Parish Council Meetings in 2008

Please put these dates in your diary or organiser:- 3rd July; 4th September; 2nd October; 13th November.

All meetings will be held at 7.30 pm on Thursdays in the Village Hall.

You are all always welcome. Your views are important to us.

Current Planning Applications

1. Grange Farmhouse New Road P08/W0558. D Singleton Erection of single storey side extension
2. Ashdown, Coscote P08/W0523. Mr & Mrs Alberry. Side Extension to bungalow with dormers.
3. 67 Blewbury Road Miss JD Hoskins. DOE Appeal Reference APP/Q3115/A08/2076056/NWF Erection of single storey link extension and re-cladding of existing building to use as additional accommodation.

Planning Decisions

1. 10 New Road P08/W0515. N Bound. Single storey side extension. Planning permission GRANTED.
2. 40 New Road P07/W1230. Appeal ref APP/Q3115/A/08/2067410. Erection of Double Garage Appeal DISMISSED. The main issue was the effect of the proposed double garage on the character and appearance of the property and local area. The main concern would be the removal of a section of a significant section of a beech hedge.

You can view the applications online by going to www.southoxon.gov.uk and keying in the reference number in the “search” option at the top right hand side of the page.

PARISH COUNCIL MEETING - 3RD JULY

On the Agenda:

1. Request from St Andrew’s Church for a donation in support of repairs to the organ
2. Provision of additional dog fouling bins
3. Donation for Hagbourne School Swimming Pool Project

FLOODING

Over the past six months a small group of villagers has been active to understand the causes of the flooding we have experienced, especially at Tadley, and to press the authorities to carry out preventative works.

It is now generally accepted that lack of maintenance of the waterways is a significant contributor to these problems – the main and lower channels below the Blewbury Road bridge are not able to carry the water away sufficiently quickly. The last significant clearance of the waterways was carried out just after the previous flooding in 1990. We have had detailed discussions with the authorities involved:
* OCC Highways Department are responsible for the road drains. They have cleared a serious blockage in the pipes connecting the road drains to the lower water channel at the Blewbury Road bridge which we hope will mean that the road drains more freely. They have also recently flushed the blocked drains on Main Road.
* The Environment Agency are responsible for the main Hacca’s Brook channel and have agreed to carry out some limited work to clear vegetation, and to serve notice on land owners to remove fallen trees. Their ability to do more is severely hampered by prescriptive national guidelines on priorities. The Parish Council has written to our MP, Mr Vaizey, asking him to continue pressure for a more imaginative approach.
* SODC, through their contractors, Monson, have already cleared a short section of the lower channel downstream from Blewbury Road. They are also developing a plan of work to clear vegetation from the lower channel as far as possible towards the confluence with the Mill Brook. In addition they are considering some suggested improvements to the culverts to increase the flow. While we would like more, they have given East Hagbourne high priority within the budget they have for 2008/09, and the work they are considering should help matters.
Those of us who live in the village have a part to play too, to avoid excessive plant growth that can restrict water flow, and to avoid clippings or other debris falling into the stream. Those of you live next to the stream will already have received an information package.

THAMES AND CHILTERNS IN BLOOM

IMPORTANT Judges will arrive at approximately 10.30 on Friday 18th July.

Please make an extra special effort to tend window boxes, cut verges, pick up litter you see lying around (even if it is not yours). Please also ensure that your dog does not foul the paths verges, or public areas – if it does please remove the excrement and dispose of it in one of the dog bins around the village or take it home. Thank you for your help.

WASTE RECYCLING AND DISPOSAL IN THE DIDCOT AREA

The question of what can be done with waste is being tackled at all levels of government, from the European Union down to local councils. The emphasis now is on recycling and keeping the amount of landfill to the absolute minimum. We are just running out of space for all the rubbish. For our local area, a proposal has been submitted to the County Council to build an incinerator and waste handling facility on the land between Sutton Courtenay and Appleford. This area is already used for gravel and sand extraction as well as landfill. A number of public meetings have been held to discuss the issues involved.

The villages of Sutton Courtenay and Appleford are closest to the proposed facility, but we also need to keep ourselves informed and be able to support these villages with their concerns. As part of this, we joined other parish councils to visit a new incinerator and waste handling facilities in Kent. There was lively questioning on potential problems like air quality, noise, smell and traffic, as well as on the benefits of being able to generate electricity and supply heating. Overall, the way that the design of the facility and its operation was aimed at minimising any impact on local communities was impressive. However, there were still some issues needing further investigation. Ensuring that the very strict environmental standards are met when the incinerator is started up, shut down or with a malfunction are important questions.

These new facilities are very different from the impression most people have of waste disposal and landfill. They look more like a factory with modern design and landscaping. Anyone driving south onto the M23 from the interchange on the M4, can see a modern incinerator. It’s the building on the right hand side with a curved roof and modern art chimney and this one has a greater capacity than the one proposed for Sutton Courtenay.

VILLAGE WEBSITE

The efforts continue to bring the Website back up to date. Please send What’s on/Future Events information to info@easthagbourne.net for inclusion on the website.

Similarly if any of the contact information in the Village Directory needs updating please send the information through to us electronically.

SPORTSGROUND PAVILION

The current situation is that we are eagerly awaiting to hear from S.O.D.C. and the Football Foundation about the Grant Applications.
The latest information is that the former are due to announce their decision in July and the latter in August, although there is no confirmed hearing date.
The future Management Committee is being formed in readiness to take the project forward once sufficient funds have become available.