Government announces infrastructure funding for Oxfordshire
In today's Budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced plans for a housing deal with Oxfordshire that would deliver £150m of infrastructure funding. The Government is also seeking to further increase housing delivering in Oxfordshire. There remains much work to be done on the details of any deal but the need for planning flexibilities and additional infrastructure funding is clear.
Cllr Matthew Barber, Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council, said:
“While I welcome the announcement of some additional funding in the budget, I cannot stress enough the importance of infrastructure in relation to growth and there is still some way to go in bridging the infrastructure gap.
My Council is still consulting on the second part of our Local Plan and we have no plans for increasing housing numbers in the Vale unless we receive commitments to fixing infrastructure.
So while today’s announcement is a positive step forward, there is more work to be done. I have highlighted a number of key issues with the Secretary of State and I look forward to working with the Growth Board and government to secure the best outcomes for our district, and the whole of Oxfordshire, in the future.”
Scheme to reduce flooding in Oxford will NOT put downstream communities at greater risk
An independent review of the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme, commissioned by Vale of White Horse District Council, has confirmed that the proposed flood alleviation scheme will have no impact on communities downstream in the Vale or South Oxfordshire.
The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme will be approximately three miles long and will run from the north of Botley Road to re-join the River Thames near Kennington. The scheme will reduce the risk of flooding from the River Thames to all homes and businesses in Oxford, as well as to services and major transport routes into the city, particularly around Botley and Abingdon Road. This will help avoid a repeat of the disruption and damage caused by floods in 2007, 2012 and 2013/14.
This independent review confirms that the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme will not put communities downstream at any greater risk of flooding. Find out more and read the report in full on my website.
First parkrun event for young people launches in Oxfordshire
Children looking to get more active now have the opportunity to join Oxfordshire’s first weekly parkrun event for juniors.
Junior parkrun is for young people aged four to 14 years and takes place at Brookes Sport Botley, Harcourt Hill Campus in Botley (OX2 9AT) every Sunday, starting at 9am.
The event is free for all to attend and provides participants with a short 2km route entirely on grass. Runners just need to register online prior to attending and bring their barcode with them.
To register for junior parkrun and to print off a barcode visit parkrun.org.uk/register/.
Get out and about this Christmas with a free family orienteering event
Residents can enjoy getting out and about in the run up to Christmas with a free family Xplorer orienteering event in the Vale of White Horse.
You can come along to Wantage Memorial Park, Wantage on Saturday 16 December from 10am to midday.
Participants will follow a simple Xplorer map to find 15 brightly coloured Christmas markers spread across the park. No skills or experience are required, this is a fun Christmas activity the whole family can enjoy together. There will also be Christmas challenges and games.
Entrance is free with no booking required. Please register on the day at the starting point from 10am to 11am, this will ensure everyone can complete the course by midday.
Nominate a local business for a prestigious award
Vale of White Horse District Council want your nominations for the Vale4Business Awards for local business.
The Vale4Business team, who support businesses in the district, is organising the awards to celebrate the achievements of local businesses, recognising and rewarding local excellence and success stories.
If you’d like to nominate a business based in the Vale of White Horse District Council area or sponsor an award, please contact the Vale4Business team on [email protected].
Nominations are open until 1 February 2018. Businesses can apply for direct for the awards by visiting www.vale4business.com/v4bawards.
Abingdon moorings will help bring tourists to the town
Businesses in Abingdon town centre are set to get a financial boost thanks to new visitors’ moorings, which will encourage tourists on boats to stop and explore the town.
Vale of White Horse District Council has unveiled its new moorings policy for the River Thames at Abingdon, which allows visiting boaters for up to three nights along Abbey Meadow, Hales Meadow and Rye Farm Meadow.
New eye-catching notice boards will soon be installed to inform visitors where they can moor, along with a map that shows them where the best local attractions are and where they can find the shops, pubs and restaurants. The boards will be in place ready for the busy summer months.
More information on the policy and application form for a mooring permit are available from the district council’s website www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/moorings and applications for a 2018 permit close midnight on 15 December 2017.
Disused underpass - closed for decades - reopens to the benefit of thousands
Backhill Tunnel – which links Milton Park and the adjacent A4130 in west Didcot – was officially re-opened on 17 November by Didcot and Wantage MP Ed Vaizey.
The redeveloped tunnel now benefits from a lit pedestrian and cycle link, joining the northern side of the A-road directly with Milton Park. The tunnel is set underneath the main London Paddington line and was redeveloped through its existing structure.
Its completion will now enable 9,000 people working at Milton Park to either cycle or walk to-and-from their place of work. The tunnel will also allow better access to amenities at Milton Gate, including the four-star Milton Marriott hotel, due to open next summer.
Park for free on selected days in the run up to Christmas
Motorists in the Vale of White Horse are benefiting from free parking in district council car parks on selected days in the run up to Christmas.
The annual free parking tradition is provided by Vale of White Horse District Councils to encourage people to shop locally for their Christmas presents. The free parking days allocated to each area are agreed with the individual town councils depending on which day would best suit local traders.
Drivers will be able to park for free in Vale car parks on the following days up to 24 December:
- Abingdon – Saturdays from 2 December
- Faringdon – Saturdays from 2 December
- Wantage – Fridays from 1 November.
On the above days there’s no need to display a ticket. For more details about parking in the Vale visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/parking.
Jail for fly-tipper caught twice in one day
A man has been sentenced to eight weeks in prison after admitting carrying out two fly-tips in Oxfordshire on the same day.
A PCSO witnessed Paul Tidbury dumping building sand in East Challow at the site of the former Challow Country Club. The vehicle used to dump the rubbish, a white transit van, was stopped the same day in Wantage. Environment enforcement officers at Vale of White Horse District Council were then called to investigate and Mr Tidbury admitted being responsible for the waste and of failing to have the required waste carriers licence.
Police then received a report of a fly-tip off Bury Lane near Chilton. This time the incident had been captured on CCTV which had been set up by a landowner who had experienced ongoing issues with the crime. Mr Tidbury, 29, was sentenced to eight weeks in prison for each offence, to be served concurrently. He was also ordered to pay £200 costs and a victim surcharge of £115.
This was the first time that someone has been jailed for fly-tipping in the Vale of White Horse. If you suspect that someone is involved with fly-tipping please contact 01235 422403.
Council launch its business action plan
Businesses will be receiving more support from the district council following the launch of their Business and Innovation Strategy Action Plan 2017 to 2020.
The action plan explains how the Vale of the White Horse District Council’s dedicated team, known as Vale4Business, will support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in four key areas of growth – business support, skills and labour force, infrastructure planning and business space. The team will provide advice on where to obtain free support services, organise a series of free workshops and host an awards programme. They will help SMEs to attract and retain skilled staff and help connect businesses to local schools and colleges.
Vale4Business is lobbying to improve access to superfast broadband coverage and help give information on locations and premises that are available for businesses relocate in the district for continued success.
Businesses interested in learning how the council can support their progress or to attend the next forum can contact the Vale4Business team via the website www.vale4business.com or 01235 422224.
Residents give strong backing for new leisure centre
People in the Vale of White Horse have overwhelmingly backed proposals for a new leisure centre. More than 600 people took part in a consultation asking what they thought of Vale of White Horse District Council plans to build the new leisure centre at Mably Way in Wantage, next to the A417.
84 per cent of those responding to the survey backed the proposal to build a new centre, with 70 per cent agreeing that Mably Way was a suitable location.
Following the strong support locally the council has confirmed that it will move forward with the plans, with the aim of opening the new centre in 2020. The budget to deliver the new centre will be £18.8million. The Vale will fund the entire project upfront, however as the new housing developments are built locally the council will receive significant contributions towards this cost from developers.
For more information about the new leisure centre project please visit www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/newleisurecentre.
National recognition for Wantage and Grove efforts to tackle underage drinking
People in Wantage and Grove are celebrating after the area’s Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) won three national awards for its work to tackle underage drinking.
Nigel Watt, Chairman of Wantage and Grove CAP received the CAP of the Year Award from MP Fiona Bruce, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Alcohol Harm.
James Maddern, Head of Engagement and Ethos at King Alfred’s Academy was also presented with an individual award for Excellence in Education, while Laura Warner of Thames Valley Police Licencing was highly commended for the outstanding contribution she has made to the CAP’s work.
Wantage and Grove Community Alcohol Partnership was introduced in 2015 by the South and Vale Community Safety Partnership under the Nightsafe umbrella, following concerns over underage drinking and anti-social behaviour in the local area. Under a CAP local councils, retailers, licensees, trading standards, police, health services, education providers and other local stakeholders all work together on a range of initiatives to tackle the problem.
For more information about the work of Wantage and Grove Community Alcohol Partnership visit www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/wantageandgrovecap.
Plans submitted for a new 3G football pitch in Faringdon
Vale of White Horse District Council has submitted a planning application for a new 3G artificial turf pitch to be located next to Faringdon Leisure Centre.
The scheme, which is a joint project between the district council and leisure centre contractors GLL, will cost £750,000. Subject to planning permission it is expected that work should start on the new pitch in early 2018 and be complete by the summer.
The proposal also includes more than 40 additional parking spaces at the Fernham Road site to help meet the increased demand.