Clifton Hampden Parish Council Bridge article - Download as pdf
Clifton Hampden and Burcot Parish Council is in abeyance.
An emergency meeting of the Parish Council was held on 18 April to hear of the resignations of the Parish Clerk: Charlotte Ray or Burls; Councillors Dougie Anscombe- Stephen, Rory Maxwell, Suzanne Neave and Paul Schenk. Councillors Nick Fielding, Marc Juffkins and I stated that each intended to resign in the near future because of the difficulty in gaining a quorum. The full minutes of this meeting are in this edition of the Bridge and may be viewed on the Parish Council website.
The Clifton Hampden and Burcot Parish Council, elected in May 2023, achieved a great deal in its short, two-year life.
The Parish Council inherited, from its predecessor, a Neighbourhood Development Order application and a draft Neighbourhood Plan.
The Council scrutinised the details of the NDO submission, considered its implications for the village in the long-term and proposed to the Steering Group, the landowner and developer, several improvements. These were not accepted, and the unaltered application was assessed by an independent Examiner, who determined that the proposal failed on three basic conditions. The SODC accepted his recommendation and the NDO application was turned down.
The Neighbourhood Plan was put to referendum and achieved a majority in favour of its adoption. This means that the Parish will have a guide for future planning decisions and will receive a higher proportion of Community Infrastructure Levy funds.
The Council’s opposition to the construction of a solar farm and a battery energy storage facility at Burcot Farm was upheld by the SODC and the scheme was turned down on two occasions. However, a new Government stressed the importance of more investment in renewable energy and the Burcot Farm solar farm was granted planning permission after a long and expensive Public Inquiry, to which two Councillors and a parishioner gave evidence in person.
The Council also supported neighbouring parishes in objecting to aspects of the HIF scheme, involving a new bridge over the Thames and a road by-passing Clifton Hampden and ending on the Oxford Road. Our Councillor made local headlines by dubbing it “a road to nowhere”. Our objections were not heeded, and the scheme has been approved because of its importance to the development of the Culham Campus and proposed new village.
A 20mph scheme has been installed in Clifton Hampden, bollards replaced and the traffic speed indicator in Burcot was repaired but failed again. The Oxford County Council has agreed to meet with parishioners to discuss traffic calming in Burcot and to record current traffic movements.
The wooden bus shelters and seats in Clifton Hampden and Burcot have been restored. The Clifton Hampden bus shelter has been rebuilt by a skilled carpenter, Mike Gibbons, with an SODC grant.
A further grant was awarded by the OCC for purchase pf flood mitigation equipment but a grant application for rebuilding the play equipment on the Recreation Field was not successful. Grants have been awarded for a fitness programme and defibrillator training.
A permissive footpath scheme was negotiated with a local farmer but, unfortunately, the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme, which would have funded the signage and upkeep of the paths, was cut by the Government.
A Nature Recovery survey of the parish was carried out and various actions have been identified to improve our natural environment. An online Parish Newsletter has been created.
During my time on the Council, I have endeavoured to conserve the beauty, interest and rare individuality of our villages. I hope that this brief account of the varied and interesting work of the Parish Council will encourage readers to come forward to create a new Parish Council.
A locum Parish Clerk has been appointed to continue essential transactions until a replacement has been found. She may be reached at gill.bailey08@outlook.com
Unfortunately. the Parish Council meeting scheduled for 19 May, and the Annual Parish Meeting scheduled for the 21 or 23 May are now postponed.
Christine McCulloch. chris-mcc@outlook.com