The Grapevine Magazine April 2009 Issue No 240 Other Issues Home

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News from your District and County Councillors

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING - 6 APRIL 2009

This year's Annual Parish Meeting will be held at 7.30pm in the Jubilee Hall on 6 April and will, as usual, provide an opportunity to update everyone on the activities of the Parish Council over the previous twelve months. In the past we have usually been fortunate enough to persuade our local County and District Councillors to say a few words of local interest as well and it is anticipated that they will be able to attend this year too.

Easter holiday activities for young people:

Throughout the Easter holidays South Oxfordshire District Council is running an activity programme for young people aged 8-14 years old. Along with local sports coaches and instructors the council is providing a variety of activities across South Oxfordshire, between the 6th and 17th April. The exciting range of activities on offer this year includes netball, golf, athletics, basketball and mountain biking. There is also an opportunity to take part in sports camps, where young people can master skills in a range of Olympic sports. For those with an interest in art and crafts Cornerstone arts centre in Didcot is offering a variety of creative activities for young people and families. The council has also launched a new online booking service on its website, to make it even easier for people to sign up for the activity they are interested in www.southoxon.gov.uk/holiday-activities or contact the leisure team on 01491 823417 or email leisure@southoxon.gov.uk

MORE TALK ABOUT RUBBISH:

Rubbish has been a hot topic in the District in recent months and there is important news to tell.District Council unveils recycling revolution: We hope you are aware that a new waste service will be introduced later in the year which will revolutionise rubbish and recycling in the District. The first leaflet called Why is my waste changing?' should have now been delivered to every household. This explains how the new service will work and the key dates to help make the transition from old to new as smooth as possible. From 8 June there will be a separate food waste collection so the waste that currently goes to landfill can be composted and a completely revamped recycling service so residents can recycle more than ever from their home. For the first time, South Oxfordshire residents will be able to recycle glass and food and drink cartons such as Tetra Paks from their home. Watch out for further information and contact the District Council or your local Councillor if you have any questions.

WASTE COLLECTION - UPDATE

By now every household should have received an introductory leaflet providing initial details of the new waste collection scheme. If the programme runs on schedule, residents of Lewknor, Postcombe and South Weston can expect their new bins to be delivered during the week 13-26 April - but DO NOT use them until the new system starts, which is not until 8 June. The other piece of hot news is that, unlike some parishes, we will not have our collection day changed - it will still be Tuesday.

Some residents may have recently received an inappropriate final payment notice related to the garden waste collection service. These were issued in error as a result of technical problems between SODC and its contractors. If you were affected, SODC offers its sincere apologies for any distress or inconvenience the letter may have caused. For more information on the garden waste service contact: Louise Brown on 01491 823416.

HOLIDAY LOCAL WASTE COLLECTIONS

Easter	Tues 14 April	Weds 15 April
May Day Bank Holiday	Tues 5 May	Weds 6 May
Spring Bank Holiday	Tues 26 May	Weds 27 May

PS. Don't forget - the Oakley Wood recycling centre is now closed until sometime in June.

Improvements at Oakley Wood Waste Recycling Centre:

From 23rd March the recycling centre at Oakley Wood will be closed for about 3 months. The County Council has been aware that the centre is out-dated and is making improvement to provide a more efficient service. The County Council apologies for any inconvenience that the temporary closure will cause and urges residents to keep recycling using alternative facilities.

The closest alternative sites in the county can be found at:

• Redbridge - Old Abingdon Road, Oxford,
• Drayton - Steventon Road, Drayton, Near Abingdon.

All waste recycling centres are open seven days a week, 8am - 5pm, including the Easter weekend.

District Council provides additional community waste service :

From the 1st April to 30th June there will be additional community waste collections in the four main towns due to the closure of Oakley Wood Waste Recycling Centre for refurbishment. Community waste vehicles will in Thame, Wallingford, Didcot and Henley on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Saturday's of the month. Where there is a 5th Saturday there will be a vehicle in Wallingford. In addition there will be a vehicle at Wheatley Primary School on the 4th Saturday of the month. The community waste vehicles are on site from 8am -12pm. Locations:

• Thame - Cattlemarket car park
• Wallingford - Goldsmith's Lane
• Henley - Station Road car park
• Didcot - High Street car park

Please note that the community waste vehicles cannot collect household electrical items, garden waste or hazardous material such as paint and batteries. If the community waste vehicles become full before 12 noon, residents will be re-directed to the nearest waste recycling centre (rubbish tip), provided by the county council.

Your chance to help shape how the district looks in the future

South Oxfordshire District Council is urging residents to have a hand in earmarking where new homes and business premises should go over the next 20 years to help shape the district for the future. From 20 March to 1 May 2009 residents will have an opportunity to comment on the council's Core Strategy, a key document outlining the location of 10,000 new houses. The council has identified areas in and around Didcot, Henley, Thame and Wallingford that could support growth up to 2026, taking on board residents' feedback from last year. The council now wants to make sure these proposals reflect what residents would like to see in years to come, through a series of consultation activities. The strategy not only includes new homes, but business premises and measures to maintain the district's unique characteristics and protect our resources. The council hopes to reach most people through the public consultation events it's hosting in the towns and some rural areas, and workshops with young people, ethnic and disability groups. Information leaflets and the full Core Strategy will also be available to view online or at local libraries, one stop shops, town councils, or the council offices in Crowmarsh.

SAFETY ISSUES

Safe young cyclists

Over 4000 children took part in Oxfordshire County Council's cycle training scheme. The scheme which teaches young people how to cycle safely in traffic is potentially life-saving. It is offered free of charge to children aged 10 and 11. In the summer months children are out and about on their cycles even more - make sure your local youngsters have the benefit of this training.

Surge in chimney fires

Oxfordshire County Council's Fire and Rescue Service has experience a large number of call outs to chimney fires in the South Oxfordshire recently. It is urging residents not to take unnecessary risks. With the summer approaching it's a good time to get your chimney swept ready for next winter. Regular maintenance removes the build up of soot and clears obstructions.

Good bye Corgi gas installers

We have learned to check that gas installers are `Corgi' registered. From 1st April `Gas Safe RegisterT' will be the new hallmark for gas safety in the UK. This replaces the CORGI gas registration scheme as the official gas safety body. So, from 1st April, by law, only Gas Safe registered engineers should carry out work on gas appliances or installations in your home.

INVESTING IN LEARNING

New Library for Thame

A total of £1.5million has been allocated by the county council for the replacement of Thame Library. Work will begin this spring on a brand new building in North Street and is due for completion in autumn 2010. The current library is in Southern Road.

Adult learning

Exciting new courses are on offer for adults across the county. Take a look at the opportunities available to learn something new or catch up on learning missed in the past. For information contact the County Council Adult Learning Department or visit a local library.

County Councillor	Roger Belson	01491 612091
District Councillors	Rodney Mann	01844 281426
	Rev'd Angie Paterson	01491 614033

COUNCIL CONTACT DETAILS

Council	Council Website	Main Switchboard	E-mail
Oxfordshire County Council	www.oxfordshire.gov.uk	01865 792422	online@oxfordshire.gov.uk
South Oxfordshire District Council	www.southoxon.gov.uk	01491 823000	info@southoxon.gov.uk

RECENT LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Entries in the LPC (Lewknor Parish Council) Comment column will normally be confined to one of four options: `Current' (ie recommendation still pending), `Approve', `Object' or `NSV' (No Strong Views); the latter is the most usual and is often amplified by specific observations and/or reservations. Entries in the SODC Status column will be `Current', `Appeal', `Withdrawn', `Granted' or `Refused'; all of which are self-explanatory. Further details of individual Planning Applications are available on-line, as follows. Open SODC's Home Page here
In the box on the right, click on `Planning'. Then click on `view applications via the Planning Application Register' and follow the instructions to find the specific application that you seek.

Ref No	Remarks	LPC Comment	SODC Status
P08/E0300/LB	6 High St, Lewknor - complex extension - appeal.	Appeal rejected
P08/E0957	`Highfield', Lower Rd, Postcombe - newbuild 3-bed dwelling.	Object	Current

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SCHOOL NEWS

News From Krakatoa

Spring is finally upon us and we are looking forward to enjoying more and more time outside with the children.

In March we welcomed two new children, Aida and Theo, and after the Easter break Logan and Rowan will join us.

Our `Horseracing' evening on Friday, 13 March was a great success and raised over œ1,200 for the preschool! We would like to thank everyone who took part -- those who sponsored races and horses, planned and helped on the evening, donated a bicycle for the raffle and of course everyone who attended and gambled so generously. It was a fun night all around and the money raised is much needed by the pre-school. As the event took place on Red Nose Day we will be donating 5% to Comic Relief.

We would once again like to thank everyone for their continued support for Krakatoa as strong support from the local community is key to the ongoing success of the preschool.

Krakatoa Pre-school 07919081088

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Lewknor Chiltern Gateway

CONTACT FOR GATEWAY:Phone: 01844 281 827/ 07974 018 482
Email: jane.pendlenton at googlemail.com , simon.brignall at arocha.org
Address: Jane is now based at St. Margaret's and Lewknor C of E School on a full time basis.
Postal contact can be made to Revd. Brignall at the Vicarage, 46, High St., Tetsworth, OX9 7AS

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The Bookclub at Lewknor

"The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" our book for March by John Boyne has recently been made into a feature film so the context of the story, two nine year old boys who meet on opposite sides of the prison fence at Auschwitz, was already known to most of us. However, it wasn't immediately obvious it had been written for older children (although a teacher member of the group had found it had been read by 10 to 11 year olds at her school) and initially, the repetitiveness of the narrative and the supposed naivety of the German child as to the reason for the strange "town's" presence near his family home caused a certain amount of irritation.

We wondered what children would make of the story as particularly the unexpected ending (horrific to an adult reader but perhaps not explicit to a child) was the point at which the book's deeper intent became clear. We decided it would be a very useful introduction to young people with little knowledge of the atrocities committed during the Second World War as a text used for discussion by a teacher in a class to a parent at home.

The film of the same name as the book, for anyone interested, features a young German officer played by Rupert Friend who can currently be seen playing a rather different sort of German as Prince Albert in the film "The Young Victoria"

Our reading for April is "The Post-Birthday World" by Lionel Shriver of "We must talk about Kevin" fame and after that, "The Dig" by John Preston which is a novel about the discovery of the Sutton Hoo treasure trove.

Elan Preston-Whyte

The Chiltern Society

The Chiltern Society, with around 6,500 members, is one of the largest environmental groups in England directly associated with the conservation of one of the country's finest protected landscapes. It has over 400 active volunteers who protect the Chilterns' heritage landscapes, buildings and rivers, maintain Chiltern footpaths and bridleways, publish footpath maps, lead walks, cycle rides and photographic trips, and help Chiltern farmers. The Society's area includes 650 square miles across parts of four counties: Bucks, Beds, Herts and South Oxfordshire, an area about twice as large as the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The following page reflects the work of The Chiltern Society.

Mike Overall said - "This was a very successful example of grass routes community action and local democracy working well. The Society worked together with community groups from Marlow and Little Marlow to uphold the Country Park strategies set out in the comprehensive Supplementary Planning Guidance produced in 2001, following two years of extensive public consultation. We were strongly and effectively supported by local councilors."

It's local Planning Field Officer, John Harris, who carefully prepared the Society's formal objections to both applications, said about the refusal of the Gravel Pits application "This is a welcome result. The important thing is that Wycombe District Council's policies on protecting the Chilterns and the River Thames corridor, which the Society fully supports, have prevailed over proposals that would have undermined those policies. We are not against sports facilities, but this was an example of the wrong scheme in the wrong place!"

Local residents, particularly of the Little Marlow Westhorpe Park Homes hamlet and the Oak Tree Road area of Marlow, were delighted that their local environments had been saved from the threats posed by the proposed developments.

Chiltern Society Chairman John Taylor said - "I am delighted that this battle has been won. The Society's large band of Planning Field Officers has a wide range of planning expertise, as have our volunteer groups that cover historic buildings, Rights of Way and river and wetland issues. Together with our Conservation and Path Maintenance Volunteers, they are able to offer a wide range of Chiltern Society support to other community groups and local councils in the Chilterns."

For further information contact:
Mike Overall - Tel: 01628 525712
Email: mike@mjoverall.freeserve.co.uk

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News from Newington Nurseries

Rhododendrons - Large and Small

The wonderful world of Rhododendrons brings colour and interest for much of the year but it is in spring that the greatest glories occur. Make your selection for your situation and as long as you give them a helping hand as they become established, they will bring you joy for many years to come.

When you look closely at a Rhododendron flower, it is truly an amazing piece of work. And not only the detail of the flower itself but the way it sits amongst the foliage gives the impression of real plant perfection. Rhododendrons have been a familiar sight in this country since the middle of the nineteenth century when the Victorian collectors and plant hunters began bringing back specimens predominantly from China, Japan, and the Himalayas. Yet they retain their exotic beauty and still make a great impact wherever you come across them. Anyone who has wandered through a spring garden bursting with Rhododendrons in flower must want to enjoy a slice of that glory on their own patch. The good news is that anyone can. At its simplest, dwarf Rhododendrons can be enjoyed in containers on a patio or balcony.

The Yakushimanum (otherwise known as `Yak') hybrids grow slowly and with the right feeding and watering will put on glorious displays of flowers year after year without ever out-growing their space. Container growing allows all the benefits of being able to get the soil conditions just right (acid soil is a must although the RHS has been running long-term trials on lime-tolerant varieties) and you can relocate your plants as the fancy takes you. Handy if you're moving house. If you've got more space and the soil is right you can make them a bigger part of the garden. Combine them with ferns, perhaps in the dappled shade of mature trees. Hostas make great partners too.

Try matching the sumptuous Rhododendron `Blue Peter' for example with Hosta fortunei to get maximum value from the lilac flower heads of the Rhododendron. A worthwhile guideline to bear in mind is that the more floriferous the variety, the less suitable it will be for naturalistic settings. For this reason, the really showy examples, like Rhododendron `Linda', with its vivid cerise flowers, are best nearer the house. Even `Linda' however can be moderated by planting in combination with cooler flowers, for example bluebells. Bigger Rhododendrons have the potential to provide useful screening against eyesores or for protection from a busy road. Hardy hybrid or `iron-clad' evergreen Rhododendrons are perfect for these situations. Rhododendron `Cynthia' is one such variety, reaching a height and spread of 20m in ideal circumstances and would be effective in this situation. Equally however there are dwarf alpine varieties that are perfect in rock gardens, for example `Dora Amateis' which bears lovely white flowers in spring and achieves a maximum height and spread of only 60cm.

Newington Nurseries, Newington, Nr Stadhampton, Oxon, OX10 7AW TeI 01865 400533
www.newington-nurseries.co.uk

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