In This Edition ❖ Parish Council 2, ❖ Ed Vaizey 4. ❖ Scouts 5, ❖ D Day Service 5, ❖ Village Hall 6, ❖ Womens Institute 7, ❖ Harwell School 8, ❖ Can You Help? 8, ❖ Harwell Feast 9, 10, 11 and 12 ❖ The Harwellian 13, ❖ Little Pippins 14, ❖ Harwell History Group 15. ❖ HHYFC 16, ❖ Milton Park Shuttle Bus 16, The Harwell News ❖ Harwell Gardners www.harwellparish.co.uk Club 17. ❖ RBL Harwell Branch VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED Gold Badge Award 17, To help deliver Harwell News on Great Western Park. We already have volunteers delivering to around 140 addresses within Harwell parish on Great Western Park, but there are more homes occupied now than we can deliver to with existing volunteers. JUNE 2018 Edition 210 Please contact the parish clerk if you can help. Published by Harwell Parish Email: [email protected] Council [email protected] The Harwell News i s s u e 2 10 HARWELL PARISH COUNCIL Edited highlights of the Parish Council meetings held on April 10th and May 8th, 2018 Present: Trees Both meetings - D Turner (Chairman), J Hawthorne (Vice- The council approved the obtaining of a tree survey report for Chair), C Convery, K Luker , P Roberts, M Fox-Davies (OCC) Council-owned trees. Red kites were nesting on the recreation April meeting – D Boughton-Waite, C Fisher, N Paterson ground, contractors engaged to fell a damaged conifer did not April – 3 members of the public, May – 2 members of the public disturb the birds. During this period, Ms Debbie Greenfield and Miss Kath Luker Lighting tendered their resignations and were thanked for their work. A new The PC deferred a discussion about lighting in the Village Hall car councillor, Neil Paterson, who lives in Harwell and works at the park with a view to finding out about offering car charging and also Diamond Light Source, was co-opted onto the council. His obtaining quotations and grant information. interests include improving local cycling and walking facilities. Debbie Turner and Jeremy Hawthorne were elected as Chairman Financial Matters and Vice-Chairman. Various payments were approved including: Vale of White Horse planning application fee 117.00 County Councillor Reports Castle Water – pavilion 175.69 Mike Fox –Davies (County Councillor) provided written reports. In SSE – pavilion 242.27 April, he explained that he had instigated an investigation Millhill Tools for parts 76.46 regarding changing planning regulations which had been well- OALC (Oxfordshire Association of Local Councils) received by Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) and he was now membership 640.96 looking for wider support. The Parish Councillors raised some fuel 96.73 issues with Mr Fox-Davies including some queries about signage cemetery bins 71.43 to the link road, pot-holes and the fact that the email for Councillor The Councillors agreed a 1% pay increase for staff from April Constance was not working. Reg Waite had also provided a 2018. written report. The Councillors approved a £25 spend on a wreath for the D-Day In May, Mike Fox-Davies reported that OCC has asked for remembrance service, which Mrs Turner will attend. assurance that the proposed Ox-Cam Expressway will not cause Mr J Wood was appointed as the Council’s internal auditor. increases in traffic in the county. OCC had been denied a consultation process. Mr Fox-Davies has asked OCC to look at Correspondence the ongoing drainage problems on Didcot Road. He gave the The Clerk had received a large amount of correspondence during Parish Councillors the exciting news that OCC has obtained a this period. This included the news that Didcot Power Station is pothole machine which fixes 40 pot-holes a day. It was reported not to receive listed status. Go figure. at the Annual Parish Meeting that this machine has been seen in The Clerk had also received requests for the steps outside the action around the village, but parishioners were not all convinced Almshouses to be given attention and improved with a hand-rail. about this and were reminded to keep reporting pot-holes online The Clerk was authorised to appoint The Signmaker as the at https://fixmystreet.oxfordshire.gov.uk/ or you could also try approved supplier for the Wall of Remembrance, provided a https://www.fillthathole.org.uk/ Be careful what you put into suitable blank plaque is received. Google. Footpath Walk Policies and Documents 2nd September, starting 2.00 p.m. at the Village Hall The council reviewed and approved a number of policies and documents including the risk register, which needs updating. Policies can be seen at https://www.harwellparish.co.uk/policies/ . Annual Parish Meeting Agenda The Parish Councillors planned the agenda for the forthcoming Webpage and Facebook page Annual Parish Meeting (which took place on 18th May). The Mr Marsh handed over the administration of the Facebook page planning included contributions from the Scouts (with regard to to Cath Convery and Jeremy Hawthorne. The Council approved their takeover of the Pavilion), the Village Hall Trustees and the an audit of the website; the clerk was tasked to procure quotes at Feast Committee. Plans also included a report or presentation a cost of no more than £199. The report has now been received; from Taylor Wimpey on the plans for Grove Road north but Taylor Mr Marsh commented on it; the council hoped it would be useful. Wimpey had sent apologies as they could not appear at the APM. It was approved that a website committee would be created to look Mrs Yvonne Brown had very kindly undertaken some voluntary at different options, the clerk has contacted Grove PC to ask about research on accidents and traffic management in the parish which its website provider and contacted Function 28 for a quotation. she presented to the council. Walking and cycling routes to the 2 The Harwell News i s s u e 2 10 school are of particular concern; some sections of High Street feel For comments on original application please see the council unsafe. Additional pedestrian crossings, creation of a “school website - no comments on amendment. zone” or “slow zone”, improvements to footpath surfaces to reduce P18/V1087/D Demolition of pipeline, land south west of Harwell mud, road narrowing, build-outs were among the suggestions. It village No comment. was hoped OCC’s plans could be discussed alongside other P18/V1059/SCO Scoping opinion - 1000 homes at land at suggestions to create a holistic approach to the problems. The Harwell Campus No response required. attendees at the Parish Meeting would be shown different traffic P18/V1043/A Signs at Oxford Space Systems, Unit 1 Zephyr calming options and given a questionnaire to fill in. These Building, Harwell Campus. questionnaires were issued at the meeting and are also going to The Council had no objections but questioned the need for the be widely circulated for as many villagers as possible to complete signs to be illuminated, which will add to light pollution in the them. Villagers may need to refer to the Parish Council website to vicinity and is neither sustainable nor ethical. understand terms such as ‘table-tops’ and ‘village areas’ which P18/V1020/HH Orangery extension at Peppercorn Barn, Church are mentioned as possibilities but not explained in the Lane. The Council had no objections but asked that neighbours' questionnaire although they were shown at the meeting. The comments are taken into consideration by planners. County Council representative indicated some time urgency in P18/V1017/O Demolish existing dwelling, erect 3 detached responding to the consultation in order to qualify for forthcoming dwellings at Arborfield, Didcot Road. No objection. funding. Cath Convery said realistically there was no deadline for P18/V0962/LB Remove & replace render and windows at White filling in this questionnaire. Debbie Turner indicated that returning Cottage, High Street. it within a few weeks would be preferable. Council had no objections but questioned the use of single glazing from a sustainable point of view and asked that neighbours' comments are taken into consideration by planners. Planning Matters P18/V0842/LB Replace orangery facade at Locktons Farmhouse, To review local planning applications, please look at Church Lane. No objections but Council asked that neighbours' https://www.harwellparish.co.uk/planning-applications-for- comments are taken into consideration. review-by-pc/ No comments on the following applications – P18/S0719/RM, Forthcoming Meetings to May 2019 P18/V0667/DIS. All meetings are held in the Village Hall committee room, Harwell, No comments permitted on application P18/V0612/LDP. on the following Tuesdays, starting at 7.30 p.m. unless otherwise No objections to application P18/V0558/A. stated. No objections but asked for neighbours’ comments to be considered on application P18/V0591/HH. June 12th No objections, neighbours’ comments and satisfaction that July 10th applicants appear to be trying to build sustainably and consider September 11th VWHDC views on sustainability and future proofing on application. October 9th P18/V0661/FUL. November 13th Application P18/V0786/FUL is the council application re: A417 December 11th (finance & planning only) entrance improvements on the recreation ground. January 8th P18/V0301/FUL Variation condition 2, planning permission February 12th P16/V2900/FUL - 458 homes with open space, sports facilities, March 12th infrastructure at land east of Milton Hill (adjoining Harwell parish). April 9th AMENDMENT received April 2018. May 14th 3 The Harwell News i s s u e 2 10 Ed Vaizey Parish News "Three pieces of excellent letters) from constituents. Subjects raised with me included local news on new investment in infrastructure, Brexit and new data protection rules. roads and infrastructure this month. The first is about the "The Prince’s Countryside Fund is now open for grant applications A34, the bane of many of our of up to £50,000, available to support community led projects that lives.