The Letcombe Register The Letcombe Regis Parish Newsletter February 2020 Diary February Mondays 10, 24 Grey Landfill and Food Waste Bins Mondays 3,17 Green Recycling and Food Waste (& Garden Waste if subscribed) Mon 3/ 10/ 24 7.30 - 9.00 pm Voices in the Vale with Lisa Doscher Village Hall / CCC/Village Hall Tue 4/11/25 9.30 - 10.45 am Hatha Yoga with Beth Village Hall Fri / Sat / Sat 10.00 / 9.00 /11.00 Tennis - Cardio / Cardio / Coaching Tennis Courts Sun 2 10.00 am Matins - lay led - S. Eden St. Andrew’s Wed 5 8.00 pm Book Buffs Greyhound Inn Thu 6 2.30 pm Knitwits 4 Hamlyn Close Sun 9 10.00 am Holy Communion St. Andrew’s Sun 9 8.00 pm Greyhound - Pub Quiz - Sue Ryder (Oxon) Greyhound Inn Mon 10 7.30 pm WI - ‘Windsor Chairs’ - Stuart Linford Village Hall Wed 12 8.00 pm Film Club - ‘On the Basis of Sex’ Village Hall Sat 15 1.30 - 4.30 pm Nature Reserve Work Party Nature Reserve Sat 15 2.00 - 4.00 pm Snowdrop Day (all day around the village - teas in Church) St. Andrew’s Sun 16 10.00 am Matins - A. Colbrook (Deacon) St. Andrew’s Wed 19 7.30 pm Gardening Club - ‘Plant Hunting in Eastern Anatolia’ Village Hall Thu 20 2.30 pm Knitwits The Old Manor Fri 21 7.30 pm Bingo! - jackpot £100 - all welcome Sports Pavilion Sun 23 10.00 am Holy Communion - Revd. L. Hill St. Andrew’s Wed 26 11.00 am Ash Wednesday - Holy Communion (said) St. Andrew’s March Sun 1 10.00 am Matins St. Andrew’s © 2020 Francesca Engelmann for Letcombe Regis Parish Council Issue 174 The Letcombe Register February 2020 Letcombe Regis Parish Council Byways Open to all Traffic (BOAT) The heavy and continuing rainfall we have been Cornhill, Green and Hardwell Lanes – Byways Open to All experiencing during the past month or so has led to some Traffic (BOAT) significant flooding. The PC welcomes efforts by villagers to keep any drainage channels near or on their property Following a site visit to Cornhill Lane the County Council clear from obstruction to help prevent more serious has decided to close these Lanes to all traffic because of flooding. I you need to report a flooding problem please log damage mainly as a result of inappropriate use by 4x4s. it onto https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ and also The BOATs will be closed by concrete blocks and will advise the Parish Clerk so that we can follow up if remain closed until the weather is suitable for the surface necessary. to be repaired. We are hopeful that sometime this year a longer term The annual display of snowdrops is beginning to emerge solution involving closure during winter months will be along the roadside verges, thanks to the effort of Anne implemented. Williams, and this year the Church and WI are repeating the successful Snowdrop Trail afternoon on Saturday 15th Paul Barrow February, 2 to 4 pm. Tea and cakes will be available in the District Councillor for Ridgeway Ward church and snowdrops will also be on sale. Proceeds will go to Charity. Please support this Community Event. The PC has set its budget for the next financial year with Priority Services for Water and Electricity no uplift in the Precept. However there are increases being applied by Oxfordshire County Council to enable increased funding of 2% for Adult Social Care, together with a 1.99% general uplift. The PC has been advised by our County Councillor At Scottish Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and Yvonne Constance that, our newly elected MP David Thames Water, we aim to provide a reliable service for Johnston, has declared a major interest in infrastructure, every individual in our region, 365 days a year. But if and further support will be sought regarding the possible something does go wrong, our priority services teams are opening of a station at Grove. on hand to help. More locally the PC is continuing to work with Oxfordshire County Council regarding the control of speeding traffic By signing up for our free priority services, you can benefit and proper pedestrian access through the village, as well from extra help in electricity or water-related emergencies. as the proper management of the local bridleways and Our goal is to provide extra peace of mind if you’re of tracks around the village. Some of these have already pensionable age; living with a chronic medical condition or been temporarily closed because of their poor condition. restricted mobility; experiencing a change in personal This is likely to take some time to resolve but please be circumstances; or raising a family with young children assured the PC is on the case. under the age of five. Both the County and the Local District Council have formed No matter your needs, you’ll have access to a dedicated groups to consider a carbon neutral approach across telephone helpline, which you can call at any time of day. Oxfordshire by 2030 and this will be discussed by the PC In the unlikely event your water stops flowing or your lights at its next meeting. There is also a report on the possible go out for a long period of time, we’ll give you a call to changes to the Health arrangements in OX12, but this is discuss what’s happened, what we’re doing to fix it, and still in draft form and we will circulate the consultation link any additional support you might need, including an once it has been finalised. For those of you with an interest alternative supply of water or power. in Education there is a consultation ‘Improving Education th You can also rely on us for proactive support. When we’re Outcomes’, which is running until 28 February, 2020 and planning maintenance to our power lines or pipes, we’ll will inform the strategic direction of education in give you plenty of notice so that you can make alternative Oxfordshire over the next three to 5 years. While we try to arrangements. We’ll make sure to communicate in the keep you informed of these you can always access current format that best suits your needs and, if you want extra consultations via the County Councils webpages at https:// reassurance, help you set up a doorstep password so that consultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/consult.ti/system/ you know it’s us if we ever pop by to speak to you. listConsultations?type=O&sort=ca_opendate&dir=desc. We’ll keep any details you share with us safe and confidential. The PC Website is due for a refresh which will take place over the next few months. If you have any suggestions To sign up today, visit : please let the Parish Clerk know so that they can be taken www.thameswater.co.uk/priorityservices or into account. www.ssen.co.uk/PSR/Thameswater/ Call 0800 0093652 option 3, or Jeanne Lapsley email [email protected]. Chairman, To request registration forms, email Letcombe Regis Parish Council [email protected] © 2020 Francesca Engelmann for Letcombe Regis Parish Council 2 The Letcombe Register February 2020 Letcombe Regis Recreation Ground and Village Hall Trust St Andrew’s Church Thank you to the volunteers who have come forward to offer help with any improvements we make to the Old Riding Club field. Once there is a plan in place, then I will Christmas is beginning to seem a long time ago, though be in contact. If you would like to volunteer, and haven't nd the crib remains on view in the church till Candlemas (2 done so yet, then it's not too late! February) but still a moment to thank everyone for their We still have a problem with water coming into the Hall very generous donations at the Carol Service, Christmas under the large window facing the Recreation Ground. This Day and the two Sundays around Christmas. Cheques for only seems to happen with a particular combination of over £575 were sent to both CRISIS and The Children’s wind and rain, and the contractors are due back in the near Society, the two charities we always support from the future to tackle this again. We are also looking at ways to Christmas collections. These were the largest amounts we keep the area immediately around the Hall tidy, and one have ever raised from these collections, no doubt in part slight change which has been done recently is to move the due to a packed church at the excellent Carol Service. wall-mounted cigarette bin from around the side by the There was also a huge pile of gifts left under the tree, with kitchen door to the end of the wall where the front door is. clothing going to the Porch in Oxford, which provides We will also be reminding hirers of their obligation to support to the homeless, food to the Wantage food bank ensure they keep the area clean and tidy. and children’s toys to a local charity. There are some other regular maintenance jobs which will To all amounts raised for the charities supported by St be done on the Village Hall, such as a refresh of the Main Andrew’s throughout the year we are able to add what we Hall walls, where scuff marks have appeared over time. call the ‘Boyes Boost’, a further 10% to the amount raised. There is also now a lock on the glass recycling bin, as we Edgar Boyes, a Richmond resident, was very generous to had found other items were being deposited in there, and St Andrew’s in his life in the village and in his Will.