Parish Council Notes
First of all, we hope that the New Year will bring you rediscovered happiness, health and prosperity.
Village Plan
We have submitted our application to ORCC for a possible small grant (up to £1500) and have been asked to tell the awards committee more about how we intend to get EVERYONE involved and “consulted”. It has to be your plan, not the Parish Council’s, or a minority of residents’. So, we’re taking advice this month from ORCC on how to improve “inclusivity”. If we convince them that you’ll all participate, we may be lucky. Please put your thinking caps on about what Ewelme needs to do to stay alive and well, and how you want it to evolve in the next 15 years. “Don’t care” is not an option in this village!
Grundon
I would like to thank Grundon for the quiet and unsung help they often give the village – their home village. We’ve had a lot of small matters listened to sympathetically and dealt with.
Hampden Way footpath
We have been discussing this with SOHA and we hope that we can first discover how many residents of Hampden Way feel strongly about the closed footpath access, one way or the other.
Cricket
We’ve had to look very hard at how we can maintain the cricket ground properly. We were taken to task last year by Aston Rowant for not keeping the wicket in good enough shape for their liking. It was a bit rich, since they have yet to pay anything for using it! But we did explore how much it might cost to have an experienced contractor maintain it. Well, the outcome is unaffordable – half the annual precept! So we’ll keep the outfield cut, but it will fall to the cricketers to maintain the square.
Speeding
Thanks to the SID volunteers, there is no doubt that speeding is a problem, particularly in Green Lane. We have the attention of the traffic authorities, and we’re working on possible solutions. We were complimented for finding village volunteers to gather the facts with SID rather than merely complain, as most other communities tend to do. That’s what makes a difference to getting things done – thank you all.
Broadband
We have made progress. BT has assured me that the 100 new phone circuits have been laid from the King’s Pool to Wallingford bridge: 50 of them will be connected to the exchange and ready for use by the end of January. I am reasonably confident that this will happen, give or take a couple of weeks. So, we need to possess ourselves in patience a bit longer. I’m increasingly convinced that it isn’t a luxury but a necessity for rural communities. Many parents particularly feel that schools expect youngsters to have access, and they won’t keep up if it’s not available. Businesses of course are badly disadvantaged without it. For “normal” households, it certainly saves wasted fuel and time going to look for items in Oxford or Reading.
I hope Cllr Bloomfield will keep the pressure on SODC to take a proactive role for households still outside the reach of local exchanges. We shouldn’t forget others less lucky, here or elsewhere in the district. I have to report that my assigned contact in BT Openreach – Peter Higgs – has just retired. He assures me it wasn’t to escape my pestering! But I would like to say that he did make a big difference to moving Ewelme out of its black hole. It’s not easy to find good people who get things done. I enjoyed his trust and his “can-do” attitude. I’ll be writing to his former CEO to thank Peter.
MAY ELECTIONS – VACANCIES
There will be several vacancies for Parish Councillors in the May elections. I’ve made no secret of the fact that I won’t stand again. We all get a bit set in our ways (ask Margaret!), so after 12 years I think it’s time to pass the baton to younger, livelier residents. I’m not baling out completely and I’ll gladly roll up my sleeves to help if needed.
I’ll tell any potential candidates that it’s a very worthwhile task. I think we’ve made quite a difference over the past 12 years and it has been very rewarding. I dread to think what might happen, as in some villages, if not enough candidates stand, and the council lapses.
Can you imagine no Ewelme Parish Council to take up your causes? Just SODC?
We get what we deserve! If we don’t put anything into our community we shouldn’t expect much back. Think on it, and sign on by contacting Sue Hill or any of your Councillors.
Neil Blake, Chairman, Ewelme Parish Council