.uk/PCCelection2024
To find out more about the PCC role, visit – thamesvalley-pcc.gov.uk
You may also find this short video on the role of the PCC useful
Anyone interested in standing for election should email with their name, stating whether they are a prospective candidate or agent, and give contact email address and telephone number(s). More information can be found at – westberks.gov.uk/pcc-election-2024
Key deadlines for this election
- You must be registered to vote by – midnight on Tuesday 16 April 2024
- Postal vote and postal proxy vote applications – 5pm on Wednesday 17 April 2024
- Changes to existing postal and proxy vote arrangements – 5pm on Wednesday 17 April 2024
- Voter Authority Certificate (voter ID) applications – 5pm on Wednesday 24 April 2024
- New proxy vote applications – 5pm on Wednesday 24 April 2024
ARCC pavilion update
/in News/by Adam BernsteinAnyone walking down the Moor’s Path to Kingston Blount this week will have seen that work has started on the pavilion on our bottom pitch. The building will be erected the first week in April and finished in May. Can we direct parishioners to the crowdfunding page that we are using to help us pay for the building that will be used by both our junior teams and senior teams.
This crowdfunding page has just eight days to run (closing date March 28th) and so far, we have managed to raise £9,480 with £1,800 of Gift Aid. 38 supporters have made pledges since the page was launched back in February and we’d like to thank every single one of you.
It’s particularly great to see some local residents – some of whom aren’t even club members – donating to the project. In hindsight the £25,000 target may have been a little optimistic but we would have hoped we’d be able to get at least close to £15,000 in total.
Chris Hutton and Jamie Revill have been busy working on the foundations this week. Although they are volunteering their time to carry out the work for free, the club is going to need to start paying for materials soon. We would massively appreciate it if you could dig deep over the next eight days and see if we can raise that £15,000.
The link to the page is https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/aston-rowant-cricket-club-new-pavilion.
Steven Sowerby
Telephone 01844 351392 / mobile 07802 814625
Telephone 01844 351392 / mobile 07802 814625
Five historic images
/in News/by Adam BernsteinAnother five historic images have been uploaded.
See https://www.astonrowantparishcouncil.gov.uk/historic-images/
1300 more car chargers to county
/in News/by Adam BernsteinOxfordshire is to receive £3.6 million to triple its number of public electric vehicle (EV) chargers after the county’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) bid was approved.
Money from the Department for Transport will seed fund a major rollout of infrastructure worth over £10m that will see more than 1,300 public chargers delivered in the county by the end of 2025. The rest of the funding will largely come in the form of investment from the EV chargepoint operators themselves.
Oxfordshire County Council led the application in close collaboration with Oxford City Council and Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils.
The programme aims to create a reliable, easy-to-use, contactless EV charging network spanning the county. This will give more people the opportunity to switch to an EV – regardless of where they live or their parking situation – to improve Oxfordshire’s environment and air quality.
Easter bin schedule
/in News/by Adam BernsteinWith the Easter holiday, SODC will be emptying bins a day later than usual from 29 March to 6 April. To see the full list of collection changes visit southoxon.gov.uk/wastecalendar.
Parishioner of the Year
/in News/by Adam BernsteinWe live in an age where it’s so easy to take from society rather than to give. And so, Aston Rowant Parish Council wants to reward those who selflessly act for the benefit of others in one form or another.
Whether it’s running a club, helping a neighbour in need, privately keeping an area free of litter or some other community-minded task, the parish council wants to hear about it. We are seeking nominations from the public for two awards – one for those aged under 18 and another for those aged over 18.
Each winner of an award will receive a £50 gift in recognition of their efforts.
There are few criteria other than the individual being a resident of this parish and, of course, being nominated for their good works.
So, if you know of suitable nominees, please send the information requested (below) to the clerk of the parish, Tracy Lambourne at . Alternatively, complete the form below and drop it through the letterbox of The Cottage, High Street, Kingston Blount. OX39 4SJ.
The deadline for entries is 30 April 2024.
The nomination form is below.
Five more historic images
/in News/by Adam BernsteinAnother five historic images have been uploaded to the website.
See https://www.astonrowantparishcouncil.gov.uk/historic-images