Long Wittenham Parish Council wants to recruit another member to help shape the future of the village. Currently, there are six councillors, one short of the maximum allowed.
Your parish council is involved in many key areas of local administration: representing the local community, delivering services to meet local needs, and improving quality of life and community well being.
As well as these day to day responsibilities there are specific challenges facing the village:
- The updating of the Neighbourhood Development Plan as a result of the issues encountered at the Kler public enquiry last year
- The design and development of the Community Hub to provide the much needed pre-school, new primary school and new village hall
- Threats of more unwanted housing developments such as that recently proposed next to Bodkin’s Field
There’s renewed interest in establishing a circular path footpath linking Long Wittenham and Clifton Hampden using part of the Thames Path. The former chairman of Long Wittenham Parish Council Tom Bowtell first promoted the idea three years ago but it ran aground following opposition from the farmer who owned land on the island at the back of Long Wittenham. A fence was proposed to segregate grazing animals from the public but the land owner was unhappy, citing vandalism to property and risk to livestock.
West Waddy ADP, the company behind proposals for a new housing development on the land next to Bodkin’s Field has acknowledged that many residents did not receive their leaflet explaining the proposals, and are sending it out again, hopefully to all households this time. They have also extended the consultation period for another two weeks to 23rd February.
Charities, community and voluntary groups across South Oxfordshire are being encouraged to sign up to a new lottery to help them raise funds. South Oxfordshire District Council aims to launch the lottery in the spring and is inviting good causes to register as beneficaries.
Residents may be wondering why Forge Lane in Clifton Hampden has been subject to traffic restrictions this week. Oxfordshire County Council have advised that vegetation clearance and a topographical survey is taking place alongside a short section of the road. These are enabling works with a view to improving this cycling route in 2018/2019.
The Parish Council will hold its monthly meeting this coming Thursday evening (8th February) at 7:30pm in the Village Hall.
A new television series explores the controversial decision by the government to free up the green belt to developers.
The Wallingford Neighbourhood Police Team are asking residents to be aware that there has been an increase in shed burglaries in the local area in the past few days.
If you have not already done so, don’t forget to make your comments on the proposed housing development next to Bodkin’s Field by Friday 2nd February.
Two television production companies are contacting parish councils around the country asking them to let residents know about a new TV show being developed for a major UK broadcaster.