August 2011 Bank Holiday Waste Collection

Waste collections in the Vale will run a day later than normal next week following the bank holiday on Monday 29 August.

The Vale service will collect recycling and food bins plus brown bins.

Collections on Saturday 3 September will start from 6am, an hour earlier than usual, so if this is your collection day, make sure your bins are out the night before.

Collections will return to normal on Monday 5 September.

Full details of collections can be found at www.morerecycling.co.uk or by calling 03000 610610.

You can sign up to get a free text message to remind you when to put your bins out when the day changes due to bank holiday or bad weather. To register, send a message with the word ‘waste’ and your collection day (eg, ‘Waste Thursday’) to 07797 870371.

Unvaled is scrapped

The cabinet member for communications, Cllr Yvonne Constance (email yvonne.constance@whitehorsedc.gov.uk), has this week decided to stop publishing the council’s residents’ magazine Unvaled in order to save £39,600 a year.

Instead, they say, the council will be making better use of other ways of communicating with residents, including via its annual leaflet in March with council tax bills and the tags that are left on all bins in the district to let residents know about revised waste collections over Christmas and Easter.

The decision to stop Unvaled will be communicated via the local media, and we will also be informing key partners including parish councils. You can continue to find out about council news and services, including by:

  • Sign up for a free waste text message to let you know if your collection day has changed due to bank holidays or bad weather. To register send a text message with the word ‘waste’ and your collection day to 07797 870371. Eg Waste Wednesday.
  • Follow the Vale on Twitter for news alerts, details of events, links to press releases and other useful information. Go to www.twitter.com/WhiteHorseDC
  • Visit the Vale’s website at www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk for detailed information about services and to find out the latest council news. You can also make payments, report problems or register for services via the Vale’s website.
  • Visit the Vale offices at Abbey House, Abingdon, or call on 01235 520202. Offices are open Monday to Thursdays 8.30am-5pm and on Fridays from 8.30am-4.30pm. You can also write to the council at Abbey House, Abbey Close, Abingdon, OX14 3JE; email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk or fax 01235 540395.

It’s not clear whether they considered that many residents do not use the internet regularly, nor how they will replace the sort of ‘push’ communications that Unvaled has delivered so well over the years.

I would have preferred that it continue to be produced, and perhaps published on the website rather than be distributed in physical hard copy. That way I could check for it or sign up for an alert to come to me when a new issue is published.

For more information, contact Vicky Tilley
(01235) 540528
victoria.tilley@southandvale.gov.uk

Botley Drainage Work

The Vale of White Horse district council has welcomed plans from Thames Water to start work improving the drainage problems in Cumnor Hill and Botley.

Thames Water has written to the council to outline its plans to carry out work to upgrade the sewerage system in Botley. This work is due to start in January 2012 and should be completed by the end of next year.

This also means that planning applications, which have been on hold because of the sewerage problems, can be determined now that the drainage improvement works is due to start.

Since October 2007, the council has been unable to permit any planning applications for new housing in the OX2 0, OX2 9 or OX1 5 postcode areas because of a holding objection raised by Thames Water due to the ongoing drainage problems.

Thames Water has confirmed that as the planned work will be carried out shortly, it has no objection to the council permitting applications for new housing in the area subject to a condition being imposed on planning permissions stipulating that no new houses can be occupied until the drainage improvement works have been completed.

For more info, to ask questions or voice your concern, contact Stuart Walker
(01235) 540505 stuart.walker@southandvale.gov.uk

Government grants available – Safer Communities

New government funding is available to help communities build safer neighbourhoods

The Home Office is inviting organisations from the voluntary sector to apply for a share of £10 million to enable communities tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

The ‘Community Action Against Crime: Innovation Fund’ aims to bring together active citizens and encourage new ways of working with communities to build safer neighbourhoods. £5 million is available this year and a further £5 million has been set aside for 2012/12.

For further information about the new Home Office funding, please visit http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime/partnerships/innovation-fund/.

This funding will support voluntary organisations in getting on with the job of building strong and safe communities in their own innovative way, working alongside Community Safety Partnerships and other agencies.

The South and Vale Community Safety Partnership (of which the district council is a lead member) supports local voluntary organisations to help reduce crime and the fear of crime in the Vale of White Horse. For example, the partnership gave funding for a project in Abingdon to help young people stay out of trouble and build self-esteem, whilst developing a sense of worth and making a positive impact on the community.

You can find out more about South and Vale Community Safety Partnership on our website.

Contact
Katharine Doherty
01491 823615
katharine.doherty@southandvale.gov.uk.

Message from Thames Valley Police 9 Aug 2011

Message from Thames Valley Police

Most of you will have heard in the news about the recent disorder in
London. I would like to reassure you that we will be doing all that we
can to ensure that this type of behaviour does not take place in your
area.

You may notice an increase in the number of police officers at this
time and this should not cause alarm. These officers are there to
provide reassurance, prevent any incidents from happening and tackle any
criminal activity that may occur.

There have been a lot of rumours circulating on social networking sites
about ‘riots’, some of which are untrue or greatly exaggerated.
However, there has been some disorder across the force area.

These are copy cat incidents of those that have been happening in
London, although involving far viewer people. Obviously, we are aware
that these incidents and the images people will have seen from the
problems in London and other areas of the country will be causing
distress and anxiety.

I would also like to appeal to the community to let police know of any
suspicious looking gatherings of young people and any information they
may have about people who may have been involved in disorder.

If you see any suspicious behaviour contact Thames Valley Police on
0845 8 505 505. Alternatively, if you do not want to speak to police, or
leave your name, please contact the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555
111.

Chief Inspector Andy Boyd
Deputy Local Policing Area commander – South Oxfordshire and the Vale
of White Horse

Advice for businesses

Thames Valley Police offer the following precautionary advice to
businesses:

– Ensure staff report any suspicious activity to security officials and
police.
– Consider regular checks of the building and surrounding areas.
Identify any areas that are vulnerable and remove loose objects that
could be used as missiles.
– Make sure all service doors are kept locked and secure when not in
use.
– Ensure your CCTV system is fully operational.
– Consider removing high-value goods from display windows overnight.
– Keep as little cash as possible in the building overnight.
– Where possible, retail premises should be suitably staffed with
security guards.
– Landlords need to ensure that residents living above commercial
premises are aware of risks and ensure that all fire alarms, smoke
alarms and fire escapes are fully functional.
– Does your alarm company have the latest keyholder information? If
not, call them now.
– Does your business have an emergency business plan?
– Petrol stations should avoid selling petrol in small containers.
– In the event of an emergency, call 999.

Olivia Bucknall
Shared Communications Officer

Corporate Strategy
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils
Tel: 01491 823022
Text phone users add 18001 before you dial

Visit us at:
www.southoxon.gov.uk
www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk

Seacourt Retail Development decision due

The Seacourt Retail project is due to be decided upon, now that all the Thames water obstacles (danger of flooding) have been overcome.

Many residents provided written feedback, and all letters are available to read on the Vale’s Planning website: http://bit.ly/q4iHb0 (scroll down a few screens and you’ll see all the documents associated with this plan). Many people objected to the removal of the only petrol station serving this area. There were other objections to do with environmental impact, pedestrian access and more traffic for our already clogged streets.

But none of these objections are anything that will cause a decision against the application, as the Vale officers have said a  decision based on these issues would not hold up in appeal.

If you have comments, please leave them here. Or contact the planning officer at the Vale (you can find out who to talk to via the web link above)

Planning is very much run by planning policy, and the deciding criteria is usually whether an appeal about a decision would be upheld. (Appeals are very expensive for the Vale.) Personally, I think planning policy that doesn’t consider the last local petrol station serving thousands of residents of a growing and expanding village as an amenity, needs to be examined. The additional objections about the cost in money and polution (requiring motorists to make a 10 mile journey to fill up), also points to the need to address the policy.

It’s too late now for a policy change to save our petrol station, but maybe it can save the next vital service that developers want to demolish.