Archive for category: News

Those planning to use Oxfordshire’s household waste recycling centres next month are being warned about a series of short closures to enable essential work to be carried out.

For safety reasons, Oxfordshire County Council will be shutting each of its centres for two days – although never at the same time – to allow for deep cleaning and essential maintenance to take place. This includes jet washing the sites and structures, repainting lines and safety areas, as well as other general work to improve the customer experience.

The closing dates are:

• Alkerton, near Banbury: Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 March
• Ardley, near Bicester: Thursday 23 and Friday 24 March
• Dix Pit, Stanton Harcourt: Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 April
• Drayton, near Abingdon: Thursday 30 and Friday 31 March
• Oakley Wood, near Wallingford: Thursday 20 and Friday 21 April
• Redbridge, Oxford: Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 April
• Stanford, near Faringdon: Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 March.

All closures are on quieter weekdays to minimise disruption and sites will reopen at 8am the following day. Residents are asked to plan ahead, ideally holding on to their waste until the site reopens or, if that is not possible, visiting one of the neighbouring sites.

More information can be found on Oxfordshire County Council’s website, including details of alternative sites during the closures.

Residents with van or trailer permits can use these at any of the HWRCs.

Spring Litter Pick in association with Great British Spring clean will take place over the weekend of March 25^th and 26^th.

Meet 10.00am in Cherry Tree Car Park on Saturday 25^th March to litter pick in Kingston Blount.

Meet 10.00 am in lay-by by Lambert Arms on A40 on Sunday 26^th March to litter pick on B4009 in Aston Rowant.

Please bring gloves.

For more information, contact .

It’s been a while since the last FTTP update and the news from my contact is mixed – some good, some bad.

I started this project in 2021 with the goal of it being funded by the Department of Community Media and Sport (DCMS). That’s why there was the rush to get numbers to pledge and validate Gigabit Voucher Scheme vouchers. You’ll recall that we crept in under the barrier as a round of funding closed.

However, while the project has been running in the background, Openreach has also been announcing direct investment commercial schemes. One such scheme covers us. But with this commercial scheme running the DCMS has decided that we no longer need funding. This is in direct response to competitive providers such as Trooli and Airband being active in the area thus eliminating the need in the eyes of DCMS for funding.

As a result of this commercial investment by other providers, DCMS no longer deem this area unviable and requiring government intervention funding in the broadband market. This, to say the least, is irritating to both myself and my contact.

All is not lost though. I’ve been assured that FTTP is still coming to us, but that (a) the timescale will possibly slip and (b), because the scheme is commercial, Openreach may decide that some outlying properties may not be economic to build to. This matter has been raised and Openreach are trying to include all properties in the original scheme. Any properties that are not commercially viable would likely remain as voucher eligible (as an intervention area subject to DCMS approvals) therefore this can be considered as an option to fund the build of these non-commercially viable properties.

My contact is sourcing a list of properties that under the commercial arrangement will be included (or excluded). The plan is to seek funding for those properties.

I’m sorry this is less than ideal; under the voucher scheme we should have had a completion within a 12-month period from handover to delivery, that is, by May ’23. This target may not be met now but I’ve been told that FTTP is still anticipated later this year.

Ultimately, I can organise the scheme but cannot control its rollout so please don’t shoot the messenger.

Cllr. Adam Bernstein

Temporary Traffic Regulation Notice – S14 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984

Temporary Road Closure at Aston Rowant, Stert Road

A request has been received from Thames Water for a temporary road closure to apply to a length of Stert Road, whilst essential new service connection works are carried out.

A temporary Notice is being made by Oxfordshire County Council to implement the temporary restriction and will operate from 14 February 2023 up to and including 17 February 2023. This is a 24 hour road closure.

A copy of the drawing showing the extent of the closure and also the alternative routes for traffic is below.

Further information regarding the works may be obtained by contacting Thames Water Helpdesk on 0800 316 9800.