Clerks Report – December 2020
We continue to face issues surrounding Covid 19 and the lockdown of the vast majority of the UK. The council has continued to work as business as usual where it can. Parish Meetings are continuing to be held virtually due to social distancing measures.
Financial Report
Last month’s payments were made by bank transfer. This month’s payments will also be paid via bank transfer once approved. (Those with online banking access have been sent copies of the full invoices).
Details of payments this month are here – all will be paid bank transfer.
The grant to Bouncing Babies (St Johns Church group) has already been paid as this was approved at a previous meeting.
£ grant approved by council (St Bouncing babies GRANT 250.00 Johns Church play group) £ SB mgmt. fee recharges Jun, Jul, Cherwell District Council 2,173.80 Aug 2020 7015429 £ DB mgmt. fee recharges, Sept, Cherwell District Council 2,247.97 Oct, Nov 2020 7015432 £ Burial ground and allotment Kidlington Parish Council 6,900.00 contributions 2021/21 22096 £ Clerk Payroll 859.88 £ RFO payroll 159.88 £ HMRC PAYE 35.52 £ Oxfordshire County Council Pension Fund 308.06 £ Clerk expenses (November) 50.15
Swimming vouchers – we have not been invoiced by Legacy Leisure for swimming vouchers for the last 18 months. The clerk has chased this up several times.
Precept – the council are having a finance meeting on 30th November. Council will consider approving precept advised by the finance committee in the Dec meeting.
The external report has now been signed off.
Planning – for discussion (emailed to Councillors ahead of meeting)
Application Consultation Application No.: 20/03060/LB Applicant’s Name: Mr Phil Emery Proposal: Repairs to (including partial rebuild of) abutment walls and approach walls of Wolvercote Lift Bridge (no. 233). In addition, a cable duct will be laid in preparation for conversion of bridge to remote hydraulic operation. Location: Tilting Bridge 233 Approximately 300 Metres South East Of Dukes Cut Oxford Canal, Western By Pass Road, Gosford Parish(es): Gosford And Water Eaton Expected Decision Level: Delegated Application Consultation Application No.: 20/03022/F Applicant’s Name: Mr H Moghaddam Proposal: Variation of condition 2 (plans) of 20/00270/F - amendments to the scheme. A modest single storey rear extension, removal of the previously approved porch and replacing it with two front bay windows, a modest porch at the side together with a first and second floor side extension. Amendments to the fenestrations and internal alterations Location: 76 Bicester Road, Kidlington, OX5 2LQ Parish(es): Kidlington Expected Decision Level: Delegated Cherwell Local Plan (Oxfords unmet housing)
Next working group meeting January 2021 – tbc
Highways
Council received notice of the below (circulated to councillors ahead of the meeting)
Notice of Submission of Further Information in relation to Application for Planning Permission Accompanied by an Environmental Statement (Regulation 25 of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 as Amended) Construction of a park & ride car park providing 850 car parking spaces, cycle spaces, motorcycle spaces, electric vehicle charging points, bus shelters, landscaping, external lighting, public open space, toilets, seating, fencing, habitat creation, drainage features, new access from Cuckoo Lane, new roundabout with access onto A40, an eastbound bus lane approximately 6.5km in length from the park & ride site to the A40 bridge over the Dukes Cut canal, two sections of westbound bus lane (each approximately 500m in length), new shared use footway/cycleway, widening of Cassington New Bridge, junction improvements, new crossings, new footbridge alongside Cassington Halt Bridge, and associated works
And
Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 14(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act, 1984, that the Oxfordshire County Council
TEMPORARILY PROHIBITS THE USE OF AND WAITING ON THE HIGHWAY
BY ALL MOTOR VEHICLES
LOCATION: Oxford, A4142, Eastern Bypass (Northbound only)
REASON: To facilitate carriageway patching works
DURATION: Starting on 03 December 2020
The anticipated completion date is 05 December 2020 (date included). This will operate between 20:00 and 06:00 (Traffic Regulation Notices cover a maximum of 5 consecutive days.)
ACCESS: limited access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles and for frontages within the closed section of road, subject to the progress of the works
And
Notice is hereby given pursuant to Section 14(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act, 1984, that the Oxfordshire County Council
TEMPORARILY PROHIBITS THE USE OF AND WAITING ON THE HIGHWAY
BY ALL MOTOR VEHICLES
LOCATION: Oxford, A423 Eastern Bypass (Eastbound only)
REASON: To facilitate carriageway patching works
DURATION: Starting on 30 November 2020
The anticipated completion date is 01 December 2020 (date included). This will operate between 20:00 and 06:00
(Traffic Regulation Notices cover a maximum of 5 consecutive days.)
ACCESS: limited access will be maintained for emergency service vehicles and for frontages within the closed section of road, subject to the progress of the works
Cycle Path The clerk has spoken with OCC and the Healthy Place scheme regarding a potential cycle path down the Bicester Road. We continue to wait for further updates. The clerk has pushed this again.
Cherwell Collective Update from Cherwell Collective
Cherwell Collective (a summary below).
Cherwell Collective includes Cherwell Larder, Harvest @ Home, Climatarian Kitchen, and Oxford Party Library. Cherwell Collective works closely with Good Food Oxford, Replenish, and CAG Oxfordshire to maintain best practices and promote wellbeing through waste reduction.
Cherwell Larder provides food to the community, to the order of 20,000 meals since I founded the larder in late March. We regularly deliver food to over 300 people each week. We also provide some non food essentials when possible (pet food, toiletries, loo roll). We cover all of the surrounding villages and most of Cherwell District. 40% of our households are families , most are suffering new hardship due to COVID. 30% are medically vulnerable. 15% have been referred in by local authorities.
Harvest @ Home provides long term support to the community by helping people get started growing their own food in the wake of the COVID food shortages. We provide garden kits and guidance for households (45 in Kidlington with 188 people in them). In the spring we will distribute over 400 fruit and nut trees for planting as well as starter kits and seedlings. We have also recently planted edibles at Ron Groves Park in Kidlington and will be taking over some allotments for a community garden. Surplus from our users’ gardens helps sustain Cherwell Larder, as well.
Climatarian Kitchen provides meal kits, flexible recipes, and ready meals to the community to help reduce food waste and make the most out of food surplus. We also provide assistance in particular to people with special diets who are medically vulnerable or disadvantaged. We provided over 1000 low/no prep meals for October half term and regularly serve over 100 meals each Friday at Cherwell Larder. We also distribute around 50 meal kits a month (sometimes many more) to guide people in using seasonal and surplus food. We are currently preparing curriculum to provide basic culinary courses to the community (especially Cherwell Larder users) which will include in person instruction, online tutorials, zoom cook and chats, and flexible recipe books and cooking guides.
Oxford Party Library is the only non-COVID related unit in Cherwell Collective. It’s basically a library of party items like bunting, props, candles, cooking kit, cake decorating kit, etc shared amongst 500 local families to reduce waste and costs associated with celebrations. We are expanding this to include a cooking kit library with appliances people can borrow as needed and return when finished.
There are 3 major things that set us apart from similar groups. 1) Our model is collaborative, users are encouraged to volunteer/ donate items in kind, and most of our delivery drivers for Cherwell larder, for example, are current or previous recipients of food parcels. 2) We over a “pay what you can in cash or in kind” system with no minimum donation to provide people a chance to give if they can, but that remains accessible for all. 3) Climate pricing. When we suggest donations we do so based on the carbon footprint of a dish or item, rather than the traditional market value.
Councillors may receive a grant request from this group
Highways
Level Crossing at Sandy Lane (Yarnton). Although not in our Parish the level crossing closure at Sandy Lane may have implications for the Parish. Yarnton PC are fighting this. No further updates
Yellow lines still not moved any further forward and are needed in Water Eaton Lane. The clerk has contacted Highways. No further update.
Drainage for Stratfield Brake is still causing a problem. It does affect SB drainage as well. The clerk has contacted CDC. The clerk has also contacted Thames Water.