Goring Heath NEWS July 2013 July 2013 134 th Issue Visit us at: www.goringheath.com 1 July 2013 Goring Heath NEWS Forthcoming Events GHPH = Goring Heath Parish Hall WL = Woodcote Library WVH = Whitchurch Village Hall July 2013 7th “Five Voices” St Bartholomew’s Chapel 11th Parish Council Meeting GHPH 12/13/14 Peace-in-the-Park Nuneham Park, Nuneham Courtney 20th Goring & Streatley Regatta August 2013 No Parish Council meeting this month 24th Summer Show GHPH September 2013 28th Moonrakers Postponed until November October 2013 3rd Whitchurch Bridge closes Publicise your event and increase attendance by giving us the dates. IT IS FREE We welcome event dates from all local charities and groups for listing in this feature. Please send the details to the Editor - Tim King at [email protected]. Please allow sufficient time in advance for the publication of the appropriate newsletter. Contribution deadlines and publication dates are on the inside back cover. 2 Goring Heath NEWS July 2013 Chairman's Comments We are now beginning to see the consequence of the government’s relaxation of planning regulations, with speculative applications being made in all sorts of places. At the last parish council meeting, we discussed an application for a large private house on agricultural land behind the Hatchgate Forge at Whitchurch Hill. As is often the case with this type of application, all sorts of consultants have been engaged, presumably at vast expense, to produce masses of documentation such as surveys, computer generated images, and reports on wildlife, with detailed justifications why the application should be approved, identifying little points where the development could slip in within the national or local policies. In the same way that some people can use the Bible, or in other cultures, the Koran, to find out pieces of text to support their own extremist view, so too can Planning Consultants pick little bits of doctrine out of the national and local planning policies as evidence to support their particular extremist views. Such is the case with the Hatchgate Forge proposal. We, along with near neighbours to this site, are strongly objecting to this speculative development. Anne Ducker has assured us that the SODC Core Strategy has continued to protect the AONB and villages such as ours from development. With our close proximity to Reading, Goring Heath is particularly vulnerable to pressure for “prestige” developments, and there will be all sorts of spurious justifications put forward in support of such developments. Short term private gains or illusory economic benefits should not be allowed to outweigh the long term protection and enhancement of this precious landscape. Peter Dragonetti Chairman 3 July 2013 Goring Heath NEWS Curtains, pelmets, roman blinds, tiebacks, cushion covers etc at competitive prices, including measuring and hanging service. call Caroline on 01189 542448 or 07815 610007 4 Goring Heath NEWS July 2013 Planning Decisions The following planning applications have been considered. Where a decision is not given, it means the Parish Council has not yet received written confirmation from S.O.D.C. Premises and application details Parish S.O.D.C. Council P13/S0517/HH & P13/S0518/LB Bottom Farm Blackbirds Should be Withdrawn Bottom Goring Heath RG8 7SX Erection of two storey refused extension and associated alterations (amended by updated bat survey received 19th March 2013). P13/S0727/FUL Formerly Goring Heath Poultry Farm No Strong Permission Goring Heath RG8 7RU Erection of barn building for Views veterinary services P13/S0686/LB Milo Crispin Whitchurch Hill RG8 7NY No Strong Listed Internal renovations. Views Building Consent P13/S1010/HH Harptree Hill Bottom Crays Pond RG8 7PT No Strong Permission Single storey front & rear extensions. Views P13/S0994/HH 17 Orchard Coombe Whitchurch Hill RG8 No Strong Permission 7QL The proposed works consist of: 1) replacement of Views existing flat roofs to garage, study and rear bedroom with new tiled pitched roofs with roof pitch and tiles to match existing. 2) extension of garage at the front of the property by 4m. 3) extension of kitchen and living room by 3.2m at front of property. 4) extension of bedroom at rear of property by 4m. P13/S1139/FUL Land adjacent to Rose Cottage Hill Should be Bottom Road Whitchurch Hill RG8 7PT Erection of a two refused bedroom house. P13/S1185/FUL Turner Bros Demolition Ltd, The Forge Should be Whitchurch Hill RG8 7NU Remodeling of existing 20th refused century workshops, offices and residential building, demolition of existing 1990's stables building, construction of a new single storey sunken residential home, creation of new landscape with new trees and shrubbery. P13/S1515/HH Goffs Clump Goffs Hill Crays Pond RG8 Should be 7QA Proposed first floor extension approved 5 July 2013 Goring Heath NEWS Premises and application details Parish S.O.D.C. Council P13/S1551/A The Oratory Preparatory School Great Oaks Should be Goring Heath RG8 7SF Removal of existing roadside refused directional signage and replacement with 2no. monolith signs to main entrance of school site and one post and panel sign to exit of school site Planning We would also like to point out that No Strong Views is one of only three choices that SODC gives the parish council. It should not be read as illustrating tacit approval of an application. More often than not this choice is supplemented with specific comments from the parish council highlighting areas of concern. All Square The square boxes containing further squares and dots are called QR codes. Modern mobile phones especially smartphones can “read” the code with a suitable free “app” and display the message which usually contains a link to a web address which the user can open. Budget Car Centre Family Run Business, Goring Road, Crays Pond. Est 1986 BEST USED CARS Guaranteed! ◊4X4s ◊M.P.Vs ◊H/Backs ◊Estates www.budgetcarcentre.co.uk CALL IN OR PHONE FOR DETAILS 01491 680182 or 681075 Unwanted Cars Willingly Purchased! 6 Goring Heath NEWS July 2013 Whitchurch Hill Fête Another great day at the Whitchurch Hill fête! After such a disappointing spring I think people realised that the fete was on and the forecast was sunny and warm !! So the turnout was tremendous, very satisfying seeing people really enjoying themselves! We needed extra help this year to erect the three marquees, as the scout group could only send one person, but we had plenty of volunteers turn up to get the job done! After that it is non-stop with gazebos, bunting etc, ‘till eventually the field starts to fill up. Come 2.00 pm, the sun was shining and it was all systems go! The band were, I thought, better than ever, must have played the best tunes! Some friends and family helped out for the first time on the barbecue, and wasted no time in telling me what hard work it is, as it is non stop, so it was no surprise when they sold out, again! We had this year the first winner, in three years, of putt-a-fiver!! An eleven year old! Perhaps he should take up golf! Could the allotment society increase quantities of their superb rhubarb, as this also sold out, and I did not get any! You can’t beat rhubarb crumble! Lindsey Halbert who has done our children’s face-painting for 3 years or so, said this was the first time she had not had a break between start and finish. The bottle stall also had a great day and again cleared everything on the day. Our thanks once again to all the people who generously donate a bottle or two to our fete, and not only make it viable but enable us to contribute to some deserving causes in the area, the most recent being the painting and sign- writing on the Weare-Gardiner well. Please contact us if you know of any deserving cause that we might help. I have had the privilege and pleasure of running the fête for the last ten years or so, but it is now time for me to stand down and pass it on to someone else who will bring in new ideas and help the fête to evolve and move forward. My thanks to all the many, many, people who help to make the fete happen, year after year. George Robertson. 7 July 2013 Goring Heath NEWS GORING VETERINARY CENTRE 17C High Street, Goring, Oxon. 01491 873 638 Open 8.30-6.30 Mon-Fri, 10-2 Sat Parking at rear of Surgery Where Caring Comes First £5 OFF ROUTINE VACCINATION £5 off Cat/£10 off Dog NEUTERING PLEASE PRESENT THIS ADVERT WHEN BOOKING YOUR APPOINTMENT Improvements • Driveway repair/installation/modernisation • Patio/Pathway – repair/installation/modernisation • General maintenance / Drainage / Fencing • General Brickwork / Disability Access Installed • Guttering cleaned No job too small or too BIG… 23 years experience / references available / plant licences Call Rob on 07909 006369 / Office 0118 3487000 Email:[email protected] 8 Goring Heath NEWS July 2013 ZÉÜ|Çz [xtà{ ctÜ|á{ V{tÜ|àç exzw aÉ DCHIJJE GORING HEATH and WHITCHURCH SUMMER SHOW Goring Heath Parish Hall Saturday, 24th August 2013 Open for public viewing at 2.30 pm Photographic Section Children’s Section Faces An item on the theme of Up, up and away ‘Celebration’ using any Transport technique and materials * Raffle * Refreshments * Plant Sale * Schedules available on the village website www.whitchurchonthames.com/diary.php and from Liz Gibson (0118 984 2012) Ann Lewis (0118 984 2377) Sue Sexon (0118 984 4236) Helen Willis (0118 984 3620) Photo courtesy of foto76 at www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net 9 July 2013 Goring Heath NEWS • Caring, courteous, reliable, trustworthy, professional electrician, taking pride in our work and care of your home.