MINUTES – November 2022

●       None

●       None relevant to this meeting.

●       None

●       ACTION: Clerk to review the format and recirculate October’s minutes, to then be reviewed at the December meeting.

●       None raised.

Gooseacre

i.         UPDATE: Planning application for the pavilion and playground had been submitted. The Vale had requested a tree survey.

ii.         RESOLVED: Cr Dudding proposed, and Cr Henderson seconded to delegate to the clerk with the project group to deal with queries on the project as and when they come in.

North Radley Community Building:

i.         RAISED: The parish council should review and approve the CIO process.

ii.         ACTION: Cr Henderson to put together a proposal, and bring to the December Parish Council meeting, for the councillors to review and approve.

Radley Lakes Trust:

i.         COMPLETED: 430 trees successfully planted.

Car park:

i.         ACTION: Clerk to create 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. Update to be given in December  meeting.

Possible carpark extension

i.         No updates.

Cemetery extension

i.         UPDATE: Cole Easdon had contacted the Environment Agency. Awaiting a response in 20 workings days (end of the month).

Primary school and hall extension

i.         UPDATE: Invoice for the school hall still not been received from Oxfordshire County Council.

Sugworth Cresent

i.         UPDATE: A planning committee being held on the 30 November. Proposal to build three houses in place of one. Cr Henderson to update on the outcome at December’s  meeting.

NW Radley:

●       No Updates

S Kennington:

●       No Updates

The Old Coalyard:

●       UPDATE: There was no response yet from OCC enforcement.

●       ACTION: Cr Johnston to discuss with councillor Bethia Thomas when they take on their new position in December. Update to be provided in December parish meeting.

Terrafirma:

●       ACTIONED: Clerk had submitted a formal complaint with enforcement. Update to be provided at December’s parish meeting.

●       RESOLVED: Scrutiny and acceptance of the bank statements and reconciliation, all of which were saved in the shared file. Proposed by Cr Johnston, seconded by Cr Cook.

●       RESOLVED: To confirm the appointment of the assistant clerk with terms and conditions as set out in the agreed job description.

●       RESOLVED: That eligibility for membership of the Local Government Pension scheme should be extended to include the Assistant Clerk post.

●       CONFIRMED: The salary award for 22-23. Proposer Cr Dudding, Cr Johnston seconded.

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

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

●       UPDATE: Councillors inspected the amendments to play area gate, where the Lengthsman has wrapped the top bar of the gate to provide some cushioning.

●       NOTED: The spring of the gate is set to manufacturers recommendations.

●       CONFIRMED: Proposed by Cr Johnston, seconded by Cr Fraser to trial the amendments on the gate for 6 months, and then review. Cr Dudding amended, and Cr Johnston seconded for the lengthsman to add the wrap to all three gates and unlock them.

●       INFORMATION: Lengthsman was booked on routine inspection training.

●       The Council would be asked to agree the precept for 23-24 once the tax base (multiplier) is received from the Vale.

●       Proposed by Henderson, seconded by Dudding. All agreed. Block agreement from 127/22 (c) – 127/22 (e)

1. A week or so ago I had a most useful Redrow site meeting with Jason Thacker the site manager.  In particular I was shown the new cycle track which goes round the site and which has been finished to an excellent standard.  It is proposed to open this track in stages as the development continues starting in December when cyclists and others will be allowed access through the completed part of the site on to the last 100 metres which will cut out the less safe right turn into Sandford Lane.  The whole track should be open by next June.
2. As you all know the planning application for Lodge Hill has finally gone in, but I am more than slightly annoyed at the fiddling around at the edges on the traffic calming now going on matters which I had thought had been settled months ago.
3. In my opinion the Council Tax in all probability will go up by 5% next year, this is to prevent the collapse of Adult Social Services and the special needs education (SEND) services from collapsing in the absence of more central government funding.  It is sadly the case that if a Council does not take advantage of full permission to raise Council Tax, then this adversely impacts on the various pots of money the Council is asked to bid for from time to time which assume that the full amount has been taken.  This was how Northamptonshire got into quite a financial pickle a couple of years ago and had to be turned into a unitary to rectify the situation.  When a unitary is created there is the opportunity to completely reset the Council Tax, usually at a new and higher level.

●       ACTION: Cr Henderson to confirm with Redrow on the 16 December, if the position of the cycle path is temporary, or will it be amended to go in front of the Rotunda.

1. Free parking days being offered to help local businesses. Drivers will be able to park for free in local car parks on Saturdays in Abingdon: 26 November, 3 and 10 December.
2. Recycling campaign. Vale together with South Oxfordshire have launched a new quiz with a chance of winning a fantastic hamper worth £100 by putting their Christmas recycling knowledge to the test.  It aims to help encourage people to put the correct items into their domestic recycling bin over Christmas and to reduce the amount of contamination. During 2021/22, more than 2,600 tonnes of kerbside recycling across the two districts, or an average of 8.5 per cent of all recycling collected, had to be rejected as it is had been contaminated with non-recyclables. To take part in the quiz for the chance to win the hamper go to Christmas Recycling Quiz 2022 (southandvale.gov.uk)

i.         ONGOING: Protruding BT box on the Lower Radley junction.

ii.         ACTIONED: Pavement defects Lower Radley junction (marked up by OCC for repair).

●       NOTED: the Lengthsman’s actions in the last month:

−        Checks and inspections

−        New SID installed on Kennington Road

−        Litter picking Radley Lakes with Radley College boys

−        Lining out pavements

−        Organising footpath repairs

−        Parking space created in PC car park

−        Leaf collection on Kennington Road and Gooseacre with college boys

−        Leaf clearance in village hall grounds

−        Bracken cleared by the car park

●       ACTION: Lengthsman to check if the traffic display can be altered not to flash up below 20mph.

●       RESOLVED: The dropped kerb was installed 17 November 2022. NOTED: It was positioned based on an individual’s access needs.

●       A34 Lodge Hill Interchange improvement scheme including new grade separated dumbbell junction, an off-slip to allow northbound traffic to exit the A34 and an on-slip to allow southbound traffic to enter the A34, sustainable drainage measures, revised access, balancing ponds, lighting columns, planting/landscaping, provision of shared footway and cycleway, vehicle restraint system, bus layby extension, fencing, signalised and unsignalised crossing for active travel users and associated infrastructure works.

●       NOTED: Traffic calming was not part of the Lodge Hill application, ownership of resolution sits with Oxfordshire County Council.

●       RESOLVED: Proposed by Cr Dudding, seconded by Cr Henderson. Cr Johnston abstaining due to being County Councillor, that the council should submit a holding application, until plans/ details received on traffic calming for Sugworth Lane.

●       ACTION: Update on bus shelter repairs to be given at December’s parish meeting.

●       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.

1. Aspire Autumn Newsletter

1. OCC – Local Funding for Communities

1. Oxfordshire Treescape Project Latest News

1. Vale News – November 2022

1. PCC Newsletter – Thames Valley communities asked for policing & crime views

1. VWHDC Offer of recycling talks

1. Article from Local Government Lawyer – Related to interests and planning applications

1. Healthwatch Oxfordshire Newsletter

●       Approve October and November Parish Council minutes

●       Review Lawns Community Building CIO proposal

●       Car park working group outcome

●       1, Sugworth Crescent planning application update

●       The Old Coalyard complaint update

●       Precept update

●       Digital signature proposal (January 2023)

●       Feasibility of taking the mowing of grass job in house

●       Bus shelter repairs

●       Ordinary meeting:  Thursday December 15^th at 7.30pm in the Church Room