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Archive for category: News

You are here: Home / Council News / News

Re-arranged Parish Walk

/in News/by Adam Bernstein

The parish walk has been re-arranged for Sunday 19 April, meeting at 10.00 from Stokenchurch, Kings Hotel, bus stop. The original walk on 4 January was cancelled due to ice on roads and footpaths.

This is a very scenic 4.5 mile circular walk-through beech woods and is on well-maintained footpaths. The walk is stile free and will be at a leisurely pace. There are three hills, but they will be taken slowly.

Please bring a light snack and some water. It is expected that we will return by 12.30 at the very latest.

The walk is organised by Aston Rowant Footpath and Amenities Group in conjunction with Thame and Wheatley Ramblers. It is open to all the public. Please come and join us. But please note that we do start the walk on time.

Park in the minor roads near the hotel or in the adjacent small car park.

Peter Hetherington

07767 647714

Accredited Ramblers Walk Leader.

Parish walk cancelled

/in News/by Adam Bernstein

Regrettably, the parish walk scheduled for Sunday 4 January has had to be cancelled due to the cold and icy conditions.

Thame and Wheatley Ramblers Programme

/in News/by Adam Bernstein

Below is the Thame and Wheatley Ramblers Programme for January to March 2026.

All walks are circular and start at 10am unless otherwise stated.

Please check the website to confirm details as programme subject to change: www.ramblers-oxon.org.uk/thame-wheatley/walking.html

Leaders’ contact details and whether walks are suitable for dogs can also be found on the website.

Salt bins

/in News/by Adam Bernstein

The parish council has placed salt bins around the villages. They are checked annually to ensure that they are full. They also (should) each have long rubber gloves and a shovel.

The council does not organise the spreading of salt and relies on residents to be good Samaritans to spread salt when necessary… but only on public footpaths and public highways.

Do let me know if gloves or shovels are missing from any of the salt bins.

Adam Bernstein

Chairman, Aston Rowant Parish Council

Book to use household waste recycling centres

/in News/by Adam Bernstein

OCC is introducing a new booking system at its Household Waste Recycling Centres to make visits quicker and easier.

From Wednesday 14 January 2026 everyone will need to book a time slot to visit one of its sites. Residents can book 30 minutes before their visit (subject to availability) or up to two weeks in advance.

To help Oxfordshire recycle even more OCC is also asking residents to sort their recyclable items form their waste either before they arrive, which will speed up their visit or they can use the sorting area on site.

See more detail here.

Garden waste collections paused over Christmas

/in News/by Adam Bernstein

To ensure crews can collect the additional waste and recycling produced over Christmas, brown bin collections will be paused between 25 December and 8 January. The service will resume on Friday 9 January.

For all you need to know about changes to bin collections and everything else to do with Christmas waste and recycling, visit South Oxfordshire garden waste page.

Postal vote reapplications

/in News/by Adam Bernstein

If you vote by post, you now need to reapply every three years.

This means if you applied for your current postal vote before 30 January 2024 you’ll need to re-apply by 31 January 2026, otherwise your postal vote will expire.

If you’re not sure when you applied for your postal vote, don’t worry, SODC will write to you when your application is up for renewal.

More information on postal voting can be found on the Electoral Commission website.

Council services over Christmas and New Year

/in News/by Adam Bernstein

Below is a guide to council services over the Christmas and New Year period when the council offices are closed to the public.

Abbey House  – Reception will close at Abbey House from 5pm on Wednesday 24 December 2025 and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026.

Waste collections – all you need to know about waste collections over the Christmas and New Year period – including the changes to the collection dates and what to do if collections are disrupted – is on our  Christmas waste page.

Housing – If you know anyone who is at immediate risk of being made homeless while our offices are closed, contact our out-of-hours service, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The number to call 01235 422410. If you see someone sleeping rough you can go to Streetlink’s website.

Cost of living help – The Community Hub will be closed from 5pm on Wednesday 24 December 2025 and will reopen on Monday 5 January 2026 at 8.30am. If you need support or advice over the festive period please go to our cost of living webpage for more information or please contact our emergency out of hours phone number – 01235 422410.

Planning – Any planning applications or post submitted/received after 4.30pm Wednesday 24 December 2025, including electronic submissions, will be treated as having been received on our next working day, Monday 5 January 2026.

Council tax and benefits services – If anyone needs urgent help with council tax or benefits during the holidays, Capita’s phone lines will be open as usual between 29 and 31 December and on 2 Jan.

Emergency Situations – There are details of what to do and who to contact during an emergency on our websites – Emergency situations

Leisure Centres and Warm Spaces – over the Christmas period there will be changes to the opening times of our Better Leisure Centres, please check via the Better UK website or with staff at your local centre for details.

Our Leisure Centres are also open as Warm Spaces this winter from 9am to 2pm Monday to Friday. Pop in and charge your phone, have a hot drink and chat with others.

Winter in South Oxfordshire  

You may also find the winter guide to services useful.

Christmas period refuse collections

/in News/by Adam Bernstein

As per usual, refuse collection dates will alter over the Christmas period.

See the attachment for details of the changes.

SODC’s Disabled Facilities Grant 

/in News/by Adam Bernstein

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils continue to offer the Disabled Facilities Grant to help disabled and vulnerable residents make their homes safer, more comfortable, and better suited to their needs.

The Disabled Facilities Grant is a means-tested grant providing financial help for home adaptations such as installing ramps and stairlifts for easier access, fitting level-access showers, or improving heating and insulation.

The grant is up to a maximum of £50,000 to help those who need it most.

The grant aims to:

  • support more disabled residents to live independently in their homes
  • reduce hospital admissions and enable prompt hospital discharges
  • reduce the need for residential care by allowing people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes
  • support tailored home adaptations for those who need them including people with dementia

To apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant, the first step is to contact an Occupational Therapist to see if you’re eligible. For more information on applying for grants and loans please see our dedicated website page (South / Vale).