Minutes of the Meeting of Standlake Parish Council, held in the Youth Club, Church End, on 10th September 2024 at 7.30pm

Present:

          Mr. B. Parnham               Chairman

          Mr. D. Jeffcoat               Vice Chairman

          Mrs. A. Knipe

          Mrs. J. Macdonald

          Mr. J Rippin

          Mr. B. Smith

          Mr. D. Bevan                   Clerk

 

          OCC Cllr. Mr. D. Levy. WODC Cllr. S. Cosier

1.         APOLOGIES –Mr. J. Clements.

2.         DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None.

3.         PUBLIC ITEMS – no members of the public were present.

4.         COUNTY and DISTRICT COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS See Cllr. Levy and Cllr. Cosier’s reports attached. Cllr. Levy referred to the publicity surrounding the Eynsham Park and Ride and its lack of connection to the A40. He stressed that no OCC public money was involved, and it was the lack of coordination with the various funding agencies central government and others. Cllr. Cosier said that he would forward Stanton Harcourt’s draft response for information.

5.          PLANNING – 24/02170/S73: Variation of conditions 2 and 3 of planning permission 22/01456/FUL to allow for amendments to the hours of opening and size of classes: Dormer House 26 Aston Road Brighthampton: Mrs Theresa Harvey. Objection; jurisdiction for extension of hours, parking.

24/01341/FULL Change of use of land to increase domestic curtilage along with erection of 2m high boundary fence (retrospective): 138 Abingdon Road, Standlake, Witney: Mr & Mrs Geoffrey and Victoria Ling.  Mr Jeffcoat stated that, following the agreement at the meeting on 9th July to object to this application, he had understood that the WODC planning had decided upon a delegated powers refusal.  He asked Mr Cosier about the current position.  Mr Cosier agreed to follow up with the planning department. 

6.            MINUTES - Minutes of the Meeting held on Tuesday, 9th July 2024, copies of which had been previously circulated to all members, were agreed as a true record, and were signed by the chairman.

7.         MATTERS ARISING

Sewage/Flooding – Mr. Parnham has finally received an update from Thames Water. TW have identified a problem near the school and are obtaining quotes from contractors. TW have agreed that they will be monitoring flows and levels during the coming winter. Nothing has been received from OCC regarding the flooding in the High Street but Mr. Parnham will continue to request answers.

Roads/Speedwatch/20mph – 24 Speedwatch sessions were held during July and August including some early morning and evening sessions and over the Bank Holiday Weekend resulting in 263 offenders being reported.  Of these, 3 had no Tax, 1 no MOT and 1 on SORN; this information is passed by TVP to DVLA.  A slight increase in the numbers speeding - 2% overall in the 30mph zones and 23% in the 20mph zones. The Standlake / Brighthampton Speedwatch Group still has a reputation of being very active at different locations at different times so hopefully the slight increase is just a blip and we will see this come down again. We are pleased to report two new volunteers have come forward and thanks to all operators who continue to give up their time.

On other matters, we continue to engage with OCC about the conditions of the roads and traffic calming measures.  A lot of patching work has taken place on Aston Road but we are pushing for this and High Street to be re-surfaced.  'Dragon Teeth' white lining has also been completed at the various entry points to the village which seems to help make drivers aware of the changing speed limits.

An email has also been sent to the school including the PCSO Team about inconsiderate parking including stopping/parking on the 'zig-zag' lines; this is so frustrating considering we have a Public Car Park as few minutes walk away!  The situation continues to be monitored and Mrs. Macdonald said she had chased this up with the school.

 

Playgrounds/Recreation Ground –.See Correspondence and Agenda item 11.

Environment/Nature Recovery Network - Mrs. Macdonald made the following report: •     Burial Ground - areas of the new burial ground are now being mown in sections in collaboration with Eco Church, and there is collaboration into an ongoing management plan for the area. A survey was carried out recently, and a very encouraging diversity of plants were now becoming established in the wild flower area.

Coronation Tree – a slow-release water bag has now been fitted around the tree to help the tree establish in the very dry weather. Coronation Planters – much appreciated by villagers, these are doing well and being regularly watered. Village Hall – the flower bed damaged by the building work is now being restored. Wildflower bank at Village Hall - In previous years with support from LWVP the bank has been cut with scythes to promote the growth of the wildflowers. As there has been no support from LWVP in recent months, this has not been possible, so we are planning to have the long grass cut with strimmers, so cut grass can be removed. We are planning to ask Absolute Solutions if they can carry out the work and are seeking help with the payment for this work. LWVP – we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Martyn Lane, in his appointment as LWVP project manager, and for remedial work to begin in earnest. Bird hides, footpaths and bird boxes all need urgent attention. The LWVP Steering Group has not met for at least 2 years, and some original members have resigned. Local residents have great interest in the maintenance of the nature reserve, and are hopeful that WODC local councillors can investigate the LWVP plans on our behalf. Sales of bird hide keys seems to have been discontinued, although many existing key holders visit the hides regularly. It would be interesting to record footfall in the bird hides over the next few months. The litter bin at the LWVP picnic area continues to be emptied regularly by volunteers. School Leavers – the team worked with 22 school leavers at the end of July, and each pupil took home their own bird box made from a kit. The event was hugely enjoyed by all. Autumn Litter Pick – another village litter pick is planned for Saturday 26th October, 10 – 12. Equipment will be available in the Village Hall. Volunteers warmly welcomed to help with this useful initiative to keep our village clean and tidy. Mrs. Macdonald asked if Cllr. Levy would press the matter of LWVP with OCC and he agreed to do this.

8.         CORRESPONDENCE. – RoSPA report on Rack End playground. Mr. Jeffcoat said that he felt there were some items in the report on the Rack End playground that needed to be addressed. After looking at the actual report the clerk said that there were no red items but some yellow ones. Mr. Parnham suggested that he and Mr. Jeffcoat meet at the playground in the near future and examine the site; this was agreed.

9.         ACCOUNTS – The clerk reported that the accounts were in a satisfactory state and noted that the second half of the precept (£15000) was due in October.

Received: WODC (S106 Village Hall floor) £1100

For payment/approved: (* already paid)

SNRN - grant                                                    £500.00*

Abs Solutions - mowing                                  £370.00*

Abs Solutions - p'ground repair                        £45.00*

Abs Solutions - mowing                                  £300.00*

C Cleland - c'yard mowing                              £372.50*

Microsoft 365 - subs                                         £59.99*

Wicksteed - r'about spare                               £104.04*

Abs Solutions - r'about repair                          £55.00*

RoSPA - p'grounds inspection                        £319.20*

Moore - audit fees                                           £252.00*

Chris Cleland - c'yard mowing                        £372.50*

S'lake VH - S106 grant                                   £1100.00*

PWLB – car park loan repayment                  £2142.96*

 D C Bevan - Salary                                        £1752.70*

10.       COMPLETION OF 23/24 AUDIT - The clerk presented the result of the 23/24 audit (previously circulated to councillors). The only adverse comments regarded the non-publishing of the 22/23 audit on the council’s website; the clerk apologised for this oversight and had now corrected the omission. The council unanimously approved the audit report.

11.       RACKEND PLAYGROUND FENCING TREATMENT - It was becoming clear that the Rack End playground fencing needed treatment. Absolute Solutions have quoted £390 + treatment fluid (£70) and it was agreed that, given the amount of work required for that length of fencing, this quote be accepted. Mr. Parnham suggested that this work be carried out in the early spring; this was agreed unanimously.

12.       SCOUTS FIREWORKS 2ND NOVEMBER 24 – Permission to hold the annual event has been requested by the scouts. Mr. Parnham suggested that this be granted subject to the usual conditions of insurance, turf removal for bonfire and restoring the site after the event. This was agreed unanimously.

13.       EXTENSION OF RECREATION GROUND – Mr. Rippin suggested, that now the Eagle Farm land was on the market, the council might explore purchasing part of the land beyond the western boundary of the recreation ground with a view to providing a full-size football pitch for which Mr. Rippin claimed there was an existing need. There was some discussion, with the clerk pointing out the obstacles he foresaw. Among other things: the existence of the wildflower bank and drainage ditch along the boundary; the willingness or otherwise of the vendors to release a portion of the sale land and the price; the justification of borrowing more money while the council was already paying £4K + per year (for the next 8 years) for redeeming the car park construction loan; the cost of turning an agricultural field into a football pitch which would require ongoing maintenance. After more discussion, Mr. Parnham suggested Mr. Rippin should investigate the feasibility of his suggestion and report back; Mr. Rippin agreed to do this.

14.       PUBLIC TRANSPORT UPDATE – Mr. Jeffcoat noted that the recent changes to bus timetables now meant that there would be a half hourly X15 service to Witney and a through service to Oxford via Abingdon, albeit taking 75 minutes from Standlake. Mr. Jeffcoat also said that the First and Last service was becoming more and more popular.

15.       DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS – Mr. Parnham said that the next meeting will be held in the Youth Club on Tuesday 8th October 2024 at 7.30 pm. It was agreed that due to future commitments the November meeting be brought forward to Tuesday 5th November at 7.30pm.

16.       There being no further business, the meeting closed at 8.55pm.

 

Chairman   ....................................................................  Date …………………………………………………

 

County Councillor’s Report – Dan Levy.

Roads

Oxford

You will I am sure have read that Network Rail have failed to meet the timetable they committed to as Oxford Station is rebuilt. That is, to put it mildly, extremely disappointing. Botley Road remains closed to motor vehicles at the railway bridge, and we await NR telling us the new expected opening date. In the meantime, the current bus arrangements, which

work well, are continuing to be in operation.

A40

Discussions with Homes England continue relating to the A40 improvement project. Once Homes England release the money promised, the Park and Ride junctions and bus lanes can be completed. You may recall that the P&R itself is financed by a different government agency, as part of the Science Corridor project which is largely paying for the junctions at Oxford North and in Witney. The new government has promised a more joined-up way of funding projects, and that is to be welcomed. It is worth stressing that the P&R was built prior to the other funding being released in order to ensure that it wasn’t affected by inflation, and to ensure that no Oxfordshire Council Taxpayer money has been used on the project. That includes the current maintenance costs, which are bundled into the government funding. The fundamental issue has been that the project used two unconnected pots of money, and neither government pot was inflation indexed. That is what was inherited by the current administration, and although the situation is frustrating, it is the best that could be done with what we were given.

Buses - Reliability measures

As Botley Road is one of the key routes into Oxford, the knock-on effect of the closure is that the bus improvement schemes which were due to commence have had to be postponed. It is vital that bus movement in Oxford is prioritized, along with active travel, and it is a shame that there will be a delay in being able to put the filter scheme in place. The filters will permit people to drive to anywhere that they currently can drive to, but cleared key routes for buses.

New capped multi-company fares With support from the County Council, the bus companies in Oxfordshire have agreed to combined booking, with a maximum daily or weekly fare. The daily cap is £6.50 for adults and £3.50 for under 18s. A weekly ticket is £25.00 and £14.50. That includes local buses from more rural areas, as well as routes in the city, and between the major towns. The First and Last Bus services from Standlake to Eynsham and Pulhams services from Standlake to Abingdon and Witney are included. Find out about MyBus Oxfordshire tickets at mybusoxfordshire.org.uk The government will be announcing that local authorises will be able to franchise buses services in their areas. They are unlikely to provide funding that would enable this to make a substantive difference to local services, but we will keep the situation under review.

Democracy

The Electoral Commission has completed its final report on Electoral arrangements for the County Council, which Parliament will approve in time for the May 2025 elections. This has redrawn the county divisions, to reflect population movements since the last review. There will be a new Carterton South and Bampton division, which will contain Aston, Yelford and Standlake, while Northmoor and Stanton Harcourt will be part of the new Eynsham Division. This of course follows closely after the first parliamentary election under the new boundaries, and will be followed by an Electoral Commission review of the district boundaries in the next year or so.

 

District Councillor’s Report – Steve Cosier

Overview and Scrutiny committee - Proposed reforms to the NPPF and other changes to the planning system. The Overview and Scrutiny committee have scrutinised the Government’s series of proposed changes to national planning policy. The new series includes several specific changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and several broader reforms relating to planning fees, local plan intervention and the thresholds used for determining applications under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime. The consultation finishes on 24 September 2024 and the Government has indicated that a new version of the NPPF will be published before the end of the year.

The consultation includes several changes which are intended to further encourage the re-use of previously developed (brownfield) land. In short, the NPPF is to be amended such that development involving brownfield land is to be generally regarded as acceptable in principle.

WODC Planning: Community Infrastructure Levy: https://yourvoice.westoxon.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/cil-dcs WODC administration are asking parishes and interested parties to put forward their opinions on CIL. CIL is intended to complement the current system of Section 106 planning obligations. WODC are currently preparing proposals to introduce CIL to the West Oxfordshire district. The money generated from CIL will be used alongside Section 106 is used to contribute to funding infrastructure to support development growth in West Oxfordshire. 

The Community Infrastructure Levy is a planning charge, introduced by the Government through the Planning Act 2008 to provide a fair and transparent means for ensuring that development contributes to the cost of the infrastructure it will rely upon, such as schools and roads.

Taking account of updated viability evidence, the Council is now prepared a new CIL draft charging schedule which is the subject of an 8-week public consultation finishing on Friday 27 September 2024. Previous administrations have previously produced draft CIL charging schedules in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2020 however these have not been through examination and have therefore not been formally adopted. The new alliance is going to introduce the CIL to benefit all communities.