MINUTES – December 2022

District Councillor Lugova was not able to attend.

None

None relevant to this meeting.

Two residents within Radley parish raised two concerns with proposed position of the cycle track, which is currently under consultation https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/radley_kenningtonwhites_pedestriancycle2022  

1.     Safety concerns with it being positioned at the end of a driveway of a property, and the off-road parking currently used by neighbouring properties.

2.     Environmental impact of the proposed changes to the verges, drainage ditches and hedges. Request for a biodiversity assessment to be made.

Councillors advised that any objections need to be submitted by the 30^{th of} December 2022 through the official process.

●       RESOLVED: To accept the minutes for the October and November Parish Council meetings. Proposed by Cr. Johnston. Seconded by Cr. Henderson. All agreed.

·       NOTED: Dog fouling has been increasing. Lengthsman has put in a request for additional dog litter bins to WHHDC.  No progress to date. Mapping stage of dog waste bins has not yet begun.

Gooseacre

1.     UPDATED: The arboriculture report recommended that the number of car parking spaces along the southern boundary should be reduced to avoid parking in the root zone of the boundary trees.  Cr. Dudding has requested that the plan be revised in the hope to lose 3-4 parking spaces maximum.

2.     UPDATED: Village Hall roof. The original proposal was to replace the current roof. As the roof was replaced only a couple of years ago, an alternative solution to add new insulation to the inside rather than the outside was being investigated and costed up.

3.     UPDATED: Heating. A decision has yet to be made on which heating solution to choose. M&E have been sent a list of questions and requested information on running costs of different types of systems, to gain advice of what option to go for.

North Radley Community Building:

4.     UPDATED: Heating quotes has been requested from three different suppliers.

5.     UPDATED: A meeting is being held with Redrow on 16^th December to discuss groundworks.

6.     UPDATED: Revised costs for the Rotunda received considering the amendment requests from the Shadow Trust. Costs have increased from 182k to 195k. The budget does not have an extra 12.5 k to allocate to the project, as there are no contingency funds. The additional costs are due to:

1)    New French window at the cost of £3250.

2)    Internal hatch at the cost of £645.

3)    Layout changes with the entrance becoming internal instead of external, with the cost of 8.5k.

7.     Cr Dudding proposed to take some time to review the data and bring back options / alternative solutions to discuss at the Radley Parish meeting in January. Cr. Johnston seconded.

Lawns Community Building

8.     NOTED: Agreed in November that Cr Henderson to present CIO process proposal the councillors to review and approve. Deferred to Development Steering Group on 12 January 2023.

9.     NOTED: A meeting with Redrow to discuss what services will be provided, costs and transfer of ownership of the land to be held on the 16 December.

Car park:

10.  NOTED: Clerk has commenced creating a working group with Cr Cook, Cr Fraser, and a representative from Radley church and school, to produce a Terms of Use for the car park. Meeting to be arranged in January 2023.

Possible carpark extension

11.  NOTED: No update.

Cemetery extension

12.  NOTED: Clerk had not received any updates from Cole Easdon. A response from the Environment Agency was expected at the end of November.

Primary school and hall extension

13.  TO CONSIDER: OCC planning application R3.0160/22

Details Pursuant to Condition 6 (Playing Field Details) and Condition 8 (Hard and Soft landscaping to Playing Field) of planning permission P21/V1790/CC (R3.0046/21) at Radley C of E Primary School

14.  NOTED: The invoice of 135k to pay for the school hall has been received. Clerk has arranged payment (instructions for payment previously agreed), in three separate instalments, due to the bank online transfer limit.

15.  ACTION: Clerk to support playing field for the school & consultation.

Radley Lakes

16.  No updates.

Sugworth Cresent

17.  No updates.

NW Radley:

●       CONSIDERED: response to the consultation for the Kennington Road and Whites Lane (Radley) Proposed Pedestrian / Cycle Crossings & Shared Use Footway / Cycle Tracks https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/radley_kenningtonwhites_pedestriancycle2022 

●       NOTED: Public feedback documented at point 149/22. Public to raise concerns through the official consultation process.

●       ACTION: Clerk to carry out the following recommendation from Cr Dudding. Radley Paris to agree to the pedestrian crossing plan, and the new cycle track. Request a biodiversity assessment, what is the bis diversity net gain from the cycle path changes.

S Kennington:

●       UPDATED: Cr. Henderson advised of a water main broke under the freezing temperatures, and Thames water were having to tanker it out, as it was on the limit with the capacity of the system.

The Old Coalyard:

●       No Update

Terrafirma:

●       No Update

●       CONFIRMED: Scrutiny and acceptance of the bank statements and reconciliation, all of which were saved in the shared file.

●       RESOLVED: The Council acknowledged scrutiny of the invoices for payment this month. Proposed by Cr. Johnston, and Cr. Cook seconded.

●       RESOLVED that the accounts as itemised on the monthly cashbook for December should be paid.

●       AGREED: the precept for 23-24

●       AGREED: at the November meeting, that recommendation that the Band D equivalent should remain at £60.06. This will produce a precept of £60,192.00.

●       NOTED: The Clerk has requested explanation from OCC on why the number of houses hasn’t increased in line with occupation on the strategic sites. No response received yet.

·       UPDATED: Lengthsman advised work cannot be carried out on the gates until the weather warms up, due to the glue not working effectively in the very cold weather.

1. NOTED: Proposal for digital signatures to be heard in January 2023 Radley parish council meeting.
2. NOTED: Clerk to investigate if bringing mowing the grass inhouse is feasible, and to produce a grass cutting policy. Update to be given at January’s parish meeting.
3. NOTED: A resident request that the parish council cuts verges in Kennington Road.
4. NOTED: Defibrillator batteries and annual service is on order.
5. NOTED: Play area annual report has been ordered, and to be completed in February.

1.     The planning application for Lodge Hill has as we know been submitted. There were no surprises. The application will now be determined by the County Planning and Regulation Committee at its meeting in February. Separate discussions are going on about the related traffic calming which is being treated for whatever reason as a separate project.

2.     The County are now consulting on a new cycle track on the east side of Kennington Road in Radley. I agree with the comments that this makes it easier to link to the new track at the Redrow site and that the one on the Western side is underused. That in my view is not surprising as it is rather narrow and has a rather poor surface.

3.     The rise in the County Council Tax (CT) for 2023/24 is very likely to be 4.99%. This is to prop up both Child and Adult Social Services, both of which are under great and growing pressure amongst other things from an aging population. The Children’s service is overspent in the current year. It must also be understood that if CT is not raised to the maximum permitted that future grants may be at risk as the government assumes that the maximum is raised and if not assumes that further support is not needed and acts accordingly. This was how the then Northamptonshire got into a financial pickle and had to be rescued as a unitary which enabled CT to be reset.

1.     New Vale Council Leader. Cllr Bethia Thomas became the new Leader of Vale of White Horse District Council after Cllr Emily Smith resignation. She was chosen by councillors during a vote at the Council on 7^th December. Cllr Thomas, who was deputy leader and is a ward member for Faringdon, has been a district councillor in Vale of White Horse District Council since 2019, and has served on the Cabinet since her election, as Cabinet Member for community engagement.

2.     Bins collection disruption due to weather/ice on the roads. If Biffa cannot empty bins when the roads are unsafe due to snow or ice then residents are asked to leave their bins out for two days after their scheduled collection and Biffa will try to catch up.

●       COMPLETED: Protruding BT box on the Lower Radley junction.

●       Normal checks

●       Graffiti cleaned from pavilion

●       Graffiti and adhesive cleaned from a bus shelter

●       Graffiti cleaned off a waste bin

●       Brambles cut back at village hall

●       Bush cut back at bus shelter

●       Bus shelters cleaned

●       Liaised with district council regarding dog/litter bins

●       Email enquiries with bus shelter repairer and new SID supplier

●       Created a missing verge on Kennington Road with topsoil remaining from pavement edging

●       With the college, cut back overgrown bushes and weeds on the Kennington Road shared footpath/cycle path

●       Fix My Street reports (cycle path and copse tree debris)

●       Recharged batteries and installed into the new SID

·       UPDATED: The weather is stopping refurbishment, so delayed until spring.

●       TO CONSIDERED: Equipment required to produce reports and maintain the SID.

●       ACTION: Cr. Sparks recommended for lengthsman to discuss with Mr Trowbridge about technology to help make the changes to the speed range showing up on the SIDs

●       NOTED: Clerk has responded on the A34 traffic calming. Oxfordshire County Council Planning Application Reference R3.0148/22:

●       ACTION: Clerk trying to find out who owns these garages, due to health and safety concerns. Two contacts provided that may be able to provide some helpful information.

●       Clr Johnston updated matters on Thrupp Lane.

●       Approve December Parish Council minutes

●       Rotunda (DSG & parish meeting)

●       Spring litter pick 17^th March – 2^nd April the great British clean up

●       Development Steering Group: 12^th January at 7pm in the Church Room

●       Ordinary meeting:  Thursday January 26^th at 7.30pm in the Church Room

●       File document – Meeting dates for 2023