Archive for category: News

In recent weeks the parish council has received several anonymous letters with regard to the foliage extending beyond a given property’s boundary in the parish.

The landowner is aware of the issue and has organised contractors to clear the foliage week three of this month.

However, the bigger issue – at least as far the council is concerned – is that the letters were sent to me, as the chairman, anonymously.

I am not a fan of anonymous letters or the like unless someone feels personally at risk or threatened; consequently, if someone has a point of view that they wish to air they should make their comment and be identifiable. It’s worth pointing out that letters received will not be made public.

But by definition of being anonymous these letters cannot be responded to.

I need to state that all correspondence must be sent to the clerk as the ‘proper officer’ of the council – her details are on this website via the ‘contact the council’ tab on the home page.

That’s not to say that residents cannot or should not contact individual councillors informally over matters of concern; but correspondence does need to be sent to the clerk.

As the matter is in hand, and the letters are anonymous, the council will not be taking any action.

SODC is currently carrying out the electoral register annual canvass – that’s the requirement to contact residents each year to ensure they check that their details on the register are up to date.

It has already sent yellow letters to 28,753 households whose details SODC either doesn’t have, or knows are not up to date, asking them to update their information. Around 17,000 households have not responded and so SODC will have sent them a pink reminder on 29 August. Most households, whose details it does have, will shortly receive an email – this will ask them to visit householdresponse.com/southandvale to either confirm ‘no change’ to their record, or to make changes online, if required. More than 135,700 electors (62% of households across the districts) should receive the email.

Anyone who doesn’t respond to it (by 3 October), or who hasn’t registered an email address with SODC, will receive a green letter in October.

The email will go out from Monday 8 September from with the subject line “South & Vale District Councils – Annual Electoral Register Check” and will contain both council logos.

Residents can find more information at southoxon.gov.uk/ElectionsCanvass

Church Lane in Aston Rowant is to be closed from 1 to 5 September except for emergency vehicles and those living in the lane.

The closure is for the connection of sewerage services.

See the attached documents.