Coronavirus (COVID-19) Advice and support on Coronavirus National advice on Coronavirus- it’s changing all the time, so keep up to date with daily updates to make sure you are getting accurate information! Take care where you look for advice and guidance, and make sure that you are using verified sites for information as there is a lot of incorrect or ‘scam’ advice on social media at the moment. Always use the advice below from makes sense and check it regularly for updates. The following are some key websites

Coronavirus -What you need to do: Government advice https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

NHS England for advice on protecting yourself https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Public Health England for up to date advice and guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health- england including Easy Read and language translations

Updates from Oxfordshire County Council https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/coronavirus-information-from- the-government/

2 EXTRACTS FROM PARISH COUNCIL MEETING OF 8th JULY 2020 (The following are extracts from the minutes that will be approved at the meeting held on 9th September 2020. This will be a Zoom meeting and open to members of the public)

Planning P20/S2134/O: Chalgrove Airfield Development by Homes England The Chairman informed the meeting that he had an exchange of views with various interested parties, including Jeremy Mogford at Rofford, on the recent planning application for the Chalgrove Airfield Development submitted by Homes England. He confirmed that Jeremy had shared responses made on his behalf by a specialist planning consultant to oppose the development. The Chairman also reported that he had taken part in a video conference with the Chairs of Chalgrove Parish Council and Great Haseley Parish Council, District Councillor Caroline Newton, County Councillor Stephen Harrod, John Alexander, Chalgrove District Councillor David Turner and Paul Boon of Chalgrove SHIELD. The virtual meeting shared views of the Chalgrove planning application as well as the recent submission request for an Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Opinion from SODC in respect of Harrington. The key actions were to urge SODC to seek the applicant to accept a delay in the determination of the application until after the Inspection of the Emerging Local Plan and to seek the support of John Howell M.P. The Chairman referred to the papers he had circulated to Councillors that outlined his concerns about the application and an outline of a possible response for the Council to consider.

The Chairman highlighted a number of key concerns detailed in his paper. The Chairman invited Barry Coward, Chairman of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group to give his comments. Barry stated that the application contained a ridiculous number of documents that contain minute detail which nobody will be able to fathom. Barry commented upon the implication of the road proposals and the potential flood risk. The Chairman thanked Barry for his input.

The Council had a number of concerns about the sustainability of the proposed site that had been previously been expressed in the Regulation 19 consultation of the Emerging Local Plan 2034. However the submitted application outlined the transport plan that included the routing of some of construction traffic for the development through the village and this was a major concern. The Council RESOLVED that it would object to the application on a number of grounds and register the unsuitability of the A329 for any additional traffic and HGV traffic. The Chairman requested that County Councillor Harrod communicates the concerns of the Parish Council to the OCC Highway team responsible for transport planning.

The Chairman highlighted the need for the residents to engage with the application and to actively encourage them to respond. He referred to the recent information produced by Chalgrove Airfield Action Group. The Clerk stated that he would receive a copy of the publication for distribution to each household. The Chairman agreed that he would provide a suitable communication for the village in support of the Chalgrove Airfield Action Group.

Playground Post July 4th Cllr. David Wakeling informed the Council that the Government had announced that play parks could be opened from 4th July 2020 and it had produced guidance on how the parks could be reopened and manged effectively to enable their use while 3 minimising the transmission risk of COVID-19. David reported that he had completed a Risk Assessment and explained the key elements to the Council. The Council RESOLVED to accept the Risk Assessment that allowed the Play Ground to be available for use. The Chairman thanked him for his work.

MUGA Cllr. Francois Van Der Merwe informed the meeting that following a gathering of a few residents interested in the MUGA on Wednesday 24th June 2020 he was proposing that a formal working group should be established to examine the future options of the MUGA. Cllr. Adam Sheppard stated that he would be happy to participate in the project. Francois stated that he was prepared to Chair the working party and that he would contact all the likely stakeholders in order to listen to their views as well as getting the involvement of the village through the newsletter.

Email Little Milton Shop The Clerk reported that the Council had received an email from Kevin Hunt, Chairman of the Shop that explained the desire to improve the patio area of the shop. The improvement included a small increase in area to incorporate some additional tables and seats for the increasing customer base as well as to meet the Government guidelines on social distancing within the catering sector. The Council RESOLVED to fully support the request. The Council discussed what arrangements should be made to recognise the additional land being used by the Shop outside their current lease. The Council RESOLVED that it would seek to have an exchange of letters that would incorporate the elements of a licence agreement for future reference. The Chairman stated that he would produce a draft letter. The Council RESOLVED that the Shop could proceed with the work before a letter detailing the arrangements between the Shop and the Parish Council are agreed.

Email Giles Denby The email received from Mr Giles Denby had been circulated to Council members. Giles highlighted a number of concerns relating to traffic related matters within the village. The Clerk stated that he had responded to an earlier email from Giles in respect of traffic matters to the effect that although the points raised had merit they had been pursued by the Parish Council with OCC. It was RESOLVED that the Chairman would speak with Giles to make him aware of the wider challenges currently facing the Parish Council at this time.

Exchange of Information The Clerk informed the Council that there appeared to be an oil leak within the communal oil set up in Milton Manor Drive. This appeared to have caused a strong smell of oil and some contamination within the surface water network. The Resident’s Association within Milton Manor Drive have taken all the necessary steps to arrest the leak and have also informed the Environment Agency.

Cllr. David Wakeling observed that there were some trees planted in pots on a grass verge in Old Field. He was concerned as why they had been put there but also that some of the species of trees would appear to be inappropriate. The Clerk stated that he would make enquiries with the local resident involved.

4 Current Council members Councillor Alaric Smith ( Chairman) 01844 279993 Councillor Francois Van Der Merwe (Vice Chair) 01844 278180 Councillor Howard Harrison 01844 279946 Councillor Adam Sheppard 01844 279217 Councillor Steve Sidhu 01844 279448 Councillor David Wakeling 01844 278014 Parish Clerk Raymond Fergusson 01844 279150 [email protected] County Councillor: Stephen Harrod 01844 278068 District Councillor Caroline Newton 01491 614662

SODC: WASTE MANAGEMENT CONTRACT The minimum charge is £34 for up to 3 items and £7 for each additional item. There is a maximum of six items per collection day: if you have more than six, you'll need to book another collection day. Please note that a bed and mattress counts as 2 items and a three piece suite (consisting of 1 settee and 2 chairs) counts as 3 items. N.B. Payments by credit card are subject to a 1.36% surcharge.

Before you contact us to book your bulky waste collection, have a good think about whether you have any other big items to dispose of. Once we have processed your booking, we are unable to make any alterations or add any other items – even if you have only booked one or two items.

To arrange this service residents can call the Public Amenities Team on 01235 422406 or book on line from the Council’s website www.southoxon.gov.uk

Give your furniture to a good home Have you considered donating your furniture to charity or a good home? Emmaus is an Oxford based charity that will come out to all areas of the county and collect unwanted furniture free of charge. For legal or practical reasons this does not include soft furnishings without a fire label, safety items, or any item that is not in a saleable condition. Please visit the Emmaus website for more details.

BIFFA: WASTE COLLECTION DATES – AUGUST 2020 Brown Grey Green Food 4th August No Yes No Yes 11th August Yes No Yes Yes 18th August No Yes No Yes 25th August Yes No Yes Yes 2nd September ** No Yes No Yes

** Revised date due to Bank Holiday

The Oxfordshire County Council Waste Recycling Centres at Redbridge, Drayton (near Abingdon) and Oakley Wood are open seven days a week including Bank Holidays from 8.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.

RECYCLING ISSUES Thousands of residents in southern Oxfordshire have found their recycling bins unemptied each week because they have put the wrong things in them.

Putting non-recyclable items in recycling can contaminate a whole truckload, which is then rejected at the recycling facility. This turns neighbours’ recycling into

5 rubbish and ultimately wastes energy and raw materials by removing these items from the recycling process.

Bin crews in South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse districts have stepped up monitoring of recycling bins in recent months as the lockdown has meant an increase in household waste, which has meant an increased risk of people putting the wrong items in recycling bins.

During one week of recycling collections in the past month there were 3,801 reports of wrong items found in recycling bins in South Oxfordshire. Bins found with incorrect items for recycling were left unemptied.

The vast majority were rejected because residents had put black or coloured bin bags into recycling bins. Crews cannot see what is in them and so won’t empty the bin. The next biggest category of rejections was because food was found in the green bin. Food contaminates recycling making it unrecyclable. Food can be collected in food bins and taken to a separate facility where it is transformed into electricity and fertiliser.

Textiles, like old T-shirts and odd socks are another reason for crews to leave recycling bins unemptied. Although both councils collect textiles for recycling at a different facility, they must be left in a tied carrier bag next to the green bin. Other non-recyclable items which are regularly found by bin crews in recycling bins are polystyrene, plastic toys, garden waste, electrical items, wood and nappies.

Recycling should be in the green bin loose or in clear bags so the crews can easily identify that the contents are recyclable.

If they see non-recyclables, crews will leave the bins unemptied, record the reasons and leave a tag on the bin explaining to residents.

THE RECTOR’S PINT Whatever the rights or wrongs of it, ‘locking down’ was easy to do. I don’t mean the emotional impact of it all, that has been hard, but having to shut our churches. I always believed that this was an over-reaction and, in common with many of my clergy colleagues, I felt that at least we should have been able to keep the buildings open, at least for a part of the time. I am delighted of course that we have now been able to do this. It’s only once a week, but it is a start. We had to organise our churches to do this including putting away all the books, as if they were a major hazard!

The last few months have introduced us to a whole new vocabulary. Lockdown is one word, three other significant terms, Zoom, mute and un-mute! In March I had never even heard of Zoom but it has become the ‘go to’ resource as we have tried to keep things going. I was the first to be surprised at how successful our weekly Sunday by Zoom service has been. We even managed to have a pets’ blessing as a part of the service at the beginning of July.

We are now looking at what the shape of things ahead is likely to be at least for the rest of the year. I do not foresee that our Zoom presence will stop any time soon. Neither do I see it as a satisfactory long term solution. There is no substitute for actually getting together, worshipping and sharing in one place.

Whatever we begin to offer in church will have to be simple, we will not be able to sing, apparently it increases the risk of contamination and we will have to maintain ‘social distancing.’ What we are introducing from the start of August, is a simple 6 said Holy Communion service at 9.00am once a week in one of our churches. One of these will be from the Book of Common Prayer. The Holy Communion itself will be carried out safely, and in line with appropriate guidelines.

The revised schedule is below, although this may be subject to revision as circumstances change.

Looking ahead, what about Harvest Festival? I don’t predict that traditional harvest services, lunches or suppers will be possible this year. On Remembrance Sunday, Acts of Remembrance will be held outside, in each of the villages, but these are unlikely to be followed by services of remembrance inside the churches.

So uncertainty still dominates. But then faith was never dependent on the certainty of our human structures, but on the goodness and faithfulness of God. We’ll get through this.

Simon

BENEFICE SERVICES AUGUST Live Virtual Service

Service Zoom 9.00 11.00 Sunday Great Milton Invitation 2nd August St Mary’s To Zoom Trinity 8 Communion Morning Prayer Sunday Great Haseley Invitation 9th August St Peter’s To Zoom Trinity 9 Communion Morning Prayer Sunday Little Milton Invitation 16th August St James To Zoom Trinity 10 Communion Morning Prayer Sunday Invitation 23rd August To Zoom Trinity 11 Communion Sunday 30th August To Be Agreed Trinity 12

GREAT MILTON METHODIST CHURCH SERVICES The Methodist Church has advised that all churches will cease having services forthwith until further notice. For further info. Please contact Rev Canon Dr Martin Wellings on 01865 243216

GRASS CUTTING ROTA AND OTHER CHURCHYARD WORK W/E 2nd August  Raymond Fergusson W/E 9th August - David Arnold W/E 16th August - Howard Harrison W/E 23rd August  David Hawkins W/E 30th August  Raymond Fergusson

I would appeal for more support to maintain the churchyard. Grass cutting is best done weekly during the growing season and we now have only a few committed 7 volunteers. I realise that some people cannot commit to a precise weekly slot but with notice I am sure that doing the odd slot when available would be enormously helpful. Please contact me if you can help in any way.

On a wider front and this only requires small groups of 2/3 agreeing to meet at the churchyard and carry out some basic tasks of cutting back the ivy or other obvious tasks. If you would like to help let me know and I will try and buddy people up but I hope you can drive it yourself. Raymond Fergusson

CHURCH FETE RAFFLE 2020 In the July newsletter it was indicated that the fete raffle would take place at the end of August. You will have received two raffle books with this newsletter and the Fete Committee hope that you will embrace the opportunity to support us.

Lindsay Heath

FRIENDS OF LITTLE MILTON SCHOOL- 200 CLUB

APRIL 2020 1st No; 15 Gill Taylor £10.00 2nd No; 21 Jo Merrick £7.00 3rd No; 27 Jo Darvil £5.00

MAY 2020 1st No; 17 Chris Coward £10.00 2nd No; 36 Jo Merrick £7.00 3rd No; 11 Gordon Smith £5.00

JUNE 2020 1st No; 40 Val Coates £10.00 2nd No; 30 Mr Hil £7.00 3rd No; 3 Vallance Family £5.00

JULY 2020 1st No; 4 Chris Coward £10.00 2nd No 5 Gill £7.00 3rd No; 42 Sally Ann Dennis £5.00

Diane Austin: Little Milton School 200 Club Organiser

8 DOES THIS SOUND VERY FAMILIAR? As most of you know the Examination in Public (EIP) of the Local Plan 2034 began in a virtual setting on 14th July 2020. Although the plan addresses the housing need for the next fifteen years the heated debate is where you put the houses. Little Milton and the surrounding parishes have experienced the threat of large scale developments such as Chalgrove Airfield or a possible Harrington before. There will be some in the village who will recall Stone Bassett (aka Harrington) and I thought that it would be worth sharing the Editorial of January 1988 and the subsequent campaign of S.O.U.N.D.

The circumstances are different in so far as Stone Bassett was a speculative development whereas Chalgrove Airfield is part of the proposed Local Plan up to 2034. However the common denominator is the potential threat to the surrounding countryside that we all enjoy. The Parish Council distributed to each house in the village in July information for each resident to consider if they wanted to register their opposition to the outline planning application for the Chalgrove Airfield site. There is always a feeling that your voice does not matter but I would say that staying silent is a worse option. A collective voice is powerful.

The Stone Bassett new town was ultimately rejected and we should take strength that the voice of local opinion played a major part in that outcome

Editor EDITORIAL January, 1988. A surprise announcement of the proposed new town of Stone Bassett naturally raised concern and apprehension among many, and this will be a major topic of discussion and debate in the months ahead. The well-argued case presented by the Consortium is one to be considered however appalling the prospect of a 'new settlement' on our doorstep might be. It is doubtful if the "provision of a wide range of infrastructure and community facilities will ensure a high quality of life in the new settlement as well as improving the amenities and facilities for people already living in the vicinity." This argument would have been more convincing if those already living in the vicinity had been consulted. It is a fact that people have been and are keen to move into this area just because the amenities and facilities are to their taste.

It is even more doubtful if the quality of life will be improved for those living in the surrounding vicinity if nothing is done to improve the A.329. The Consortium's document simply states that the new settlement is located on the "strategic road network which is exceptional, being situated adjacent to Junction 7 on the M40/A329. With a housing development for 15000 people the increase in traffic on the A.329 will be exceptional. That most certainly will not improve the quality of life for Little Milton.

We must find ways and means of arranging a forum so that we can present a united front in arguing our case for maintaining, and if possible improving the quality of live for those who already live in the vicinity of the proposed Stone Bassett.

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10 NEWS FROM THE PINE LODGE The current plan is to hopefully reopen the hall in September. This follows a detailed review of the guidelines provided by the government for reopening, and discussions with several hirers of the hall.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause. [email protected]

LITTLE MILTON CE SCHOOL AND PRE SCHOOL NURSERY UPDATE FROM HANNAH BROWN: HEAD TEACHER Looking back over the last academic year it is fair to say that the Little Milton school community has had an interesting and busy time! As we reach the end of the summer term, I would like to share with you a few of the more significant events.

In the autumn term we enjoyed preparing for and sharing our traditional Harvest and Christingle services at St. James’ Church. There was more wonderful singing when our choir took part in the Big Sing in November at Oxford Town Hall and our Year 5 children enjoyed working alongside their peers at Great Milton School in preparation for a memorable concert at Christ Church Cathedral. In November, we had an inspection visit from Ofsted, under the new more rigorous framework, and were pleased to be judged ‘good’ in all areas.

In the spring term, following extensive consultation with the whole school community, there were two exciting launches: our preschool nursery and our updated school vision and its companion scripture verse:

Little Milton CE School ‘is like a mustard seed, ……. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants and becomes a tree……………….” Matthew 13:32

You can find more details about both of these on our school website: https://little- milton.oxon.sch.uk/

We also took part in the Year 3 and 4 Oxfordshire schools’ music festival before the lockdown began on March 20th.

For obvious reasons, this summer term has been unlike any other! I am pleased to report that all of our school families and staff have stayed safe and well throughout this difficult period. We have provided home learning for the children through our website and stayed in contact with all of our families. The vast majority of children have engaged with learning and many have enjoyed opportunities to develop skills and interests that they would not have had the chance to do in normal times. We congratulate both parents and children on their achievements.

On June 15th, following government guidance, we reopened the school for Nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children. We were also able to offer places to our vulnerable and key worker children. Staff were delighted to see the children who adapted quickly to their new and different school environment.

We are now planning for and looking forward to fully and safely reopening the whole school in September, with all staff able to return. One of the many positive characteristics of Little Milton school is that it is small, which not only ensures that each child receives personalised provision, but also means that we are better able to keep our children in a safe environment.

11 Due to COVID-19 we have missed many of our special events – our Ascension service and walk to Great Haseley, country-dancing at the village fete and our annual Maypole and barbecue evening, to name a few. We have also missed out on much needed income as a result but are very grateful for kind donations from the village that have allowed us to continue to work on the second phase of our Early Years garden. We look forward to sharing this exciting project with you when guidance allows.

We currently have spaces available in our school, so if you know of families new to the area or surrounding villages please do let them know about your local school. We would be delighted to hear from them.

I wish you a happy and healthy summer and look forward to returning in September when we hope to play our part in village life once again.

Hannah Brown LITTLE MILTON WI Ten members braved the weather in Anne’s garden for our Wimbledon tea. Thank you to Anne for hosting and the rest of the committee for the wonderful cakes. Those that couldn’t make it received a hand delivered cake box.

Our next meeting is on Thursday 13th August when we are planning a member’s day trip to Rycote Chapel, followed by tea and cake.

Please phone, email or join us if you’re feeling lonely, want a chat, fancy joining WI.

Do you live in Little Milton, Great Milton or The Haseleys, want to meet new people, make new friends? Then join Little Milton WI and meet like-minded, local women of all ages in an informal, friendly group. We meet every 2nd Thursday of the month Too shy to come by yourself? Contact me & I’ll find you a WI buddy.

Like us at www.facebook.com/lmpinelodge Details & news on the Pine Lodge page at www.littlemilton.org.uk Kath Stacey 279438 or email [email protected]

WELLS FARM ALLOTMENTS Time to dig up some potatoes. First earlies would have been ready mid to late July while second earlies follow closely. I am a fan of charlottes especially for salads and they seem to grow well here. There is a lot of marjoram growing around the site and the pinky purple flowers attract bees and butterflies as well as buddleia bushes but with the added culinary value and smell! Redcurrants and blackcurrants have done well this year. They seem to like the layered soil, especially with a mulch of chippings on top to retain moisture.

It is great to see all of the plots productive. What a great community of people sharing ideas, tips and successes. Not everything works out but at least we know what has gone in to what we have grown.

August is a time for beans, potatoes, and reward for all that hard work. It was all worth the effort after all!

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MASK TREE Thank you to all those who have picked a mask from the tree and generously donated towards the new school garden.

The tree is still flourishing outside 38 Chiltern View, and new masks are being added at regular intervals so please come and have a look. There are plenty of different sizes and colours but if you want something specific just let me know and I will see what I can do.

Keep safe Teresa Quested

NEWS FROM OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL Delight as the gradual process of reopening libraries gets underway People across Oxfordshire have been expressing their delight at being able to visit libraries for the first time since the Spring as the county council continues its programme of re-openings thanks to lockdown being eased.

Six libraries were successfully reopened on Monday, July 13 with a further five due to reopen on Monday, July 20.

Councillor Lorraine Lindsay, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Cultural Services said: “It has been a real pleasure to see those library doors reopened to the public and there’s more to come. It has taken a tremendous effort from so many members of staff behind the scenes and I would like to thank them all for their hard work.

“Our library staff have received a really positive response from the public. I know that one family in Didcot told our staff they hadn’t come out as a family to any public space during lockdown, but they knew that the library would get it right and so felt confident to visit Didcot library on Monday when it first opened”.

Our libraries will be adopting their pre-lockdown opening pattern but will all be closing at 5pm on weekdays. Please see our website for branch details and opening times.

NEWS FROM SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL Help shape our work towards a thriving future for South Oxfordshire If you had a say in what’s most important for the council to focus on what would you say? Would it be tackling the climate emergency, protecting and restoring our natural world, helping businesses to thrive, or healthy communities? These are all things that councillors at South Oxfordshire District Council regularly have to debate and consider for the local community.

Councillors have identified six main themes for what they feel are the most important areas they need to focus on. They would like to know how residents, council staff and local organisations such as community groups, businesses and town and parish councils feel about these themes. The main areas that you will be asked to comment on are:  Theme 1: Homes and infrastructure that meet local needs  Theme 2: Improved economic and community wellbeing  Theme 3: Investment and innovation that rebuilds our financial viability  Theme 4: Action on the Climate Emergency 13  Theme 5: Openness and accountability  Theme 6: Protection and restoration of our natural world

The survey, launched today 16 July and running until midnight 13 August, doesn’t just focus on the here and now but is looking for feedback on the council’s priorities over the next four years.

Please give us your views on these themes by clicking here https://survey.southandvale.gov.uk/s/Southcorporateplanfeedback/?m=46418 477og2xr

The link above is uniquely tied to this survey and to your email address. If you would like to forward this message to any interested parties, please refer them to the generic survey link here.

The responses gathered will help councillors finalise their mission statement, known as a Corporate Plan. The plan will enable them to focus the council’s work on what they and those living and working in South Oxfordshire believe will make the district a better place for future generations.

Covid-19 has changed the way many of us view things and our priorities for ourselves and those around us. Given this opportunity to adapt and change, we want to know what you think about our plans for the future, to make sure South Oxfordshire is the district our communities want it to be.

If you have any queries about this survey, require the engagement document in printed version, or in an alternative format (for example large print, Braille, audio, email, Easy Read and alternative languages), please email [email protected] or call 01235 422425.

Gradual re-opening of leisure centres There will be a gradual, phased opening from Saturday 25th July, which includes changes to opening times. While not all facilities will be available to use from the start, there will be plenty of things for customers in southern Oxfordshire to book on to.

Better, who run the leisure centres on behalf of the councils, have been working hard to implement the guidelines set by the government to open safely from 25 July. Each leisure centre has been independently assessed by Better as they all have different facilities.

Better has outlined the strict guidelines for customers to follow when they access the buildings for their safety and those around them:

 Customers will need to book a one-hour slot in advance online, on the Better UK smartphone app – this hour will include the time it takes to get in and out  Customers should turn up at their allocated time, not early or late and use the provided sanitiser on entry  There will be strict one-way systems in place to ensure customers can stay safe and practice social distancing  Customers will be required to clean machines, equipment and other areas they come into contact with after use 14  Gym equipment, pool lanes and dance studios will be operating with reduced capacity and allocated spaces  Customers must leave by designated route after a maximum one hour. The exit will be in a different location to the entrance to maintain a one- way flow  Everyone who attends a swim session to should arrive ‘pool ready’ with their swimming gear on under their clothes and having showered at home

The leisure centres will be assessed regularly by Better, and the councils envisage that more facilities will open as restrictions are relaxed and it becomes safe to do so for customers and staff.

FRIENDS OF WELLS FARM Did you manage to get out on the reserve to enjoy the butterflies? Several people said that they had seen so many this year. However, the July survey recorded half the number the previous year. Several of the species were a couple of weeks earlier than normal due to the dry weather in May but even in early July were nowhere near as many as 2019. One species however was a standout success. We have had more peacock butterflies than ever recorded, totalling 151. Twenty one species were identified in all. We also have a newcomer. Known as the purple hairstreak, it tends to stay around the tops of oak trees, but amazingly, during the survey we found one feeding on white hogweed flowers right by the path, inches from us! It is clear that the oaks in the north east corner are growing nicely and beginning to attract new species.

Our local farmers (Paul and Guy) tenant farm Wells to keep it a working farm and preserve the patchwork of different environments. Feel free to wave to them as they bring in the harvest this month. Due to wildlife sympathetic practices, yields are much lower than you would see normally but the wildlife clearly benefit. Demand drives more intensive farming but where room can be made wildlife can still thrive.

I would like to thank those of you who go round snipping back the wandering brambles, clearing nettles from the gates and all sorts of little things that keep the reserve free of obstacles, allowing everyone to enjoy what we have on our doorstep.

Paul. ([email protected])

VILLAGE INFORMATION GROUP From time to time there is information that would be informative to residents of the village. It might be a communication from Homes England or an email from SODC/OCC or just a be-aware type communication. I already have about 27 residents who have given me permission to use their emails for this sort of information. There is already a Neighbourhood Watch Group that is specifically for Neighbourhood Watch although occasionally I have used the distribution list to share some data. A data base of emails really is an excellent way to instantly distribute information. Under GDPR you need to apply to join the distribution group

If you would like to be added to either or both distribution lists please send me an email requesting to be added. You can always be taken off the list at any time.

Raymond Fergusson [email protected]

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16 VIEW FROM VIEWS “One Swallow doesn’t make a summer” this year it seems that this old saying is right, we noticed a few in April since then none! I understand they all encountered storms in southern Europe during migration in the early spring when many perished, what has happened to the few that did get threw is a mystery. On the other hand there are plenty of Swifts. I understand that Cuckoos favour Reed Warbler nests for hatching their eggs, which would explain their song by the river and why every time I go near the river I heard the Warblers in the reeds. I saw my first Kingfisher the other day. The rain I mentioned in my PS last month certainly seems to have saved the day as far as the crops are concerned, every plant seems to have perked up, which is a relief. By the time this is read our one crop that I am ashamed of hopefully will be in the barn, this is “Oil Seed Rape”. OSR has suffered many setbacks through it’s growing period and now has had to put up with the high winds of late which may well have caused the nearly ripe pods, that hold the seeds (like a pea) to shatter, so the OSR saga continues.

It is good to have a positive comment by our Rambling Rector (thank you Simon) with reference to our flower enriched field margins. This year as the grass suffering from the earlier dry period has allowed the wild flowers a chance, the trouble is that basically grass is very aggressive and will dominate. It takes a number of years to get these delicate plants established. That is why we cut and remove all the cuttings every year thus removing soil nutrients. It has been noticeable this year how different species have done better than others, more Red than White Campion, less Ox Eye Daisies, but many more species like Ladies Bedstraw, Black Medic, Knapweed, Wild Carrot, lots of Vetch, Hawkweed, plus many more that I cannot identify or remember. Certainly there has been an increase in insect activity, which must mean we are having some effect, but it is interesting to note that where there has been human intervention either by walking or the passage of a vehicle there is considerably less of these special plants.

This all proves the point with a little help we can improve our natural environment, but Boris’ Build Build Build although needed, we must not forget nature. Do we need 10,000 homes in this area, a distance from any form of public transport? It is not clear where all the water is going to come from, the water authorities have already warner of water shortages, & where all the waste is going to go, all this proposed area drains into the Thame, already on the limit for pollution. It only wants a freak condition and bang all the good work will be undone in a matter of hours. This is especially the case with the Transport hub at Waterstock very near the river and an area that has been designated of special wild life interest, due to the efforts by landowners in the area. With the “New Normal” upon us there are bound to be spare sites and building that could be reused/recycled as businesses fail/take new directions. We must not allow these redundant properties to just become redundant and pulled down only to be rebuilt using vast amounts of our valuable natural resources in the process. We need to stop and think!

Just to add to the above, as per an article in the “Oxford Times” 2 July, the environmental Group Wild Oxfordshire are saying that Oxfordshire needs to double its wildlife land by 2050 to tackle a local emergency, so it is not just me! I was somewhat dismayed to read in last month’s “Little Milton Newsletter” that the footpath over the Thame at the stepping stones was no longer a right of way. I find this extremely hard to understand for several reasons as in all the negotiations I as a previous landowner and whose family had owned land on the west bank for some 17 250 years was never officially approached to give even an opinion, and on occasion that I had asked for a slight diversion of a footpath been unable to do so. To my knowledge it is, and always was a footpath, as a link between two settlements. Otherwise how could the residents of Chippinghurst get to the “Lamb”?

We in the farming industry are hugely relieved that after tremendous campaign supported by the public, the NFU presented a petition signed by over a million people, the have now Government agreed to convene a Trade and Agriculture Commission to enforce our food standards on all imports this is quite a coupe.

Charles Peers

We hope that everybody is managing to stay safe at this difficult time.

Although The Maple Tree is not currently open, we are doing our best to continue to a run a reduced remote programme as best we can. Our Facebook page is extremely active and our wonderful staff are posting ideas as well as recording videos with their own children of ideas to do at home. https://www.facebook.com/TheMapleTreeWheatley/ Please do take a look at our new website http://www.mapletree.org.uk/ We are also running interactive Facebook Live sessions on a Tuesday and Thursday morning at 11am for storytelling, singing and more activities for you to try at home with the children.

We are delighted to have formed a new partnership with Botley Bridges, NHS Health Visitors, Oxfordshire Breastfeeding Support, OXPIP and Motherkind Café and will be introducing a weekly virtual Baby Group beginning on Wednesday 22nd April at 11am especially for parents who have had babies since the 1st March as we are aware that you haven’t been able to get out for the face to face support that you would normally receive. If you would like to join us, please email [email protected] and we will send you an invitation to join us via Zoom. Barb Crowther, who runs our Saturdads session, saved seeds from our sunflower plants at the end of last summer. We have launched a sunflower growing competition, with a prize offered for the tallest sunflower at the end of August. If you would like like some sunflower seeds to grow with your children, email [email protected] and we will arrange to send some to you. Do send us photos of your child/ren planting the seeds and progress reports would be appreciated.

If you need any support during this difficult time, please do contact us and we will do our best to help you (or find somebody that can).

If you are interested in supporting The Maple Tree financially, either by making a one off donation, informing us of any grants that may be available or by becoming a Friend of The Maple Tree, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Please do stay safe Hayley Hayle (Coordinator)

18 GREAT HASELEY AND DISTRICT HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 2020 will undoubtedly be a year to remember with our constant companion, Covid- 19. This has given a lot of people much more time at home and, with nowhere to go, more time to garden and to particularly grow vegetables and fruit.

There is no doubt that growing your own food is a rewarding, if time consuming, occupation. You know you are eating produce which is chemical free and very tasty because it is so fresh. Even organic produce can have certain chemicals applied because they are plant based, so is not necessarily as good as you think. You are in control of what your home-grown food contains. When I started to write this column a few years ago I practised what I would call balanced gardening with judicious use of pesticides and fungicides occasionally if required. My use of these chemicals has gradually reduced to the stage where I have not used any at all this summer so I am now almost a ‘natural’ gardener.

I do still use weed killers from time to time as I can’t provide the manpower to tackle some weed areas in our meadow. Thistles are pulled rather than sprayed and nettles and docks are either sprayed when very young or have flowering stems removed by hand. The late TV gardener, Geoff Hamilton, used to say that glyphosate was almost organic as it is inactivated when it hits the soil; it may be removed from sale in the near future, like many chemicals, but we will wait and see. We keep a large area of nettles for wildlife in the bottom of the meadow where the slope makes mowing difficult and the whole meadow is cut once a year which keeps weeds down and allows wild flowers to seed, not to mention feeding animals over the winter. This year we have increased amounts of Scabious, Geranium pratense (meadow cranesbill) and the delicately pretty yellow lady’s bedstraw. The grass is much longer this year partly because it was not grazed over the winter, partly because our big tractor has a damaged tyre (not a straightforward thing to get fixed) and partly because we have had so much rain this year.

The rain this spring and summer has been fabulous for the garden, although the endless spring rain went on far too long for my liking (never satisfied!). We have had alternating rain and warm sunny periods. This has made caring for the garden much easier than usual and I don’t ever remember us having a lovely green lawn at this time of year. I use the term lawn in its broadest sense as an area of mown grass. Even that is not totally accurate as we don’t use feed and weed because we don’t want to make the grass grow even faster and we rather like all the wild flowers that appear between mowings. Therefore, much of our lawn is not grass and we haven’t even touched on the moss content which we also do nothing about! Enjoy your garden while the borders are full and the weeds are, hopefully swamped.

Liz Moyes

Unemployment in Oxfordshire At the end of May 2020, there were 17,500 claimants of unemployment benefits in Oxfordshire. This represents a substantial increase since Covid-19 struck. Between March and May 2020, the number of claimants increased by 10,845 or 163%. This

19 was higher than the increases across England (+114%) and the South East (+150%).

The rate of increase during this period was highest in South Oxfordshire district. The rate per population remains highest in Oxford city and Cherwell. The current peak is well above that seen after the 2008 recession (9,635 in May 2009).

Re-opening our Advice Centres Our Abingdon Advice Centre has partially reopened on Mondays and Tuesdays. This is to create an opportunity for trainee advisers to work (safely) alongside experienced advisers.

We are not able to offer face-to-face appointments at the moment. We will assess this partial re-opening in Abingdon before making a decision about our advice centres in Didcot, Henley and Thame.

Volunteers needed Are you looking for a new challenge? We offer a welcoming and supportive environment, an opportunity to gain new skills, to meet new people and to make a real and valued contribution to your local community.

Many people who come to us face difficult and sometimes overwhelming problems. We need more volunteer advisers to make sure we can help everyone who needs our support. We normally ask for a commitment of 2 half days per week but can be flexible. See our website for further details. Or, if you would like to discuss volunteering opportunities with us, please email the recruitment team at [email protected]

Equality Advisory Support Service The Equality Advisory Support Service helpline provides advice and information on discrimination in employment, housing, education, transport and cases where you may have been discriminated against when using or buying goods and services. It can also provide advice and information on human rights issues. More information is available on the EASS website.

EASS Helpline: 0808 800 0082

We are still here to help Our Adviceline is open from Monday to Friday 9am-5pm Adviceline: 0300 330 9042

John Howell MP writes July 2020 I want to begin this month with a huge thank you to everyone in our communities who has done so much to help others through the coronavirus crisis. I have been so encouraged by the resourcefulness of communities, the way in which people have adapted to the circumstances, the support that has been given to the vulnerable, and the resilience shown over so many weeks. 20

Lockdown has gone on for longer than many of us imagined at first and I know that in some respects the initial community spirit has become jaded by our own weariness and frustrations. Many people are still worried about their health and others are frustrated and worried about their livelihoods whether in their own business or in employment. I am also aware of many concerns over the risks not of the virus but of the vacuum created with life on hold. These include concerns over missed education, missed health treatments, mental health and well-being issues and so much more. It was always going to be easier to go into lockdown than to come out and we need to move out with care for one another. The risk of a second wave of the virus is constant and we must not allow ourselves to be lulled into a false sense of security. Yet we must do what we can to return to normal, whatever that will be going forward.

When the prime Minster delivered his speech on recovery I know that the ‘Build, build, build’ slogan worried some people as they took it to be primarily about house building and were concerned that this might be uncontrolled. It is certainly not about uncontrolled development and indeed is very much wider. It is about rebuilding our collective lives, about investment in infrastructure that has been long called for – in schools, hospitals, and transport, and in turn in creating jobs and rebuilding our economy.

There has also been right and proper concern that we take this opportunity to rebuild with the environment in mind, a green recovery as it has been called. I have supported this and was pleased to see this coming through in the Chancellor’s mini budget delivered on 8th July. During this time when many people have been unable to work and so have had more time to themselves I have seen the number and variety of issues raised with me grow enormously. Over the last month, with the help of my team, we have dealt with over 3500 emails, this represents over a five-fold increase on more normal months. A large number of these have been helping people on individual issues and problems related to Coronavirus. With other emails it has been interesting to see the wide range of concerns on people’s minds. Clearly planning and development concerns and environmental issues remain high on the agenda for constituents. On many issues I make comment on my website so please do have a look. www.johnhowell.org.uk. If you have an issue that you would like to raise with me, if possible, please email me at [email protected]. If you cannot email you can write to me at my constituency office - PO Box 84, Watlington, OX49 5XD. My staff all continue to work remotely, and all mail is diverted to my constituency office.

If you would like to receive my periodic electronic newsletters, and briefings on specific issues, please visit my website www.johnhowell.org.uk and subscribe at the link on the home page.

Printed and promoted by John Howell MP House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA

21 FRONT COVER Thank you Paul (Jeffery) for the fantastic photographs of various species of butterflies

Top left – Peacock feeding, top right – Peacock displaying, Centre left – Small Skippers, centre right – Red Admiral, Bottom left – Common Blue, bottom right – Purple Hairstreak

DEADLINE REMINDER – Please note that unless articles are in the hands of the Editor by the 18th of the month (unless otherwise stated), such articles will miss the scheduled Newsletter. The views expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Parish Council. All material for inclusion in the September 2020 Newsletter should be with the Editor at 27 Chiltern View, Little Milton, by 8.00 p.m. on 18th August. The Editor reserves the right not to print items submitted for publication and to edit those items, which are published

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KEY TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Age UK 01865 890879 Naheed Qureshi

Citizens Advice Bureau 01844 214827 Thame & District

Church: St James 01844 278349 Revd. Simon Cronk

Doctors 01865 872448 Morland Surgery 111 Out of Hours Service 0845 345 8995 NHS Helpline 999 Medical Emergencies

Little Milton Shop 01844 279978 Alison Shelton (Manager)

Little Milton School 01844 279310 Head: Ms Hannah Brown

Milk Deliveries 07773006485 A J Woods Ltd

MUGA Bookings for the courts are made at the Post Office

Neighbourhood Watch 01844 279468 Mark Willis

Newsletter 01844 279150 Raymond Fergusson (Editor)

OCC 01865 792422 All enquiries

Parish Council 01844 279993 Alaric Smith (Chair) 01844 279150 Raymond Fergusson (Clerk)

Pine Lodge 01844 278774 TBA (Chair) 01844 279535 Linda Lovegrove (Bookings) 0844 7255568 24/7 Call out service

Police 101 Thames Valley Police (Non-emergency) Post Office 01844 279001 Alison Shelton (Postmistress)

Public Transport 01865 323201 Comet

SODC 01235 422422 All enquiries

Southern Electric 0800 0727 282 Emergency Number

Thames Water 0800 3169 800 Emergency Number

The Lamb 01844 279527 Ian & Des

Biffa (Verdant) 03000 610610 All enquiries

For all other numbers go to website www.littlemilton.org.uk

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