Parish Notes
The February / March 2023 issue of the Parish Notes is out. It’s on this website under Your Community > Parish Notes. It should be through letter boxes any day.
February half term activities
/in News/by Adam BernsteinA note from SODC:
There’s an array of free or low-cost activities this February half-term to keep the kids entertained across South Oxfordshire and the Vale.
Active Totz
Active Totz is a fun play session that is full of energy and excitement, with interactive games aimed at children from 18 months to 5 years old with siblings up to seven years welcome to join in. There are three Active Totz sessions taking place across the two districts and all the activities will have a Winter Olympics theme.
Each session will be from 10-10.45am on:
- Monday 13 – Steventon Village Hall
- Tuesday 14 – Wootton and Dry Sandford Community Centre
- Wednesday 15 – District Community Centre, Great Western Park, Didcot
Sessions are free for YouMove members or £8 per child and an additional £5 per sibling. To book please call Sophie Butler on 07709 168740 or email .
The Beacon Wantage
Come along to The Beacon for an unforgettable Jurassic experience for all the family to enjoy. At Dinosaur Adventure Live, you’ll be able to find out some amazing dino-facts, meet beautiful baby dinosaurs and even feed them as they introduce you to some of the most incredible species ever to have lived on Earth. This awe-inspiring interactive show captivates and immerses audiences in the enthralling and realistic world of dinosaurs.
Tickets are now on sale at The Beacon for performances on Tuesday 14 February, with tickets at £14, shows are at 2pm and 4.30pm. For more information and to book your tickets visit The Beacon website.
Cornerstone Arts Centre Didcot
For those with children interested in getting crafty, Decorate Your Own Bird House on Wednesday 15 February at 11am will have children designing an exciting new home for local wildlife just in time for spring to arrive. This one-off workshop and is aimed at children in key stage 1, it costs £10 with all materials provided to get creative.
Or book tickets to see the crowd pleaser Quentin Blake’s Mister Magnolia on Sunday 19 February at 2pm. This show is full of colourful characters, live music, puppetry and audience interaction inspired by the incredible work of illustrator Quentin Blake. This is family-friendly theatre at its best.
Head to the Cornerstone website to find out more.
Xplorer
Our Active Communities team will be keeping children busy with their free Xplorer events. Xplorer is a family friendly fun navigation challenge that is suitable for all ages.
Using a simple map, the aim is to find several markers that are located around the park. Places are available for:
- Monday 13 – Edmonds Park, Didcot
- Monday 13 – Southern Town Park, Abingdon
- Tuesday 14 – Benson Recreation Ground
- Wednesday 15 – Wantage Memorial Park
Sessions run from 10am-midday and children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Families can book online via this link or turn up anytime from 10am on the day with the last registration for all events at 11.30am.
Family walks and talks at Harcourt Arboretum
On Thursday 16 February, families can go along to Harcourt Arboretum near Oxford for free family walks from 1-2pm and 2.30-3.30pm. There will be lots to see and do from exploring the ground to attending some special talks from the staff on site.
For more details, please contact
There’s more information about the Active Communities team and YouMove on the council’s websites southoxon.gov.uk/activecommunities and whitehorsedc.gov.uk/activecommunities.
Temporary Emergency Road Closure – Aston Rowant
/in News/by Adam BernsteinTemporary Traffic Regulation Notice – S14 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984
Temporary Emergency Road Closure at Aston Rowant, The Green
Oxfordshire County Council has been informed of a temporary emergency road closure on The Green whilst main clamp 0 to 6” cway works are carried out for public safety reasons.
A temporary Emergency Notice is being made to implement the temporary closure and will operate from 23 January 2023 up to and including 25 January 2023.
Access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles and for those frontages within the closure area, subject to the progress of the works and liaison with the works supervisor.
Further information regarding the works may be obtained by contacting Thames Water Helpdesk on 0800 316 9800.
Photo ID to vote at the local elections
/in News/by Adam BernsteinThe government has introduced a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station at some elections.
This will apply for the first time at the local elections on Thursday 4 May 2023, so please spread the word to your friends and family.
Accepted forms of photo ID will include, but are not limited to, passport, driving licence (including provisional license), disabled parking blue badge, certain concessionary travel cards and proof of age cards with a PASS mark.
Anyone who doesn’t have accepted photo ID can apply on the government’s website now for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.
For more information, visit the Electoral Commission website or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.
Heating oil syndicate
/in News/by Adam BernsteinThere’s an oil syndicate that serves the parish and surrounding area with the sole aim of saving members money on heating oil.
The syndicate covers Aston Rowant, Chinnor Hill, Christmas Common, Crowell, Kingston Blount, Lewknor, Milton Common, Postcombe and Tetsworth – and further if there’s a need.
It costs nothing to join or be a member of, carries no obligation to buy, and there are no fees or commission added to the price.
The process runs in November, January/February (depending on the weather) and June.
All that is needed to join is a full postal address, email address and phone number. Householders are asked for the maximum volume of oil required. The overall total is collated and suppliers negotiated with. Householders pay the oil company directly and only for the oil that is delivered.
To illustrate the savings, for the top up that ran in January, the syndicate rate was 77p/ litre plus VAT from Lovells. However, just buying 500 litres would have cost between 84.20p/litre plus VAT from Sweetfuels and 85p/litre plus VAT from Lovells.
To join the syndicate email or call 01844 350440.
Please use the salt bins
/in News/by Adam BernsteinThere are numerous salt bins that the parish council has provided, with five more on the way.
Each has, or should have, a shovel and gloves and is refilled once a year free of charge by Oxfordshire County Council and when necessary, by the parish council.
It would help the parish council if residents could take it upon themselves to spread grit on roads and junctions near them when needed; the council is not in a position to lobby residents to this undertake this duty.
Please note that the grit salt provided is for public roads and pavements only; it must not be used on private drives and paths.
If bins are empty or missing a shovel or gloves, please email and this will be dealt with.
As before, please help us to help you.
Help for food and energy bills
/in News/by Adam BernsteinThe Household Support Fund scheme has opened again for people finding it hard to cope with the rising cost of food and energy bills.
South Oxfordshire has reopened the scheme to help households meet the costs of life’s essentials.
The fund is initially open for applications to help eligible households that have not received any support from the fund previously. However, from 13 February, if funds remain, it will be opened up wider to households that have received some funding in the past but not since May last year.
Residents can apply for support by filling in an online form on the council’s website or by calling the Community Hub team during office hours on 01235 422600. The fund closes on 31 March, or sooner if it is fully allocated.
The council recognises that many residents are struggling in these difficult economic times and is offering a wide range of advice, including information on free or affordable food banks and council tax support. It can also help to signpost people for debt advice and other cost of living support, and provide information on housing support as well as guidance on how people can look after their mental health and wellbeing.
Residents can find out more about the Household Support Fund and other cost of living support at southoxon.gov.uk/costofliving
Large scale planning application
/in News/by Adam BernsteinResidents may want to read about an application for 150 houses in Chinnor on the Thame Road.
The detail is at https://data.southoxon.gov.uk/ccm/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P22/S4643/O.
SODC are taking comments until 2 February.
Car parking fees to change
/in News/by Adam BernsteinParking fees will increase in South Oxfordshire from 1 April this year.
Residents using car parks, run by South Oxfordshire District Council, in Didcot, Goring, Henley, Thame and Wallingford will see between 20p and 60p added to charges for users parking their vehicle depending on how long they park for.
The rise to parking fees and permits was agreed in line with inflation by Cabinet members at a meeting last month. Members also agreed to continue to offer free parking for up to one hour in the district.
The increase was part of an annual review, which looks at costs of the parking service and considers the impact of increased charges on residents and local businesses.
The extra revenue, which is estimated to bring in about £70,000, will be used to help maintain the district’s car parks and pay for ongoing costs for the service.
For more information on the council’s car parks and fees visit www.southoxon.gov.uk/carparks
Walk off those Christmas and New Year excesses
/in News/by Adam BernsteinNew Year Circular Parish Walk on Sunday 8 January starting at 10.00 promptly from Kingston Blount Village Hall – 6.75 miles
We will use the New Permissive Path to Crowell and after that the Ridgeway to reach Woodway Farm. Then Aston Rowant village, Church Lane, Fiveways and the Olde London Weye, before crossing fields to reach Chalford – returning to the Kingston Blount Village Hall via Sydenham on a short section of road but mainly on footpaths.
This will be a leisurely walk – expecting to be back by 13.15. There are two stiles.
Wear boots and bring a drink and a snack please. Being this time of year we will expect some mud.
Organised by Aston Rowant PC Footpath and Amenities Group and Thame and Wheatley Ramblers. No need to book and anyone who can walk 6.75m is very welcome.
If some want a much easier 3m walk they can take the direct footpath back from Aston Rowant to Kingston Blount along the Cricket Field path.
For more information contact Peter Hetherington on 07767 647714